(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best architecture criticism books

Its worth it to read the article a bit beyond just the section I quoted.

I’m sure we’d agree that precedent has different uses. It can be used as a technical reference for detailing a certain similar condition. It can be used as a planning solution, in say an arrangement of circulation for a library. It can be used as a typological reference such as at Jefferson’s use of the Pantheon for UVA’s library. Architecture school most often is about learning methods and techniques that use precedent in this way.

The author’s reference to Quatremere de Quincy is about a different role for precedent. The Classical ideal of Beauty in architecture is a close imitation of Nature (not in any specific form of foliage or rock formation, but in the order, proportionality, and harmony of the natural world). The selection and use of precedence in those mode isn’t about finding an off-the-rack solution to the problem at hand, but about finding models that best imitate the order, proportionality, and harmony of Nature. The model for imitation is Nature itself, and the precedent serves as guide.

This was largely well understood until the enlightenment, when the use of precedent moved away from the imitation of Nature, to imitation of the works themselves. This is largely how it is used today, and how it is taught in many schools. When Nature was removed as the object for imitation, it left open the question of selection of precedent. There is a good history complete with references in this book if ever interested.

All the early modernists were trained classicists, and to a large extent many of their buildings are more successful because of that education compared to the later generation taught differently.

The defining part of the column you're referring to is mostly its capital. Structurally a columns capital helps to distribute weight or form a fixed (as opposed to pinned) connection. The decoration of capitals (ie. Corinthian as opposed to Doric) is meant to display the fact that so much weight is being transferred through the capital that it is being crushed - to which humans are supposed to understand intrinsically a la embodiment (see: Husserl, Mallgrave, etc.). Much like Gaudi's tortoise. The interesting part of columns, at least in my opinion, is more so the debate between Greek and Roman architecture of which columns and styles of columns are sort of easy to recognize symbols. Architectural history prior to the early 20th century consists largely of this debate. It resurfaces continually. It's kind of feckless.

The debate: Roman ruins were known to architects long before Greek sites came into western knowledge. Thus, the architecture that came out of the Renaissance was based off of the Roman vernacular which were initially based off of Greek architecture. Palladio is considered the master in the revival of classical architecture (he apprenticed as a stone mason before becoming an architect). His work sets the tone for everything that comes after.

It wasn't until, IIRC 1683, that ancient Greek buildings came into western architectural knowledge. At this point the Parthenon was still standing. Unfortunately the Turkish military was using it to store gunpowder which exploded in 1687 when a shell hit it. Thus, there weren't any drawings made of the complete building while it still stood since none had been made on the initial trip.

The point of all this is that it sets up the whole greco-roman architecture debate. Which style is better, long treatises, etc. Column capitals tell you where a column is from both geographically and chronologically, but it's mostly just an easy to seize upon image.

The irony of it all is that structurally the gothic pointed arch was the next logical progression of the arch (another defining image). It's more efficient. It's more structurally advanced. Once can look at the history of load bearing masonry as Greek/Roman (kind of the same) > Middle Eastern Mosques (this is where much of the architectural and engineering talent went during the dark ages) > gothic cathedrals > Gaudi > almost no large buildings are load bearing masonry anymore because it's expensive. The last was Sullivan's Auditorium Theater in Chicago which, oddly, Frank Lloyd Wright started his architecture career at after dropping out of architecture school.

TL;DR - column styles largely denote where a column came from and when it was made. Architectural historians care about this because there was a very long debate about which style (Greek or Roman) was better which is interesting in that the true history of classical architecture was discovered in reverse which influenced contemporary architecture at the time. People today put so much emphasis on column styles for no easily apparent reason. Maybe because it's an easy to grasp concept. Architecturally, there are many things that are far more significant.

That answer your question?

Best happy ending yet. I'm a huge proponent of the comparison of architecture, it's writing and theory, and graphic/web design. Christopher Alexander is fantastic. I recommend going back to his earlier work before the three you mentioned called "Notes on the Synthesis of Form."

A few other great architecture books to consider:

• In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki —
  Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi —
  The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses by Juhani Pallasmaa

If the current figure for more energy efficient homes is as you say between 5-15% more up front capital, how do you justify the value? If you haven't read Eric Cesal's excellent Down Detour Road, he makes a brilliant analysis that divorces cost from value and argues you can actually get clients to pay more money so long as you can justify the value. I'm interested in how you go about doing this.

From one MArch to another, glad to see you're out there doing projects.

From Amazon:

> One of the most widely read boks on European architecture, Nikolaus Pevsner's landmark work was first published in 1942. Through several revisions and updates during Pevsner's lifetime, it continued to be a seminal essay on the subject, and even after his death, it remains as stimulating as it was back in the mid-twentieth century.

> Sir Nikolaus Pevsner (1902-1983) was one of the twentieth century's most learned and stimulating writers on art and architecture. He established his reputation with Pioneers of Modern Design, though he is probably best known for his celebrated series of guides, The Buildings of England, acknowledged as one of the great achievements of twentieth-century scholarship. He was also founding editor of The Pelican History of Art, the most comprehensive and scholarly history of art ever published in English.

I can't believe how expensive this book is nowadays, but this is an accessible way to expand his architectural horizons:

http://www.amazon.com/Buildings-across-Time-Introduction-Architecture/dp/0073379298

Design is best learned through doing and mentoring. Since he's not in a position to take a studio at the moment, he can post his work on here and we'll be happy to guide him.

Sharing Architecture is a nice little 'intro' book that my second-year studio critic had us buy. He pitched it as a good book to share with friends and family, to introduce them to Architecture & Design. It's a good book for that.


http://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Architecture-Robert-Jr-Vickery/dp/0813912342/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1310662402&sr=8-2

• The American Vignola is basically a how-to design guide for a lot of the classical orders, proportions, and components. This is a great primer on the general style, if that's what you're looking for. It's worth many times its price.
  
  
• For a more history-oriented perspective, many architectural history books will be fine, especially those with an emphasis on the years 1400-1900 (maybe earlier Roman architecture as well). My favorites, in order, are Italian Baroque and Rococo Architecture and A History of Western Architecture. These are books I had in college, and you can expect them to be thorough yet expensive. If you'd like other recommendations let me know.

Icons: Magnets of Meaning is a great book about iconic designs.

Also, Massive Change is a very good example of a book where the graphics are consistent throughout, even though dozens of contributors were involved. I also love the quote on the back cover: "Massive Change is not about the world of design, it's about the design of the world."

Another interesting book is Why Architecture Matters by Paul Goldberger. While it isn't specifically about landscape arch, it does give a great overview on the field as a whole, with examples of great architecture. Here is a link.

This thread is full of excellent information.

Barry Blesser's book is also well worth reading.

And here's a cut-and-paste of what Sean sent me (so all credit goes to him for this):

>The reverb literature only tells part of the story. There are very few
>published algorithms that would be considered even medium quality
>commercial algorithms.
>
>That said, there are some papers out there that I have found
>invaluable. Here's a few links:
>
>Michael Gerzon's seminal works:
>
>Gerzon, M.A. (1971). "Synthetic Stereo Reverberation." Studio Sound, 13:632-635.
>
>Gerzon, M.A. (1972). "Synthetic Stereo Reverberation." Studio Sound, 14:209-214.
>
>Bill Gardner's work on nested allpasses:
>http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...=rep1&type=pdf
>
>Jon Dattorro's work on allpass loops (basically a simplified version
>of Lexicon Rich Plate / Rich Chamber algorithms):
>https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~dattorro/EffectDesignPart1.pdf
>
>Miller Puckette's description of Feedback Delay Networks:
>http://crca.ucsd.edu/~msp/techniques/latest/book-html/node104.html
>
>Julius Smith discusses much of the classic theory and modern FDN and
>waveguide work in reverbs:
>https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/pasp/pasp.html
>
>Also, look up papers by Jean-Marc Jot. Heavier on the math, and a
>rediscovery of the theories from the Gerzon papers from 1971 and 1972,
>but still quite useful.
>
>Give yourself plenty of time to digest these papers. There is also a
>book chapter by Bill Gardner in a book called "Applications of Digital
>Signal Processing to Audio and Acoustics" that is the best single
>source out there, but it is in a very expensive book, so read the
>above first.

As of 2006 (when I was applying to undergrad), a portfolio wasn't really necessary. I have been told it has become more common in the interim.

As for what to learn, I was a TA for arch history, and I found this book to be pretty comprehensive. For building systems, I would suggest finding a copy of Architectural Graphic Standards. Good luck.

Here's a list I've been meaning to buy/read. I haven't read any of these yet so I can't vouch for their quality. They mostly focus on MPLS and SP too as that's more where my interests lie.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609495977/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816665249/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2C49A9FXTP8TK

https://www.amazon.com/King-Skid-Row-Twilight-Minneapolis/dp/0816698295/ref=pd_cart_wl_2_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WRGDPQMK2PW9CAP4HSW0

https://www.amazon.com/Augies-Secrets-Minneapolis-Hennepin-Strip/dp/0873519329/ref=pd_cart_wl_2_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WRGDPQMK2PW9CAP4HSW0

https://www.amazon.com/Daytons-Twin-Cities-Institution-Landmarks/dp/1609496728/ref=pd_cart_wl_2_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WRGDPQMK2PW9CAP4HSW0

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Twin-Cities-Larry-Millett/dp/0873512731/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0873512731&pd_rd_r=8QXM2M4VGAT24X1T0GC3&pd_rd_w=WrnBT&pd_rd_wg=10ajN&psc=1&refRID=8QXM2M4VGAT24X1T0GC3 (I do have another Larry Millet book that's really good, and there's a four part series on TPT that is also really good.)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1681340216/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26D0ROY820IVY&coliid=I3CHSRO6V7A6DB

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0873518497/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26D0ROY820IVY&coliid=I2J7HJJBE2LZ1B

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006RB2YU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26D0ROY820IVY&coliid=ILX46LUWM3RVE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G45CEKS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26D0ROY820IVY&coliid=ILB3DLDZD67UK

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CHY4B/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26D0ROY820IVY&coliid=I3UH1UYFD527Q2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394712412/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's most of what I've seen available on Amazon.

EDIT: The Minnesota Historical Society is also a good resource.

There are more factors than just "car companies are evil". It doesn't only rely on spending habits, either.

Everyone should read "The Option of Urbanism" by Christopher Leinberger. Really amazing book that explains urban geography in the United States and how we ended up the way we are today.

Urbanism is coming back, with or without public transportation, tons and tons of people are moving from rural areas back to urban spots. A lot of cities are going through an urban revitalization right now which is drawing people in. Just read the book, it explains it better than I can in a paragraph.

Hello Brother
1.618 to 1....
I love the golden ratio, it is RAD! Here is a great book explaining with evidence how it runs through all nature, in biology, human anatomy, music and mathematics.

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Limits-Proportional-Harmonies-Architecture/dp/1590302591

another copy

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Limits-Proportional-Harmonies-Architecture/dp/B00CB5HD8E

reviewed here at goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1119085.The_Power_of_Limits

I have this [sweary words coloring book] (http://www.amazon.com/Swear-Word-Adult-Coloring-Book/dp/1523946237?ie=UTF8&keywords=Swear%20words%20coloring%20book&qid=1462853364&ref_=sr_1_11&sr=8-11) that I love, but it does have a few animals scattered about! As for coloring utensils I have some colored pencils but I also know a lot of people use fine tipped sharpies or gel pens too! :)

A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method by Sir Bannister Fletcher.

This was my Bible when studying architectural history. I still love it, still read it. The current edition (20th) is very pricey but you can get an older edition pretty cheap on ebay. I believe there is a pdf available but it is way way out of date. Anything after the 14th edition is fine.

Ooooh maaaan, this is my wheelhouse! I'm finishing my masters in Design Studies, and my area of practice is interaction design.

I don't have time right now to write the kind of in-depth, tailored response that your questions deserve, but I can at least recommend some books and academic journals!

Books

• Normative Ethics by Shelly Kagan (This isn't about design, but if I can only recommend one book on ethics then this is it. I can't recommend it highly enough.)
  
• Design as Politics by Tony Fry
  
• Design as Future-Making by Susan Yelavich and Barbara Adams
  
• Design and the Question of History by Tony Fry, Clive Dilnot, and Susan Stewart
  
• Design for the Real World by Victor Papanek
  
• The Politics of the Artificial by Victor Margolin
  
• The Reflective Practitioner by Donald Schon
  
• Thoughtful Interaction Design by Jonas Löwgren
  
  Journals
  
  
• Design Studies
  
• Design Issues
  
• Design Philosophy Papers
  
• Design and Culture
  
• Interactions
  
  (To access the actual journal articles, go to an academic library or use Sci-Hub to look up the DOIs of articles you want to read.)

This will come off as snarky, but it isn't intended that way: Grab an architectural history book from your library.

This is a good and accessible text book:

http://www.amazon.com/Buildings-across-Time-Introduction-Architectural/dp/0767405110

We use Buildings Across Time by Moffett in my architecture history class. I found it on Amazon for about $6 with shipping. It has all you need starting with Mesopotamia and ending with Frank Gehry.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0767405110/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Edit: not World Change

Massive Change
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0714844012?pc_redir=1411127168&robot_redir=1

https://www.amazon.com/Buildings-Across-Time-Introduction-Architecture/dp/0073379298