MBR: The Architecture Shelf

The Architecture Shelf

Revolving Architecture
Chad Randl
Princeton Architectural Press
37 E. 7th Street, New York NY 10003
9781568986814, $35.00 www (dot) papress (dot) com

REVOLVING ARCHITECTURE: A HISTORY OF BUILDINGS THAT ROTATE, SWIVEL AND
PIVOT explores the history and construction of a unique type of
building, pairing photos of a range of unusual structures to
discussions of a revolving jail superior in surveillance to revolving
restaurants, houses and even theatres. The in-depth surveys explore
how the structure as conceived, building challenges, and pros and cons
alike. Any library strong in architecture needs this unusual
assessment.

Zen Architecture
Paul Discoe & Alexandra Quinn, authors
Roslyn Banish, photographer
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423600091, $40.00, www (dot) gibbs-smith (dot) com

The principles of Zen Buddhist philosophy as applied to architecture
and interior design have been a particular area of professional
interest for architect, builder, and ordained Zen Buddhist priest Paul
Discoe. With the assistance of Alexandra Quinn, he has written "Zen
Architecture: The building Process As Practice", a compendium of
information and insight into the study, design, and building of
structures ranging from Zen temples and residential projects, to grand
estates and modular structures. Profusely enhanced with the full color
photography of Roslyn Banish, "Zen Architecture" also features floor
plan sketches, landscaping embellishments, and occasional quotes from
Zen masters. As beautiful and informative as it is inspired and
inspiring, "Zen Architecture" is a welcome addition to the growing
body of architectural, interior, and landscaping design literature,
and a highly recommended acquisition for personal, professional,
academic, and community library reference collections.

How to Build a House
Larry Haun
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781561589678, $24.95 www (dot) taunton (dot) com

This step-by-step guide to building a house comes from Habitat for
Humanity International and provides a fine text for any would-be
builder who wants to build a simple, energy-efficient home without
spending a lot. Habitat is a nonprofit group that builds affordable
homes - since 1976 - and so their pages come from a huge pool of
experience. Highly recommended for any home builder's library or
collection catering to them, it comes loaded with color photos and
building tips, graphs, sidebars of detail and more.

Fabric Architecture
Samuel J. Armijos
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780393732368, $75.00 www (dot) wwnorton (dot) com

College-level libraries strong in architecture will find FABRIC
ARCHITECTURE: CREATIVE RESOURCES FOR SHADE, SIGNAGE, AND SHELTER is a
key title to understanding how fabric structures address a range of
architectural needs. Full-color photos catalog original fabric
architecture creations accompanying discussions of special challenges,
key design elements, implementation of fabric structures, materials,
and more. Structure examples from around the world offer stunning
color photos perfect for any architecture library.

From Control to Design
Michael Meredith, et. al.
Actar D
158 Lafayette Street, 5th floor, New York, NY 10013
8496540790, $39.95 www (dot) actar (dot) com

Created with contributions from a wealth of experts and featuring a
conversation between architecture writer Sanford Kwinter and GNUFORM
studio co-founder Jason Payne, Control to Design: Parametric/
Algorithmic Architecture is a thoughtful presentation of six
independent practices that each engage in current applications of
parametric and algorithmic design techniques in architectural
production. A step well beyond the first generation of digital
modeling techniques, parametric and algorithmic architectural design
may well be the future of architectural practice - but what precisely
do they offer the discipline, and what are their weaknesses? Extensive
black-and-white photography and diagrams, as well as some color
photographs, illustrate this fascinating look at the cutting edge of a
modern industry. An absolute "must-have" for anyone striving to keep
abreast of current challenges in the field.

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