Beginning an Architecture Library
© Leo Shieh
As the long days of summer are sadly coming to an end, architecture students across the world will be heading back to their universities and preparing for their next studio projects. While the upcoming semester will allow students to master the latest digital modeling programs and perfect their physical modeling skills, the value of reading architectural books (whether they be reference, theory, etc.) should not be overlooked. We found a few lists of books that are categorized as “the essentials” for any architecture student. For instance, Amazon.com’s list includes: Le Corbusier’s Towards a New Architecture
Which books have you found most helpful in your student or professional career? Share with us the books that are vital pieces of your architecture library.
What about “Theorizing a New Agenda For Architecture” ed. Kate Nesbitt?
constructing architecture by deplazes, great stuff in there
what about……
frank lloyd wright’s visual encyclopedia?
and for spanish spoken students or people around the world whos willing to deal with books in spanish…
PLAZOLA “arquitectura habitacional Vol 1 & 2″ and of course the rest of the Plazola books…..and dont forget.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s “the early work” it’s FLLW’s First Portafolio…. it really helped me a lot during my school years…..
“Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson.
“Master Builders” by Peter Blake
“The City in History” by Lewis Mumford
“Planet of Slums” by Mike Davis
“Understanding Sustainable Architecture” by Williamson, Radford, Bennetts
New york délire, Rem Koolhas (Parenthèse edition in France) and l’Architecture moderne: une histoire critique, Kenneth Frampton, Thames & Hudson edition
Those are must-read classics too I’d say:
“Death and Life of Great American Cities” – Jane Jacobs
“Form, space and Order” – Francis Ching
“Lessons of Architecture” – Herman Hertzberger
“Arquitetura: ordem, espaço e forma” (Francis D.K. Ching)
Frank Ching: Form, Space and Order
Materials, Structures, and Standards: All the Details Architects Need to Know But Can Never Find by Julia McMorrough
Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
An architectural education is necessarily larger than drawing guides and “coffee-table” Wrights.
just curious, why read finnegans wake? whats the connection?
‘Detail in Contemporary Residential Architecture’ – Virginia McLeod
Has some great details, includes a cd with all the drawings in cad format aswel – very useful as a student for reference.
I’d love to see more articles like this!
pleasantly surprised to see this one here – a keeper
Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 2001.
“How Buildings Learn” by Stewart Brand
“A Pattern Language” by Christopher Alexander
And “Invisible Cities” by Italo Calvino
Phenomenal book. Always helps get my mind in the right place to design
The Endless City by Ricky Burdett
The Rural Studio: An architecture of Decency by Oppenhiemer-Dean
Event Cities II by Bernard Tschumi
Mutations by Rem Koolhaus
How to Be A Happy Architect by Bauman-Lyons
Studies in Tectonic Culture by Kenneth Frampton
BLDG BLOG by Geoff Manaugh
“Inquietud teórica y estratégia proyectual en la obra de ocho arquitectos contemporáneos”
de Rafael MONEO
Wiley Publishings “Building Types Basics” series, which covers everything from offices, retail, hospitality, multi-family residential, banks, research laboratories, et. al., is extremely useful.
You get explanations of what works for those building types in regards to parti, plan, section, dimensions, etc.
Do yourself a favor and avoid buying the French Literary theory crap they had me read in school.
Tom Kundig : Houses
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
Case Study Houses
“101 Things I Learned in Architecture School” by Matthew Frederick continues to be great every time I reopen it.
“Thinking Architecture” by Peter Zumthor has had a strong influence on my perspective of architect-craftsman-client relations.
“Form, Space, and Order” by Frank Ching was a good freshman-year introduction.
Also:
“The Most Beautiful House in the World” by Witold Rybczinski. : )
I would also recommend Robert Venturi’s “Contradition and complexity in architecture”. A bit more serious but provides an interesting alternative perspective.
Also “Thinking Architecture” and “Atmospheres” by Peter Zumthor are written in a very pleasant way and are accessible.
I would recommend books from Ava Academia http://www.avabooks.ch/
Rem Koolhaas S, M, L, XL
“101 Things I Learned in Architecture School” by Matthew Frederick is so simple, but tends to jog your memory every time you’re doing design work, no matter how long you’ve been studying/working.
“The Feeling of Things” by Adam Caruso is also a really great read, particularly if you like the work of Caruso St John (which I do). It gives a really great insight into the ideas behind their work. DEFINITELY worth a read.
Oh, and I nearly forgot Hatch, by Kieran Long. I really love this book and would suggest it to anyone. It is made up of short features of the new architects, architectural writers and photographers and artists who are coming through and bringing new ideas to architecture. Each architect/writer/photographer/artist gets 2-4 pages, outlining some of their work and ideas. Brilliant for looking at what other people are coming up with or helping your own creative processes.
‘YES IS MORE’ by BIG
“Informal” by Cecil Balmond
“For an Architecture of Reality” by Michael Benedikt.
This small essay is in the same vein as Peter Zumthor and Christopher Alexander’s books.
The Eyes of the Skin, Juhani Pallasmaa.
S, M, L, XL
L’espace vivant (Jean Cousin, 1980)
Frey, Koenig, Lautner, Neutra, Saarinen…. anything mid-century. http://www.midcenturymodernbooks.com/ has a comprehensive list.
Taschen’s basic architecture series. http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/basic_architecture/index.1.htm
tafuri, anyone?
Architecture Principles in the Age of Humanism, Rudolf Wittkower
The Story of Art, E. H. Grombrich
Palladio James Ackerman
Michaelangelo James Ackerman
The Art Instinct: Denis Dutton
Biophilic Design Stephen Kellert
Eyes of the Skin Juhani
Building for life Stephen Kellert
Christian Norberg-Schulz-Concept of Dwelling
MOVE, Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos.
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