Performative Architecture: Beyond Instrumentality (Hardcover)

Performative Architecture: Beyond Instrumentality (Hardcover)
By Branko Kolarevic

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This book addresses the emergence of a new kind of architecture, in which building performance is a guiding design principle, adopting new performance-based priorities for the design of cities, buildings, landscape and infrastructures. This emerging architecture places broadly defined performance above form making; it uses digital technologies of quantitative and qualitative performance-based simulation to offer a comprehensive approach to the design of the built environment. The emphasis on building performance is now redefining expectations of the building design, its process and practice. Read more

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Bad Behavior (The Conduct Series, 2) (Paperback)

Bad Behavior (The Conduct Series, 2) (Paperback)
By Jennifer Lane

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Grant Madsen's got issues. He's still battling his Mafia family and doing everything possible to keep his loved ones safe. With the cruising season coming to an end, he has to find another job soon or he'll rejoin his father in prison. And he's trying to convince his rebellious teenage nephew to stay away from their criminal relatives (you can imagine how that's going). But worst of all, Grant's parole officer has mandated that he attend therapy. The only saving grace is that they're couples sessions with his girlfriend, Sophie Taylor, a fellow parolee who's struggling with a few issues of her own. Sophie desperately hopes her past with Grant's brother won't destroy her future with him. There's a sleazy professor at work who revels in sexually harassing women in the psychology department. And her father still hates Grant. Their psychologist has his work cut out for him When Grant's ruthless father hints at a plot to get out of prison, Grant must use everything he's learned in therapy and beyond to try to stop him. It's a race against time -- and a race to rescue Sophie from the Mafia's clutches once again. But this time McSailor and Bonnie refuse to play victims. Can they break the ties that bind Read more

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Versatility and Vicissitude: Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design (Architectural Design) (Paperback)

Versatility and Vicissitude: Performance in Morpho-Ecological Design (Architectural Design) (Paperback)
By Michael Hensel

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This third AD by the guest-editors of the highly successful Emergence and techniques and technologies in Morphogenetic Design titles shifts the morpho-ecological design project into the realm of performance. Whereas the dictionary definition of performance -to 'carry out an action' or 'to fulfill a task' - invokes a tired utilitarian debate, Hensel and Menges inject the meaning of the word 'performance' with an entirely new life. In this context, form is redefined not as the shape of a material object alone, but as the multitude of effects, a milieu of conditions, modulations and microclimates that emanate from an object's exchange with its specific environment, a dynamic relationship that is perceived and interacted with by a subject. A synergetic employment of performance and morpho-ecological techniques combine to create integral design solutions that will render an alternative model for sustainability. This issue presents historical precursors and precedents for this approach, as well as the current state of the art of morpho-ecological design. Key contributors include: Klaus Bollinger and Manfred Grohmann of Bollinger & Grohmann, Aleksandra Jaeschke, OCEAN, Professor Remo Pedreschi, Defne Sunguroglu, Peter Trummer and Michael Weinstock. Read more

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Managing the Sense of a Region (Hardcover)

Managing the Sense of a Region (Hardcover)
By Kevin Lynch

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"A standard reference for city planning classes." Read more

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Algorithmic Architecture (Paperback)

Algorithmic Architecture (Paperback)
By Kostas Terzidis

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Why does the word design owe its origin to Latin and not Greek roots? Where do the limits of the human mind lie? How does ambiguity enter the deterministic world of computation? Who was Parmenides and why is his philosophy still puzzling today? This unique volume challenges the reader to tackle all these complex questions and more.

Algorithmic Architecture is not a typical theory-based architectural book; it is not a computer programming or language tutorial book either. It contains a series of provocative design projects, and yet it is not just a design or graphic art book per se. Following the tradition of architecture as a conglomeration of various design fields - engineering, theory, art, and recently, computation - the challenge of this book is to present a concept that, like architecture, is a unifying theme for many diverse disciplines. An algorithm is not only a step-by-step problem-solving procedure, a series of lines of computer codes or a mechanistic linguistic expression, but is also an ontological construct with deep philosophical, social, design, and artistic repercussions. Consequently, this book presents many, various and often seemingly disparate points of view that lead to the establishment of one common theme; algorithmic architecture.

* Guides readers in the increasingly popular practice of using algorithms to solve complex design issues
* Demonstrates a technique used by many of the big name architecture firms, now cascading down to educational level
* Shows architects how to use algorithms to go beyond the mouse and transcend the factory set limitations of current 3D CAD software Read more

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The Architecture of the Jumping Universe: A Polemic: How Complexity Science is Changing Architecture and Culture (Academy Editions) (Paperback)

The Architecture of the Jumping Universe: A Polemic: How Complexity Science is Changing Architecture and Culture (Academy Editions) (Paperback)
By Charles Jencks

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Charles Jencks has the uncanny capacity to announce a new movement in architecture before it has begun. With Post-Modernism, he was looking to the past. Now, for the first time, with his new book on morphogenesis he is taking a look at the future. There is no question that his argument will have an important critical effect on architecture at the beginning of the new millennium. Peter Eisenman. Architect A new paradigm is sweeping through science, changing both our view of the universe and of mankind. Charles Jencks is one of a handful of thinkers with the courage to embrace the emerging paradigm and interpret it architecturally. This inspired synthesis of art, design, science and philosophy charts a bold new course not only for architecture, but for Post-Modern thought. Paul Davies, Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of Adelaide, author of The Cosmic Blueprint, Superforce, The Mind of God and other books on contemporary science. Who else could have written a book that opens up such cosmic perspectives and still make such neat, sharply focused comments on particular architects and particular styles of architecture? Who else could range with such zest, ease and elegance from Chaos to Bruce Goff, from Coleridge to Frank Gehry, from Complexity Theory to Green Buildings? The old question of in which style should we build can never be addressed in the same way again. Charles Jencks has brought purpose back into architecture. His teleology may transcend what architects are used to, but Jencks manages to make far more sense out of our contemporary architectural dilemmas than practically all the other books in the RIBA book shop. Francis Duffy, Chairman of DEGW International Ltd Read more

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The Temple of Man (Hardcover)

The Temple of Man (Hardcover)
By R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz

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The monumental Temple of Man represents the most important breakthrough in our understanding of Ancient Egypt since the discovery of the Rosetta stone. This exhaustive and authoritative study reveals the depths of the mathematical, medical, and metaphysical sophistication of Ancient Egypt. Schwaller de Lubicz's stone-by-stone survey of the temple of Amun-Mut-Khonsu at Luxor allows us to step into the mentality of Ancient Egypt and experience the Egyptian way of thinking within the context of their own worldview. 

His study finds the temple to be an eloquent expression and summary--an architectural encyclopedia--of what the Egyptians knew of humanity and the universe. Through a reading of the temple's measures and proportions, its axes and orientations, and the symbolism and placement of its bas-reliefs, along with the accompanying studies of related medical and mathematical papyri, Schwaller de Lubicz demonstrates how advanced the civilization of Ancient Egypt was, a civilization that possessed exalted knowledge and achievements both materially and spiritually. In so doing, Schwaller de Lubicz effectively demonstrates that Ancient Egypt, not Greece, is at the base of Western science, civilization, and culture. 

To understand the temple of Luxor, twelve years of field work were undertaken with the utmost exactitude by Schwaller de Lubicz in collaboration with French archaeologist Clement Robichon and the respected Egyptologist Alexandre Varille. From this work were produced over 1000 pages of text and proofs of the sacred geometry of the temple and 400 illustrations and photographs that make up The Temple of Man. 

The Temple of Man is a monument to inspired insight, conscientious scholarship, and exacting archaeological groundwork that represents a major contribution to humanity's perennial search for self-knowledge and the prehistoric origins of its culture and science. 
 

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Historic Houses of America: Open to the Public (Vinyl Bound)

Historic Houses of America: Open to the Public (Vinyl Bound)
By Beverley da Costa

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Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton (Hardcover)

Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton (Hardcover)
By David Easton

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In this rare examination of the work of one of America’s preeminent interior designers and architects, David Easton, we are treated to a retrospec­tive of his storied career. The versatility of his talent is displayed in examples of his work that range from a 45-room Georgian-style house in Charlottesville, Virginia, to a Mediterranean stucco house in Mexico and a modern house in Aspen, Colorado. Black-and-white pencil draw­ings alongside museum-quality watercolors by Easton’s partner, James Steinmeyer, show the conception and development of the rooms, accompanied by stunning photographs of the finished interiors. Written with Annette Tapert, author of The Power of Style and former contribut­ing editor to Architectural Digest, and with a foreword by famed designer Albert Hadley, Timeless Elegance will serve as an homage to David Easton as well as an inspira­tion to his many fans. Read more

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The Nature of Order (4 volume set): The Phenomenon of Life: Nature of Order, Book 1: An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe (The Nature of Order) (Bk. 1) (Hardcover)

The Nature of Order (4 volume set): The Phenomenon of Life: Nature of Order, Book 1: An Essay on the Art of Building and the Nature of the Universe (The Nature of Order) (Bk. 1) (Hardcover)
By Christopher Alexander

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What is happening when a place in the world has life? And what is happening when it does not? In Book 1 of this four-volume work, Alexander describes a scientific view of the world in which all space-matter has perceptible degrees of life, and sets this understanding of living structure as an intellectual basis for a new architecture.

He identifies fifteen geometric properties which tend to accompany the presence of life in nature, and also in the buildings and cities we make. These properties are seen over and over in nature, and in cities and streets of the past, but have all but disappeared in the deadly developments and buildings of the last one hundred years.

The book shows that living structure depends on features which make a close connection with the human self, and that only living structure has the capacity to support human well-being.

The other three volumes of The Nature of Order continue this thesis with three complementary views giving a masterful prescription for the processes which allow us to generate living structure in the world. They show us what such a world must gradually come to look like, and describe the modified cosmology in which "life" as an essential quality, together with our inner connection to the world around us-towns, streets, buildings, and artifacts-are central to a proper understanding of the scientific nature of the universe.

". . . Five hundred years is a long time, and I don't expect many of the people I interview will be known in the year 2500. Christopher Alexander may be an exception."-David Creelman, author, interviewer and editor, HR Magazine, Toronto

Christopher Alexander is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, architect, builder and author of many books and technical papers. He is the winner of the first medal for research ever awarded by the American Institute of Architects, and after 40 years of teaching is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

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The Timeless Way of Building (Hardcover)

The Timeless Way of Building (Hardcover)
By Christopher Alexander

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This volume provides the opening work in Christopher Alexander's seminal trilogy on architecture (continued in A Pattern Language and The Oregon Experiment). Here he provides a fascinating introduction to the ideas behind the succeeding two books. Read more

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A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams (Paperback)

A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams (Paperback)
By Michael Pollan

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Michael Pollan's unmatched ability to draw lines of connection between our everyday experiences- whether eating, gardening, or building-and the natural world has been the basis for the popular success of his many works of nonfiction, including the genre-defining bestsellers The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. With this updated edition of his earlier book A Place of My Own, readers can revisit the inspired, intelligent, and often hilarious story of Pollan's realization of a room of his own-a small, wooden hut, his "shelter for daydreams"-built with his admittedly unhandy hands. Inspired by both Thoreau and Mr. Blandings, A Place of My Own not only works to convey the history and meaning of all human building, it also marks the connections between our bodies, our minds, and the natural world. Read more

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The Oregon Experiment (Center for Environmental Structure Series) (Hardcover)

The Oregon Experiment (Center for Environmental Structure Series) (Hardcover)
By Christopher Alexander

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Focusing on a plan for an extension to the University of Oregon, this book shows how any community the size of a university or small town might go about designing its own future environment with all members of the community participating personally or by representation. It is a brilliant companion volume to A Pattern Language. Read more

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Castle (Paperback)

Castle (Paperback)
By David MacAulay

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The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.Imagine yourself in 13th-century England. King Edward I has just named the fictitious Kevin le Strange to be the Lord of Aberwyvern--"a rich but rebellious area of Northwest Wales." Lord Kevin's first task is to oversee the construction of a strategically placed castle and town in order to assure that England can "dominate the Welsh once and for all." And a story is born! In the Caldecott Honor Book Castle, David Macaulay--author, illustrator, former architect and teacher--sets his sights on the creation and destiny of Lord Kevin's magnificent castle perched on a bluff overlooking the sea. Brick by brick, tool by tool, worker by worker, we witness the methodical construction of a castle through exquisitely detailed pen-and-ink illustrations. Children who love to know how things work especially appreciate Macaulay's passion for process and engineering. Moats, arrow loops, plumbing, dungeons, and weaponry are all explained in satisfying detail. This talented author also has a keen sense of irony and tragedy, which is played out in the intricacies of the human story: a castle can be built as a fortress, but ultimately it becomes obsolete when humans discover that cooperation works best. (Ages 9 and older) --Gail Hudson Read more

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Sustainable House (Paperback)

Sustainable House (Paperback)
By Michael Mobbs

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Remarkable and comprehensive, this essential guide provides advice and step-by-step instructions on achieving an environmentally friendly home. Fully revised and updated, this new edition provides tips for working with councils, builders, and engineers while renovating not only kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, and waste systems but also water and energy supplies. Covering the latest revolutions that have occurred in sustainable housing, this problem-solving manual includes an honest assessment of the technologies and materials suggested.

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Kitchen Centric (Hardcover)

Kitchen Centric (Hardcover)
By Mick De Giulio

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Kitchen Centric puts a new spin on the typical kitchen design book by offering readers a book that is part art book, part fantasy, and part field guide. Internationally known kitchen designer Mick De Giulio takes readers on a guided tour through eighteen of his favorite kitchen projects in urban lofts, suburban homes, manor houses, mountain retreats, and an early twentieth-century barn. Delicious photographs roll through these kitchens, one after the next, like short films. Words are few, but critical if a bit quirky, like excerpts from De Giulio's own designer's journal. He takes his audience behind the scenes, explaining his challenges, his thinking, his choices, his process, and ultimately, his belief that kitchens are more central to American homes than ever before. Read more

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Cities: People, Society, Architecture: 10th International Architecture Exhibition - Venice Biennale (Paperback)

Cities: People, Society, Architecture: 10th International Architecture Exhibition - Venice Biennale (Paperback)
By Richard Burdett

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This three-volume catalogue of the 10th International Architecture Exhibition presents an anthology of ideas centered around this year's theme: the meta-city. The changes in the physical and social structure of today's city have resulted in a new kind of civilian agglomeration that extends beyond the traditional form, concept, and boundaries of the city, causing profound transformations in the composition of its population and working habits. The International Exhibition, curated by Richard Burdett, will focus on the transformations of cities around the world, featuring New York, London, Berlin, Moscow, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, Mexico City, São Paulo Beirut, Istanbul, Johannesburg, and Lagos. Additionally, the biennale will propound a manifesto for rational development of cities in the 21st century. This book will be the definitive catalogue of what is perhaps the most important architecture exhibition in the world. Read more

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Building Performance (Hardcover)

Building Performance (Hardcover)
By Thomas A. Markus

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Bing Thom Works (Hardcover)

Bing Thom Works (Hardcover)
By Bing Thom Architects

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Vancouver-based Bing Thom Architects have quietly produced a portfolio of built work that garners praise not only for its inspired spaces and forms, but for the inspirational role their buildings play in the lives of the communities they call home. Founded in 1980 by architect Bing Thom, the firm specializes in complex building types such as performing arts centers, civic buildings, museums, and urban master plans. Their projects are often mixed use, integrating commercial, residential, and cultural uses to create a vibrant and sustainable whole. At the forefront of the design-build movement for nearly thirty years, the firm participates in every phase of the building process, from concept to design, contracting to construction. Bing Thom Works, their first monograph, begins with the firm's biggest project to date: the expansion of the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. Three distinct and discrete theater venues are bonded together by a sensually curving roof and curtain wall, creating a miniature arts village in an underserved neighborhood. A series of essays reveal a philosophical and practical approach to architecture that is applicable at any scale—from designing cities to handrails. Highlights of their recent work follow, including the stately Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia, their fluid plan for Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, the stunning Acadia Residence, and more. Bing Thom Works features an introduction by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki. Read more

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Robert Venturi: Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (Paperback)

Robert Venturi: Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (Paperback)
By Robert Venturi

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First published in 1966, and since translated into 16 languages, this remarkable book has become an essential document in architectural literature. As Venturi's ""gentle manifesto for a nonstraightforward architecture,"" Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture expresses in the most compelling and original terms the postmodern rebellion against the purism of modernism. Three hundred and fifty architectural photographs serve as historical comparisons and illuminate the author's ideas on creating and experiencing architecture. Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture was the winner of the Classic Book Award at the AIA's Seventh Annual International Architecture Book Awards. Read more

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From Bauhaus to Our House (Hardcover)

From Bauhaus to Our House (Hardcover)
By Tom. Wolfe

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Provence Style: The Art of Home Decoration (Hardcover)

Provence Style: The Art of Home Decoration (Hardcover)
By Noelle Duck

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This beautifully illustrated volume brings the essence of Provence to home decor. Nothing about a true provencal house is accidental. The stone for the walls is faded by centuries of sun, the fabrics for table or bed come from local designers working in a centuries old tradition, the pottery and glasses to eat and drink from are the product of local craftsmen. This celebrated way of life is a result of the work of hundreds of artisans who still produce the elements of a home in the traditional ways. Indoors and out, readers will find here the elements to bring the style of the south of France into their own homes, from furniture to textiles and fabrics, and from faience pottery to beautiful metalwork. Also covered are architectural elements including stairways, railings, floors, moldings, fireplaces, chimneys, roofs and ceilings. And for the outdoors-gardens, walls and patios. Combining history with details of the methods of craftsmen, and inspirational photography with practical details Provence Style celebrates the true French country style that is perennially popular, a style that is at once rustic and sophisticated, and both traditional and elegant. Not all provencal houses are alike of course, and this book goes into detail about the best way to decorate a range of houses from grand villas to country houses, and from small cottages to houses in town. Each section of the book shows a variety of authentic approaches to different house types which can be applied here to bring the charm of a sun drenched provencal room to any house.
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