Customer Reviews

Materials for Design

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you've seen beautiful design and wanted to know how it was actually made, this is the book to show you. The case studies are the best of recent work and each has clear concepts, many color shots and ALSO clear construction drawings and details which are impossible to find. Some books only tease with images but not explanations, and technical manuals miss the beauty of design altogether. This book brings the two together. I don't know why this approach was not taken before, but it's what I've been looking for.

Architecture is an interesting mix of enginnering and art. All too often one of these is emphasized too much at the expense of the other. If too much art is emphasized, it is easy to design structures that cannot be built with the materials being specified.

This book is an attempt to bring the two together. It is broken down into five sections: Glass, concrete, wood, metals, and Plastics. In each category there is some description of the material itself, its history, and some generalized design characteristics. Then there is a set of descriptions of buildings built using that material. Each building is deacribed in some detail, photographed from several views and in most cases contain some line drawings of particular points of construction being used.

Obviously this is an idea book that can be used in the early phase of design when the broad concepts are being discussed. The designs in the book stretche the normal thoughts in design with the particualr materials. It is far more interesting than most as it also stretches shat can be done with these materials.

I highly recommend this book. I am an architecture student, and I have found this book to be interesting, useful, and full of great projects. The book does a nice job of talking about the history, uses, strengths, and weaknesses of building materials. The book is organized by material with building projects that utilize those particular materials in an innovating and interesting way. The photos are great and the detail drawings are very nice to see as well.

I absolutely agree with the two previous reviews-- it is a seamless combination of technical info and aesthetics. The book was recommended in my Masters of Architecture program by the Construction-I professor and since then it has been circulating widely in the design studios. It is a great resource for material detailing AND design inspiration. Wa-hoo-wa, Victoria Bell, great job.

The book itself is solid graphically and formatted well, however as an architectural student I would not recommend it to anyone looking for gaining a unique perspective on the manipulation and action of materials in design. A much better choice would be the Berkhauser Series, particularly the Facade Construction Manual. The assembly drawings and diagrams are too stripped down to gain any understanding of the system assembly. Not for students or people with a good understanding of material and assemblage effects.

This is one of the best materials books I've been able to find. It provides thorough descriptions of the history, development and manufacturing of numerous materials (traditional and non traditional) in addition to useful applications and proper techniques all in one very well crafted book. An essential for student and practicing architects as well as anyone involved in interiors, environmental design, industrial design, graphic design...

A fantastic book for those studying materials. Detailed information of materials like wood and metal, and examples of where they are used in architecture.

i really love this book. it has all types of detailed drawings about different materials. the graphics and pictures are over the top!

It is really a nice book. The definitions for each material are clearly represented. The case studies are up to date. I like the demonstration of all of the details.

thing you wont see in avery book, they go further, projects not that known wich is great