Problem Seeking: An Architectural Programming Primer [Paperback]

William M. Peña (Author), Steven A. Parshall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0471126209 | ISBN-13: 978-0471126201 | Edition: 4th

The classic programming guide for architects and clients-fully updated and revised

Architectural programming is a team effort that requires close cooperation between architects and their clients. Problem Seeking, Fourth Edition lays out a five-step procedure that teams can follow when programming any building or series of buildings, from a small house to a hospital complex. This simple yet comprehensive process encompasses the entire range of factors that influence the design of buildings.

This new edition of the only programming guide appropriate for both architect and client features new ways of thinking about programming, new strategies for effective group action, and new settings in which to explore programming concepts. Supplemented with more than 120 helpful illustrations and diagrams, this indispensable resource provides updated technical information and faster, easier access to explanations, examples, and tools, including:
* Updated building costs and their relationship to interior fit-up costs
* A primer on discounted cash flow analysis and net present value analysis
* Project statement examples organized by project phase and building type
* Useful techniques for data management, functional relationship analysis, and more

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The classic programming guide for architects and clients–fully updated and revised

Architectural programming is a team effort that requires close cooperation between architects and their clients. Problem Seeking, Fourth Edition lays out a five-step procedure that teams can follow when programming any building or series of buildings, from a small house to a hospital complex. This simple yet comprehensive process encompasses the entire range of factors that influence the design of buildings.

This new edition of the only programming guide appropriate for both architect and client features new ways of thinking about programming, new strategies for effective group action, and new settings in which to explore programming concepts. Supplemented with more than 120 helpful illustrations and diagrams, this indispensable resource provides updated technical information and faster, easier access to explanations, examples, and tools, including:

• Updated building costs and their relationship to interior fit-up costs
• A primer on discounted cash flow analysis and net present value analysis
• Project statement examples organized by project phase and building type
• Useful techniques for data management, functional relationship analysis, and more

About the Author

WILLIAM M. PE?A, FAIA, retired partner of Caudill Rowlett Scott, is often referred to as the "father" of architectural programming, having spent more than 50 years developing, refining, and explaining the programming process.
STEVEN A. PARSHALL, FAIA, is Senior Vice President of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. and Practice Director of HOK Consulting. He has been Lead Programmer on more than 125 major international building projects.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 4th edition (July 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471126209
• ISBN-13: 978-0471126201
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Bible" of Architectural Programming, April 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Problem Seeking: An Architectural Programming Primer (Paperback)

If you're interested in architectural programming--defining a project's requirements prior to designing--then this book is a "must read." Why "Problem Seeking?" Pena explains that since design is problem solving, programming is, "the search for sufficient information to clarify, to understand, to state the problem."
Part One of the book is a primer, focusing on theory and principles. Part Two is the "how to do it" section, providing details and examples. The book is based on decades of real-life project examples from one of the most experienced architectural programming teams in the nation.

The core idea is profound: Separating programming (analysis) from design (synthesis), brings tremendous clarity to the design problem. Focusing first on the goals, facts and concepts, then translating those into quantifiable needs (independent of the solution!) facilitates decision-making and encourages innovation.

Reading this book won't make you an architectural programmer, but it provides an essential foundation for anyone involved in a building project--architects and owners alike. The book is used as a text book in architecture schools across the country, and is required reading before taking the Architectural Registration Exam. A 9 out of 10 only because it will leave you yearning for more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every design student needs this, December 13, 2010

By 

Happy Wife (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Problem Seeking: An Architectural Programming Primer (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by a practicing architect when I had nearly finished my architecture degree. I think all design students should read this first year. In the book, design is transformed from an arbitrary process into a calculated method of finding, then solving a problem. It embodies the very essence of programming.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal Programming Reference, March 6, 2011

By 

Henry Louth - See all my reviews

This review is from: Problem Seeking: An Architectural Programming Primer (Paperback)

Problem seeking is a comprehensive and concise reference for the act of discovery prior to the act of design. Recommend even older editions over more recent programming publications. Great read, graphical examples, and future reference material for practicing designers and students alike.