A Quincy Jones (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Archibald Quincy Jones (1913-79) was a Los Angeles-based architect and educator who shared the Case Study goal of reinventing the house as a way of redefining the way people lived in post-war America. A pioneer in 'greenbelt' planning and 'green' design, Jones raised the level of the tract house in California from the simple stucco box to a structure of beauty and logic surrounded by gardens and integrated into the landscape. He introduced new materials and also a new way of living within the built environment, and his work bridged the gap between custom-built and developer-built homes. The exquisite detailing and siting of Jones's houses, churches, civic and university buildings make them quintessential embodiments of mid-century American architecture. This is the first book published on Jones. It documents his full career, from his post-war planning projects to his long association with Palo Alto building magnate Joseph Eichler. The book is comprised of two parts: a substantial introductory

essay tracing Jones's life and career, with a summary of key projects and his contributions to planning; and a catalogue of sixty of Jones's projects illustrated with high-quality black-and-white period photographs, and plans and renderings by Jones.

About the Author

Cory Buckner is a practicing architect and writer who, after losing her home in a Malibu fire, purchased a house designed by A. Quincy Jones and began to research his work. She obtained her architecture degree from the California Institute of the Arts and her master's degree in architectural history and theory at the University of California at Los Angeles. She is co-author of the book Mid-Century Modern Gardens in Southern California (forthcoming, James Trulove Publisher). Author's Residence: Los Angeles

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (June 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714840742
• ISBN-13: 978-0714840741
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #987,599 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Modernism, June 4, 2002

By	Edward J. Shannon, AIA (Elgin, IL United States) - See all my reviews

Let me begin by saying that this is a beautiful book. The original black and white photos are as crisp as the planar fascias and walls of Jones' many projects represented here. The graphics, (mostly plans and perspective renderings) are reproduced in a sepia tone that wonderfully invokes the spirit of the post WW2 period. And, in this age of neo-modernism, it is great to be exposed to a talented, true modernist whose architecture was not influenced by the latest fads and trends, but by the architect's deep convictions of modern architecture improving the quality of life.

The book contains a short essay and a catalogue of about 65 of Jones (and his partner Frederick Emmons) projects. The projects are shown chronologically in seven categories: Single-Family Houses; Residential Housing Developments; Churches; Commercial Spaces; Civic Spaces; University Buildings; and Planning Work.

The essay entitled Building for Better Living: The Architecture of A. Quincy Jones, is however, disappointingly brief. Although it begins in a biographical format, it moves quickly into Jones' theories on multi and single-family residential development. It then discusses Jones' design methods and uses of materials, and concludes abruptly with Earth Structures & Energy Systems and Planning & Landscape Designs. Very little is mentioned in regard to his practice and the fact that Jones and Emmons were awarded national AIA Firm of the Year in 1969. The essay makes no mention when and how Jones died.

Jones' plans are a work of art, not just graphically, but in regards to the rigor in which he was able to make space and structure flow and integrate his buildings into the California landscape. It is unfortunate that only about a third of the projects in this book contain plans. Still, there are some stunning projects represented here. I highly recommend this book to the serious student of mid-century modernism.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A.Quincy Jones, October 23, 2002

By	Michael Webb (London, England > Los Angeles, USA) - See all my reviews

It is easy to dismiss the work of Quincy Jones (1913-79) as modernism lite. His long association with Joseph Eichler and other suburban builders prevented him from being taken as seriously as more rigorous and rebellious peers. Modern architecture is supposed to be challenging; Jones made it look easy. However, a drive around Crestwood Hills in West LA, and a close examination of the model houses he and others designed for that enlightened housing association, engender a new respect. Pragmatic, inventive, and humane, Jones bridged the chasm between high art and popular taste, emphasizing practicality over ideology. Buckner has hands-on experience, having restored four Jones houses, and one wishes she had expanded her brief introduction to the architect's career to communicate her personal enthusiasm for his unshowy brilliance. In every other way, this is an admirable survey of 65 key projects, illustrated with vintage black and white photos, drawings and plans.