Customer Reviews

Rick Joy: Desert Works

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

 

 

A musician from Maine, who headed west and apprenticed to Will Bruder, the godfather of new Arizona architecture, Joy has built little in his ten years of independent practice, and only around his home base of Tucson. And yet, as this delectable monograph shows, he is a master designer. His houses-of raw steel or rammed earth-respond to the brutal beauty and intense light of the Sonoran desert, and, like Glenn Murcutt, he uses the simplest materials and forms to satisfy all the senses. In Pallasmaa's eloquent tribute and the superb color photos, you can feel the heat of the desert wind, run your hand over a rugged wall, and watch the earth change color as the sun sinks beneath the mountains.

The book is very complete. Although nothing substitutes the visit of the buildings themselves, it is great to have such information about the very interesting work of Rick Joy: great pictures completed by texts and drawings.
For those who do not know his work but are interested in good architecture, where space, light, materiality ang gravity are so beautifully present, I advise you to buy the book and to travel to Arizona (I wish it was not that far away from Madrid!).
I hope the most recent work of Rick Joy will be published in the future so I can keep on enjoying from his architecture.
Un saludo: Diego G. de R., arquitecto.

A great book, beautifuly assembled, that provides an inspiring overview of the work. Numerous photos of the built work come along clear and elegant graphics. Simplicity and beauty of Rick Joy's work seem to come through the little book. Thank you.

This is a most beautiful coffee table book with almost every page a work of art.
Personally I have a great interest in the subject matter but found the introduction interesting and the architects comments pleasantly short winded.

unfortunately the projects in this book are not that much appealing like the fantastic ones you might find in other series like the "american house"... the materials are simple i agree, but the plans are very poor, doesn't add to your data bank of ideas, the photos don't help alot, and frankly it is the houses fault anyway, the plans are even worse, the text is very limited.
I do recommed that you look somewhere else if you are looking for inspiration.