A Sense of Entry: Designing the Welcoming School (Hardcover)

by Alan Ford (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
In the introduction, authors and architects Alan Ford and Paul Hutton admit, "When designing schools we did not necessarily set out to feature the entrances." However, they continue, 17 of their firm's academic projects demonstrate exemplary entryways that embody basic principles of design that have been influential over the centuries.

After providing a history of the entryways of iconic structures such as the Parthenon, the Taj Mahal, the 1958 Seagram Office Building, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the authors demonstrate their theory by looking at successful entryways of schools, including some of their own. A brief text introduces each of their projects, describing the elements of design they believe are vital to a welcoming entryway: "identity"--telling the building's story, "wayfinding"--helping users understand where the main entrance is, "influence of streets"--the school's relationship to the surrounding area, and "procession"--creating layers of entrance that transition users from exterior to interior spaces.

A plethora of photographs, many taken by the authors, illustrate each story. --Rebecca Ward, Architectural Record: Schools of the 21st Century (The McGraw-Hill Companies), January 2008

Product Description
Exploring 25 unique design solutions by Denver-based firm Hutton Ford, this book is a visual celebration and analysis of the role of entrances in architecture. Entrances serve many purposes. From defining the character of the architecture to the more practical aspects of the transition from outside to inside, they momentarily protect us from inclement weather as we launch between exterior and interior, like an environmental buffer to mitigate temperature changes, even allowing our vision to adjust to light changes. In the book, the architects illustrate the important role that successful entrance and movement design can have on creating a positive architectural experience.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Images Publishing Group Pty. Ltd. (October 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864702389
• ISBN-13: 978-1864702385
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,126,451 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful and humanistic approach to K-12 schools, December 1, 2008

By	Spike (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Much broader than its name suggests, I think this book brings some unique perspectives to K-12 school design. "A Sense of Entry" leads the reader through the built work of Colorado-based Hutton Ford Architects to analyze the role of entry design and wayfinding as they relate to security, defining architectural character, and most importantly, how these functions contribute to creating a positive and welcoming experience for students, teachers and parents upon arrival.

Too often schools take on the character of the ever impersonal "institution," thus intimidating the very children who come there to learn. This book shows how a comprehensive approach to school design can make the difference between an ordinary and a high-performance learning environment. Richly illustrated with color photos and accompanying floor plan drawings, the book features a short description at the beginning of each project explaining what the authors consider to be their defining attributes pertaining to the school's impression upon the user.

A must-have for anyone concerned with providing a thoughtful and humanistic approach to K-12 schools.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars average., November 23, 2008

By	Lindsay - See all my reviews

I hate to discourage such a great book concept... but I thought that I had struck gold when I found the book "A Sense of Entry."
I--honestly--had too high of expectations.
Maybe the author chose projects based on how much information he could get on them (too local?), because if I were shown a portfolio with just these photos and no text or title, I would have never identified these buildings as having "Wow" entrances.
I hope this author won't stop short, and will push his passion for entrances into a second--and more inspiring--edition.