Customer Reviews

XS: Small Structures, Green Architecture

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Note carefully the words in the title of this book, 'Small Structures.' In spite of the copy on the back of the book, this is not a book concentrating on small houses. This a book on all kinds of small structures. They may be viewing platforms, a bridge, a pigeon loft, a monument, an emergency shelter made out of an ocean shipping container, a camera obscura, a work of art, or indeed there are a few houses here.

What this book is really trying to do is push the state of the architectural art just as far as it can be pushed. Here are structures that are ecologically responsible, wildly creative and showcase the advanced thinking that the premier architectural firms can do when removed from the restrictions of building yet another McMansion.

As you look at these structures, some give you ideas that you'd really like to try in your next building, some of the others just look weird and don't fit into anything that seems reasonable.

All in all, I found it a stay up late and look at every picture just to see what they might think of next kind of book.

I really enjoy reading about small buildings or spaces, and there aren't many books like this that focuses on really small structures and green architecture like those featured in this book. I borrowed this book from the library and enjoyed it so much that I thought to buy myself a copy.

This book features various type of small structures (i.e. utility structure/summer house etc). What I also liked about the book that it showed projects from around the world and not just a couple of countries. (Though most projects do come from North America and Europe, with one or two from Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia.)

43 projects are in this book, divided into these chapters:

"Views from outside"- small structures with the function on viewing from or to

"Material concerns" - projects that experiment with materials

"urban flowering" - structures that "enhance" the urban fabric or experience

"Touching the earth lightly" - buildings that are portable.

The book dedicates 2-4 pages per project with a short description and background to the project. I didn't find this to be terrible since many of the projects are very small and don't require a lot of photos to depict it. (Though some of the projects I would have really like to see more photos.)

I really like this book and found a lot of the projects to be inspirational and interesting.