Architecture: Form, Space, and Order (Paperback)

by Francis D.K. Ching (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"His classic introduction to the basic elements of architecture has served as a reference for both students and practicing architects for 30-plus years. Illustrated throughout with b&w diagrams and renderings, the third edition includes expanded sections on circulation, light, views, and site context; new material on environmental factors and building codes; and contemporary examples of form, space, and order." (Book News, February 2008) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
The Second Edition of this classic introduction to the principles of architecture is everything you would expect from the celebrated architect, author, and illustrator, Francis D. K. Ching. Each page has been meticulously revised to incorporate contemporary examples of the principles of form, space, and order-the fundamental vocabulary of every designer. The result is a beautifully illustrated volume that embraces today's forms and looks at conventional models with a fresh perspective. Here, Ching examines every principal of architecture, juxtaposing images that span centuries and cross cultural boundaries to create a design vocabulary that is both elemental and timeless. Among the topics covered are point, line, plane, volume, proportion, scale, circulation, and the interdependence of form and space. While this revision continues to be a comprehensive primer on the ways form and space are interrelated and organized in the shaping of our environment, it has been refined to amplify and clarify concepts. In addition, the Second Edition contains:
* Numerous new hand-rendered drawings
* Expanded sections on openings and scale
* Expanded chapter on design principles
* New glossary and index categorized by the author
* New 8 1/2 × 11 upright trim
In the Second Edition of Architecture: Form, Space, and Order, the author has opted for a larger format and crisper images. Mr. Ching has retained the style of his hand-lettered text, a hallmark of each of his books. This rich source of architectural prototypes, each rendered in Mr. Ching's signature style, also serves as a guide to architectural drawing. Doubtless, many will want this handsome volume for the sheer beauty of it. Architects and students alike will treasure this book for its wealth of practical information and its precise illustrations. Mr. Ching has once again created a visual reference that illuminates the world of architectural form.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471286168
• ISBN-13: 978-0471286165
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,693 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer, December 10, 2004

By	J. Horst "cynical curmudgeon" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Those who have panned this book weren't looking for insight into the thought process of architectural design. This book is not a cookbook, but a primarily graphical introductory intended to start the architecture student thinking how architects think.

I'm not technically an architecture student, but rather an architecture design "hobbyist". I found this book very useful as far as helping me to look at the design process in new ways, and to better understand the various historical (and contemporary) methods/techniques used to formulate architectural designs.

This book is a textbook, not a 5 lb. coffee table glossy.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book, November 26, 2001

By A Customer

After seeing this book on the shelf of a friend's architecture office, I bought it for my homeschooled children who are genuinely interested in architecture and building...Their dad (who teaches drafting and construction) and I could not put it down! The drawings are clear and so comprehensive. The book covers so much...Architectural styles, drawing types, etc. Mostly in drawings with very little text. So many architecture books are filled with heavy text, that you are lost in it, rather than learning the ideas and concepts. That is not a problem here. It is not to say that in any way this is a simplistic, elementary book...I'm sure it is used at the post-graduate and professional levels. The drawings and captions/info just say so much more than all those words! We are all learning a lot from this book, and are looking forward to buying more of this man's work.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "I Ching" of Architecture., December 1, 2002

By	James Ferguson (Vilnius, Lithuania) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

An excellent introduction to architecture. However, I liked the old horizontal format better. The new edition has all the same illustrations but its vertical formal isn't as compelling. Ching is the master of free-hand sketching. In this book he covers the basic principles of architecture with copious illustrations and an easy to follow progression of ideas. It is great for first year students and frustrated architects alike. My only word of warning is that once you buy one of his volumes on architecture, it is hard to resist the others.