Architecture Books

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Building Construction Illustrated, 3rd Edition, by Frank Ching, Cassandra Adams, Francis D. K. Ching
This illustrated guide to building construction introduces the student of architecture and interested lay people to the basic principles of how buildings are built. It provides an overview of the major systems of a building, how each is constructed, and how each is influenced by its relationship to other systems.

Architecture: Form, Space, and Order, by Frank D.K. Ching, Francis D. Ching
This is the classic introduction to architectural drawing. It gives written and visual descriptions of the elements of form, space, and order, which is the fundamental vocabulary of every designer. Ching examines every principal of architecture by using hand-rendered images to illustrate his lucid descriptions.

The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live, by Sarah Susanka, Kira Obolensky (Contributor)
Sarah Susanka contends that people are naturally drawn to intimate spaces. Large structures inspired by outdated patterns tend to result in houses that just don't work. In The Not So Big House, she proposes clear guidelines for creating homes that serve spiritual needs as well as material requirements.

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture, by Ross King
Filippo Brunelleschi's design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence remains one of the most towering achievements of Renaissance architecture. Completed in 1436, the dome remains a remarkable feat of design and engineering. Its span of more than 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington, D.C., making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. The story of its creation and its brilliant but "hot-tempered" creator is told in Ross King's delightful Brunelleschi's Dome.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, by William L. Beiswanger, Peter J. Hatch, Lucia Stanton, Daniel P. Jordan, Wendell Garrett (Preface)
Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is a superb collection of essays, adorned with beautiful color photography, that showcases this American treasure. Designed by Jefferson himself, Monticello is a model of elegance and symmetry. It is also home to Jefferson's world-class collection of art and porcelain from France, scientific instruments from England, the finest American furniture from Philadelphia and New York, and enduring furnishings made in Monticello's own joinery by enslaved craftsmen. The celebrated gardens and grounds form an experimental yet breathtakingly lovely landscape featuring flowers, fruits, and vegetables of the Old and New Worlds.

I.M. Pei, by Aileen Reid
Famed architect, I. M. Pei first came to international prominence with the commission for the Kennedy Library. His subsequent success, with projects such as the glass pyramid at the Louvre and the new wing of the National Gallery in Washington, DC are well-documented herein with wonderful photography and text. A quiet master who has had a resounding effect on world architectural style.