Reginald Pratt is an architect who lives an extremely bland existence in the London suburbs with his mother and his cat. Reginald's philosophy on architecture in particular and life in general, has been influenced by his late father, also an architect. Being mollycoddled by Mum, and theorising about low cost social housing and architecture for the people is no longer an option when Reginald loses his job, and is possibly about to lose his accommodation. His career abruptly changes direction, and through a series of bizarre circumstances he finds himself unintentionally jettisoned into the glitzy lifestyle of the French Riviera. For Reginald, life will never be the same.

Mexico's churches and conventos display a unique blend of European and native styles. Missionary Mendicant friars arrived in New Spain shortly after Cortes's conquest of the Aztec empire in 1521 and immediately related their own European architectural and visual arts styles to the tastes and expectations of native Indians. Right from the beginning the friars conceived of conventos as a special architectural theater in which to carry out their proselytizing. Over four hundred conventos were established in Mexico between 1526 and 1600, and more still in New Mexico in the century following, all built and decorated by native Indian artisans who became masters of European techniques and styles even as they added their own influence. The author argues that these magnificent sixteenth and seventeenth-century structures are as much part of the artistic patrimony of American Indians as their pre-Conquest temples, pyramids, and kivas. Mexican Indians, in fact, adapted European motifs to their own pictorial traditions and thus made a unique contribution to the worldwide spread of the Italian Renaissance. The author brings a wealth of knowledge of medieval and Renaissance European history, philosophy, theology, art, and architecture to bear on colonial Mexico at the same time as he focuses on indigenous contributions to the colonial enterprise. This ground-breaking study enriches our understanding of the colonial process and the reciprocal relationship between European friars and native artisans.

Architecture Reborn is a detailed investigation into the adaptation and conversion of existing buildings as a distinctive area of architectural design. The transformation of buildings now constitutes a major element in the workload of architects worldwide as well as making environmental sense, a conversion is often a simpler and more economic process than a new build project. This book shows how today's architects have called on historical structures and brought them back into everyday life. This book has imperative information for anyone involved in architecture, planning and regeneration, as well as the layperson interested in keeping up to date with this fast-moving and often controversial area of design.

Addresses the growing trend in converting existing structures into a series of ingenious living spaces as it looks at varied projects from around the world in rural, urban, and civic buildings, as well as lofts, industrial spaces, and other unique buildings, examining such topics as what elements of the structure are left intact, what are demolished, how each building was converted into a dwelling, budgets, materials, and impact on the surrounding environment.

Architecture Reborn is a detailed investigation into the adaptation and conversion of existing buildings as a distinctive type of architectural design. In color photographs and plans, here are 44 international schemes that demonstrate that reuse is a positive - even imperative - way to achieve a forward-looking architecture. Renzo Piano has transformed the legendary Fiat factory into a cultural and commercial complex; a former public school in Long Island City, NY has become P.S.1 Institute for Contemporary Art; and a 1930s factory in Detroit is now the HOPE Center for Advanced Technologies. Rather than preservation, or deference to old buildings, the message here is transformation: a physical rather than historicist approach to constructing new form from old fabric. For architects, students, and all proponents of creative reuse, this is an essential collection of case histories and an important reference in keeping up to date with this fast-moving and often controversial area of design.

Loft conversions are one of the most popular types of home alteration and, as this book shows, they can be an enormously useful and stylish addition to a house. If you have not been involved in a building project before, The Complete Loft Conversion Book guides you through the entire process with chapters arranged so that they follow the sequence of events in a real project.Shows how to identify whether your roof space is suitable for conversion and how designers work out ways to make the best use of available space.Using three-dimensional sketches and colour photographs of actual projects, the author illustrates the options for fitting in a staircase and indicates how to estimate the headroom that will be available. Considers the requirements of the local authority planners and building control officers, and provides tips on how to make applications and approvals run smoothly. Presents highly detailed drawings and photographs showing the conversion process. Provides advice on how to avoid cowboy builders and track down the ideal company, how to draw up a fair contract and how to deal with the legal issues that may arise. Supplies checklists and specifications to help monitor progress and ensure that the work is completed to a good standard. A practical, informative book which guides the reader through the entire building project following the sequence of events for a real project. Brimming with useful advice, it contains information not found in other publications. Aimed at all those considering having a loft conversion, those who have made the decision to convert but are still carrying out research and those just about to have work started. Superbly illustrated with 303 colour photographs and highly detailed drawings. Julian Owen MBE is a chartered architect with over twenty years' experience.

-Conversion as an environmentally friendly alternative to new buildings -The new standard reference work in the field -Presentation and illustration of 30 pioneering case studies Conversion, adaptation, reuse - these techniques are as old as construction itself. However, since the industrialization of the building industry and the emergence of modernism in architecture, newly constructed buildings have dominated our idea of good and progressive architecture. For decades, conversion did not play a significant role in architectural practice. Today, things have changed. The industrialization of the construction industry has led to environmental degradation, and the reform potential of modernism has been exhausted. Consequently, the existing building stock is one of the resources - perhaps even the most important resource - for the transformation of our cities. Against this backdrop, the architecture of conversion has made an unexpected comeback. Young architects in particular are providing surprising answers to the environmental and social questions of our time with their conversion projects. This book introduces 30 examples that illustrate how seemingly everyday conversions can be turned into groundbreaking architecture, while eight essays shed light on the important role of conversion in history and the theory of architecture. With contributions by 51N4E, Arno Brandlhuber, Assemble, BeL, Bovenbouw, Christoph Grafe, Lacaton & Vasall, NL Architects, noA architecten, Muck Petzet, Tim Rieniets, de Vylder Vinck Tailieu, and many others.