An award-winning architect and educator demystifies the process of making architecture and explains why good architectural design matters. The design of cities and buildings affects the quality of our lives. Making the built environments in which we live, work, and play useful, safe, comfortable, efficient, and as beautiful as possible is a universal quest. What many don’t realize is that professional architects design only about five percent of the built environment. While much of what non-architects build is beautiful and useful, the ugliness and inconveniences that blight many urban areas demonstrate that an understanding of good architectural design is vital for creating livable buildings and public spaces. To help promote this understanding among non-architects and those considering architecture as a profession, award-winning architect and professor Hal Box explains the process from concept to completed building, using real-life examples to illustrate the principles involved. To cause what we build to become architecture, we have three choices: hire an architect, become an architect, or learn to think like an architect. In this book, organized as a series of letters to students and friends, Box covers: what architecture should be and do how to look at and appreciate good buildings how to understand the design process, work with an architect, or become an architect an overview of architectural history, with lists of books to read and buildings to see practical guidance about what goes into constructing a building an architect’s typical training and career path how architecture relates to the city where the art of architecture is headed why good architecture matters

The Fundamentals of Architecture, 2nd Edition is an introduction to the basic ideas that inform architecture. It is intended to unravel the complexity of architecture to explain its process and make it more accessible. It guides students through the rich history of the discipline, and introduces aspects of contemporary theory and practice. The book explores the process of architecture starting from the initial ideas and concepts, and how these ideas are informed by understanding site and context. It examines the impact of the physical environment and the historical ideas that have informed and influenced the architectural solution. The second edition has been redesigned and updated with new material, including six case studies, exercise sections and contemporary visuals from students and leading architects.

"Detailed descriptions are included for all 123 schools that offer accredited professional degree programs (or are candidates for accreditation) in the United States and Canada, with additional program descriptions from over 120 schools throughout the world which are affiliate members of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)"--Page vii.

The completely updated, illustrated bestseller on architectural graphics with over 500,000 copies sold Architectural Graphics presents a wide range of basic graphic tools and techniques designers use to communicate architectural ideas. Expanding upon the wealth of illustrations and information that have made this title a classic, this Fourth Edition provides expanded and updated coverage of drawing materials, multiview drawings, paraline drawings, and perspective drawings. Also new to this edition is the author's unique incorporation of digital technology into his successful methods. While covering essential drawing principles, this book presents: approaches to drawing section views of building interiors, methods for drawing modified perspectives, techniques for creating accurate shade and shadows, expert styles of freehand sketching and diagramming, and much more.

In this fourth edition, Bryan Lawson continues his discussion, trying to understand how designers think. He does this by mapping out the issues concerned with the design process, with design problems and solutions and design thinking. This edition adds to the previous debates by including a new chapter on 'Design as Conversation' reflecting on how designers, either consciously or unconsciously, monitor, reflect on, control and change their thinking. It also includes a new series of case studies on notable designers including the racing car designer Gordon Murray, product designer James Dyson, and architects such as Edward Cullinan and Glenn Murcott.

This highly original and sophisticated look at architecture helps us to understand the cultural significance of the buildings that surround us. It avoids the traditional style-spotting approach in favour of giving an idea of what it is about buildings that moves us, and what it is that makes them important artistically and culturally. The book begins by looking at how architecture acquires meaning through tradition, and concludes with the exoticism of the recent avant garde. Illustrations of particular buildings help to anchor the general points with specific examples, from ancient Egypt to the present day. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.