World Famous Comics: 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
By: Matthew Frederick Publisher: The MIT Press Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 128 Publication Date: September 30, 2007 Studio: The MIT Press
Product Description: 2008 Silver Award Winner, Architecture Category, Independent Publisher Book Awards. and Winning entry, General Trade Illustrated Category, in the 2008 New England Book Show sponsored by Bookbuilders of Boston.
This is a book that students of architecture will want to keep in the studio and in their backpacks. It is also a book they may want to keep out of view of their professors, for it expresses in clear and simple language things that tend to be murky and abstruse in the classroom. These 101 concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation—from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory—provide a much-needed primer in architectural literacy, making concrete what too often is left nebulous or open-ended in the architecture curriculum. Each lesson utilizes a two-page format, with a brief explanation and an illustration that can range from diagrammatic to whimsical. The lesson on "How to Draw a Line" is illustrated by examples of good and bad lines; a lesson on the dangers of awkward floor level changes shows the television actor Dick Van Dyke in the midst of a pratfall; a discussion of the proportional differences between traditional and modern buildings features a drawing of a building split neatly in half between the two. Written by an architect and instructor who remembers well the fog of his own student days, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School provides valuable guideposts for navigating the design studio and other classes in the architecture curriculum. Architecture graduates—from young designers to experienced practitioners—will turn to the book as well, for inspiration and a guide back to basics when solving a complex design problem.
101 Things I'm Glad to Have Read. ^ This book is a quick read. His 101 selections are quick and to the point. Each written page has a visual communication to accompany it, so if you're a visual learner, you will appreciate this.
i.e. He writes, "A good presentation meets the Ten-foot Test. The essential elements of the drawings you pin up for a design studio presentation in particular, labels and titles- should be legible from 10 feet away." On the opposing pages is a sketch of a crowd viewing a presentation and a board of what should be legible from 10 feet.
Is this rocket science? No. But sometimes the most obvious isn't always obvious. It's a fast read. I do about 3 or 4 quick pages every night before bed.
Great Insight, a constant reminder ^ this book is perfect for any age architect or architecture student. Both funny and informative. Buy it!
Archeticutre for the pencil challenged ^ A delightful book for an engineering type to buy and read. Practical knowledge with some wisdom... I liked this a lot and personally find it useful.
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School ^ One of the best books I have read. You can read it in 30 minutes and you will love it
Breath of fresh air for architecture school ^ I'm a grad student in architecture and got this book during my second year, but didn't look at it too closely until my thesis project (3rd year). Seriously, this book is like a breath of fresh air in an architecture environment filled by relativism and differing opinions. I have often wondered if there were absolutes in architectural education, and this book sets them out (at least as close to absolutes as you get in our postmodern world). The book mentions that you should initially have a basic parti, or idea, to begin your design; and that parti should inform the whole design. Wow of course, that's so simple and common sense, but rarely heard. This book really breaks it down and gives many little pearls of advice to inspire your thoughts. It helped me get out of a rut I was in with my thesis design. I would definitely recommend this to any architect or architecture student.
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