Understanding Architecture

Introduces the structure, function, history, and meaning of western architecture from prehistory to modern times, with a chronology table, glossary, and index.

First published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

An introduction to reading architecture and architectural drawings. Each building is presented with a clear architectural plan and images that allow the reader to understand the project's key features.

The widely acclaimed and beautifully illustrated Understanding Architecture is now revised and expanded in its fourth edition, vividly examining the structure, function, history, and meaning of architecture, from prehistory to the present, in ways that are both accessible and engaging. Significant features of the fourth edition include: Expanded global essays outlining the encounters and interchanges, conflicts and accommodations, between disparate global communities. A brand-new final chapter addressing the twenty-first century during which Western and global architectural developments have increasingly become one broad, interwoven expression. This chapter includes sections on: CAD, Contemporary Architecture of the 21st Century, Starchitects, Contemporary Architectural Prizes, Architecture and Energy Consumption, and Architecture Integrated with Nature. New sections on Frank Lloyd Wright and Late Twentieth-Century Expressionism. Thoroughly revised and expanded illustrations, including over 700 images, more than half of which are in full color, and 120 original line art drawings. Understanding Architecture continues to be the only text in the field to examine architecture as a cultural phenomenon as well as an artistic and technological achievement with its straightforward, two-part structure: The Elements of Architecture and the History and Meaning of Architecture. Comprehensive and clearly written, Understanding Architecture is both a primer for visual environmental literacy and a classic survey of architecture. This is an essential book for anyone interested in our built environment and the layered historical meaning embodied within it.

This survey of western architecture is divided into two parts. The first deals with the basic properties of architecture, examining a building's structure and aesthetic appeal. The second is a chronological survey of western architectural development from prehistoric times to the present.

A comprehensive introduction to architecture and architectural history and exceptional in its approach, this book explores architecture as a current practice in relation to history and in relation to the wider context of cultures, conservation and the environment. This new edition brings in the new emphasis on sustainability, urbanism, urban regeneration and cultural identity, in order to take a holistic approach to the subject of architecture. Highly illustrated, this book enables the reader to make sense of the experience of architecture and the built environment by understanding more about the form, construction, meaning and history of the subject.

This second edition is fully revised and updated and includes new chapters on sustainability, history and archaeology, designing through drawing and drawing in architectural practice. The book introduces design and graphic techniques aimed to help designers increase their understanding of buildings and places through drawing. For many, the camera has replaced the sketchbook, but here the author argues that freehand drawing as a means of analyzing and understanding buildings develops visual sensitivity and awareness of design. By combining design theory with practical lessons in drawing, Understanding Architecture Through Drawing encourages the use of the sketchbook as a creative and critical tool. The book is highly illustrated and is an essential manual on freehand drawing techniques for students of architecture, landscape architecture, town and country planning and urban design.

The time-saving resource every architect needs The Architect’s Studio Companion is a robust, user-friendly resource that keeps important information at your fingertips throughout the design process. It includes guidelines for the design of structure, environmental systems, parking, accessibility, and more. This new sixth edition has been fully updated with the latest model building codes for the U.S. and Canada, extensive new information on heating and cooling systems for buildings, and new structural systems, all in a form that facilitates rapid preliminary design. More than just a reference, this book is a true companion that no practicing architect or student should be without. This book provides quick access to guidelines for systems that affect the form and spatial organization of buildings and allows this information to be incorporated into the earliest stages of building design. With it you can: Select, configure, and size structural systems Plan for building heating and cooling Incorporate passive systems and daylighting into your design Design for parking and meet code-related life-safety and accessibility requirements Relying on straightforward diagrams and clear written explanations, the designer can lay out the fundamental systems of a building in a matter of minutes—without getting hung up on complicated technical concepts. By introducing building systems into the early stages of design, the need for later revisions or redesign is reduced, and projects stay on time and on budget. The Architect’s Studio Companion is the time-saving tool that helps you bring it all together from the beginning.