101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

2008SilverAwardWinner,ArchitectureCategory,IndependentPublisherBookAwards.andWinningentry,GeneralTradeIllustratedCategory,inthe2008NewEnglandBookShowsponsoredbyBookbuildersofBoston.Thisisabookthatstudentsofarchitecturewillwanttokeepinthestudioandintheirbackpacks.Itisalsoabooktheymaywanttokeepoutofviewoftheirprofessors,foritexpressesinclearandsimplelanguagethingsthattendtobemurkyandabstruseintheclassroom.These101conciselessonsindesign,drawing,thecreativeprocess,andpresentation--fromthebasicsof"HowtoDrawaLine"tothecomplexitiesofcolortheory--provideamuch-neededprimerinarchitecturalliteracy,makingconcretewhattoooftenisleftnebulousoropen-endedinthearchitecturecurriculum.Eachlessonutilizesatwo-pageformat,withabriefexplanationandanillustrationthatcanrangefromdiagrammatictowhimsical.Thelessonon"HowtoDrawaLine"isillustratedbyexamplesofgoodandbadlines;alessononthedangersofawkwardfloorlevelchangesshowsthetelevisionactorDickVanDykeinthemidstofapratfall;adiscussionoftheproportionaldifferencesbetweentraditionalandmodernbuildingsfeaturesadrawingofabuildingsplitneatlyinhalfbetweenthetwo.Writtenbyanarchitectandinstructorwhorememberswellthefogofhisownstudentdays,"101ThingsILearnedinArchitectureSchool"providesvaluableguidepostsfornavigatingthedesignstudioandotherclassesinthearchitecturecurriculum.Architecturegraduates--fromyoungdesignerstoexperiencedpractitioners--willturntothebookaswell,forinspirationandaguidebacktobasicswhensolvingacomplexdesignproblem.