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Top Ten Books for Architects

Architecture is the art and science of designing building and structures. Many books are dedicated to the trends and styles of today's architecture. Other books concentrate on the history of architecture throughout the world. Several editors and writers have made lists of the architecture books they find to be the most interesting and informative.
  1. Vitruvius: Ten Books On Architecture by Vitruvius

    • Vitruvius, a Roman architect, wrote this book around 25 B.C. He writes about various aspects of Roman architecture, as well as theoretical issues concerning architecture. According to Best Book Top 10, it is "the single most important work of architectural history in the Western world, having shaped architecture and the image of the architect from the Renaissance to the present."

    101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick

    • This book clearly explains in simple language complex concepts of architecture. The creative process along with design and presentation are all discussed by the author, Matthew Frederick.

    Building Up and Tearing Down: Reflections on the Age of Architecture, by Paul Goldberger

    • The author of this book, Paul Goldberger, is a former critic for The New York Times and current critic of The New Yorker. Building Up and Tearing Down is an anthology of essays he wrote for The New Yorker that all concern architecture.

    The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh

    • Many popular blogs have come out with books that offer a sample of the content their websites offer. The BLDGBLOG has done the same the thing, capitalizing on its five million blog readers. The book, like the blog, looks at past and present architecture, as well as speculating about the future of design.

    The Art of Construction by Mario George Salvadori

    • The Art of Construction aims to teach the basic principles of architecture. Concepts are paired with illustrations to help make the lessons more understandable. The book also includes projects that can be completed with everyday materials found inside the home.

    Design Like You Give A Damn by Architecture for Humanity

    • Architecture for Humanity discusses the architectural answers for the world's population that still lacks proper housing. The book provides a history of the socially conscious design movement.

    Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto For Manhattan by Rem Koolhaas

    • This book studies the architecture of New York City. Delirious New York also discusses the idea that New York was a laboratory where particular architecture designs were tested.

    City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction by David Macaulay

    • The book is full of text and illustrations of Roman architecture. David Macaulay shows how Roman architects planned and constructed their cities.

    Architecture: Form, Space and Order by Francis D. Ching

    • Architecture is an illustrated look at the design and form of several architects. The book also covers plane, volume, proportion and the interdependence of form and space.

    The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War by Robert Bevan

    • This book looks at major moments in history when buildings and lives were destroyed. Bevan makes the point that architecture is more than just buildings. It's a representation of culture.

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