Saturday, July 25, 2009
Mechanics And Meaning In Architecture
by Lance LaVine, Fred Turner
Paperback: 207 pages
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press (March 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0816634777
ISBN-13: 978-0816634774
Book Description
In Mechanics and Meaning in Architecture, Lance LaVine shows that in architecture, as practiced and taught today, the technological aspect of the profession-how weight is distributed, how heat flow is regulated, and how light is permitted to enter-has been ceded to engineers and other technical specialists. And in doing so, he argues, architects have lost sight of one of architecture's most important purposes, that of providing a literal and figurative window onto the world. As a technology of habitation, architecture should provide people with both a practical and a metaphorical understanding of their relationship with nature. For LaVine, this knowledge emanates from a sensual understanding of the natural world as a "felt force." At its most basic level, architecture demands an understanding of and response to the natural forces of gravity, climate, and sunlight. At the center of Mechanics and Meaning in Architecture are case studies of four very different houses: a Finnish log farmhousefrom the nineteenth century; Charles Moore's house in Arinda, California; Tadao Anmdo's Wall house in Japan; and Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye near Paris. Through his imaginative readings of structures, LaVine highlights
how the architects involved have used the oldest and most fundamental architectural technologies-walls, floors, ceilings, columns, beams, and windows-in ways that offer creative responses to the natural world and humanity's place in it. Clearly, architects are comfortable with the practical and aesthetic components of their profession. With this book, Lance LaVine encourages them also to understand what makes their use of technology unique and essential, and to reclaim the natural world for meaningful interpretation in their design of buildings. Lance LaVine is professor of architecture and landscape architecture at the University of Minnesota.
13,2 MB
Metals (Materials for Inspirational Design)
Product Description
Metals continues in the traditon of the Materials series by bringing people's attention to a range of inspirational products and materials that challenge the boundaries of traditional application. It will include both everyday and familiar products and those that are new, exciting and unexpected.
Hugely visual and easily accessible, even to those with no prior knowledge of the material, Metals introduces each application with authorial comment as well as interviews with the designers and manufacturers. Examples are featured from the areas of packaging, product design, and architecture. This is coupled with detailed technical specification tables, an internal index which points the way to linked pages of interest, as well as an extended glossary and resources section, for more in-depth study.
Naturally Ventilated Buildings - Building For The Senses, The Economy And Society
By Clements-Croome
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Number Of Pages: 200
Publication Date: 1998-04-21
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0419215204
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780419215202
Binding: Hardcover
Book Description:
Despite its importance, knowledge about the performance of naturally ventilated buildings has remained comparitavely sparse. Containing ten key research papers, this book addresses this lack of information emphasizing the need to consider both natural and mechanical systems. With leading international contributers, Naturally Ventilated Buildings is a key reference for both professional and client.
2,2 MB
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