Possible Palladian Villas: (Plus a Few Instructively Impossible Ones)

Rating:
Summary: Densely written
Review: An attempt to divine the mathematical rules governing room dimensions of Palladio's Renaissance buildings using computer software. One must give the author credit for the large amount of research involved, all documented in its extensive bibliography.

Rating:
Summary: A very intriguing and enjoyable study.
Review: An initial enthusiastic interest in classicism in architecture led to my attending architecture school. This is a book I read during my first term, and I really enjoyed it tremendously. Very instructive as an introduction to the ideas of classical/renaissance architectural theory, as well as fun and "hands-on" with the included software. A previous reviewer seems to feel that the writing unfortunately pretentious. For better or for worse, however, almost all serious art and architectural writing has this kind of quality--or at least appears this way to those who aren't used to seriously thinking about ideas of aesthetics. It shouldn't put one off. The book is substantial, and fun at the same time. I enthusiastically recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A very intriguing and enjoyable study.
Review: An initial enthusiastic interest in classicism in architecture led to my attending architecture school. This is a book I read during my first term, and I really enjoyed it tremendously. Very instructive as an introduction to the ideas of classical/renaissance architectural theory, as well as fun and "hands-on" with the included software. A previous reviewer seems to feel that the writing unfortunately pretentious. For better or for worse, however, almost all serious art and architectural writing has this kind of quality--or at least appears this way to those who aren't used to seriously thinking about ideas of aesthetics. It shouldn't put one off. The book is substantial, and fun at the same time. I enthusiastically recommend it.