Modern House

Rating:
Summary: A delightful tour through modern houses
Review: John Welsh presents a nice selection of modern houses. The layout of the book is very elegant, each house is presented with beautiful pictures, sketches and plans. The illustrations are accompanied by exactly the right amount of text, describing what the architects were trying to achieve when designing the houses. What makes this book really stand out, though, is the way the author describes the relations between the presented houses and the works of the early century legends; Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Wright and so on. Finally, the author's descriptions on the topics of space and light are the best I have read, completely avoiding the abstract and pompous metaphores so often used in books on architecture.

Rating:
Summary: Smart text
Review: There are plenty of house books worth a quick scan, but this is one worth hanging on to. That is, if you're interested in ultra modern architect designed houses. The competition is The New American House series, which is mostly pictures, and the Taunton Press books, which unfortunately add insipid text. What makes this book stand out is its excellent design, and plans, sections and elevations for every entry. Something that could only have been gotten from access to the original construction documents. There's a companion essay for each house. True, it's ultimately nonsense, but it's well considered and articulate nonsense, as the author, a former architectural magazine editor, knows his history.

Rating:
Summary: a well researched book
Review: This book mainly deals with residential properties & most of them have already been featured in other architectural books. In my opinion, this book works because it doesn't concentrate simply on properties in the States as many architecture books tend to do. Rather, it gives us a broader picture by illustrating properties from all around the world. Whilst the books are divided into various categories as discussed in the editorial review, I particularly enjoy the discussion on properties that fall either in abstract (clarity in design) category or representative (to conform with their surroundings) category. Whilst there are cross section diagrams of properties, labelling would enhance our understanding of the application of architecture on properties mentioned. Otherwise, the discussion could be overbearing or technical at times. Still, I'm finding this book to be an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: a well researched book
Review: This book mainly deals with residential properties & most of them have already been featured in other architectural books. In my opinion, this book works because it doesn't concentrate simply on properties in the States as many architecture books tend to do. Rather, it gives us a broader picture by illustrating properties from all around the world. Whilst the books are divided into various categories as discussed in the editorial review, I particularly enjoy the discussion on properties that fall either in abstract (clarity in design) category or representative (to conform with their surroundings) category. Whilst there are cross section diagrams of properties, labelling would enhance our understanding of the application of architecture on properties mentioned. Otherwise, the discussion could be overbearing or technical at times. Still, I'm finding this book to be an enjoyable read.