You should try this one first...

I'm assuming he is looking to teach in architecture which we all know does not require us to be spelling bee champs.

Why Buildings Stand Up- The Strength of Architecture

Are you asking for good textbooks, or decent reads? because there's a total difference.

And, spelling, regardless of whether you need it or not, is a good way to gain respect, so thus, it is worth Trying buddy...

honestly, start by proofreading what you type.

babysteps.

man this is the harshest forum i've ever seen when it comes to spelling. But then again i'm used to gamers on forums who sp3l lik tihs.

Oh and on a serious note i would suggest S,M,L,XL, Delirous New York, and Towards a New Architecture.

Peter Zumthor's Thinking Architecture.

I think it's under 100 pages, so even if you're not that good at reading/writing you should be able to get through it.

*Someone gave me this book:

Norberg-Schulz, Christian: Intentions in Architecture
Original Norwegain title: Intensjoner i arkitekturen


Intentions in Architecture is one of the first propositions for a systematic and complete structure of the description of architecture. Its structure organically makes use of the Gestalt psychology, the mechanics of perception, the information theory, modern analytical philosophy and general theory of signs and symbols, so that each one of these approaches has its place and its meaning within an articulated plan, in an ingenious construction towards a theory of architecture. A theory able to treat architecture not only like an art form, but also taking account of its social, psychological and cultural effects, integrating theoretical material from various areas into a theoretical construction based on modern science and the symbolic theory of form.

First published: 1967, Universitetsforlaget
MIT press

*thorough, but the concepts are very 'twisted' and often cumulative from chapter to chapter--

Just a thought. It's a good idea to 'know the field' by reading all the 'important' books. But if you read what everyone else has read, you will think like everyone else has thought.

Reading the wrong stuff is important too. (Dutch art-criticism, NZ poetry, childrens picture-books, Latvian short stories, Middle-american chemistry manuals... whatever).

Also, don't be under the impression that everyone else has read all the 'important' stuff. You might be surprised what your professor's haven't read.
Developing a professorly erudition is the work of decades, not a spare summer's reading.

has anyone seen my spare apostrophe? I'm sure i had it right here...

mlml- re: Peter Zumthor's Thinking Architecture

what's the difference between the 1st and 2nd edition (other than almost $1000 on amazon)?

btw- i loved his thermal bath in Switzerland

nothing - I borrowed the first edition from my school's library about a year ago, then bought the 2nd edition a couple weeks ago, and as far as I can remember (whatever that's worth) there's no difference. I think maybe the images in the first edition were b&w and the 2nd are color. He doesn't like much of his work getting published because he thinks that architecture is something that needs to be experienced, and that photos can be misleading, so when his stuff does get published it becomes very hard to find. Zumthor has a very intimate understanding of spaces and materials and talks about it in a way that probably no other architect can, Thinking Architecture is a definite must read. Anyone want to sell me a copy of his A+U issue?

^nothing but the value. its the same book, except the first edition is a collectable now.

thanks mlml. it's goin on my x-mas list.

I was recomended 'the absent city' by a professor, halfway through but its brilliant so far,

Im also a big architectural uncanny fan...

and silverlake

I would also recommend 'Delirious New York', although I'm not hugest Koolhaas fan (although he does have the most amazing last name an architect can possibly have). Any of the english translation of Vetruvius' 'The Ten Booms of Architecture' are an interesting read, although a bit stiff at times, interesting none the less, and clearly very influential over a vast amount of time. If you enjoy classical architecture, check out 'Piranesi' which is published by Taschen. Pierre Restany's 'Hundertwasser: The Painter King' is amazingm, with amazing photos and prints, there is almost nothing else like it, this is also published bu Taschen. My all time favorite architecture book is White and Willensky's 'AIA Guide to New York City', but I'm not certain people who don't live in NYC will find it as amazing. Ross King's 'Brunleschi's Dome' is on the pope side of things but a very fun and interesting architecture read. When I started school, I knew very little about modern architecture, and I found Kenneth Frampton's 'Modern Architecture: A Critical History', to be quite helpful. It doesn't go very in depth into any one architect or movement, but is a good general overview. This is slightly off topic, but Taschen's 'Industrial Design: A-Z' is amazing, with pictures that will blow you away. I really enjoyed Henry Petroski's 'To Engineer is Human', which deals mainly with structural failures. It is quite sobering, and makes me check my work many times over. Those are just a few of my favorites, but a good place to start.

Architecture in the Age of Divided Representation, by Dalibor Vesely, is excellent.

http://www.amazon.com/Architecture-Age-Divided-Representation-Creativity/dp/0262720485/sr=8-1/qid=1164928389/ref=sr_1_1/002-7479636-7358404?ie=UTF8&s=books

thank you ! Seven lamps by Ruskin is great . My list is getting compiled. sorry about the typos.

ready for a list?

The Power Broker - about Robert Moses who was the most influential person regarding the shaping of the cities in this country, good study in ends/means type stuff

Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture - Kate Nesbitt, Editor - had some great assignments which helped this book help make theory understandable

The Cultural Meaning of Urban Space - Rotenberg & McDonogh

House - Tracy Kidder - just for fun

The Reluctant Metropolis - Fulton

Sites of Memory - Craig E. Barton, Editor

The United States of Europe - T.R. Reid - b/c everyone should know some of these things

In the Scheme of Things by Thomas Fisher

From Bauhaus to Our House, Tom Wolfe...that will get them buzzing!

Informal by Cecil Balmond
Thermal Delight in Architecture (I forget the author.)
Small Things Considered by Henry Petroski

Whenever I find myself in a new town I try to scope out a few used bookstores for unusual architecture books. There's usually some strange synchronicty that occurs and I find a bunch of books that are related to other topics I've been thinking about. Nerdy, but true.

have put this on other 'must read' lists previously, but haven't seen it come up on this one yet:

how buildings learn by stewart brand. one of the best books on architecture in decades, and not by an architect.

"White Walls Designer Dresses" Mark Wigley
"Projective Cast" by Robin Evans

I second 'The Projective Cast', but if you're reading Wigley, I think his Lotus essay 'On Site' and his 'Architecture of Deconstruction' are more to my taste.

I have a hard time reading texts that are devoid of independent literary merit. So much writing has its worth in its ideas, but the depths are merely intellectual or academic, and the writing itself does not stand on its own as writing. I mean, I am interested in what is said but disappointed by how it is said. Does anyone else feel this disconnet? I'm not sure that most things I've loved recently would qualify as required canonical must-reads, but they were more poignant than the average text. I think that even if you are not an architect by profession or aspiration, you would find meaning in these. It's interesting to see people experiencing and writing about building and space in a way that differs from the interpretive, historical, theoretical and especially critical, and is more experiential and sensual yet without being quite phenomenological.

Ex-Cities by Helene Cixous.

Little House by Jean-Francois de Bastide, foreword by Anthony Vidler, translated/introduced by Rodolphe El-Khoury.

Occasional Work and 7 Walks from the Office for Soft Architecture by Lisa Robertson.

You could also go back and scour the optional reading lists of your syllabi (if you still have them) for anything you might have missed, that looks good...

I'll also second the Power Broker, it's a great read. I just hate Moses. He destroyed so many buildings that would be considered treasures now. We can thank him for the BK heights promenade though.

If you want the quick & dirty, go get Theories and Manifestoes of Contemporary Architecture by Jencks & Kropf - it's basically a series of 2-page summaries of current critical thinking and various architects' approaches. Not deep, but quite broad.

I like Susan Surface's attitude. My solution is to spend less time reading architecture books, more time looking at the pictures in them and most time reading novels.
I've noticed that most books on architectural theory are distinctly po-faced. What about some humour? I'm thinking Daniel Gilbert's 'Stumbling on Happiness' is a good example of something recently published that manages this whilst still imparting a decent level of information and insight.
Dalibor Vesely's book mentioned above just oozes erudition (in a wise, reflective, knowledgeable way) which just. about. makes it seem worth making the considerable effort of reading the thing. But I've long ago ditched any attempt to read those architecture texts that just witter on in theory-speak because it sounds clever. It ain't.

[ahem]sanfordkwinter[/ahem]

^^^architecture texts that just witter on in theory-speak because it sounds clever

Precisely. I came across reams of the stuff whilst at the AA. I remember 'translating' someone's question to this poor guy from OMA once, it had got so bad people were starting to *talk* that way.

Aldo Rossi's "The Architecture of the City" is still interesting, in my opinion, if his approach isn't fashionable today.

"Modern Architecture Since 1900" by William Curtis is another really good overview.

If you want to teach design, I'd think you'd want to be up on "green architecture" resources, since that's where the future is. Sustainable architecture is always evolving, but William McDonough's "Cradle to Cradle" is popular right now - not that I've read it yet. I'm sure there are other examples to look to as well.

I've also yet to read Calvino's "Invisible Cities", but I know some people who love it.

Some of the stuff one reads in the mainstream ecology press would have us believe that the situation's so bad we may as well not bother at all though.
Fiddle. Rome. Burning. Skyscrapers... might be the idea, erk.

I love reading, but for architecture isn't it more applicable to go out into the world and explore for yourself?

Instead of putting time in your day for architectural reading, hitch a ride and VISIT A NEW CITY. MEET PEOPLE, and try a bit of B&E if possible (it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission). Your students will be more impressed that you actually EXPERIENCED THE SPACE instead of learning about it in a book.

Literary works of art though... save time for those because they are enjoyable and more apt to be life changing.

LFAI, Your suggestion is awesome but expensive and time consuming. I think shaping as an architect has a lot to do being an intersting person kind of an allrounder. There is no scope for mediocrity.. watching good films, having good food , being well read..

But from my limited time aside from office this is a start..

A lot of names I have heard for the first time .. this is good.

Has anyone tried a thousand years of nonlinear history, by Delanda , is it worth reading ?

read the conclusion, and it you like it, read the rest.

Tonight I shall be starting "Programs and Manifestoes in 20th Century Arch." by Ulrich Conrads. It's been recommended to me over and over again, most notably by the wise old Theory prof at my school.

I think this has been mentioned before, but a happy and fun read is "the Architecture of Happiness" by Alain de Botton that just came it. It's nothing you don't know already, but it's always good to see more pictures of solid buildings compared and contrasted with each other. Plus you can actually lend it to friends and increase the respect of the profession one person by one person!

de Botton has this great way of coming to some of the conclusions architectural writers have but entirely in his own way. He also has a good point about the consensuality of ideas in society (the good ol' days) compared to the more obscure status of architectural ideas in society today which tend to hit the public only at the level of shock-novelty. Personally, I think a connection via the mechanism of fashion / couture has potential, if one looks at it at some technical / cultural success level outside the strictly materialist / hedonist / superficial.

And yeah, LFAI, it's good to mix a bit of, say, Graham Greene's negotiation of grey-scale moral dubiety or Brodsky's writerly passion for Venice with one's geometry and deconstruction.