Some favorites

+ The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard

+ Elements of Architecture by Pierre von Meiss

+ Experiencing Architecture by Steen Eiler Rasmussen

+ Concrete Jungle by J.G. Ballard



Best of luck,

Scott
maison-orion.com

I second the poetics of space...

The question really is what kind of books are you looking for? architectural theory? books about architects? philosophy that has influenced architects?

Here is a list of my favorites...


For an Architecture of Reality -- Michael Benedikt
Space and Place -- Yi Fu Tuan (he's a geographer, not an architect)
The Eyes of the Skin -- Juhani Pallasmaa
Theories and Manifestoes of Contemporary Architecture -- Charles Jencks and Karl Kropf

That last one is an excellent survey of brief architectural ideas ranging from classicism to deconstruction...

and finally, for good measure, here is a book that has nothing to do with architecture

The Perks of Being a Wallflower -- Stephen Chbosky

Thank you maisonorion and nonamenum3.

I will be definitely looking into those books!

I am very open on the book topics...basically anything that will open my mind about architecture....on theory, presentation, biographical, graphics, etc.

A Thousand Plateaus by Gilles Delueze and Felix Gutarri
(this is where almost all theoretical understandings of architecture have come from in the last 20 years, look at any shift or theoretical essay on architecture and you will see Delueze being referenced)

Atlas of Novel Tectonics by Reiser + Umemoto
(a good sample of different explorations to give a new frame of reference when approaching architecture)

Blur: the making of nothing by Diller +Scofidio
(a complete process from sketch to CD's to get a feeling for what its all about with a bit of D+S fun attatched)

anything by eisenman to see what he's about
(he's quite controversial but he's essential to have an understanding of)

Oh, god, please don't actually read 1,000 Plateaus. Read others' criticism of it first. If you're significantly intrigued, then go ahead and read it yourself.

On the total other end of the spectrum, I second nonamenum3's suggestion of:

For an Architecture of Reality -- Michael Benedikt

You'll be able to read it in an hour or two, but it has amazing lessons in how to view the built world.

I like Herman Hertzberger's Lessons for Students in Architecture.

The book is about space seen from psychological point of view and it also offers a lot of visual examples.

I'd recommend "translations from drawings to Building" by robin evans. It's a collection of his essays, and the notable inclusions are his essay on the barcelona pavillion, the essay on drawing that gives the book its title, and of course, figures door and passages. Excellent reading.

'how buildings learn' by non-architect stewart brand.

I thought A Thousand Plateaus was provoking. You need to get it from the source, once you figure out the language Deleuze uses its really not as difficult as people make it appear to be.

I would agree. If you are interested in Deleuxze, you should difinitely start with the original. I find his text much richer that some of the strictly architectural re-reading of them.

The poetics of 1000 plateaus opens up possibilities to you and your thinking, and I find that to be the most rewarding aspect of reading deleuze.

What makes his text challenging is that they aren't linear. He uses terms and concepts that might not be fully explained until later or are from a different text right up front. To help with understanding some of these concepts, I find it helpfull to have "the deleuze dictionary" on hand when you read 1000 plateaus for the first time.

wow thanks for all the great recs! time to give $$ to amazon

Devil in the White City

anything by eisenman to see what he's about
(he's quite controversial but he's essential to have an understanding of)- controversial to my mom maybe.

space, time, and archtiecture - Giedion, essential, makes history fun to read, and will make you understand why they teach history courses, and how you will be able to make your "contemporary" work richer

i second the Atlas of novel tectonics

recovering landscape: essays in contemporary landscape - edited by james corner

non-architectural books, but will take you places:
invisible cities - italo calvino
einstein's dream - alan lightman
both short but rich books

vado, does your mom enjoy deconstructing terragni too?

Mothers already know about multiple readings of realities without having to get all french lit theory on you. Its what mothers do.

Ill definitely second:
Space and Place -- Yi Fu Tuan (he's a geographer, not an architect)
The Eyes of the Skin -- Juhani Pallasmaa
invisible cities - italo calvino

and add:
+ Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees: A Life of Contemporary Artist Robert Irwin
+ Thinking Architecture by Peter Zumthor

It also worth mentioning that there are a few cannonical books that get referenced over and over again in school that you could read. You'll likely read them when you're in school, but if you want to get the jump:

vers un architecture (towards a new architecture) - le corbusier
mathmatics of an idela villa - colin rowe (collection of essays)
modern architecture - kenneth frampton
delirious new york - rem koolhaas

also useful:

Architecture Theory since 1968 - edited my micheal hays
Architecture Culture 1943-1968: A Documentary Anthology - edited by joan ockman