Outside of class assignments, I never read architecture-related books when in school. I read novels and social criticism. However, in my school you were never allowed to "come up with an idea he night before crits"; our design success was dependent on formulating an idea and nurturing it into a design over a course of time. IMO, reading fiction and other stuff helped with conceptual thinking.

Yes, miracle presentations happened at the last minute, but they were presentations of an already considered design, not designs themselves.

At least you read social criticism.

As for the last minute design, sometimes I think that people were just boasting, but the problem is it considered to be cool by many.

j- atlas of novel tectonics. I read three pages and was totally lost. I still have no clue what the hell reiser and umemoto were talking about.

PodZilla

Me too:) The language is a catastrophe. But there's a lot of other books worth reading.

i received a ba in english. after i started my m.arch i hardly ever picked up a non-architecture book (albiet my architecture studies strayed into other disciplines: theory, criticism, economics, sociology, etc.). i've been out of school now four years; i've finally started to get back into literature. it's difficult though as i feel like i am often so consumed with work that i no longer have the time to delve into a long novel. lately, i've been reading john updike's rabbit angstrom novels on the plane. i enjoy the three hour respite from thinking about work. reading for me is no longer about aquiring knowledge as it was throughout my studies, but instead a pleasurable diversion; no longer something i feel compelled to do, but something i merely enjoy.

the Iliad was great, I read it when I was 11, though it help a lot that it was in latin class (I hate latin class, how the f*ck can you make latin class mandatory in the 21st century! it's child abuse!) and I do read a few architecture book, even some targeting academicians only (I thought it was because i didn't have enough knowledge on architecture, but maybe they are truly awful text) and novels (the Fountainhead) like any wannabe architecture student i guess. I'm surprised that student don't read that much, maybe I'm just getting over myself, and books aren't that important to become a successful architect

i'm not an architect, but i have and do read a lot of philosophy. nietzsche is good for the spirit

i'll read just about anything. and i always have.

"i read, but not a lot of architecture. i find that architects who write tend to be lousy writers, and therefore their work is difficult to read."

I totally agree with "J"'s opinion.
Some of Architecture books are even more "difficult" to read than "deluze" and "Foucault".
Reading with all my efforts and time and figuring out what they say, in the end it turns out what they say is just a "bull-shit".

So, recently, I don't read architecture books especially theorical ones.
Rather, I read philosophy and social science books.
It's a lot more worth to spend time.

theorical--->theoretical

Just strolling through how novels have affected me:

Vineland taught me about the suburban condition of fear and conformity, while Geography of Nowhere helped me understand the urban policies that led to such a state.

Woman in the Dunes made me think of a home as a trap, but a trap that you don't always mind finding yourself in; it also taught me to embrace maintenance.

Confederacy of Dunces taught me about New Orleans (along with a close friend's trip to the World's Fair and his glowing recollections of the food in the city).

The Living taught me about pioneering spirit and how that manifests in one's home.

Poetics of Space on the other hand is an arch theory book, and it definitely affected my attitude towards material essentials.

The Story of the Eye helped me see emotional similarities in synonymous forms, but it's a lousy book.

I enjoyed Atlas of Novel Tectonics...the payoff is really toward the end when all of the set up comes together. For someone trained in a Bauhaus craft-based modernist curriculum, that book was very helpful in connecting my background (what I knew) to novel tectonic principals (which were somewhat alien to me). I read it a while ago, but it definitely clarified some questions I was having regarding parametric design and the resultant new formalism.

Otherwise, I read a lot of articles...whether in magazines, newspapers, online, etc. Recently, when I worked at an office and commuted daily, I was reading fiction for pleasure (got into Kurt Vonnegut for a bit).

Most days I will take an architecture book or two off the shelf and flip through it, sometimes in response to a design problem I'm facing, other times just because I've seen or read something during that day and want to follow up on the ideas, hoping to discover comparisons or contrasts within the scope of my personal library.

the eyes of the skin, and the death and life of great American cities are two books I have found that are not written from such a high and mighty position.

Atlas of novel tectonics is difficult, but it has good ideas that are sometimes hidden by the clutter and non-traditional use of language.

I love all books though, even the boring ones. It doesn’t always show in my architecture, but I think it has helped in other areas of y life.

I've been reading a lot of architectural criticism.

It is painful. I don't think there's any possible way to accurately generate numbers whether or not a building is a "success." I think the only way you can really find an quantifiable figure to measure the success of architecture is costs and profits-- ie, how long does it stay occupied, does the building generate rent revenue, how many repairs has the building had.

What I tend to see a pattern of is architects using a lot of planning methodology and studies and trying to apply them to a single lot... ironic, when some of these studies are of district wide focus. I don't think there is a necessarily fallacy here but I don't think architects have the 'authority' to really make changes that extend outside of a given block.

The other thing that kind of infuriates me is critics citing critics citing critics-- this academically doesn't work exceptionally well.

The only other thing that grinds my gears? Five page essays, with no citations, on the "metaphorical" nature of a design and a "story" it tells.

Architects do read !
And we would be happy to advise you on the books which are going to interest you.
To begin with :

The Force Is in the Mind - The Making of Architecture - Birkhauser
Sub-urbanism & The Art of Memory - AA PUBLICATIONS
Explorations in Architecture - Teaching, Design, Research - Birkhauser

and so on !

The team of the on-line Architecture bookshop :
www.planlibre.com

I read far too much of the intrawebs

I need to close this laptop and open up my library more often

yes you do, rocksauce. read un saison en hell by rimbaud

DUDE: READ THE BOOK "EMERGENCY" this book will save your life
by Neil Strauss. You will never look back! It has more to deal with architecture than any book on theory of architecture I have ever come across...and damn if it is not about architecture.

do architects read?...not if they want to build. what is with the obsession architects have with theory and criticism? Should we not be more concerned with how things are built, how the building functions effectively and what the experience/aesthetic of the design is?

I'm not so sure that architects need to be so damn 'book smart'. I know that we are the generation of knowledge production but, when is that going to become more (productively) tacit in the profession itself?

My schooling would have booted you weeks before any crit if you didn't have a thorough process and idea exploration. Can't imagine anyone getting anything done the night before - it takes time to come up with ideas, explore them, test them, etc.

Reading? Just depends. I always read some, but it was a fraction of the total investigation process. Too many don't study the images/designs, imho, or think they can come up with something great on their own.


Nowadays, it is all business books, development books, photography books (business related), haven't read a purely pleasure driven book in many years, just no time.

Can they build smart buildings if they are not smart enough? I doubt it.

the profession is broad and varied enough, bodz, that there is room for architects with theory/crit interest, building systems interest, and a myriad of other interests.

if someone finds discussions of why we build what we build and how it fits into a larger culture - essential what theory is - compelling, why shouldn't they allow themselves to be 'obsessed'? likewise with exploration of new building systems, new methods of design generation.....why should there be 'should we not...'s?

trace,

"it takes time to come up with ideas, explore them, test them, etc."

of course, and I totally agree, but you can always pretend you had that exploration process even if you didn't. The opposite can hardly be proven. I didn't like that as I thought it was unfair.

i think a lot of reading makes a person more thoughtful in general, in most genres and forms. arch theory typically challenges my intellect in a way similar to philosophy, and is usually rewarding, if a pain in the ass. fiction i think rewards every aspect of your life, no matter your profession. non-fiction enriches your knowledge of weird little corners of the world. I suspect the tendency toward reading solely online bits and soundbytes and video games, youtube, etc. is probably a factor in ADHD and a variety of quick-fix, consumerist mentalities. Unfortunately, I believe its a generational thing, and it may only get worse. I'm always baffled when people tell me they don't read. I came in the very end of Gen X, and i think the quick death of the reader began right then.

in a nutshell, in my opinion architects who don't read will be considerably less thoughtful overall, and will tend to follow the herd, or design from some underdeveloped and perhaps narcissistic perspective.

and please, if The Fountainhead must be read, please read it with a critical eye. for godsake, it is not the philosophical manifesto of architecture, but merely the platform of an ultra-capitalist.

I agree with Steven Ward - what's wrong with reading theory for those who enjoy it and don't completely fetishize it? Isn't theory/crit almost the ONLY useful thing to read related to architecture? There's no way you will become a better designer by reading a book about design, aesthetics, or structure. Practical experience/talent wins, I believe.

PS If only the developer/architect building a new hotel up the street from my apt. were a little more 'book smart' he would know how unanimously agreed it is that kitschy historical revival a la "downtown Main Street USA, circa 1902" signals the collapse of western civilization.

"PS If only the developer/architect building a new hotel up the street from my apt. were a little more 'book smart' he would know how unanimously agreed it is that kitschy historical revival a la "downtown Main Street USA, circa 1902" signals the collapse of western civilization."

Explain.

nice topic...

in my experience, some architects tell you that they read...they're lying

a lot of architects tell you they read, they're not lying, they're being honest. They read The Glass Bead Game, wax lyrical about it..how you should read it, and yet, their reading it so lightly touched them, so much of a cultural de rigeur thing it was, so much of a staple, that perhaps they breathed out a silent shameful sigh of relief nd exasperated boredom (they won't own up to) when they were done..having checked that box read: Read: The Glass Bead Game Or...In Search of Lost Time Or...The Magic Mountain...)

so many architects are such boring fucks when it comes to reading; they're always on the lookout for something literal, something that will congratulate their profession of material literalness. oh and duhling you must read perec

hey, i just started The Magic Mountain! what does that say? it's been on my shelf for a year from a library liquidation, not much reason for it other than I've yet to read Mann.

you might be right about the material literalness. although for me its mostly books about dirt and plants in one form or another. what does that say?

yes on your shelf...

dirt: well then you must have done 100 Years of Latin American Melodrama
thats such a nice easy read..nice geophagy too.

noctilucent

this is so sad I can't stand it

I agree with ocotillo

Reading is a requirement. We all read (some more than others obviously), but what we read is extremely variant from person to person, and it helps make architecture an interesting and rich profession. Whether or not someones reading habits are myopic and their writing style is accessible, it is a contribution to a continually evolving body of work that you can choose to engage or not. I personally think the more you engage with this material, the more likely you are to produce consequential products (thoughts, writings, buildings, etc) that have value beyond the immediate intended results.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you are reading Atlas of Novel Tectonics, The Aesthetic Dimension, or Vanity Fair. All that really matters is that you are engaging in a form of cultural production that will inevitably enrich you as a person while hopefully enriching your work.

I just read World War Z by Max Brooks while riding the DB in Germany. It's the oral history of the war against the zombies. It's awesome. Apparently Brad Pitt bought the movie rights. Brad, if you're reading this, I want in. I want to be a part of this project. I have some good ideas. If you don't want my ideas, I'll be a zombie extra. Have your people call my people, also known as...me. I don't have people. Paul, can you talk to Brad for me?

seriously, why are we all kidding ourselves? Reading is not essential when it comes to producing (good) architecture, by any means. In fact, as I said before, it may be counter productive. How can we visualize architecture (form) through a completely non-visual, non-material source of learning/knowledge?

Although, I will retreat a bit and say that learning from a sociological standpoint, may be best undertaken via the processing of "written" information. But, lets just say that social/cultural research and understanding is most often done through first hand experience. Not through "third party" accounts.

That all said, I just graduated from a "top ten" university with a masters in arch, and have only read one entire book (literally) in my life. So don't automatically assume that with reading comes intelligence or a more interesting/developed sense of creativity.

Just a thought...or thoughts...

I really can't make my mind stand still long enough to read architecture theory. So I've read a few chapters of a lot of books. I mostly read newspapers, magazines, blogs, comic books, and 1000 page novels involving swords and dragons.

I, middleAmerica, really see eye to eye with you on this, average_american.

Yes, engaging with cultural production--- that means film/tv, magazines, music, anything. Honestly, have you SEEN the Brady Bunch's house? When I was a young girl I was blown away by a) modernism b) voyeurism. I mean, their kitchen countertops were made of HOT ORANGE FORMICA (corcoran?) In my high school ACAD class I completely ripped off such things as their sunken living room, indoor planters, main staircase, and so on.

All of the above, plus theory/crit, help make a great designer. There is no such thing as the all-powerful creative genius who is able to pull great buildings out of thin air. Admit it, we all owe our ideas to our surroundings alone.

i mean corian, not Corcoran (Gallery of Art - College of Art + Design)......... see how engaged I am with culture?

"How can we visualize architecture (form) through a completely non-visual, non-material source of learning/knowledge?"

I hear this pretty often, but I think it misses the point... at least for me. My point of view is not to "visualize" via written work, but rather to broaden my knowledge and understanding of a variety of issues surrounding the work we do design - all in the hopes that the design decisions I do end up making are brought forth from ideas based on well informed research, not baseless assumption.

Does reading guarantee that this will happen. Of course not. Does reading guarantee no baseless assumption? Of course not. Does reading automatically make you smart? Of course not. Reading can only provide what you are able to take from it; for some it is a lot, for others it is very little.

I've seen amazing designers who read very little, terrible designers who read a lot, as well every other combination. As with anything else in architecture there is no universal truth, so there is no either/or answer. All you can do is try and provide the contingencies necessary to hopefully produce a productive context from which to create.

well (co-op) you just about summed it all up. Kinda killed the stream of arguments actually. But, I agree with you on your points.

All I am arguing is that with the abundance of information we have in front of us, it is very important that we (as builders of a physical realm) try to focus our efforts on the tacit, experiential qualities of the discipline itself. Not so much the theoretical (non-liquid if you want me to financial about it) idea behind "why" we design.

The fact that fellow classmates of mine complained at the first thought of swinging (or hearing) a hammer, is proof to me that we rely on theory, wayyyy too much in this current profession.

I don't think we should limit the idea of "reading" to architectural theory. In my experience, i'm as influenced by literature, or perhaps more, than I am by theory. but that's where the question of a muse comes in, i guess. i don't know where to draw a line between intellectual distillation manifested in actual work versus a more visceral inspiration, in an artistic manner. i suspect that these differences in reading habits could statistically be divided among previous disciplines studied, but not absolutely. just turn off the computer and pick up a goddamned book every once in a while.

i read almost anything between detergent ads to benim adim kirmizi. and i read as needed or interested. same goes for seeing a film or driving.
you can also look at these archinect features about what some people were reading around here.

http://www.archinect.com/features/article.php?id=71002_0_23_96_M

and the year before that

http://www.archinect.com/features/article.php?id=51869_0_23_0_M

By the way, I'm just finishing TC Boyle's story of Frank Lloyd Wright, The Women. It's a fun read, though FLW sure comes across as an asshat!

just read palahniuk's "choke" on a flight - totally not worth it (from a die-hard fight club fan;)

into and out of a lot of Jung and Kierkegaard for an m.arch thesis.

cowgill: Survivor is a great read, better than Choke imo. You can pretty much skip Diary and Lullaby.

copy that. I'll give survivor a turn then

haha asshat. i'm using that one. thanks, liberty bell

Another problem - how am I supposed to read those outside of my house?

Sissies. I carry this around in my tote bag http://www.phaidon.com/Default.aspx/Web/the-phaidon-atlas-of-contemporary-world-architecture-9780714843124

ocotillo

you mean the pocket edition? I can lift it too!

Do you think Architects or Architecture students might be interested in fictional story blogs? About Architecture?