Activism at Home offers a unique study of architects’ own dwellings purposely designed to express social, political, economic, and cultural critiques. Through thirty case studies by architectural scholars, this book highlights different forms of　activism at home　from the early twentieth century to today. The architect-led experiments in activist living discussed in this book include the dwellings of Ralph Erskine, Paulo Mendes Da Rocha, Charles Moore, Flora Ruchat-Roncati, and Kiyoshi Seike, as well as many others.　
 Offering candid appraisals of alternative living solutions that formulate a response to rising real estate prices, economic inequality, social alienation, and mounting environmental and cultural challenges, Activism at Home is more than a historical study; it is an appeal to architects to use the discipline’s tools to their full potential, and a plea to scholars to continue to bring into focus architecture’s activist practices—whether at home or elsewhere.

Konstantin Melnikov (18901974) is unquestionably one of the outstanding architects of the 20th century in spite of the fact that he fell silent early, leaving behind only limited work that was insufficiently publicized, and restricted almost exclusively to Moscow, the city of his birth in which he spent nearly his entire life and which did not appreciate him. He was raised in humble circumstances, but enjoyed an excellent education. Beginning in the mid-1920s, after the turmoil that followed the war, revolution and civil war, his career soared at almost meteoric speed as he took the lead in the young Soviet architecture movement with completely autonomous, highly artistic buildings that were free from dogmatism of any kind. Even more rapid than his rise to fame was his downfall: Treated with general hostility, he was unable to defend himself against the accusation of formalism when Stalin put an end to architectural ventures and experiments around the mid-1930s. He was expelled from the architects' association and was banned from practicing as an architect for the remaining four decades of his life. In the late 1920s, at the peak of his career, he had the opportunity to build a house for himself and his family in Moscow, in which he was then able to live until the end of his life. This house, a memorable symbiosis of almost peasant-like simplicity and extreme radicalness, is one of the most impressive, surprising and probably most enigmatic works produced by 20th-century architecture. Its simplicity is only outward; in reality this is a highly complex work which links together the elements of architecture explicitly and inextricably, which takes a clear and completely autonomous stand and which, in a way that little else has done, raises the question as to the nature of genuinely architectonic thinking. In essayistic form the book attempts to follow the paths laid out in the architect's work from the perspective of an architect.

This is the first book in English on the Italian architects Mario Asnago (1896-1981) and Claudio Vender (1904-1986). Their city was mid-twentieth century Milan in transformation, and the extraordinary Milanese architectural scene of that time is revealed in their work and through the writings of their contemporaries. Cino Zucchi and Adam Caruso provide in-depth analyses of the conceptual and material quali- ties of the buildings, which are illustrated in survey drawings and photographs of a selection of Asnago Vender's urban projects. The book is the second in a series on 'The Limits of Modernism - a Forgotten Generation of European Architects'.

Book & CD. Husain Lehri, the director of Super Book House, approached Yashwant Pitkar, teaching at the Sir J J College of Architecture in Mumbai, to bring out a book on a contemporary Indian architect whose approach is different from the run of the mill. Pitkar had no hesitation in choosing Shirish Beri who in a career spanning almost forty years has built works ranging from private residences to educational complexes and large public projects across India. As it turned out, this book is the result of an extensive collaboration between Lehri, Piktar and Beri -- Pitkar describes the process of making the book as one of slow and deep unfolding. What is most interesting about this book is its structure. Interspersed with the projects are Beri's written and sketched expressions. Each set of two projects is bookended by his illustrated essays and poetry. The essays are more like collections of rambling thoughts, posers and anecdotes -- seeking connections between nature, art, architecture, and life. There is a seamless rhythm set up in the book that constantly keeps the reader acquainted with the architect's outer manifestations in form of his buildings and his inner thought processes, integral to that creation. The opening essay, "Working with Wature ... Towards Sustainability" sets a tone towards not just architecture but life in general. Beri asks whether man's relationship with nature could become a universal archetype for a sustainable future. He advocates an approach towards architecture that grows out from the place and its spirit rather than imposed technocratic solutions. The book features about a dozen projects in greater detail, well illustrated with clear drawings, evocative sketches and excellent photographs accompanied by the architect's own analysis of the design process and governing concerns in each project. The opening section of the book contains a note by B V Doshi and a foreword by Christopher Charles Benninger who was Beri's mentor when he was a student at the CEPT in Ahmedabad. The Hirwai Farmhouse in Nathawade for himself, one of his earliest projects, is perhaps the best example of his avowed philosophy: spaces inspired by nature. The Sanjeevan Primary School and the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species at Hyderabad display Beri's playful and unconventional approach towards space organisation which is at once in harmony with the site's topography and natural features. Projects such as the Dharwad Engineering College or the Computational Mathematics Laboratory in Pune display a nuanced sense of structure, construction and meticulousness towards detail. In the closing section of the book there is an exhaustive list of projects with thumbnails giving a good idea of the full range of the architect's work. Accompanying the book is a CD titled "The Unfolding White: Shirish Beri's search for wholeness.

Providing a new insight into twentieth-century architecture, this is the first book in English on the work of French architect Fernand Pouillon (1912-1986). It includes Jacques Lucan's analysis of his post-war urbanism and its critique of mainstream modernism, a description of material construction by Adam Caruso, and Pouillon himself inspired by Aix-en-Provence and reflecting on the contemporary architect's position in a cultural continuum. At the book's heart lie survey drawings and photographs of Pouillon's key Parisian housing projects. This book is first in a series on 'The Limits of Modernism - a Forgotten Generation of European Architects'.

This is a richly illustrated monograph revealing William T. Baker's masterful detailing and superior craftsmanship of magnificent family residences. Showcasing 14 classically inspired homes of grace and beauty, each property reflects an astute comprehension of life as it is lived in the 21st century, with deliberate nods to historical aesthetics that coexist harmoniously with the architectural language of natural light, passive design themes, voluminous space, and fabulous comfort. Inspired by the bounty of classical architecture found in the grand homes of the southern United States, particularly the state of Georgia, the hallmarks of William T. Baker's architecture are extraordinary attention to details of craftsmanship and construction, and a keen eye for scale and proportion. His work clearly reflects the aspirations of the American Dream. This beautifully photographed monograph of William T. Baker's work is the third volume in IMAGES' successful Classicist series, and showcases the exquisitely designed homes of the modern family, who entrusted Baker with their dreams and visions, and whose trust has been rewarded with classically inspired homes of grace and beauty. His work contributes greatly to some of the most aesthetically pleasing residences being built in the United States today.

Founded in 1996 by Brian Messana and Toby O Rorke in New York City, Messana O Rorke describe their particular brand of minimalist-infected modernism as pragmatism, with their approach to design capturing as much usable square footage as possible, rigorously limiting the number of interior elements, and extracting maximum impact from the chosen interventions. This distinctive approach extends to their entire material vocabulary: white walls stripped of mouldings, with recessed lighting at their perimeter; honey-toned oak floors; highly polished stainless steel railings and hardware; and marble fixtures and countertops and dark limestone flooring in the bathrooms and kitchen. With their masterful manipulation of space and judicious selection of materials oak flooring wire-brushed and lightly limed to contrast white walls but also to bring out its vivid grain, simultaneously conveying the woodworker s craft and the rawness of nature; statuary marble in a kitchen chosen for the painterly quality of the veining; architectural photography and ceramic objects adding sophisticated drama Messana O Rorke create complete environments of simplicity and serenity.

Named a Gift Book for the Discerning New Yorker by The New York Times In the Shadow of Genius is the newest book by photographer and author Barbara Mensch. The author combines her striking photographs with a powerful first-person narrative. She takes the reader on a unique journey by recalling her experiences living alongside the bridge for more than 30 years, and then by tracing her own curious path to understand the brilliant minds and remarkable lives of those who built it: John, Washington, and Emily Roebling. Many of Mensch's photographs were inspired by her visits to the Roebling archives housed at Rutgers University, where she pieced together through notebooks, diaries, letters, and drawings the seminal locations and events that affected their lives. Following in their footsteps, Mensch traveled to Muhlhausen, Germany, the birthplace of John Roebling; to Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, where Roebling established a utopian community in 1831; to Roebling aqueducts and bridges in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York; and to the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Washington Roebling, the son of the famous engineer, valiantly served as a Union soldier. The book begins and ends with Mensch's unique photographs of the Brooklyn Bridge, including never-before-seen images captured deep within the structure. The book creatively fuses contemporary photography with the historical record, giving the reader a new perspective on contemplating the masterwork. Fernanda Perrone, Curator of Special Collections and the Roebling Family Archive at Rutgers University, has contributed a Foreword.

The German-American architect, art critic, and urban planner Ludwig Hilberseimer was central to avant-garde art and architecture in the Weimar Republic, an important Bauhaus teacher, and long-standing collaborator of leading modern architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Despite being internationally-known for his work on Lafayette Park in Detroit, Hilberseimer’s legacy as a whole has been obscured in the history of modern architecture. Whether this is due to the intense shadow cast by Mies, or by his oeuvre being split between the differing languages and contexts of interwar Germany and postwar North America, this book argues that the time is now right for a critical reassessment of Hilberseimer’s work and writings. Published as part of the Bloomsbury Studies in Modern Architecture series, which brings to light the work of significant yet overlooked modernist architects, this study clarifies and situates Hilberseimer’s ideas both as an architect and writer, and examines their influence on modern and contemporary architecture and urbanism. The first synthetic account of Hilberseimer in English, it provides a contextual account of Hilberseimer’s works which have until now been subject to fragmentary or highly specialized interpretations. By demonstrating the influence of Hilberseimer’s ideas on the architecture of Mies van der Rohe, the book also lends Mies’s work a newfound urban significance.

A spellbinding new talent explores the dark side of creativity through the stories of thirteen tragic architects 'Bold Ventures resembles a pop version of Iain Sinclair's psychogeography or Out of Sheer Rage, Geoff Dyer's anti-biography of DH Lawrence' Olivia Laing, Guardian In thirteen chapters, Belgian poet Charlotte Van den Broeck goes in search of buildings that were fatal for their architects - architects who either killed themselves or are rumoured to have done so. They range across time and space from a church with a twisted spire built in seventeenth-century France to a theatre that collapsed mid-performance in 1920s Washington, DC., and an eerily sinking swimming pool in her hometown of Turnhout. Drawing on a vast range of material, from Hegel and Charles Darwin to art history, stories from her own life and popular culture, patterns gradually come into focus, as Van den Broeck asks: what is that strange life-or-death connection between a creation and its creator? Threaded through each story, and in prose of great essayistic subtlety, Van den Broeck meditates on the question of suicide - what Albert Camus called the 'one truly serious philosophical problem' - in relation to creativity and public disgrace. The result is a profoundly idiosyncratic book, breaking new ground in literary non-fiction, as well as providing solace and consolation - and a note of caution - to anyone who has ever risked their hand at a creative act. 'What a sensible, intelligent and beautiful book' Stefan Hertmans, author of War and Turpentine

Andre Fu is one of Asia's leading interiors designers. When his design for the world-renowned The Upper House hotel in Hong Kong opened ten years ago, he became an overnight sensation around the world. As one of Asia's most widely sought-after interior designers, the Hong Kong-based designer has gone on to create forward-thinking interiors for other major hotels, restaurants and leading brands, including Louis Vuitton, The Berkeley (London) and Waldorf hotels. This showcase of his works to date features eighteen recent projects around the world and provides fresh insights into Fu's creative process, including his hand-drawn sketches and mood boards, as well as an introductory essay that explores Fu's key influences and the importance of his unique and highly refined East-meets-West aesthetic. With an illustrated chronology of all the designer's works to date, this rich overview presents the award-winning vision of interior design's rising star, not only in Asia but across the world.

The focus of the Hungarian architecture practice, 3h architects, which was founded in 1994 by Katalin Csillag and Zsolt Gunther, is on the sensitive transformation of urban spaces and historic buildings. They set spaces with great intensity and complexity against a world that seems incomprehensible, often linking them with interrupted strands of history and creating unmistakable space effects using daylight and artificial lighting. Their work covers offices, housing and educational buildings, as well as castles and churches, and has already attracted a number of awards. The monograph documents nine completed and five not-yet-completed buildings. The essays by various authors focus on the practice's key interests in the context of Hungary's architectural culture: space and light, typology, context, and ornament

Ever since the firm's establishment in 1989, Frankfurt-based Stefan Forster Architekten (SFA) had a special focus on housing. A starting point for this was the urgent necessity of refurbishment and modernisation of the vast housing developments constructed of prefabricated concrete slabs as part of the urban rebuilding programmes in the newly founded federal states of eastern Germany following the country's re-unification in 1990. From the initial 'Haus 07' in Leinefelde, Thuringia, SFA have moved on, creating a remarkable body of work in metropolitan housing. Their designs comprise large-scale public multi-unit blocs and single-family town houses on small plots, as well as the transformation of former office and public administration structures. This first monograph on SFA highlights how the firm has constantly worked on raising the standards in residential architecture, years before the current shortage of housing in urban areas has made such improvements so urgent. The book features 30 designs that exemplify SFA's approach and philosophy. Text in English and German.

Throughout his 45+ year career Peter Arnell has played a significant role in creating and collaborating on platforms, products and strategies for many of the world's leading brands. Arnell has built his reputation working in architecture, design, photography, communications, technology and publishing. From his earliest days he has been known for creating unique, ground-breaking work bringing design, innovation, brand creation, brand strategy and customer experience to the forefront of his work. This beautifully conceptualized two-volume monograph provides an insight into the great creator's oeuvre, highlighting his contributions to a vast number of industries ranging from technology to automotive design, hospitality to fashion and beyond. The monograph celebrates many of Arnell's works created and developed alongside the highly talented collaborators. It includes projects with contributions by such luminaries as Denis Piel, Neal Slavin, Helmut Newton, Lance Wyman, Michael Graves and Muhammad Ali, to name a few, and spans over four decades. Included are signature projects for Donna Karan, Chanel, Fendi, Chrysler, Nespresso, Goop Pepsi, Reebok, Gucci and Special Olympics and in addition features texts written by Arnell's friends and collaborators architect Frank Gehry and photographer Peter Lindbergh.

Basel-born architect Max Alioth (1930-2010) was a prominent figure on the Swiss architecture and culture scene. Alioth was a co-founder of Basels' Architecture Museum in 1984, which in 2006 became the Swiss Architecture Museum (S AM). Together with his wife Susanna Biedermann, he founded the Ecole Superieure des Arts Visuels (ESAV) in Marrakech, Morocco, for which he also designed the main campus building. This first monograph on Max Alioth illuminates his achievements from various perspectives. Selected architectural designs from 1961-2007 are featured in detail through photographs, plans, and texts. These include single-family homes, a retirement home, multi-unit housing, Basel's Museum of Antiquities, as well as the ESAV building in Marrakech. Moreover, the book introduces Alioth also as a visual artist through reproductions of sketches, drawings, and watercolours. Essays by architect Roger Diener, the S AM's director Andreas Ruby, the director of ESAV Vincent Melilli, and art historian and publicist Ulrike Jehle-Schulte Strathaus round out this volume. Text in English and German.

Building Toys: An Architect's Collection documents over 100 architectural building toys from the author's collection, from the mid-1800s to the present, from the U.S. and abroad. Each toy has an immersive two-page spread celebrating its unique features with photos of packaging graphics, component parts, assembly diagrams, and a built example designed and constructed by the author. Well-researched background information on designers and company histories provides intriguing facts which complete each toy's description. When taken together, these stories reveal a microcosm of western commercial and industrial history, illustrating trends in design, advertising, and material production techniques. The book is organised by toy material (natural wood, metal, plastic, etc.), creating six "chapters." It includes a two-page introduction which reflects the author's role as architect, photographer, and collector. There are approximately 250 pages giving a dynamic visual portrayal of a seldom seen world.

This volume coins the term "Team 10 East" as a conceptual tool to discuss the work of Team 10 members and fellow travelers from state-socialist countries--such as Oskar Hansen of Poland, Charles Polonyi of Hungary, and Radovan Niksic of Yugoslavia. This new term allows the book's contributors to approach these individuals from a comparative perspective on socialist modernism in Central and Eastern Europe and to discuss the relationship between modernism and modernization across the Iron Curtain. In so doing, "Team 10 East" addresses "revisionism" in state-socialist architecture and politics as well as shows how Team 10 East architects appropriated, critiqued, and developed postwar modernist architecture and functionalist urbanism both from within and beyond the confines of a Europe split by the Cold War.

Inigo Jones (1573-1652) is widely acknowledged to have been England's most important architect. As court designer to the Stuart kings James I and Charles I, he is credited with introducing the classical language of architecture to the country. He famously traveled to Italy and studied firsthand the buildings of the Italian masters, particularly admiring those by Andrea Palladio. Much less well known is the profound influence of native British arts and crafts on Jones's architecture. Likewise, his hostility to the more opulent forms of Italian architecture he saw on his travels has largely gone unnoted. This book examines both of these overlooked issues. Vaughan Hart identifies well-established links between the classical column and the crown prior to Jones, in early Stuart masques, processions, heraldry, paintings, and poems. He goes on to discuss Jones's preference for a "masculine and unaffected" architecture, demonstrating that this plain style was consistent with the Puritan artistic sensitivities of Stuart England. For the first time, the work of Inigo Jones is understood in its national religious and political context. Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

The ensemble with its prominent twin towers that Egon Eiermann (1904-1970) built in Frankfurt am Main for the Italian office machinery company Olivetti, was the Karlsruhe architect's last major project. His priorities lay in the slender form, derived from the task, the construction and the material to create a characteristic silhouette. Adriano Olivetti, the son of the company's founder, valued not only the firm's products, which became cult objects of Italianita in the field of design and which established the 'Stile Olivetti'. He also made the same demands regarding quality in architecture. The grandson, Roberto Olivetti, commissioned Eiermann, a famous representative of German postwar Modernism, to design the German branch offices. For the architect the project formed the culmination of his career, while for the Karlsruhe student Klaus Kinold it marked the beginning of a career as a photo g-rapher of architecture. He maintained that he had learned more for his future profession from his teacher Egon Eiermann than from anyone else.