Nathaniel Fried
So you want to become (or already are) an architect. Here are the 15 books you should read, as recommended by architects and industry experts.
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#1 Nature’s Metropolis
Nature's Metropolis is a must for any Chicago architect. It not only describes how and why Chicago emerged as a world city, but also explains the underlying cultural currents that have led to Chicago's elegantly broad-shouldered architecture.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: The architects from Bailey Edward Design, Inc.
#2 How Buildings Learn
Buildings are renewable resources for our age, and architects need to understand and embrace how to reuse the existing building stock we have today - especially historic buildings!
Buildings account for 16% of world energy consumption, and learning to retrofit the existing building stock will reduce the carbon footprint of operating those buildings, and will divert landfill from demolition waste. This is an interesting and useful book which examines the imprint of human use on buildings over time and can help the architect appreciate themselves as part of a continuity of an evolving built environment.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: The architects from Bailey Edward Design, Inc.
#3 Ishmael
[The] fictional character in the book educates this guy on the two choices we as humans had at the start of time, one to live within nature and one to live above nature.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: The architects from Bailey Edward Design, Inc.
#4 Einstein’s Dreams
[This book is a] collection of short stories about all the different ways to understand Einstein's theories. They are going to make a tv show based on all of them.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: The architects from Bailey Edward Design, Inc.
#5 The Devil in the White City
This book illustrates the insanity of bureaucracy, the struggle of ego, and the power of perseverance. Exploring the events around the Chicago World's Fair, it lays out the dynamics of personality through the various key players surrounding the event - including the leading architects of the era.
Stitched through the storyline is the unfolding tale of America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes, who is the architect of his own masterpiece, the Murder Castle. The tense drama of the parallel narratives keep you hooked until the end, at which point you turn to Google to uncover more of the story.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributor: Carib Daniel Martin, Principal Architect from caribdanielmartin.com
#6 Architecture and Disjunction
This book will get you out of your creative box, teach you how to see things in the right way and ask questions that’ll get you thinking like an architect. If you're looking for a book to reference or inspire you this is the book for you.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributor: Nate Masterson from mapleholistics.com
#7 Thinking Architecture
This book is a collection of essays and lectures given by Zumthor covering all things architecture. The content is enthralling and engaging and will set you ablaze with inspiration.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributor: Nate Masterson from mapleholistics.com
#8 Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People
Ever feel overwhelmed by what needs to get done? If so this may be just what you need to get everything into gear. Covey covers step by step solutions to organizational and interpersonal problems.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributor: Nate Masterson from mapleholistics.com
#9 Dear Homeowner, Please Take My Advice. Sincerely An Architect
Even though it is written by an architect for the consumer market, it is a doorway into the mind of the consumer giving the architect a ‘leg up’ in understanding how they should approach and work with consumers. It is an easy read, funny and written by a talented architect with 20 years experience. The foreword is written by Pete Nelson, host of Treehouse Masters.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributor: Rick Lite from stressfreebookmarketing.com
#10 The Fountainhead
[This book] is an incredible story, and posits Rand's philosophy of objectivism. While reading the story one has to understand that the protagonist is an idealized man (an Ubermensch).
It is what we should aspire to, not what is actually achievable in reality. The decision to make the protagonist an architect to help explain her objectivist philosophy was purposefully chosen due to the struggle all architects face when designing a building that is simultaneously and individual achievement as well as a collective (social) one.
This book and the objectivist philosophy opened my eyes to a whole new way to view the world. One that I believe has made me a better person, and has given me a better perspective of the world.
(PS please note that I do not share in any of Rand's political views (laissez-faire capitalism) which I think are terribly misguided)
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Kirk Biodrowski project manager at sketchworksarch.com
#11 Drawing for Architecture (Writing Architecture)
For its architectural humor and thoughtful insight into how we are building incorrectly and how better to design.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Eric Kom, architectural designer at sketchworksarch.com
#12 Get Your House Right
Fairly self-explanatory; she (Marianne Cusato) goes through most house design details and shows the dos and don'ts (great illustrations).
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Eric Kom, architectural designer at sketchworksarch.com
#13 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
[This is a] wonderful book for recent grads and a great refresher for seasoned veterans of the profession.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Eric Kom, architectural designer at sketchworksarch.com
#14 The Classical Language of Architecture
[This book is] short and sweet, simple explanations and good examples of classical architecture.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Eric Kom, architectural designer at sketchworksarch.com
#15 Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture
[This book is a] deeper dive into aspects of architectural theory.
Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the links below:
Contributors: Eric Kom, architectural designer at sketchworksarch.com
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