Architecture has deep wells of research, thought, and theory that are unseen on the surface of a structure. For practitioners, citizens interested, and students alike, books on architecture offer invaluable context to the profession, be it practical, inspirational, academic, or otherwise. So, for those of you looking to expand your bookshelf (or confirm your own tastes), ArchDaily has gathered a broad list of architectural books that we consider of interest to those in the field.
When compiling this list, we looked for titles from different origins with the aim of revealing divergent cultural contexts. from essays to monographs, from urban theory to graphic novels, each of the following directly interacts with or flirts with architecture.
You are reading: Best books for architects
The books on this list were chosen by our editors and are loosely categorized by type. read on to see the books we find valuable for anyone interested in architecture | last update in December 2019.
the essential readings
a language of patterns: towns, buildings, construction / christopher alexander, sara ishikawa, murray silverstein
every design challenge represents a problem to be solved. in this book, christopher alexander proposes a catalog of the types of problems (or design challenges) and analyzes what lies behind each situation, describing it in its essence and proposing a standard solution | recommended by eduardo souza
The Architecture of the City / Aldo Rossi
the globally acclaimed obligatory book that proposes a critical reflection on the value of collective memory in architecture —of the city | recommended by fabian dejtiar
Athmospheres / Peter Zumthor
peter zumthor briefly highlights the importance of sensations in the construction of ‘atmospheres’, to create a good place for the development of people | recommended by fabian dejtiar
Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture / Robert Venturi
a “gentle manifesto for non-simple architecture”, venturi’s complexity and contradiction in architecture expresses in the most compelling and original terms the postmodern rebellion against the purism of modernism | recommended by diego hernandez
Conversations with Students (Architecture at Rice) / Louis Kahn
inspiring text based on conversations conducted by louis kahn in different workshops | recommended by martita vial
Experiencing Architecture / Eiler Rasmussen
a classic book with a very sensitive atmosphere about up-and-coming architecture and design | recommended by martita vial
The Eyes of the Skin / Juhani Pallasmaa
This book is a delightful and inspiring quick read, and absolutely essential as we continue on the asymptote towards fully digital practice in architecture. pallasmaa encourages architects to see the world around them not only with sight, but also with touch, sound and even smell. | recommended by katherine allen
The Image of the City / Kevin Lynch
in this classic from the 1960s, kevin lynch presents studies on how cities are perceived and imagined, and shows how his findings can affect the construction and reconstruction of cities | recommended by becky quintal
In Praise of Shadows / Junichiro Tanizaki
explains the beauty of oriental architecture through its perception of light and shadow in its art and architectural traditions | recommended by martita vial
Learning from Las Vegas / Denise Scott Brown, Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour
seminal work for the history of architecture, the authors analyze the las vegas strip to better understand ordinary architecture, rather than the iconic buildings proclaimed by modernism | recommended by romullo baratto
Mutations / Rem Koolhaas, Stefano Boeri, Sanford Kwinter, Nadia Tazi, Hans Ulrich Obrist
mutations’ reflects on the transformations that urban acceleration processes inflict on our environment and on the spaces in which architecture can still operate | recommended by victor delaqua
Neufert Architects’ Data / Ernst Neufert, Peter Neufert
presents appropriate standard measurements and design tips. a very useful book for all architects | recommended by eduardo souza
The Poetics of Space / Gaston Bachelard
beautifully written book on the poetics of space within the home. explores the philosophy of space and its relationship with memories and dreams | recommended by yiling shen
The Seven Lamps of Architecture / John Ruskin
“know what you have to do and do it”, said john ruskin, words that perfectly summarize the content of this book. Ruskin’s writing describes lamps as the characteristics that any piece of architecture must have in order to be considered real architecture-in turn, the principles that he considers necessary for architecture to be considered art | recommended by martita vial
Superstudio: Life without objects / Peter Lang
This book exposes the work of one of the most famous architectural groups for radicalizing and criticizing utopias | recommended by monica arellano
Ten Canonical Buildings: 1950-2000 / Peter Eisenman
Based on interesting diagrams and drawings, peter eisenman provides evidence of how renowned 20th century architects changed the way we think | recommended by fabian dejtiar
Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 – 1995 / Kate Nesbitt (org)
a collection of the most important and seminal essays in the field of architecture published between 1965 and 1995 | recommended by romullo baratto
Theory and Design in the First Machine Age / Reyner Banham
banham’s response to the second industrial revolution | recommended by diego hernandez
Universal Principles of Design / William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
this book explains the disciplines of designing anything from a house to a cup of coffee | recommended by dima stouhi
The Works: Anatomy of the City / Kate Ascher
After years in architecture school, you may understand how a building is put together, but how much do you really understand the processes that make that building work in the first place? kate ascher reviews the systems that manage traffic, water, heating, electricity and much more, relating architecture not only to an image of the urban environment, but to the actual functioning of the city | recommended by collin abdallah
Yona Friedman: The Dilution Of Architecture / Yona Friedman
yona friedman takes up the work of groups like archigram to propose cities that propose new ways of inhabiting cities | recommended by monica arellano
Guides
architecture: form, space and order / francis d. k. ching
this book systematically and exhaustively analyzes the fundamentals of form, space and architectural layout based on prototypes and historical examples from all periods, cultures and geographical areas | recommended by martita vial
Architectural Acoustics / David Egan
For many architects, designing for the senses often simply means designing for sight and touch. This book offers a comprehensive overview of sound design, from detailed drawings to text on the subject. the hope? that better acoustic environments will also mean better buildings | recommended by collin abdallah
Detail in Contemporary Architecture Series / Virginia McLeod
Although concepts are compelling to discuss, they are rarely what makes a building experience special; instead, that falls to the details of a building. we notice how a wall touches the ground, how a railing curves under our hand, but how do you design these things? this book provides a wide variety of examples to help architects consider and design the details | recommended by collin abdallah
Elemental: Incremental Housing and Participatory Design Manual / Alejandro Aravena
the field experiences developed by elemental and alejandro aravena, winner of the 2016 pritzker prize and director of the 2016 venice architecture biennale, are compiled in this book that not only tells the story of the team but also presents their strategies for financing and participatory methods used | recommended by jose tomás franco
Thermal Delight in Architecture / Lisa Heschong
In an increasingly climate-controlled environment, it can be easy to discount thermal comfort in a building’s design. But architecture (particularly vernacular design) has long been built on traditions surrounding thermal comfort, ranging from Roman baths to Islamic gardens to the front porches of homes in the American South. as energy efficiency becomes more and more part of the conversation, it is wise to learn from the past to design for the future | recommended by collin abdallah
Architects, Firms, and Movements
archigram / peter cook
More than a few revolutions took place in the 1960s, but perhaps the most memorable for architects is that of archigram. The legendary British group created visions of cities that still feel fresh and fantastic today, and are continued by designers like Neil Denari, Lebbeus Woods and Morphosis. This book is an excellent dive into his thinking in his own words, and includes a massive (albeit unfortunately black and white) selection of his famous collages. those in love with the post-digital drawing craze will enjoy seeing where the current movement partly stems from | recommended by katherine allen
Atlas of Novel Tectonics / Jesse Reiser
new york-based reiser+umemoto architects use short, informative chapters to explain their design process through a series of themes that have driven their work | recommended by becky quintal
BIG, HOT TO COLD: An Odyssey of Architectural Adaptation / Bjarke Ingels
This reading offers information not only on one of the world’s most creative practices, but also on how to design for a changing climate: a message we should all heed | recommended by yiling shen
Cities for People / Jan Gehl
jan gehl presents his latest work creating (or recreating) urban landscapes on a human scale. he clearly explains the methods and tools he uses to reconfigure unworkable urban landscapes into the landscapes he believes they should be: cities for people | recommended by eduardo souza
Design Like You Give a Damn / Architecture for Humanity
Many of us enter the field with a core belief that we can harness the profession to do good for others. But often the places that need optimism the most are the ones least likely to get it. design as if you care is the resource for socially conscious design, bringing together projects, history and information about the movement, and what’s possible with a little optimism | recommended by katherine allen
Eladio Dieste: Innovation in Structural Art / Stanford Anderson
this book deals with the work of the uruguayan architect engineer eladio dieste, whose greatest production was developed in the capital of his native country and surrounding cities in the second half of the 20th century | recommended by matheus pereira
Forensic Architecture: Violence at the Threshold of Detectability / Eyal Weizman
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forensic architecture, a research group led by eyal weizman at goldsmiths, harnesses architecture as a framework to investigate a world in conflict, from gun violence to environmental destruction. this book details part of his work with activist groups, ngos and the un | recommended by katherine allen
Freeing Architecture / Junya Ishigami
junya ishigami is known for a singular portfolio, one in which structures become nearly invisible, taking on the appearance of forests, strands of ribbon, and even the sky | recommended by shuang han
The Future Of Architecture / Frank Lloyd Wright
this work by frank lloyd wright brings together a large part of the writings and conferences that, throughout an intense decade of its long existence, offered to the eagerness of a qualified public, collaborators and students. until its author brought them together under the generic title of “the future of architecture”, the lessons of the great master exhausted the original editions. it was essential that these illuminating texts came to light for the new generations of architecture scholars | recommended by martita vial della maggiora
Isay Weinfeld: The Brazilian Architect / Gestalten
this book presents and analyzes part of the works of brazilian architect isay weinfeld, from homes to hotels in brazil and other regions of the world. the book also features unpublished photographs that visually describe his work | recommended by matheus pereira
Kicked a Building Lately? / Ada Louise Huxtable
ada louise huxtable reinvented the field not only of architectural criticism, but of criticism itself, by winning the first pulitzer prize for criticism. in her astute eyes, the city was not something abstract or academic, but something alive, tangible, kickable. her legacy is one that lives on today in the (perhaps unlikely) thriving field of architectural criticism | recommended by katherine allen
Lina Bo Bardi / Zeuler R. M. de A. Lima
a comprehensive study of bo bardi’s career using extensive archival work in italy and brazil | recommended by pedro vada
MOS: Selected Works / Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample
mos is an office known as much for its ingenuity as it is for its architecture. architecture, under his idiosyncratic gaze, is lively, ironic and even a little clumsy. in short, he is as human as we are | recommended by kaley overstreet
Oscar Niemeyer / Philip Jodizio
this book analyzes the work of the modern brazilian architect oscar niemeyer with a focus on the works produced in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s | recommended by matheus pereira
Rafael Moneo: Remarks on 21 Works / Rafael Moneo
Twenty-one carefully selected projects are presented in detail, from initial idea and construction to finished work, illustrated by Michael Moran | recommended by nicolas valencia
Slow Manifesto / Lebbeus Woods Blog
lebbeus woods, until his death in 2012, maintained a blog that was part diary, part forum. this book compiles some of the more than 300 publications in what is probably the most comprehensive view of his particular genius. Perhaps the only thing missing from the book is Wood’s complex and unique illustrations. but never fear! all are available on his blog still (thankfully) open. read both together for the fullest possible experience | recommended by katherine allen
SMLXL / Rem Koolhaas
Survey any architect on the most essential books in the field, and this tome by Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau is sure to turn up. the book interweaves oma projects by scale, using drawings, collages, images and texts to challenge conventional understandings of architecture, scale and the city | recommended by becky quintal
Solano Benitez / Solano Benitez
This book presents some of the architect’s projects, discussing the language adopted from a technical, structural, philosophical and social point of view | recommended by matheus pereira
Thinking Architecture / Peter Zumthor
Admirers of the Swiss architect’s sensitive approach to construction and form should consider this text required reading for practice. Zumthor presents his philosophy through the lens of his own work and experience. Who better to learn than the teacher? | recommended by katherine allen
Thought by Hand / Flores & Prats
This book documents the work of the Flores & prats, approaching his way of doing architecture through a process of craft design with different types of drawings and details made by hand | recommended by fabian dejtiar
Uneasy Balance / Christopher Platt, Brian Carter
an intriguing look inside the design and construction of steven holl’s reid building next to the famous glasgow school of art. the process is one of balance and reconciliation, illuminated through drawings, photographs and interviews | recommended by niall patrick walsh
We’ll Get There When We Cross That Bridge / Amale Andraos and Dan Wood
Established as a conversation between workac co-founders amale andraos and dan wood, we’ll get there when we cross that bridge that seamlessly switches between portfolio review and passionate discussion of practice-relevant topics. is an invaluable insight into how one of the most exciting contemporary firms works, thinks and plans for the future | recommended by kaley overstreet
Yes is More / Bjarke Ingels
if non-architects know of any practicing architect today, it’s probably bjarke ingels. this book is a big part of the reason why! yes, moreover, it presented the world with a new way of seeing and talking about architecture, one that was lively, energetic and open to all. since its publication in 2009, we have all joined the big hedonistic revolution, and it has improved architecture | recommended by katherine allen
Novels
aussie ugliness / robin boyd
a scathing literary satire from australia’s most influential architect on how ugly australian suburbia remains today | recommended by yiling shen
Citizens of No Place: An Architectural Graphic Novel / Jimenez Lai
in this book, the architect jimenez lai creates a collection of stories about architecture and urbanism, represented through manga-style storyboards | recommended by romullo baratto
Invisible Cities / Italo Calvino
In this book, halfway between a novel and a series of essays, Marco Polo describes the cities Emperor Kublai Khan visited. each city is exuberant, although fragmentarily described. this is surely the way we should talk about our cities: as shining reflections and shapeless memories. easy to read in parts, this book is the perfect detox for those who need to escape all the obnoxious talk about smart cities and circular economies, and a reminder of why we fell in love with cities in the first place | recommended by katherine allen
The Pillars of the Earth / Ken Follet
This novel describes the evolution of Gothic architecture in response to its Romanesque precursor in the context of medieval European life (slightly fictional) | recommended by martita vial.
History
a world history of architecture / michael fazio, marian moffett, lawrence wodehouse
a comprehensive historical overview of architectural styles | recommended by dima stouhi
Architecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social Meaning / Ernst J. Grube, James Dickie, Oleg Grabar, Eleanor Sims, Ronald Lewcock, Dalu Jones, Gut T. Petherbridge,, George Michell
this book explains the history, evolution and ornaments of Islamic architecture | recommended by dima stouhi
Barcelona Supermodelo / Alessandro Scarnato
alessandro scarnato explains how an infested city barcelona became a global city after spain regained democracy in the 1970s | recommended by nicolas valencia
Clip, Stamp, Fold: The Radical Architecture of Little Magazines 196X to 197X / Beatriz Colomina
an explosion of small architecture magazines in the 1960s and 1970s instigated a radical transformation in architectural culture, as the magazines acted as a site of innovation and debate | recommended by victor delaqua
Los Hechos de la Arquitectura / Alejandro Aravena, Fernando Perez
alejandro aravena joins fernando perez oyarzún and josé quintanilla to discuss and analyze various architecture projects along with history, all accompanied by drawings, essays and external references to make architecture understood from all its angles and points of view | recommended by fernanda castro
Modern Architecture / Alan Colquhoun
an extensive overview of the history, motivations, successes and failures of the modernist movement in architecture, offering invaluable and unrivaled context on an already widely published topic | recommended by shuang han
Modern Architecture: A Critical History (Fourth Edition) / Kenneth Frampton
one of the most comprehensive and relevant books on modern architecture, in the fourth edition, frampton added an important new section to his masterpiece exploring the effects of globalization on architecture around the world | recommended by romullo baratto
Palladio, The Villa and the Landscape / Gerrit Smienk, Johannes Niemeijer
this book documents and analyzes ten of palladio’s surviving villas in terms of their relationship to their natural environment | recommended by niall patrick walsh
Programs and Manifestoes on 20th-Century Architecture / Ulrich Conrads
the most influential architectural manifestos from 1903 to 1963, collected here in chronological order | recommended by becky quintal
Project Japan: Metabolism Talks / Rem Koolhaas, Hans Ulrich Obrist
an achievement of editorial design in itself, this book weaves together historical investigations with interviews with some of the foremost architects of the Japanese metabolic movement | recommended by romullo baratto
Reyner Banham and the Paradoxes of High Tech / Todd Gannon
todd gannon sheds light on one of the most influential architecture critics, giving readers context about the man and the views behind the writings. from his tentative enthusiasm for archigram to his views on high-tech architecture of the 1980s and 1990s, his views need not be a mystery | recommended by kaley overstreet
Teorías e historia de la ciudad contemporánea / Carlos García Vázquez
garcía vásquez reveals how the contemporary city has evolved, according to psychologists, historians and architects | recommended by nicolas valencia
The Prisons / Le Carceri / Giovanni Battista Piranesi
A compilation of Piranesi prison prints, Le Carceri represents not only a great artistic achievement but also a landmark in architectural perception with its many vaults, stairways and other ambiguous structures | recommended by romullo baratto
Theory
architecture as space / bruno zevi
This classic examines how architecture defines our understanding of space and how buildings are sometimes indifferent participants in the urban environment. in the capable hands of zevi, the components of architecture come to life, offering an illuminating and provocative perspective on the field of architecture | recommended by martita vial.
Architecture Depends / Jeremy Till
The popular image of the architect is one of ego and power, but as any practicing architect will tell you, this is rarely (at best) the truth. architecture depends on almost everything: the client, the contractors, the code, the materials, the zoning, the budget… how much of a building is actually designed by the designer? this book investigates the gap between the dependent nature of architecture and the aggressive perfectionism with which we develop our work | recommended by katherine allen
The Architecture of Image: Existential Space in Cinema / Juhani Pallasmaa
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Exploring the relationship between film, art, and architecture through the lens of existential spaces, Pallasmaa immerses herself in the work of Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Andrei Tarkovsky and how they used architectural imagery to create emotional states | recommended by romullo baratto
Are We Human? Notes On Archeology Of Design / Beatriz Colomina
this book explores the foundations of design from the oldest tools to the new digital age to propose new theories that allow us to rethink the way we design | recommended by monica arellano
Arquitectura y política / Josep Maria Montaner, Zaida Muxí
the authors make a historical journey that narrates the social role of architects and urban planners until the current era of globalization | recommended by nicolas valencia
The Art-Architecture Complex / Hal Foster
the book is an unavoidable reference for thinking about contemporary art and architecture | recommended by victor delaqua
BLDGBLOG Book / Geoff Manaugh
From nomadic architecture to subterranean sewer landscapes, this book examines the possibilities of architecture beyond how it is normally seen and discussed | recommended by yiling shen
Cities of Hope: Australian Architecture and Design by Edmond and Corrigan / Conrad Hamann
this is an iconic book that looks at the postmodern work of edmond & correct and how they reflect ideas about Australian suburbia and theatricality in their architecture | recommended by yiling shen
The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change / David Harvey
david harvey identifies different contexts to create a big picture of the condition of postmodernity | recommended by pedro vada
Constructing a New Agenda: Architectural Theory 1993-2009 / A. Krista Sykes
critical architectural theory from the mid-1990s to now | recommended by pedro vada
Content / Rem Koolhaas
In the words of oma/amo, the content is a product of the moment. Inspired by the incessant fluctuations of the early 21st century, it bears the marks of globalization and the market, ideological brothers that, in the last twenty years, have undermined the stability of contemporary life | recommended by diego hernandez
Delirious New York: A retroactive manifesto for Manhattan / Rem Koolhaas
basically the work that made rem koolhaas famous. This book exposes the consistency and coherence of seemingly unrelated episodes in Manhattan’s urbanism by focusing on its “culture of congestion.” | recommended by romullo baratto
The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War / Robert Bevan
You’re unlikely to find this book on any typical architecture reading list, but that doesn’t make it any less essential. Robert Bevan guides the reader through the architectural landscape in times of and after conflict, putting into words what we know but often don’t say: that the built environment has cultural and personal significance that extends far beyond the home. . the destruction of buildings in war is less often the by-product of hostilities than the hostilities themselves. the active and systematic erasure of an urban landscape is the strategic leveling of identity, culture and people | recommended by katherine allen
Domesticity at War / Beatriz Colomina
beatriz colomina studies the phenomenon of postwar architecture as well as the factors that helped build the idea of modern architecture from the work of charles and ray eames | recommended by monica arellano
Future Practice: Conversations from the Edge of Architecture / Rory Hyde
seventeen conversations with professionals from the fields of architecture, politics, activism, design, education, and research who speculate on the future direction of the architectural profession | recommended by niall patrick walsh
The Good Life: A Guided Visit to the Houses of Modernity / Iñaki Ábalos
is a critical review of concepts for living in seven iconic houses of the 20th century | recommended by pedro vada
The Language of Architecture / Andrea Simitch and Val Warke
This book provides students and professional architects with the basics of architectural design, divided into twenty-six easy-to-understand chapters | recommended by winnie wu
Lo Ordinario / Enrique Walker
a selection of articles that address the notion of the ordinary in architecture during the last 40 years | recommended by nicolas valencia
The Manual of Section / Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis
section is the best and most readable architecture tool. Who among us didn’t grow up fascinated by cut sections of buildings like the Pantheon or the Kowloon Walled City? This book is the adult answer to our childhood fascinations, offering detailed drawings of contemporary works. essays offer invaluable insight not only into the selected buildings, but also into the idea of the section itself | recommended by kaley overstreet
Oppositions Reader: Selected Essays 1973-1984 / Michael Hays
the opposition reader compiles the most important essays from 26 issues of oppositions, the magazine of the new york-based institute of architecture and urban studies (iaus). an excellent selection of authors and current affairs | recommended by antonia piñeiro
Pornotopia: An Essay on Playboy’s Architecture and Biopolitics / Paul B. Preciado
This book studies how architectural production becomes popular and leans towards designing erotic spaces based on a specific context, demonstrating how different factors of modern culture shaped the places we inhabit | recommended by monica arellano
The Structure of the Ordinary: Form and Control in the Built Environment / N.J. Habraken
according to habraken, architects consider the context to be the ‘ordinary’ in which they are challenged to produce the ‘extraordinary’. but as vernacular architecture disappears, ordinary settings are harder to define. Without a clear counterpoint, how can architects situate the concepts of innovation in architecture? | recommended by jose tomás franco
Theoretical Anxiety and Design Strategies in the Work of Eight Contemporary Architects / Rafael Moneo
compilation of eight lectures by rafael moneo on eight of the most renowned architects of the last half century, including james stirling, robert venturi, aldo rossi, peter eisenman, alvaro siza, frank gehry, rem koolhaas | recommended by romullo baratto
Toward an Other Globalization: From the Single Thought to Universal Conscience / Milton Santos
the great Brazilian geographer presents an alternative theory of globalization | recommended by pedro vada
Tschumi on Architecture: Conversations with Enrique Walker / Enrique Walker
this volume presents, in a sequence of ten “conversations”, bernard tschumi’s autobiography on architecture | recommended by nicolas valencia
Why Architecture Matters / Paul Goldberger
the most famous architecture critic offers an architecture dictionary to understand how we experience spaces | recommended by monica arellano
Cities & Urbanism
construction brasilia / marcel gautherot and kenneth frampton
this book brings photos by gautherot on the construction of the brasilia building with essays by kenneth frampton | recommended by pedro vada
Cities for a Small Planet / Richard Rogers
richard rogers presents an action program for the future of cities. demonstrates the influence of architecture and urbanism in everyday life, and warns of the impact that modern cities can have on the environment | recommended by eduardo souza
The City of Tomorrow: Sensors, Networks, Hackers, and the Future of Urban Life / Carlo Ratti, Matthew Claudel
mit’s senseable city lab stays at the forefront of urban design, placing designers in future arenas to guide human progress | recommended by niall patrick walsh
Cities Without Ground / Adam Frampton, Jonathan D. Solomon, Clara Wong
a surprising illustrated vision of a populous urban center and how to exploit its most limited resources – the land – to its best expression | recommended by nicolas valencia
Collage City / Colin Rowe and Fred Koetter
Great urban visions can generate compelling theory and research, but how often do they succeed in practice? collage city offers a more nuanced view of urbanism, one that is as varied and diverse as urban societies themselves | recommended by kaley overstreet
Concise Townscape / Golden Cullen
This book pioneered the concept of urban landscape. ‘townscape’ is the art of giving coherence and visual organization to the jumble of buildings, streets and spaces that make up the urban environment | recommended by winnie wu
The Death and Life of Great American Cities / Jane Jacobs
The new york times describes this book as “perhaps the single most influential work in the history of urbanism.” an essential read for architects young and old | recommended by niall patrick walsh
The Granite Garden: Urban Nature And Human Design / Anne W. Spirn
The city is an extension of nature and urban projects must be in tune with this same nature. the book is the result of extensive interdisciplinary research, as well as the author’s extensive experience as a landscape architect | recommended by eduardo souza
The History of the City / Leonardo Benevolo
leonardo benevolo describes the basic history of the man-made environment in europe | recommended by pedro vada
Ladders / Albert Pope
if you are interested in urban form issues, this analysis of different cities explains the characteristics of the open system and closed spaces | recommended by fabian dejtiar
Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space / Jan Gehl
the book describes the essential elements that contribute to people’s enjoyment of public spaces | recommended by eduardo souza
The New Science of Cities / Michael Batty
geographer michael batty presents the new vision of cities as network systems and flows | recommended by pedro vada
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