Best Architecture

Featuring the very latest industry standards in material design, the 2015 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE SOFT COVER version offers up-to-date, comprehensive insight into the regulations surrounding the design and installation of building systems. ICC is a leading organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive, coordinated national model construction codes.

After a ten-year silence, Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure are now publishing a major statement in the form of three books which will, in their words, "lay the basis for an entirely new approach to architecture, building and planning, which will we hope replace existing ideas and practices entirely." At the core of the books, too, is the point that in designing their environments people always rely on certain "languages," which, like the languages we speak, allow them to articulate and communicate an infinite variety of designs within a forma system which gives them coherence. The second of three books published by the Center for Environmental Structure to provide a "working alternative to our present ideas about architecture, building, and planning," A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations.

The classic visual guide to the basics of building construction, now with a 3D digital building model for interactive learning For over three decades, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. With rich illustrations and detailed discussions of building concepts, this book gives you the knowledge you need to succeed in residential and commercial construction, architecture, and structural engineering. Clear and accurate drawings that illustrate state-of-the-art construction processes and materials—updated and revised to include the latest knowledge on sustainability, incorporation of building systems, and use of new materials.

Featuring the very latest industry standards in material design, the 2015 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE SOFT COVER version offers up-to-date, comprehensive insight into the regulations surrounding the design and installation of building systems. ICC is a leading organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive, coordinated national model construction codes.

A history of landscape design ranges from antiquity to the present day, exploring the diverse ways in which humankind has shaped the landscape around them, from ancient Egyptian royal cemeteries to magnificent Renaissance gardens to modern-day earthworks, reflecting on how the landscape reflects social development and cultural values. Perhaps best known as the founding director of New York's Central Park Conservancy, which oversaw and funded the park's revitalization, Rogers (The Forests and Wetlands of New York City) here presents a comprehensive survey of landscape design. Embracing all cultures and ranging from prehistoric times to the present, this book covers the broadest range of subjects implied by the title, including city planning, landscape architecture, conservation, earthworks, and other uses of land in contemporary art.

After a ten-year silence, Christopher Alexander and his colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure are now publishing a major statement in the form of three books which will, in their words, "lay the basis for an entirely new approach to architecture, building and planning, which will we hope replace existing ideas and practices entirely." At the core of the books, too, is the point that in designing their environments people always rely on certain "languages," which, like the languages we speak, allow them to articulate and communicate an infinite variety of designs within a forma system which gives them coherence. The second of three books published by the Center for Environmental Structure to provide a "working alternative to our present ideas about architecture, building, and planning," A Pattern Language offers a practical language for building and planning based on natural considerations.

With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark — and follow where it takes us. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. Once the child takes that very first stab at art, winningly and economically dramatized by Reynolds's fluid pen-and-ink, watercolor, and tea image of Vashti swooping down upon that vacant paper in a burst of red-orange energy, there's no stopping her. Everything about this little gem, from its unusual trim size to the author's hand-lettered text, from the dot-shaped cocoons of carefully chosen color that embrace each vignette of Vashti to her inventive negative-space masterpiece, speaks to them.

Small-firm practice, use of technologies such as BIM, and project delivery methods, such as IPD and architect-led design-build Career development and licensure for emerging professionals and state-mandated continuing education for established architects Business management topics, such as organizational development, marketing, finance, and human resources Research as an integrated aspect of architectural practice, featuring such topics as evidence-based design and research in a small-firm context. In his essay, “Architect-led Design Build and Architect as Construction Manager for Small Firms and Small Projects,” James Walbridge, AIA provides practical information on how to get started. Read David Gamble’s article, ”Architects in the Non-Profit Sector,” to gain insight into how architects are engaging in pro-bono work. Learn how this is done from François Lévy, AIA in his article, “Small Firms, Small Projects, and Building Information Modeling.” Straightforward explanations of the technology and its usage in a small firm context are provided, sharing experience gained directly from practice. Susan Jones, FAIA in her essay, “Research and Small Firm Practice,” describes how research can benefit every design practice.

Featuring the very latest industry standards in material design, the 2015 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE SOFT COVER version offers up-to-date, comprehensive insight into the regulations surrounding the design and installation of building systems. ICC is a leading organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive, coordinated national model construction codes.

The classic visual guide to the basics of building construction, now with a 3D digital building model for interactive learning For over three decades, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. With rich illustrations and detailed discussions of building concepts, this book gives you the knowledge you need to succeed in residential and commercial construction, architecture, and structural engineering. Clear and accurate drawings that illustrate state-of-the-art construction processes and materials—updated and revised to include the latest knowledge on sustainability, incorporation of building systems, and use of new materials.

With an emphasis on design and installation for optimum performance, the 2015 INTERNATIONAL PLUMBING CODE SOFT COVER sets forth established requirements for plumbing systems. ICC is a leading organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive, coordinated national model construction codes.