Paperback
119 illustrations
160 pages
246 x 172
ISBN 978 1 85669 755 2
$29.95
Published September 2011
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Representation
Chapter 2: Language
Chapter 3: Form
Chapter 4: Space
Chapter 5: Truth
Chapter 6: Nature
Chapter 7: History
Chapter 8: The City
Index
Footnotes
Bibliography
Reviews Post Comments Books by the same author Inspection Copy Available
In order to understand architecture in all its cultural complexity it is necessary to grasp basic concepts such as representation, form and space. The aim of this book is to provide teachers, students, practising architects and general readers with a set of ideas that will enrich their conversation, their writing, and above all their thinking about architecture.
The book is divided into eight chapters, each covering a particular aspect of architecture, and introduces difficult concepts gradually. Architectural theorists and philosophers are mentioned in passing and their works are listed in the bibliography, but they are not the subject of the book. Architecture, rather than philosophy, is at the centre of the picture. The aim is to enable the reader to understand architecture in all its aspects, rather than to learn the names of particular theorists.
Written in a conversational style, Thinking about Architecture is an invaluable and accessible standard introduction to architectural theory.
Colin Davies is Professor of Architectural Theory at London Metropolitan University and the author of several books, including "High Tech Architecture", "The Prefabricated Home" and "Key Houses of the Twentieth Century" (Laurence King, 2006). He has also written monographs on the work of Michael Hopkins, Nicholas Grimshaw and Norman Foster, and contributes to architectural journals worldwide.
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CourseSmart (available in the US only)
'Finally again a book on architectural theory that develops its arguments by looking closely at architecture rather than at fashionable, but often obscure ideas borrowed from cognate disciplines; well written and illustrated, the book challenges many 'theoretical' notions of architecture: a treat for every architecture student and enthusiast.'
Volker M. Welter, Associate Professor, Department of the History of Art and Architecture, University of California, Santa Barbara
'Thinking about Architecture is a timely, thorough and accessible introduction to architectural theory. Resorting to five carefully selected themes, the book explains how a terminology that is often obscure and repelling can be employed in order to study buildings from both past and present. Indeed, the author attempts to demystify architectural theory, which, in his view, has become an elitist and self-contained speciality. Thinking about Architecture is, doubtlessly, a useful vehicle for students, practitioners and the public at large to gain access and understand contemporary debates on architecture.'
Felipe Hernández Ph.D. Architect (RIBA - SCA) Department of Architecture University of Cambridge
Plans, Sections and Elevations: Key Houses of the Twentieth Century
Featuring more than 100 of the most significant houses of the 20th century, with scale plans, elevations, sections and site plans specially redrawn for this book.
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