Book: ‘Designing Architecture’

Think of Designing Architecture as a beginner’s how-to guide to the design process, from parti to opening party. Author Andrew Pressman includes plenty of illustrative diagrams and full-color photos to accompany points made in the text, with opinions from stalwart practitioners (Thom Mayne, Antoine Predock, and Yoshio Taniguchi, to name a few). Four sections divide the book—Introduction to Design Process, Influences & Inspiration, Doing Design, and Case Studies—each of which pauses with occasional sidebars, such as checklists and tips of the trade. This book is meant to be more of a young professional’s handbook to understanding the basics of design in architectural practice than something every architect should own, but even veterans in the field can appreciate this fresh look at the process of design. • $29.99; Routledge, Feb 2012