14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little reference!, Feb 11 2006
By A. McDonald - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Materials, Structures, and Standards: All the Details Architects Need to Know But Can Never Find (Turtleback)
This is a wonderful little reference book of architectural data, something like what you would imagine Graphic Standards would be if you reduced it to its most useful 10%, and organized it better. The material is clear, concise, and beautifully presented. In fact a book so graphically striking and thoughtful is fairly rare for a reference book.
I think the book would be useful to have around any office, but because of the introductory or foundational nature of some of the material (for example how to lay out a drawing sheet, numbering conventions) I think the book would be most useful to an architecture student or intern.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Handy Introduction to Architectural Details, Nov 28 2006
By Marco Antonio Abarca - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Materials, Structures, and Standards: All the Details Architects Need to Know But Can Never Find (Turtleback)
This book immodestly bills itself as a unique compilation of useful information for architects. It is devided into six sections dealing with Measure and Drawing, Proportion and Form, Codes and Guidelines, Systems and Componenets, Characteristics of Materials and a catchall final section entitled a Compendium. In turn, each section is illustrated with wonderful line drawings and quick run downs of architectural details.
I am doubtful that any architect or engineer would find this book helpful in their practice. The level of detail their professions require cannot be found in this slender volume. They rely on detailed, encyclopedic volumes of construction details.
This book is meant for architectural enthusiasts and non-professionals. I would recommend it highly for an owner who is overseeing a bulding project. This book is helpful in translating architectural and building terms into easily understood language. This volume would also be helpful to entry level general contractors, interior designers and people trying to design their own homes. This book is a well written introduction to an area of study that requires years of training and access to very detailed volumes of architectural details.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
an architecture student's best friend, Jan 27 2008
By S. Feng - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Materials, Structures, and Standards: All the Details Architects Need to Know But Can Never Find (Turtleback)
architectural graphic standard ALWAYS checked out in the library? and all you need to know is how wide the turning radius needs to be for this stupid parking lot? yea i've been there billions of times. my friends at school all started buying this book as a quick reference and it has great information inside. it's by no means exhaustive, but it definitely has enough to get a student by. the information is written and organized in a very accessible way. i highly recommend this book