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Category: Architecture
Minka: Now a Beautiful Documentary Short
by Dan
Architecture / February 29, 2012
Way back in 2010, I mentioned that John Roderick's charming architectural memoir Minka: My Farmhouse in Japan was being adapted into a film.
Almost 2 years later, the award-winning domentary short is now available in its entirety online. Filmed just following his death at 93, Roderick's adopted son Yoshihiro Takishita talks about the house they acquired together in 1967 (while Roderick was working as journalist for the Associated Press in Japan) and muses about the meaning of home:
Beautiful.
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Happy 20th birthday Laurence King!
by Danielle
Architecture + Art & Photography + Design & Typography + Film + Reference / August 12, 2011
Well Laurence King the publishing house, not Laurence King the founder himself (I think he's older than 20).
Established in London in 1991, Laurence King Publishing is now recognized as one of the world's leading publishers of books on the creative arts.
Their books are acclaimed for their beautiful design and authoritative text as well as the quality and care taken over their production. They publish books in the fields of art, graphic design, architecture and fashion; just to name a few.
Mark Lamster of Design Observer took up the chance to interview Laurence to hear his thoughts about the state and future of design publishing, and what makes a design book (and book proposal) successful.
...Even with this distinguished catalog, few Americans are likely to know much about King or his press, as until recently most of his titles were sold in this country by other publishers, who purchased their rights. I got to know him this way, both as a buyer and a seller, when I was an editor at Princeton Architectural Press. We worked on many books together — some winners, some losers — and it was always a pleasure. King is one of the true gentlemen of design publishing, self-deprecating and charming in the classic British manner... ~ Mark Lamster
Full article can be found here.
This Fall LK has some pretty amazing new books that I get to publicize (yep I do!). Please pre-order at Amazon.ca, Indigo. ca or take a walk to your local bookshop, they can order a copy for you. Below are just a few. There's planty more to come! I'll keep you posted!
And what's a blog without some cool Laurence King videos? Enjoy!
Favourite Books 2010: Peter MacDougall
by Dan
Architecture + Food & Drink + News + Travel / December 15, 2010
Modern North: Architecture on the Frozen Edge
Julie Decker
Princeton Architectural Press ISBN 9781568988993
$52.00
This is a beautiful coffee table book—typical of Princeton Architectural Press—celebrating modern architecture from northern countries around the world. It's accessible enough for people like me who have a passing interest in architecture, but there's enough detail to satisfy the professionals. The book is packed with more than 30 examples of residential and commercial modern architecture projects from Iceland, Alaska, Finland, Norway and several projects in our own north. Also included is a great piece from Globe and Mail architecture columnist Lisa Rochon, titled "Canadian Architecture and the North" excerpted from her 2005 book Up North: Where Canada's Architecture Meets the Land (Key Porter).
Tartine Bread
Chad Robertson
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811870412
$46.00
This is a stunning package from Chronicle Books by Chad Robertson—dubbed by some in the baking world as the Jesus of Bread-Making. I'm not even a big bread fan and I love this book. Tartine Bread should satisfy everyone from the armchair foodies, to people that just want to learn how to bake amazing bread, to the master class who want to pick up some new tips. Chad Robertson likes surfing and baking bread and he's super handsome. Watch the book trailer. Seriously, it rules:
The Travel Book. A Journey Through Every Country in the World
Robert Reid
Lonely Planet ISBN 9781741792119
$56.00
The 'The' in the title pretty much sums this one up. It is the travel book. A big, over-sized coffee table book with a page spread devoted to every country in the world. Beautiful photos on one page, facts, geography and trivia on the facing page. I feel sorry for your coffee table without it.
Pete MacDougall is Raincoast's National Accounts Manager. His dog Thomas is the Chairman of the Board.
Minka Documentary
by Dan
Architecture + Film / November 30, 2010
In Fall 2007, our friends at Princeton Architectural Press published Minka: My Farmhouse In Japan, the memoir of retired AP foreign correspondent John Roderick. Inspired by the story of this remarkable house and the memories it contained, and with seed funding from the Graham Foundation, Birdlings Films began work on a documentary film about John, his adopted son architect Yoshihiro Takishita, and the 250-year old house they shared.
The film is still a work in progress, but you can watch the trailer now and help support the completion of the documentary at the fund-raising site Kickstarter:
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architecture building film japan memoir minka
Modern North Review in Azure
by Dan
Architecture / August 12, 2010
Modern North: Architecture on the Frozen Edge by Julie Decker features buildings located in northern Canada, Scandinavia, and Alaska that exemplify the most compelling possibilities of contemporary architecture in the extreme conditions of the North.
The book was recently reviewed for architecture and design magazine Azure:
How timely to read Julie Decker’s book about building in the Arctic. As oil exploration is accelerating in the North, so too is settlement planning. This fascinating collection of essays explains how indigenous dwellings have informed what the editor calls “new northern architecture.” No one aesthetic defines this type of building: architecture is northern primarily by the way it responds to the North.
And a longer review of Modern North can be found at online architecture magazine Re:Place:
Modern North reveals to us a contemporary response to building in the Arctic, as by necessarily adhering to the climate’s strict functional requirements, these structures represent a new form of architecture which is at once both modern and specific to its context. These projects are themselves works in progress, as their designers continue to evolve in their balance of technological prowess with each firm’s own unique relationship to one of the world’s toughest building sites. Likewise is it accompanied by a sense of awe, certainly by those of us who look to the frozen tundra of the North from the safety of our cities straddling the 49th parallel.
Read more about the book here.
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architecture azure canada re:place review
Coast Modern
by Dan
Architecture + Vancouver / July 30, 2010
A core group of architects embraced the Coast with its particular geography and values and they have left behind a legacy of beautiful and inspired dwellings. Today, architects have picked up the thread and they continue to explore and celebrate the principles established by their predecessors.
Produced by Leah Mallen at Vancouver's TwoFold Film, Coast Modern is a documentary about the legacy of modern architects on the west coast of North America. Filmmakers Michael Bernard and Gavin Froome travel from Los Angeles to Vancouver and explore the history of modern architecture from 1922 up to the present:
The film is still in production and yet to be released. In the meantime, if you're interested in historic west coast modernism, you might want to pick up Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970, a beautiful book on the innovative mid-century architects working on the west coast, and NorCalMod: Icons Of Northern California Modernist Architecture which documents history of modernism in the Bay Area.
Or, if you're a feeling in the need of something more kitsch, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture takes a look at the iconic 1950s coffee shops and car-oriented mid-century architecture of Southern California (we still have a few copies in stock!).
10 Green Architecture and Design Books
by Dan
Architecture + Design & Typography + Environment / April 22, 2010
To continue our Earth Day theme today, here's a list of 10 new and recent books for architects and designers about sustainable building and design:
- 1000 New Eco Designs and Where to Find Them by Rebecca Proctor
- Designing Sustainable Packaging: A guide to eco-friendly packaging design by Scott Boylston
- Earth Architecture by Ronald Rael (paperback coming soon!)
- Ecodesign: The Sourcebook by Alastair Fuad-Luke
- The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture by Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne
- Green Roof: A Case Study by Christian Werthmann
- The Hybrid House:Designing With Sun, Wind, Water, and Earth by Catherine Wanek
- LEED Materials: A Resource Guide to Green Building by Ari Meisel
- Off the Grid Homes: Case Studies for Sustainable Living by Lori Ryker
- Prefab Green by Michelle Kaufmann and Catherine Remick
Natural Houses
by Dan
Architecture + Environment / March 17, 2010
For architects Arthur Andersson and Chris Wise, the fundamental elements that give buildings meaning are found in nature and Natural Houses: The Residential Architecture of Andersson-Wise presents seven exquisitely crafted homes by this Austin, Texas-based firm.
Filling everyday activities with poetry and awe, their designs address both pragmatic needs and the psychological yearning for refuge and contemplation, centering and escape, joy and comfort.
Here's a sneak preview of the work featured in the book:
5 Things Vancouver: Erick Villagomez
by Dan
Architecture + Travel + Vancouver / February 25, 2010
Erick Villagomez is a former Torontonian who moved out west after he mistakenly froze his tongue to a metal pole one grim wintery day.
He is a self-declared urban cartographer and bibliophile who runs an environmental design practice, teaches architecture at UBC, and is a co-founder and writer for re:place magazine in his spare time.
What is the single best thing about living in Vancouver?
Flowers blooming in February while rest of the country is outfitted in parkas and toques. 
What’s the one place everyone should visit?
If we have visitors coming in for the day we usually hit three places that each give a different sense of what the city has to offer: Commercial Drive (activist, gritty, left-wing, etc.), Granville Island (the industrial-wasteland-turned-touristy-artist-haven) and Lighthouse Park in North Vancouver (the not-too-hard-trekking park with beautiful views of the ocean and city). Did I mention each of these is about 20 minutes apart?
Where do you look for books in Vancouver?
Hmmmm….too many places. But being a book junkie, I frequent used bookstores searching for hidden gems—Bibliophile (used book in best condition found anywhere the city—Commercial Drive), Pulp Fiction (great selection of all around titles new and old - Main Street), and Macleod’s Books (a Neverending Story-type books store with piles of books that house hidden gems—Downtown, Pender St.).
What’s your favourite book about Vancouver?
Most recently read: Vancouver Special by Charles Charles Demers. Cartographic: Vancouver A Visual History by Bruce Macdonald. Tour: Vancouver Discovery Walks by John Atkin. Classic: The Greater Vancouver Book edited by Chuck Davis.
What’s your favourite restaurant for a romantic dinner?
I’m not sure that I’d put it in the “romantic” category, but Bin 942 is one of my favorite places to eat. Small, funky, sweet tunes and great food….you can’t ask for more. Not to mention you can visit Oscar Art Books next door while you are waiting to be seated.
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5 things vancouver arsenal pulp erick villagomez re:place magazine travel ubc used books vancouver
The Third & The Seventh
by Dan
Architecture / January 15, 2010
The Third & The Seventh is a beautiful full-CG animated short film by Alex Roman.
According to the filmmaker it is an attempt "to illustrate architecture art across a photographic point of view where main subjects are already-built spaces. Sometimes in an abstract way. Sometimes surreal."
It is simply stunning...
The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.
If you liked this film, you might also want to take a look at these book as well:
The Bldgblog Book by Geoff Manaugh
Installations by Architects: Experiments in Building and Design by Sarah Bonnemaison and Ronit Eisenbach
Architects Today by Kester Rattenbury, Rob Bevan and Kieran Long
Flexible: Architecture That Responds to Change by Robert Kronenburg
Ghost: Building an Architectural Vision by Brian Mackay-Lyons
Liquid Stone: New Architecture in Concrete by Jean-Louis Cohen and Gerard Martin Jr. Moeller