Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture

Book Description

In this book, Bernard Rudofsky steps outside the narrowly defined discipline that has governed our sense of architectural history and discusses the art of building as a universal phenomenon. He introduces the reader to communal architecture--architecture produced not by specialists but by the spontaneous and continuing activity of a whole people with a common heritage, acting within a community experience. A prehistoric theater district for a hundred thousand spectators on the American continent and underground towns and villages (complete with schools, offices, and factories) inhabited by millions of people are among the unexpected phenomena he brings to light.

The beauty of "primitive" architecture has often been dismissed as accidental, but today we recognize in it an art form that has resulted from human intelligence applied to uniquely human modes of life. Indeed, Rudofsky sees the philosophy and practical knowledge of the untutored builders as untapped sources of inspiration for industrial man trapped in his chaotic cities.

A unique examination of building and culture.

Customer Reviews:

GREEN DESIGN FROM THE EXOTIC PAST.......2006-11-17

Architecture Without Architects by Bernard Rudofsky demonstrates
that anonymous builders achieved great form based on function.

Confess right now -- designers, planners, architects!! You don't have
this book? You don't even know about this book or its author, Bernard
Rudofsky? Verdict: You are culturally deprived, which means possibly
professionally challenged. Certainly missing chances for inspiration on the job.

This classic contains a sweeping revelation of universal traditions of
"vernacular" architecture -- structures and spaces built by untutored hands in
"primitive" cultures, many now destroyed. Their images remain as amazing
testaments to ingenious answers to survival issues and creature comforts
in remote locales which, we see, have considerable sophistication.

Today's higher education for the design professions, focused on formal issues
of a few recent centuries, may have turned you away from study of remote cultures
in distant times, viewing vernacular as "inapplicable" in a high-tech world.
On the contrary, these places and structural events (including whole mountainsides)
demonstrate the significant human act of building with nature-given materials,
for human needs and use, with sensitivity to innately purposeful form,
without a thought about the disruptive gloss of fashion cycles.

Bernard Rudofsky was a brilliant iconoclast and innovator. As a restless architecture
student in Vienna in 1923, he cut loose to undertake a wanderjahr exploring distant
places and forgotten world cultures. Backpacking across Europe, Middle East, Asia,
and Africa, he photographed what he discovered -- indigenous building
forms and construction methods that created real architecture, unburdened by
pretensions and formal imitations. He documented solutions that were
simple and direct, and elegantly ingenious in the interest maklng things work.

Today more than ever, "primitive" construction can amaze and instruct, and inspire
by addressing ever-present habitation needs -- climate conditioning by controlled air flow,
light control with roof and wall materials, floor heating, even lifts and elevators,
all achieved by design strategies unacquainted with modern mechanics
-- i.e."energy" powered by ingenuity.

In the early 1960's, after his exhibition "Are Clothes Modern?" for New York's MoMA,
Rudofsky prepared an exhibition on anonymous architecture, broadening his own photo
documentation with collectors' images from other distant realms, enriching the
theme of enduring historic form and purpose.

His exhibition "Architecture Without Architects" (1964-65) brought avant-garde insight
to the expanding horizon of modernist values, demonstrating that vernacular form and
purpose are indivisible, and usually immutable -- as they are serving their purpose
to perfection.

In this recapitulation of the exhibition, there are shelters, streets, and functional
enclosures crafted for the lasting use of whole communities. There are the "found"
habitations of rocky hillsides, underground villages safely recessed from climate and
predators; habitable hilltop fortresses, medieval streets lined with shady pedestrian
arcades; a city of roofs built as "windscoops" to direct breezes into each room; huts
made of decorative woven matting, some with vegetal roofs; decorative pidgeoncotes
to facilitate fertilizer production; aerated vermin-proof granaries; streets shaded by
mats and vines, high structures built of grass.

The know-how of the anonymous builder shown here presents the a major untapped
source of architectural inspiration for industrial man. The wisdom derived goes beyond
economic and esthetic solutions that press on our wasteful modern mechanical
solutions. In the author's words, It touches on the "increasingly troublesome problem of
how to live and let live, how to keep peace with one's neighbors" while dealing with
the diminishing natural resources we all must share.

Here is Green Design before it was invented -- again. Here is Civic Design
and indeed Urban Design when few except Rudofsky recognized it.
This book of arresting images and informed ideas may stir you to speculate:
What might simple ingenuity forge for us in our low-energy future?

Jane Thompson
Thompson Design Group Inc.
Boston, MA 02210

good classic.......2006-02-24

this is a great classic book - a little sad it's all in black and white, sometimes grainy images, but a wonderful view on what existed in 1960s. i'm sure a lot of it has now disappeared.

Bummer ... all photos in black and white only.......2004-12-21

Great book with great pictures and well organized, but all images are only in black and white, and the paperback itself feels flimsy. Thought it was a great present for a friend of mine, but the B/W is quite a let-down.

My Dream........2002-12-15

As the author shows, you don't need a degree to build practical beautiful buildings. Just the need and some perseverance can do wonders as shown inside.

A Classic Presentation.......2002-03-11

Originally published in 1964, concurrent with the exhibition Architecture Without Architects shown at MOMA, this slim volume of text and photographs radiates heat and light when reviewed almost forty years later. In fact, Rudofsky's introductory essay is so fresh today it is almost inconceivable it was written the better part of four decades ago! Offering a scathing attack on modern approaches to the landscape and to problems of living more generally in a time of rampant population growth, Rudofsky shrewdly pointed to the fact that "part of our troubles results from the tendency to ascribe to architects-or, for that matter, to all specialists-excessive insight into problems of living when, in truth, most of them are concerned with problems of business and prestige." But what transpires when the focus can be maintained on functionality, efficiency, ease of use, and a design aesthetic that remains humbly in tune with and loyal to the mood and visual imperative of the land under development? To answer these crucial questions Rudofsky takes us back a few thousands of years to the origins of architectural strivings (even preceding man's earliest efforts) and the material results thereof.

The essential point Rudofsky cares to make in these pages is that "vernacular architecture does not go through fashion cycles. It is nearly immutable, indeed, unimprovable, since it serves its purpose to perfection." Rooted in a practical, harmonious relationship with its setting, 'primitive' architecture exemplifies the art of living well through its consistent use of frugality in construction, cleanliness in line and detail, and a general respect for "creation." Further, its impetus is aligned with a human dimension fundamentally as opposed to an excessively hubristic predisposition to conquer nature at whatever cost. Finally, from Rudofsky's vantage, these principles are usefully to be understood as timeless guidelines for the future as well as descriptions of the past.

According to Rudofsky, sophisticated people seek rugged country where what is intrinsic holds sway. His search for the origins of a humanistic architecture was always in rugged terrain where people's lives must necessarily challenge the difficulties of topography and the vicissitudes of climate. His primary heuristic interest was in elucidating the solutions creatively and spontaneously generated by these people in order to make such rugged locales inhabitable AND livable. Architecture Without Architects demonstrates the way in which basic solutions to complex problems were developed historically and why those solutions are so important to remain cognisant of today.

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Architecture Without Architects; A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture
Bernard Rudofsky
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GWT2RO

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Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture
Bernard Rudofsky
Manufacturer: Museum of Modern Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HZ9D9W

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Architecture Without Architects. a Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture

Manufacturer: Museum of Modern Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GSQTKG

Book Description

"Charming from start to finish... Weissman indirectly captures childhood better than most literal representations do." - The Onion

Steven Weissman won the Harvey Award for "Best New Talent" in 1998, and Fantagraphics Books is proud to present his second graphic novel, Don't Call Me Stupid.

Weissman writes and draws hilariously charming stories revolving around a gang of precocious children (the "Tykes") with supernatural features. In this collection of short stories, all of the Tykes take a turn in the spotlight, including Li'l Bloody (a vampire toddler), the Pullapart Boy, X-Ray Spence, and the Li'l Tin Stars.

Also included are the title story, "A Hayride with Dracula," "Jameswatch," "Back in the Day" (featuring the origin of Pullapart's undead puppy, Elzie Crisler), and more. Each story is printed in a two-color format.

Customer Reviews:

Yikes! These Tykes are Fantastic!.......2002-05-30

Take "Our Gang" and add Universal Studios' cast of famous monsters including Frankenstein and Dracula, then add the love and skill of the cartoonist genius Steven Weissman, and you have "Don't Call Me Stupid" -- Buy this book and find out why his contemporaries are calling him one of the Best!

Applie Pie and Sour Cabbage.......2002-04-09

You got Lil Bloody (who is sort of a Hispanic Eddie Munster). You got Pullapart Boy (it don't take a genius - you touch him, he falls apart). You got Dead Boy (he has crosses where his eyes are cos they've been - you know? - sown up). Later you've got X-Ray Spence (he can see THROUGH stuff) and Medusa Girl (who has a kinda crush on X-Ray Spence because he doesn't get turned to stone by her, he can - you know - see RIGHT INSIDE HER). They fight, they spook people, they walk about and get bored. It's childhood but - (seriously) not. (It's The Crazy Gang soundtracked by Sparklehorse.)

The art is sort of scratchy (it looks like it's been screen printed from scratched and scored linoleum), full of hard lines and mono washes, but it suits the scratchy and uncomfortable nature of what you see - Chubby bullies the kids, Lil Bloody takes bites out of people, Pullapart Boy - well, he gets pulled apart. (As, from time to time, do the stories themselves - Weissman does not always get it just right or just so - sometimes you lose interest, a little, or flick ahead to see how long a particular story lasts.)

It's gruesome and creepy and about as wholesome as apple pie stuffed with sour cabbage, but if you like Edward Gorey you'll get a kick out of this.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Journalism Review, published by University of Maryland on December 1, 1996. The length of the article is 810 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: An Enemy of the State: The Life of Erwin Knoll.
Author: Carl Sessions Stepp
Publication: American Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1996
Publisher: University of Maryland
Volume: v18 Issue: n10 Page: p45(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

An Enemy of the State: The Life of Erwin Knoll.: An article from: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

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An Enemy of the State: The Life of Erwin Knoll.: An article from: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Samuel H., Jr. Day
Manufacturer: Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. on May 1, 1997. The length of the article is 1953 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: An Enemy of the State: The Life of Erwin Knoll.
Author: Samuel H., Jr. Day
Publication: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 1997
Publisher: Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc.
Volume: v53 Issue: n3 Page: p57(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Best Thing I've Ever Done Was to Buy This Book for My Great Aunt Mary.......2007-09-28

I bought this book of questions for my Great Aunt Mary for her 100th birthday. And like another reviewer said, some of the questions did not apply to her, but, she did answer quite a few of the inquiries, and it was VERY interesting reading to see her answers. She passed away last Christmas at 108 years and 4 months old, and I placed this book out at her funeral for all to read, and everyone loved it. It had so many wonderful stories and quips to tell, all written in Aunt Mary's own hand. It made her memorial even more special. I've been given the book back, and will always treasure it. Aunt Mary and I were always very close, and I miss her very much, but that book brings back memories... I'd recommend this to everyone who wants to know more about other people. Lee

First and Best Internet Purchase.......2007-09-09

I first bought a copy of this book in 1999 and gave it to my Great-Aunt for Christmas. It was my first internet purchase. She wrote it in for five years and gave it back to me full of family history. Although all of the questions did not apply to her as she never had children and didn't serve in the armed services, she used the extra pages to expand on the questions that did apply to her.

The Story of a Lifetime.......2007-09-04

I found this book to be a pleasant surprise. I ordered it for my Nana. The cover is beautifully done, the pages are gold edged, it's a large book, but not fat, and it asks lots of questions. It divides ones life into sections starting with your memories of your grandparents, then your parents, your childhood, teen years, adult years, school life, home life, fads, movies, music, hobbies, marriage, grandchildren, happiest moments, saddest moments, etc. It covers everything. Unfortunately, my Nana was unable to finish this book before she died of bone cancer. I am still glad I have it. It's something for her great grandchildren to read since they will never meet her.

Lots of great memories to look back on!.......2007-06-07

I just pulled my book out of the closet, as one of my siblings had a question about our great-grandfather. My Dad passed away 3 years ago and I so wish I had the whole book with his comments. It was just a little too late, as he was in poor health, so many of the questions are unanswered. I recommend this book for every grandparent to fill out and give as a gift to their grandchildren. It's priceless!

My Father Loved it!.......2007-05-16

I bought this book for my dad to write down everything about him and he loves it! In fact he recommended it to his brother. A wonderful keepsake for the family.

The Story Of A Lifetime - A Keepsake Of Personal Memoirs

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The Story Of A Lifetime - A Keepsake Of Personal Memoirs
Pamela & Stephen Pavuk
Manufacturer: Triangel Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TW7SHC

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The Story of A Lifetime A Keepsake of Personal Memoirs
Pavuk Pamela and Stephen
Manufacturer: TriAngel Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UIQ9WU

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brief overview of the phases of life

Homeopathic Remedies for the Stages of Life: Infancy, Childhood, and Beyond
Didier Grandgeorge
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Spirit of Homeopathic Medicines: Essential Insights to 300 Remedies

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Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 155643409X
Release Date: 2002-04-03

Book Description

This book explains each of the successive phases of life, referencing common physical and psychological symptoms and their homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic Remedies for the Stages of Life provides practical and illustrated case histories of former patients, insights into child development, and the workings of the human psyche.

Customer Reviews:

brief overview of the phases of life.......2002-06-22

In his book Didier Grandgeorge gives an overview of life - from conception to death, and relates the most prominent homeopathic remedies to the developing person during the different phases of life. The text is concise and to the point. Especially the different stages of the life of children are very interesting and a must read for all parents. This is just another gem from Didier Grandgeorge, M.D.

Book Description

Nicholas Eftimiades examines the infiltration of Chinese espionage agents into foreign governments and private businesses. These efforts have been going on mostly uninterrupted for decades, while Western intelligence services focused on the Soviet Union. He draws on his expertise as a counterintelligence analyst to examine the structure, objectives and methodology of Chinese clandestine activities. The book specifically addresses the human source in intelligence operations, such as agent and double-agent recruitment, and how these tactics fit into the conduct of internal and foreigh affairs in China.

Customer Reviews:

Good Info, Long Read.......2006-12-13

I borrowed this book from the library and was glad I didn't buy it. There was some good information in it, but the writing style was so dry I couldn't bring myself to finish the 100-or-so pages. Most of what was contained was the kind of stuff I already knew or suspected, but good for people just getting into the subject or curious. If it wasn't such a dry read, I would have given it 5 stars.

Excellent primer on the subject.......2002-06-16

Mr. Eftimiades' book is over ten years old and yet probably remains the single most helpful introduction to the subject. His book covers the organization of the various Chinese intelligence agencies, their function, and several illustrations of how they collude to gather information for the People's Republic. Eftimiades is well-connected to the U.S. intelligence community and so can be considered somewhat of an expert, along with Bill Gertz and Paul D. Moore.

What is tragic about the book is that it was written before the public came to hear about China's intelligence operations through the Los Alamos incidents with Wen Ho Lee. Eftimiades' insight into that amazing story would be interesting, I'm sure.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in China, in espionage or intelligence in general. It is worth the large sum of money you most likely will have to pay to read it.

The best current reference on Chinese intelligence.......2000-04-08

Nick is an experienced sinologist who has worked at the Department of State, CIA, and DIA, and is also a naval reserve officer. His book is well-organized, well-researched, and essential reading for those who would understand how comprehensively the Chinese seek out scientific, technical, and military information in the United States, with a special emphasis on open sources of intelligence.

Ahead of his time.......1999-05-15

Mr. Eftimiades's work provides a valuable framework in which to analyze this country's complex relationship with the PRC. What perhaps is most disturbing is the fact that his analysis (warnings) were published before the DNC/foreign money scandal even hit the U.S. press. I am confident that Mr. Eftimiades takes little comfort in the fact that he "told [us] so."

Good info but lacking in punch.......1999-03-24

Very interesting book if you know nothing about Chinese intelligence. But book is a little short on real hard hitting edge to chinese espinage. I would recommend the book for all seeking good overview of chinese intelligence operations.

Customer Reviews:

I am baffled.......2005-03-06

I am still trying to figure out what right this man has to use the Holocaust to sell his religion to unsuspecting readers. Has this author survived the Holocaust? If you want to know what the Holocaust was like, read the thousands of testimonies of survivors, not Mr.Hawkins who is no Jew, and certainly no authority on anything but his own beliefs.

He showed me my roots........2004-03-06

This book answers a lot of questions. Some are obvious only to those impacted directly. Are you one of them? For years I wondered and questioned my forefathers about my family's origins. They would not speak. Mr. Hawkins showed me in his book what was going on in Poland at the time my great grandfather fled in fear for his life. If greatgranddad had not left the country I would not be here today. How many others have lived because their forefathers fled the face of certain death? Are you one of them?

A Biblical reason for the Holocaust.......1999-01-13

This has got to be one of the most significant books written on the subject of the Jewish Holocaust? It explores the reasons for the wicked persecutions against the Jewish people and gives an answer that I believe many are not prepared to admit or accept. However, no Torah believing Jew can deny the strong argument presented in this book. Hawkins points out that the Torah promises peace and security for the Jewish people if they keep the 613 Laws. Destruction if they don't. He shows that through the process of adding various requirements to the Torah, the Jews have broken the covenant and has reaped the exact consequences stated in the Torah. He warns that unless the 613 Laws are faithfully kept, the Holocaust will be repeated. One can argue with Hawkins, but how can any decent Jew argue with the Torah?

Learn From The Past If You Don't Want It Repeated!.......1998-12-08

Steven Spielburg read this book! It is truly spellbinding and all factual. The prophets of the past have certainly given us a road map to determine our future. The photos in this book are grisly. The words of Scripture tells us how we may avoid the same horrors that occured over half a century ago. This is not just reading material for Jews, but for all people of all faiths. The old adage; "If we don't hang together we will all die together" is never so true as outlined in this book.

Some of the details of the book are very erudite and unless you check up and prove statements from the Scriptures it could make you believe that they are from an author that would seem like a modern Nostradamus. The newspaper clippings and photos make this a book of history that is worth reading and studying. The prophecies of the future is awesome. As a film maker, I would like to see it made into a movie. Maybe it will be in actuality and documented for the nightly news when the horrors of the final conflict begins!

Don't let this horror occur again!.......1998-11-28

The historical photos alone will make one cringe. The message is for today's "time of the end" and should be reading for those who search for how the imminent disaster for all the world can be averted. The research into the Scriptures is noteable but a bit overwhelming. Worth the money. The book should be made into a film.

Book Description

The political upheavals in the former Soviet Union and its satellite states in Central and Eastern Europe have produced profound social, educational, and economic changes. Once a centerpiece of the communist state, the study of science and technology in the university has now fallen victim to economic and social disarray. Support for the teaching and funding of science and technology is of primary importance for the economic health of any modern nation. The ten chapters of this work examine what happens to a scientific and technological establishiment that suddenly has to make its own way as exemplified in many countries worldwide today.

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