The Language of Architecture

In order to master the foundation of architecture, you must first master the basic building blocks of its language; the definitions, function, and usage. The Language of Architecture provides students and professional architects with the basic elements of architectural design, divided into twenty-six easy-to-comprehend chapters. This visual reference includes an introduction to architecture design, historical view of the elements, as well as an overview of how these elements can and have been used across multiple design disciplines. Whether you're new to the field or have been an architect for years, you'll want to flip through the pages of this book and use it as your go-to reference for inspiration and ideas. This comprehensive learning tool is the one book you'll want as a staple in your library.
"Language of Architecture provides students and professional architects with the basic elements of architectural design, divided into twenty-six easy-to-comprehend chapters. This visual reference includes an introductory, historical view of the elements, as well as an overview of how these elements can and have been used across multiple design disciplines"--

"Architects Simitch and Warke (both, Cornell Univ.) offer an approachable, visual guidebook and reference to the basics of the discipline, equating learning the foundational principles of the architectural process to learning a new language. The language itself comprises 26 building blocks�?��?basic principles that inform the integrity of timeless design. The authors identify these principles as "vital fundamentals." Although the authors have limited themselves to 26 elements in a nod to the alphabet, this volume does not belabor the analogy. It is erudite, insightful, and highly illustrated, reflecting the complexity and beauty of architectural language. As the introduction states, architecture is best considered comparable to "poetic language," and the authors deliver by honing difficult ideas to their essentials. In this volume for both students and professionals, each chapter is succinct and thought provoking. Summing Up: *** Highly recommended." - Choice