Reviews (6)

Usefulness
As a practicing L.A., I have bought several McGraw-Hill Construction Books.I get a similar result each time:They seem on first look to fulfill the promise, but I found they don't well serve the need in real life.I get far better use out of Architectural Graphic Standards, and I'm looking forward to Wiley's Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards.

buy the book, forget the CD-ROM version
I've got the book and was hoping the CD-ROM would enhance using the book, but it doesn't.The content is very slim compared to the book, and the CAD drawings that are included are also of very limited use.Don't bother with the CD-ROM version of TSSLA.

This book is a must!!!!
A great book to have. It was a required text for my site technology classes. Kept referring to it. Lots of information. It should be on everyone's bookcase if you're a Landscape Architect student or already in the profession. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Building    3. Construction industry    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Landscape    6. Landscape Architecture And Design    7. Landscape architecture    8. Standards    9. Architecture / Landscape    10. Landscape art & architecture    11. Reference works   

Reviews (14)

The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
As with other materials by Francis D.K.Ching, the illustrations are not only clear and precise but aesthetically pleasing. It is a pleasure to read through the material for a comprehensive understanding of architectural concepts, presented in an historical perspective which clarifies the how and why of modern day building technology.The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
Ching's books are great!
This book is really good for architecture students. I do not use the book every day, but when I need it, it proves very usefull. All books from this author that I purchased are really good so far. This one has a lot of details drawings which are great.
Easy to use and read and understand
Somewhere near the very beginning of my lecturing career, I showed a slide onscreen and was trying to point out a unique feature of a home. Gesturing toward the screen I said, "that thingie over the window..."
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Dictionaries    3. General    4. Picture dictionaries, English    5. Reference    6. Architecture / Reference    7. Landscape art & architecture    8. Reference works   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture / Landscape    3. General    4. Landscape Architecture And Design    5. Landscape    6. Landscape architecture    7. Landscape design   

Reviews (4)

Great Site Design Reference
I was a bit tentative when I started to use this text. The book has some minor editing problems, but if your desire is to really understand site design with an emphasis on drainage and grading plan design this text does the trick and does it well. I would recommend this book to any Jr. land development designer/engineer as a must have reference.

Great reference book!
This is a great book to have on your shelf. Kept referring to it for my Site Technology classes and I know I'll be referring to it in the future. I found it very helpful and clearly written. Would highly recommend it.

Thorough but Poorly Organized
Puchased this text to help review for the LARE exam.The text has all of the necessary information but is not layed out well.Illustrations are not located on pages where they are referenced in the text making it so that you have to flip back and forth across several pages to understand the text in relation to the examples.Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Building sites    3. Engineering - Civil    4. Landscape    5. Landscape architecture    6. Landscape construction    7. Architecture / Landscape   

Reviews (3)

Landscape Lighting 101
The Landscape Lighting book, by Janet Moyer, provides both an academic and practical level of landscaping lighting knowledge. Another good book, if you can find it, is the Ortho's book of How to Design and Install Outdoor Lighting.
The Art and Craft of Landscape Lighting
The second edition of Janet Lennox Moyer's THE LANDSCAPE LIGHTING BOOK is an absolute necessity for everybody who works in landscape lighting or who is seriously interested in creating their own garden lighting. Ms Moyer has greatly revised and expanded the color plates and Chapter 4, "The Design Process - Documenting and Installing Landscape Lighting" as well as writing an entirely new Chapter 5 "Follow-up Work - Record Documents and Project Maintenance." These changes and additions and the many other updates make the new edition well worth the purchase price.
expert opinion
Still the best book for the professional.Invaluable resource for architects, landscape architects and landscape lighting designers.Broad and deep with plenty of technical information.I purchased this book in1992 and I bought it again today (an electrician friend "lost" myoriginal copy).A second edition (if planned) should include betterinformation about transformer regulation (the ability of a low voltagelighting transformer to maintain 12v under load) and voltage drop (thedreaded decrease in voltage through the main supply cable) which arepresented as formulae rather than actual measurements.Great photographsmostly of large scale projects.This book should be in every outdoorlighting designer's library.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Garden lighting    3. Landscape    4. Landscape architecture    5. Optics    6. Architecture / Landscape   

Reviews (9)

Landscaping 101
This is a grand book with homes in differing sites in differing parts of the US.One can glean many ideas from the great photographs and text.Julie Moir Messervy's designs are elegantly simple and reflect her studies in Japan.This book is a real addition to the library of anyone interested in designing their landscape.

Wonderful Book- Susanka is the best!
Susanka is a great architect! Love it all and look forward to generating a whole new look for my entire property!

Many ideas for designing small areas near small houses
(4.5 Stars)I can see from the other reviews that there exist a wide range of opinions about this book.I fall on the high side, I suppose.I enjoyed the large number of photos and ideas for landscaping small areas - spots even - in the yard around a smaller home.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Garden Design    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardens    6. General    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design    10. Landscape    11. Landscape Architecture And Design    12. Landscape gardening    13. Philosophy    14. House & Home / General   

Reviews (12)

Courtyards: Aesthetic & Function
"Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight" begins with a brief history of courtyards including itemized accounts of such topics as placement within a building, orientation, exposure, and the promotion of temperature conditions within a courtyard.
Couryards: Interacting with nature
I got this book several years ago on an inter-library loan from NDSU.It's a great book.The only problem is that it's relatively expensive -- $60 or so.
Honest Reviews?
Were all the reviews written by the author? Give me a break! The fact that every review sounds the same will keep me from ever purchasing this book. In that case, I guess all the reviews helped! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture And Energy Conservation    3. Architecture And The Environment    4. Architecture and climate    5. Courtyard gardens    6. Courtyard houses    7. Design & Drafting    8. Garden Design    9. General    10. Landscape    11. Architectural structure & design    12. Architecture / Design & Drafting    13. Garden design & planning    14. History of specific subjects   

Reviews (5)

Awesome!
Just bought this book about 2 hours ago, and put it down only to write this review. This guy is one heck of an artist. Taking Your Grass Care a Cut Above Where It Is Today!
Summary:Picture Perfect is the ultimate resource for those who want to add even more beauty and interest to their grass by growing and maintaining healthier turf and cutting it in original and beautiful patterns. WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK!
One of the first things I notice about people's homes is the way the lawn is cut. Some might say, "get a life," but to me the landscape design and lawn say a lot.From a psychological point of view, it says something about the people who live there, too!We have all seen lawns cut straight and perfect, every blade of grass precise, row after row - not much creativity there.We have also seen lawns cut haphazardly in every conceivable direction and length, a clump here and a clump there, as if the ride-on mower and its near-sighted rider short-circuited, jumped the fence and rode off into the sunset! Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Landscape    5. Lawns    6. Plants - Grasses    7. Turf management    8. Turfgrasses    9. Architecture    10. Architecture / Landscape   

Reviews (14)

A must-have
I am a landscape architecture student in new zealand, this is basically the text book we use for a couple of our design studios. The graphics in the book are so helpful to my projects and it sure helped me improve my graphic skills. I reckon it is a definitely must-have for all landscape students or landscape architects:) highly recommand!

Landscape Graphics Plan, Section, and Perspective Drawing of Landscape Spaces
Excellent resource for learning how to draw trees, vegetation and other elements for architectural presentation drawings.Many of the drawings can be photocopied and pasted on your own drawings and the author encourages you to do so if you are sketch-ability-deficient.Very good value.

Great For Beginners!
I am a beginning landscape architecture student, and I found this book to be extremely helpful, as I am beginning to learn how to design proper plans. This book breaks down the basic tools to use for drafting, basic concept diagram info, great info on plan views, sections and section elevations. There is also a really helpful library of symbols (both plan and section) that I use all the time! Highly recommended for beginners! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Designs and plans    3. Landscape    4. Landscape architectural drawin    5. Landscape architectural drawing    6. Landscape architecture    7. Drawing & drawings    8. Landscape art & architecture   

Reviews (5)

Miami Then and Now
Having grown up in Miami, I found the book particularly interesting. The pictures were excellent. I thought the captions could have been a bit more informative.

Miami preconstruction boom and Investment
Execellent book - highly recommended, but get down here and see for yourself - what's happening to the Miami is magical and really a golden opportunity for all. Over the next few years Miami's Skyline will be transformed as builders and investors seek billions in pre-construction investments to turn the city into a the epicenter of the region.
Captiving Photo Book
If you have lived in Miami or have an affinity toward Miami, this is a must-have book.Few people in Miami like Arva Moore Parks have taken the time to document the City's rich history as the fastest-growing metropolis in the United States over the last 100 years.The "then and now" photos offer splendid matches, with interesting and informative historical notes in the caption.Great coffee-table book too! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural & Industrial    2. History    3. History - U.S.    4. Landscape    5. Miami (Fla.)    6. Photo Essays    7. Photoessays & Documentaries    8. Photography    9. Pictorial works    10. Subjects & Themes - Travel - U.S/South    11. United States - State & Local - General    12. Sale Books   

Reviews (2)

Helps you get out of a rut
I found this book to be great for when you have designer's block.This book is filled to the rim with illustrated examples and makes a great quick reference.The best thing about it is it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like most design books.

Great book to learn how to integrate design elements
Very impressed with how the author demonstrates how you can take an element, whether it is a sea shell or fern frond, and how you can actually integrate it in a landscape design. Being a student in Landscape Architecture, I find it very useful in design projects. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. General    3. Landscape    4. Landscape design    5. Photography    6. Architecture / Landscape   

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Architecture    3. General    4. Landscape    5. Landscape architecture    6. Landscape gardening    7. Landscaping industry    8. Life Sciences - Horticulture    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Agricultural science    12. Landscape art & architecture    13. Technology / Agriculture & Animal Husbandry   

Reviews (7)

not as good as i expected
this highly recommended book started out as a compelling read, but became something i had to force myself to finish. it seems to be a series of lectures strung together, which may have been interesting as lectures, but is not cohesive enough to be a book. the good information is lost amidst the rambling style.

A must read for Landscape Architects
Anyone studying environmental planning or LA should read this book.

Significant Book for Architects - Though a Little Slow
While it's not the kind of book you want to lounge around the fireplace reading, it is a book that is frequently referred to by architects.It is significant in designing and ecologially friendly building in today's built-up environment.Summary:Not a great book, but a useful resource for architects. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Effect of human beings on    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Environmental policy    5. Human ecology    6. Landscape    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Planning    10. United States    11. Applied ecology    12. Architecture / Landscape    13. City & town planning - architectural aspects   

Reviews (1)

Exaggerated title
The book analyses the subjects at an amateur level and it is lacking in content. As a necessity of my doctoral dissertation I bought it and regret.The letter fonts are unnecessarily too big; according to me the realvolume should be about 175 pages.Photographs and drawings(plan, etc.)areinadequate and print quality is not good.I was expecting a satisfying book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture Of Specific Structures    4. Architecture, Modern    5. Commercial Interior Design    6. Design & Drafting    7. History    8. Interior Design - General    9. Interior decoration    10. Planning    11. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    12. Resort architecture    13. Architectural structure & design    14. Architecture / Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    15. Environmental Engineering & Technology    16. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    17. Interior design    18. Landscape art & architecture   

Reviews (5)

A fantastic book for a very much loved park
Did you know that the elm lined mall leading to the Bethesda fountain and the view of the ramble are actually based on the layout of a church? Or that all of the lakes in Central Park are manmade. This and many other very interesting facts are interspersed with lovingly taken photographs of the park which were taken by the author of the book as well. Miller starts decribing how the park came to be and the leading ideas and ideals that lead to its creation by Olmsted and Vaux. She proceeds to describe systematically the various sections of the park providing historical information as well. She delves into the some of the controversies and compromises that Olmsted and Vaux encountered in the creation of one of the finest examples of 19th Century art but it is not a comprehensive history of the park. There is a 2 page map of the park at the of the book with a legend identifying each of the features discussed in the book. If you are first time visitor to the city wishing to explore the park in detail or a life long New Yorker this book will delight and surprise you.

Definitive Review of the Finest Work of Art in NYC
As an avid fan of Central Park who has been exploring it and studying the books on it for decades, I was amazed at what there was still to learn about it from Miller's book. For example,other historians allude to a connection between Central Park's design and the Hudson River School of landscape art: Miller provides actual sources of the designer's inspiration and shows the results explicitly in the photos. And all in a way that is not at all "bookish" but instead makes you want to go right in and see for yourself the scenes she shows so well in the book's illustrations. The beautiful photos and fascinating stories and the well chosen historical prints all work together in such a compelling and entertaining way that one might never realize one is being educated by a superb textbook in the field of art.
New York's Oasis
Central Park is breath taking and this book does a fine job of giving the reader a feel for what makes this 850 acre masterpiece so special.The book is quite thorough and does an commendable job of disecting various sections of the park.The color photos are vivid and well thought out and the text is highly informative.The author has a real love for the park and it comes out in her writing.If you have never visited Central Park or have visited and fell in love with it like so many others, you will love this book.This oasis really is the heart of New York City and to understand New York you have to understand the parks historyand its vast importantance to the city.Central Parks importance to New York and New Yorkers cannot be overstated, I can't imagine the city without it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Central Park (New York, N.Y.)    2. Description and travel    3. Gardening    4. Gardening/Plants    5. History    6. Landscape    7. New York (N.Y.)    8. Parks & Campgrounds    9. Pictorial works    10. Travel - United States    11. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    12. Architecture / Landscape    13. City & town planning - architectural aspects    14. Local history    15. New York   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Civil    2. Engineering - Hydraulic    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Environmental Engineering & Technology    5. Environmental aspects    6. Land use    7. Management    8. Nature    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Urban runoff    12. Water quality management    13. Architecture / Landscape    14. Civil Engineering, Surveying & Building    15. Sanitary & municipal engineering   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Diseases and pests    3. Flowers - General    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Landscape    6. Turf management    7. Turfgrasses    8. Architecture / Landscape   

Reviews (4)

Great book for your bookshelf!
This book is great!I use it all the time and my pages have been dog-eared to death.Very useful and the pictures can give you some great ideas!I pull it out all the time, even just to look at the pictures.
Great guide for new gardeners
This has been one of my best purchases yet for gardening.From preparing the land to the final touches this book contains excellent detail.In addition, you have multiple plans for projects from gazebos to water fountains.I highly recommend this book.You will not regret the purchase.

REALLY IS COMPLETE!!!
They weren't lying when they said new complete guide! It has everything and more. It has really inspired me.The pictures are fantastic. They can give you ideas themselves. This book lets you know how to plan out your landscape, let's you use your imagination, and gives you choices and step by step instructions to make your landscaping dreams come true. I highly reccomend it. This is the best book out there! It has some excellent ideas! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Gardens    7. Landscape    8. Landscape Horticulture    9. Landscape gardening    10. Garden design & planning    11. Gardening / Landscape    12. landscaping   

Reviews (5)

Perfect History book for a visual learner
This is a great book. It is very readable, and even if you are not particularly interested in landscape design/architectural history, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers will inspire you. This book follows landscape and cultural architecture through history and makes me wonder why all schools - from elementary on up - don't attack history lessons from such a practical and fascinating point of view.
Great coffee table book, bad text book
I had to purchase this book for my LA class and it's a bug squasher.While the pictures are impressive, and the coverage of the subject in-depth, the author can be long winded.What she covers in a page could have easily been said in a couple of paragraphs.I also don't care for the glossy pages.While they make the pictures look nice, reading the fine text that it's printed can give one a headache.

A note about the photos
Very well researched history of landscape design.However, I wouldn't go so far as to describe the photographs as 'breathtaking' as does another reviewer.There are many of them, all interesting, but almost all (apart from a brief intro sequence) only quarter or eighth page size.As a result, there is no image as impressive as the front cover.This is my only quibble, and the reason for 4 not 5 stars: why have a book so big and then not make full use of its size to present such a visually-based subject? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. History    3. Landscape    4. Landscape architecture    5. Landscape design    6. Architecture / Landscape    7. History of specific subjects    8. Landscape art & architecture   

Reviews (2)

Essential Resourcefor the Healing Garden Designer
Beautiful organization, research examples to support common-sense recommendations, case studies with pictures, this superb book is the first stop for the healing garden designer.The case studies and design recommendations are grouped by health care setting, which makes the reading more focused.By far the best professional text on the topic.

Aplicaciones para la salud
Creo que es un buen punto de partida para comenzar a incluir en el dise�o del entorno y el paisaje pautas que incluyan un beneficio directo en la salud de quienes lo contemplan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Allied Health Services - Occupational Therapy    2. Architecture    3. Gardening    4. Landscape    5. Landscape Architecture And Design    6. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation    7. Therapeutic use    8. Therapeutics (Specific Aspects)    9. Architecture / Landscape    10. Garden design & planning