Defining Architectural Quality asks a deceptively simple question—what makes a building good?—and gathers a range of answers from architects, critics and historians.
About This Book
Edited by José Manuel Pozo and Wilfried Wang and arising from the International Conference on Architectural Criticism, this anthology tests the competing places where quality might be found. Is it in a building's physical properties, its cultural context or the way it is perceived? Does the architect's intention matter more than the form that results, or is quality finally a matter of ethical position?
The essays move between general theory and close case studies. Technical assessment of buildings is well established; the qualitative judgement of architecture is much less so, and the book sets out to give that judgement firmer footing.
Key Features
- Essays on the criteria by which architecture is judged
- Contributions spanning theory, criticism and case studies
- Edited by José Manuel Pozo and Wilfried Wang
- Illustrated with 101 colour and 35 black-and-white images
What You'll Discover
- Arguments for locating quality in material, context, perception or ethics
- How intention and form are weighed in assessing a building
- Case studies that put abstract criteria to work
- Why qualitative criticism of architecture needs a more rigorous footing
About the Author
José Manuel Pozo and Wilfried Wang edit the collection, which draws together contributions to the International Conference on Architectural Criticism.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Dimensions: 190 × 260 mm
- Pages: 192
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9783038604716
- Publisher: Park Books
Perfect For: Architects, critics, teachers and students who want sharper tools for talking about what makes architecture good.