101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

Not Only for Architects

"101 Things I Learned in Architecture School" is an enjoyable, well-designed little book.

As a registered architect since 1968 I sometimes wish I could do a better job of making others understand why we do what we do. Matthew Frederick has captured the essence of what makes most of us tick. Lend this book to non-architect friends and to clients. If you don't get it back, buy another.

From No. 1 "How to draw a line", to No. 101 "Architects are late bloomers", and my favorite, No. 72 "Design with models", this book is a gem.

This is a cute little book. I wouldn't recommend it for students, because they should be learning most of the content of this book. If you are not being taught this stuff then you are not in your architecture library enough and your professors should be teaching better. Still if you get a chance to peruse it in the bookstore and like it, then go ahead. You should probably be purchasing Architecture: Form, Space and Order by Francis D K Ching, or another of his books.

This book is more for the out of touch architects, who have been doing complicated geometries for absurd reasons or the ones who want to do complicated geometries for absurd reasons. This book is like the 5-minute university concept. It brings you back down to earth with brief one page concepts and "realities." Like a summer person is 22" wide and a winter person is 24" wide. The gist being winter clothed people are wider. Or architects typically reach their prime later in life! Something a student might want to know so they can adjust their mindset now! It doesn't have everything you may need, but this book is refreshing for those a little out of touch with design and architecture.

Was expecting a little more from this book. It doesn't go into a lot of depth and some points hardly scratch the surface.

It does have things that every student should know, but at the same time there's no explanation or reasoning. Some pages are included in the "101" that are simply quotes that do not bear a lot of significance

The book is cute but small, large type, with few words and lots of empty spaces. Even pages include drawings, most of them useless (believe me; you don't need a sketch of a triangle, a rectangle and so, to know that those are "figures"; or a guy sitting on a desk to imagine he is an architect) being there for the sole purpose of pumping the book up to reach a minimal number of pages.
One page contains just this: "Architecture is the thoughtful making of space.", opposite to a sketchy profile portrait of Louis Kahn. Amazing. But for short, the record goes to page 62: "Less is a bore" (A too known already epigram from Arch. Robert Venturi)
Several pages are dedicated to the cool-sounding and totally vague idea of the "parti" [par-TEE] which, freed from verbal garbage, means a sketch of the general concept of a building. (Take note of this buzz word to impress laypersons). Lots of other pseudo philosophical mumbo-jumbo: zeitgeist, holistic, a little Chinese... The usual Kung-Fu gobbledygook wisdom, coming from a book introduced as presenting "in clear and simple language things that tend to be mystified in the classroom".
Simple often is. To the point of being crass: Roll your plans face outward so they will stay put on the table when you unroll them. (Remember: this you learn in Architecture School; a deep discipline, I gather). One page takes 85 words to say this: Make 3D models.
Another can be condensed into: Exert pressure at the beginning and the end of a line. More: "When lettering, slant your horizontals slightly upwards". (Both advises as if everybody is drawing with a pencil these days) ...
Other: When elements or spaces are not explicit but are apparent, they are said to be implied (Wow!. But how I am going to practically use this invaluable breakthrough of information?). More practical info: "Sense of place. Genius loci literally means genius of place. It is used to describe places that are deeply memorable for their architectural and experiential qualities." (Go ahead, use it in your next project). More immediately applicable data on page 35, which just quotes Gertrude Stain: "I like my view but I like to sit with my back turned to it". (Now that I know it, I cannot stop myself from start designing houses). I would say that on an even keel, all quotations here are useless.
I suspect that those individuals giving 5 stars to the book are friends of Frederick, helping him to sell his little (ultimately pathetic) book to fools such as me.
If this is what Mr. Frederick learned in Architecture School, he wasted his time. And mine.

Little book which can be read in a few hours but that left you a lot of food for thought. A great reading for all kind of designers, not only architects.