Mimetic Rivalry

Papadakis Press, 2012

‘Architects and Mimetic Rivalry,’ by Rene Girard, Leon Krier, Samir Younes and Kent Bloomer is now available. The book is a collection of essays which discuss competition and quarrel among architects. Kent Bloomer argues that rivalries among modern architects pushed ornament into the cross-hairs.

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The Nature of Ornament

W.W. Norton, 2000

Is ornament dead? This book offers a passionate argument for its vitality and meaning in modern architecture. Illustrated with the author’s evocative line drawings and photographs of ornament from ancient Greece to the modern cityscape, the book is a hymn to the riches of architectural ornament.

Available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com

Body, Memory, and Architecture

Yale University Press, 1978

This book is a product of the authors’ joint efforts to teach fundamentals of architectural design to first-year professional students at the Yale School of Architecture and features essays on context and memory in the experience of architecture.

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“The Picture Window: The Problem of Viewing Nature Through Glass” Chapter in Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life

John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2008

Biophilic Design explores how we can better connect to nature through the design of buildings and neighborhoods. It argues for re-connecting spaces where we live and work to nature through daylight, fresh air, plants and green spaces, natural materials, and decorative motifs from the natural world. The chapter on the picture window offers an alternative to the visual distantiation and physical separation of today’s picture windows.

Available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com