Patterns and Layering is a journey into the activities of Kengo Kuma Research Lab. The book aims to establish the interrelation between patterns and layering within architecture. These two previously detached notions can now be integrated into one methodology mediated by structural concepts. Patterns and Layering is the first book to introduce this new interrelationship, which has the potential to begin a new architectural and design revolution.

So rich and unique is traditional Japanese architecture that it''s hard to improve upon. Yet contemporary Japanese designers and architects keep finding new ways to refurbish and take inspiration from the ways of old. Whether it''s a pristinely preserved traditional house or a cutting-edge apartment, the best Japanese homes share a love of cleverly designed spaces and warm materials such as wood, bricks, and bamboo. From a thatched roof farmhouse occupied by a Zen priest to Tadao Ando''s experimental 4x4 House, Shigeru Ban''s conceptual Shutter House, and a beautiful homage to bamboo in the form of a home, this book traverses the multifaceted landscape of Japanese living today. Also included is a list of addresses and a glossary of terms, such as tatami.

Dating back more than six thousand years, China is the world''s oldest civilization and most populous nation. With its remarkable history, rich culture, and diversity of ethnic groups, China is an endlessly fascinating country. Sneaking a peek at an array of different homes, from ancient to modern, Living in China brings you to places that most will never have a chance to visit. Whether it''s the Bamboo Wall by Kengo Kuma, a 600-year-old round earth house in Fujian, the artsy Shanghai apartment of a celebrated but banned Chinese writer, the Hong Kong residence of the owner of the China Clubs and Shanghai Tan, or an artist studio and home in the largest art community in the world, all of the interiors featured here capture intriguing facets of life in China today.

The man-made peninsular Palm Jumeirah on the coast of Dubai is a superlative project and an exemplary model for the Gated Communities and Resorts that have developed worldwide in property bubbles. The development may be spectacular, but cannot conceal the fact that the former marketing success story is faced with serious problems. How can an isolated anti-urban exclave be opened up and integrated? Can issues concerning networking, the public sphere and affordable housing, as well as climate change adaptation, biodiversity and the supply of energy be resolved through targeted tactical interventions? The Charter of Dubai is a manifesto of critical urban transformation. It subversively encourages the conversion of isolated quarters into a socially and ecologically open urban space. The detailed catalog of the individual measures, richly illustrated with clear sketches and references, make the Charter a handbook for urban transformation that takes social and ecological aspects into account.

Established as beachheads of foreign influence along coastal China during the mid-nineteenth century, the twelve Treaty Ports Shanghai, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hankou, Harbin, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shantou, Tianjin, Tsingtao and Xiamen can be considered from a number of perspectives. This book examines the evolving contextual changes in the Treaty Ports over the past 150 years. It illustrates through writing and line sketches, the imprints on the modernizing cities of older places and spaces from these early times, which have left a residue of physical traces in terms of plan forms, streets and building groups.

A Day at elBulli, Classic Edition is an exclusive look behind the scenes at elBulli, voted ''Best Restaurant in the World'' and into the mind of Ferran Adrià, the most creative chef working today. With two million requests for reservations every year, elBulli was notoriously difficult to get a table at. A Day at elBulli, Classic Edition opens the doors to everyone and reveals the inner workings of the kitchen and the gastronomic innovations that have helped create the spectacular food. Illustrated with over 1,000 colour photographs, the book includes recipes and innovative inserts explaining the creative methods and food philosophy, the reservations policy, the history of elBulli and the life of Ferran Adrià.

Published as a companion analysis to an exhibition on the topic of ''illegal architecture'' in Taipei and China, this book focuses on the work and insight of two architects, Wang Shu and Hsieh Ying-chun, in a search for a ''more positive meaning for architecture''. With an eye toward opening new possibilities for city life and instilling a sense of aesthetics in residents who take action in an architectural and urban sense, its purpose is to show the vital and organic qualities of the city while circumventing - or breaking - regulatory and technological barriers.

This book has thirteen new essays from a range of distinguished architectural historians to help you understand the region''s rich and varied architecture. It will also introduce you to major projects that have not been written about in English. A foreword by historian Kenneth Frampton sets the stage for essays on well-known architects, such as Lucio Costa and Félix Candela, which will show you unfamiliar aspects of their work, and for essays on the work of little-known figures, such as Uruguayan architect Carlos Gómez Gavazzo and Peruvian architect and politician Fernando Belaúnde Terry. Covering urban and territorial histories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, along with detailed building analyses, this book is your best source for historical and critical essays on a sampling of Latin America''s diverse architecture, providing much-needed information on key case studies.

Under the burning Tuscan sun roll marvelous hills, vineyards, olive groves - all postcard-perfect landscapes nestling medieval towns, rural villas, and contadino farmhouses, endless niches of dreamy dwellings exuding all the charm for which the region is revered. We''ve tracked down the best examples of such havens - from the typical to the surprising - to paint a warm-hued picture of the look and feel of Tuscan living. Inspiration abounds from these pages of achingly beautiful homes; who knows -maybe you can bring the magic of Tuscany to your corner of the world.

Nestled in the south of France, bordering the Mediterranean sea, is a magical region of the world renowned for its lavender fields, fine cuisine, golden sun, and dreamy landscapes. This land, known as Provence, has inspired such writers and artists as Alphonse Daudet, Frédéric Mistral, and Vincent Van Gogh. Paul Cezanne loved the region''s Mount Sainte Victoire so much that he immortalized it in his famous paintings; his Provence studio, which still looks the same as it did over one hundred years ago, is featured herein, as is the house where Mistral, 1904 Nobel prize-winner, lived and wrote. Also included are photographs of the famous Hotel Nord-Pinus in Arles where Jean Cocteau sojourned and Picasso stayed when he came to see the bullfights. Bringing together the region''s most remarkable interiors, classical and contemporary, this book paints a gorgeous picture of Provençal living.

Hospitality design in Thailand has produced one of the most vigorous architectural scenes in South-East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. ''Resorts by Thai Architects'' not only presents selected works by architects but also focuses on works that are widely accepted by other people such as tourists, designers and those in the hotel business from around the world. They are well recognised and the designs of these projects have been through the critical concept and integrated design stages. Some have even involved research-based design and professional marketing strategies. Thus, the 8 resort projects selected for this book are a confirmation of design and managemant skills, and partly a record of the development of modern Thai architecture over the last century.

''Metabolism Trip'' is a collection of photographs and short stories of Charlie KoolhaasÆ journey along many of the remaining buildings of the Metabolist Movement. In the late 1950s a small group of young Japanese architects and designers joined forces under the title of "Metabolism". Their visions for cities of the future inhabited by a mass society were characterized by large scale structures. Charlie Koolhaas, a Dutch photographer and editor of UNIT magazine, traveled across Japan in 2009 to photograph how these architectural icons have survived and aged. What do their founding fathers and their inhabitants think of these buildings now? What Koolhaas found were triumphant and at times eerie constructions that had taken on a life of their own.

Photographer Joaquim Nabuco has found art in the architecture, interiors, and landscapes designed by his fellow Brazilians. Through more than 160 large, lively images, Nabuco welcomes you on a journey to see more than 15 properties.

What kind of architecture do we find in a country that has no traditional building materials such as timber and bricks at its fingertips but instead builds houses using grass and clay? How is Icelandic architecture manifested in the present day? And how did the people in Iceland cope with the unexpected wealth as their home suddenly became the richest country in Europe - and how did they manage the equally unexpected crash? This volume investigates these and other questions. Essays and expert discussions - featuring experts both local and international - illuminate the current state of Icelandic architecture and present typical projects. The impressive photographs by Gudmundur Ingólfsson represent both a search for signs of hope for the country''s future after the crisis and a positive result.

Nowhere in the world have architects built so many small and exceptional homes as in Japan, and nowhere with such ingenuity and success. How to Make a Japanese House presents 21 contemporary houses and situates them in the evolution of Japanese housing. Simultaneously, the book provides insight into the unique design approach of three different generations of Japanese architects. The interviews with architects such as Jun Aoki, Ryue Nishizawa and Sou Fujimoto clarify in a personal way the backgrounds of the designs. With her fascination for Japanese culture, Cathelijne Nuijsink takes the reader on a journey into the contemporary Japanese house. Using a rich array of research, drawings and photographs, How to Make a Japanese House demonstrates that Japanese homes offer a radically different way of thinking about architecture.