In the era of unlimited access to information online, well-curated, thoughtfully written books become crucial more than ever. At the Melbourne office, we have a library of architecture and design books that offer us inspiration for creative thinking, tectonic guidance for documentation, and an insight into the world of architecture beyond.
We present ‘Book of the Week’ to our colleagues at Studio Updates, reminding them of the wealth of knowledge we can access in the workplace. Here are some of the books from the library that we would like to share with you.
Sacred Spaces: Contemporary Religious Architecture by James Pallister
Besides the religious association, sacred spaces often embrace us with a sense of tranquillity and awe that makes us want to whisper. Framing through the lens of congregation, clarity, mass, reflection, and revelation, this book explores how contemporary religious architecture has been shaped by conceptual, cultural, social, and spiritual interrelationships.
Making Space: A History of New Zealand Women in Architecture by Elizabeth Cox
In response to Geoff Mew and Adrian Humphris’ book, which featured only one female New Zealand architect along with 299 male architects, this book shines a spotlight on female architects in New Zealand and celebrates their contributions over the last 100 years.
This exhibition catalogue explores the diversity of environmental architecture, weaving together themes such as ecological knowledge, planetary scale and building narratives. The book invites readers to look back at history to imagine how the delicate balance between care for the environment and the act of production and material exploitation works in the built industry of the future.
Building for Change: The Architecture of Creative Reuse by gestalten and Ruth Lang
While words such as ‘adaptive reuse’ in the era of climate change crisis have become widely known as yet another architectural movement or style, this book considers the architecture of creative reuse as a methodology that challenges the existing processes and frameworks in the construction industry. The book highlights how creative reuse can revitalise, care and repair the existing built fabric.
