UNDERSTANDING BUILDINGS

Understanding Buildings - A Multdisiplinary Approach by Esmond Reid... In his introduction Esmond writes "... as a technical editor at the Architects' Journal in London, it occurred to me that there was no general, introductory book on the technical subjects in building design. Surely such a book would be useful?" Understanding buildings "answers this question comprehensively..." said one reviewer. Now in its 17th imprint, it was published by Longman in 1984, followed by an American edition by MIT and translations into other European Languages. The approach throughout is to look at the underlying physics in order to understand the building forms that evolve. "... the author's illustrations, combining a keen eye for architectural detail with a sense of humour, make complex concepts seem simple."... Structure How materials resist load and the building forms that result. Column, arch, vault, dome. Beam, truss, frame. Cable surface.