100 Ideas That Changed Architecture

by Richard Weston

This inspiring book chronicles the most influential ideas that have shaped architecture. Entertaining and intelligent, it provides a concise history of the subject, and is also a fascinating resource to dip into. Arranged in a broadly chronological order to show the development of architecture, the ideas that comprise the book include innovative and influential concepts, technologies, techniques and movements. Each idea is presented through interesting text and arresting visuals, and explores when the idea first evolved and the subsequent impact it has had up to the present day.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, Design, Creative

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Professor Richard Weston (born 1953) is an architect, landscape architect, author[1] and is also the Chair of Architecture at Cardiff University. He is Director of Richard Weston Studio Ltd and Earth Images Ltd.

Weston was born in Leicester in 1953. He attended Wyggeston Boys Grammar School. He went on to study architecture at Manchester University, gaining a BA in 1975 and BArch in 1977. Supported by the Thouron Award, he attended the University of Pennsylvania (USA) to study landscape architecture, gaining an MLA (Penn) in 1979. From 1979–1982 he worked in practice and was appointed as a lecturer at the Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) in Cardiff. He subsequently taught at the Leicester and Portsmouth schools of architecture before returning to Cardiff in 1999 as a professorial research fellow. In 2003 he was appointed to the Chair of Architecture, a position he holds today.

Reviews

[Richard Bakare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am really torn on this book. It was a bit all over the place. Informative and well ordered, but then also painfully droll in style and tone deaf in some others. The selection of supporting imagery is also confusing. Beautiful in their own rights but sometimes detracting from or not entirely serving the subject being discussed in that section.

As a primer for the key innovations that have evolved architecture to where it is and how each step built off the next; it is great. But the delivery sucks the life out of the moving experience that architecture and design are. It is as if the author wanted to write a technical book, encased in a coffee table format, with footnotes riddled throughout.

Then there are some cringe worthy moments when he referred to architectural choices made in Colonial America as being subject to the “climate” of the times. NO, it was slavery, just say it. The book should have either been shorter and simpler, or more detailed and treated as a textbook. I hope someone comes along and repackages the content into something better. As it is, the book is a good way to build a better lens for how to observe buildings and the design behind them.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a generic coffee table book, in paperback form. It's a series of 100 ideas, essays really, along with photos (not very great quality photos)...of things you would expect on this list ie, concrete, electricity, sustainability and some not so expected things ie, bigness, type, place (these were a stretch for me).

But Weston does put on his list "design and build" (known to architects as "design build") and computer aided design. Indeed these have changed the face of architecture and architects...who have become nothing more than draftsmen for contractors. I'd like to see Weston make a book "100 Ideas That Changed Architects." The role of the architect is changing rapidly and I think it safe to say not necessarily for the better (sustainability aside).

A nice book for the lay person, but without the coffee table book price (or quality).

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool book. More photos than content, but I think that's what they wanted to do...give the reader a taste of 100 ideas that changed architecture and leave it up to them to look further in to those which interested them.

EDIT: There is at least one error in this book. The Wexner Center for the Arts is listed as being at The University of Ohio in Columbus, Ohio. "The University of Ohio" doesn't exist anywhere, but definitely not in Columbus. The Wexner Center for the Arts is at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a nice idea, but the text for each of the ideas is kind of negligible, which turns this mostly into a browsing book, which would be fine, but the pictures ought to be more plentiful and larger if that's the intent.

[Stephen Coates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting with such developments as walls, floors, doors and windows (and if one thinks they’ve always been there, look at the Parthenon), moving through such topics as symmetry, the lift, beaux-arts and form follows function and concluding with the likes of sustainability, deconstruction and community architecture, the book presents 100 ideas, each of which has contributed to the field we know as architecture. Author Richard Weston is clearly very well read, his analysis is comprehensive and backed up with references and, at the same time, succinct. However, as with any book presenting 50 of these or 100 of that, the very format of the book poses the question, how many significant ideas were rejected or questionable ideas added to achieve the nice round number of 100.

[Maksym Karpovets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Попри, здавалося б, банальну й поширену назву, книга є достатньо корисним виданням для певних цілей. Насамперед, це дуже хороший посібник для викладання загальних курсів про мистецво (тому й мені пригодилась), де можна лаконічно й чітко розповісти про ключові елементи архітектури. Проблема більшості видань про архітектуру в тому, що вони написані надто складно, де багато технічних термінів і понять. Тут навпаки збережено баланс між фактами й доступним поясненням. Втім, якщо ви шукаєте більш фахове видання, то цього вам буде недостатньо.

[Rana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a novice architect, I was greatly inspired by many of the ideas in this book. It directs how the reader comprehends architectural development.
Although each concept is explained in great depth, it isn't often made clear how this particular concept "changed architecture".
The graphic style was quite unsettling because of how tightly the content was crammed onto the page.
But overall, I heartily suggest this book to everyone interested in the development and specifics of architecture.

[Dan Brownie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but a but dull, my teacher recommended me this

[Dev Nithiavel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that explains the history of architecture and the pivotal ideas that brought changes to the architectural trade. Unfortunately, you might need a little background before you dive into it due to the concepts and terms explained being a little advanced. Coffee table stuff. Probably not a good read for anyone looking for the basics of architecture.

[Lisa Walker England · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro for a complete newbie to the subject. If you're already a student of the discipline, you would probably find this far below your level. But for my purposes as a neophyte it was very helpful!

[Jessie Moberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting stuff. There are a ton of simple things that are so obvious in here, it's hard to think that they didn't always exist in the world of architecture.

[Tran Arch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideas, simple, complete, not much illustrations but good figures

[Lakshmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first books I read regarding Architecture outside of the college curriculum. Learnt a lot, got introduced to many new concepts. Nice.

[Zeeshan Zaheer]

I good compilation for 1st year bachelor architecture students .