How to Enjoy Architecture: A Guide for Everyone

by Charles Holland

Charles Holland challenges us to look beyond the day-to-day familiarity of buildings to rediscover the pleasure of experiencing architecture
 
Architecture is bound up with our daily lives but, for most of us, it is experienced as a blur of habit. Our reactions towards the buildings that surround us are often culturally generated, and we experience them in ways that are immediate but often mundane. How to Enjoy A Guide for Everyone encourages us to move beyond this and, instead, really look at buildings.
 
Renowned architect Charles Holland talks about the buildings and architects that excite and inspire him, and the ideas and principles through which we can engage with architecture. By breaking buildings down into categories such as materials, structure, space, and use, Holland guides us through drastically different styles and building types—from the satisfying symmetry of a Queen Anne house to the thrill of a high-tech tower, or the social ideals that lie behind a housing estate. In doing so, he demonstrates how looking at, experiencing, and using architecture can bring joy in itself.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published April 23, 2024

Reviews

[Iva · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting and undemanding introduction to the thought processes and concepts that underpin architecture. It's not a systematic overview of eras, styles and architects, but it will introduce you to the range of (opposing) ideas and examples that are a good starting point for further research. I am reviewing it as someone who really enjoys looking at and experiencing architecture, but doesn't have much knowledge about it, so I can only guess that its claims and examples are sound. It's a shame it's not more richly illustrated, so keep your phone near you to look up photos of everything the author mentions.

[Matthew Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Probably an unbiased review). Having been involved in the periphery of buildings during my career I found it interesting to go through the different events of architecture; style, composition, space, materials, structure and use. Enjoyed hearing the personality of the author come through. And yes, I expect it to help me enjoy architecture.

[Richard Fourie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!
Having a casual interest and layman understanding of architecture, Holland has provided a wonderful and tangible introduction to this world - it’s the first book on architecture I’ve read which hasn’t given much information to recite (such as histories, lists of types, in depth analysis etc.), but rather a richer appreciation for ALL architecture and useful broad tools for what to look out for (style, composition, space, materials, structure, use). Example case are helpful and would generally be interesting to any one of UK origin - outside, not so sure as might find most cases a bit niche!
What I most appreciated about the book was the (not avoided but significantly) reduced use of flowery language that tends to plague and pretence architectural writing, especially for the layman.
Keep your phone close to look up some of the examples as not all have pictures.

[Timothy Maksimenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

as someone who has never remotely examined or considered architecture, my interest has been thoroughly piqued. could benefit from more and better pictures. discards pretentious notions and concisely focuses on concepts accessible to laymen. very good.

[Genevieve Groves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this