Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art

by Christopher Day

Revised to incorporate the changes in opinions and attitudes since its first publication, the second edition of 'Places of the Soul' has brought Christopher Day's classic text into the 21st century.


This new edition of the seminal text reminds us that true sustainable design does not simply mean energy efficient building. Sustainable buildings must provide for the 'soul'. For Christopher Day architecture is not just about a building's appearance, but how the building is experienced. 'Places of the Soul' presents buildings as environment, intrinsic to their surroundings, and offers design principles that will open the eyes of the architecture student and professional alike, presenting ideas quite different to the orthodoxy of modern architectural education.

Christopher Day's experience as an architect, self-builder, professor and sculptor have all added to the development of his ideas that encompass issues of economic and social sustainability, commercial pressures and consensus design. This book presents these ideas and outlines universal principles that will be of interest and value to architects, builders, planners and developers alike.

Genres: Architecture, Art Design, Nonfiction, Design

309 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 1990

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Roger Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and sane and wholesome and healing. I had the great privilege of both meeting the author and living next door to a building he designed - and it gave me daily joy ...

Alas, our society isn't interested in building like this and nothing will allow for Day's vision other than a profound change in society. Day I believe recognised this and had his hopes in Rudolf Steiner, whose architectural insertions inspired him.

Long ago, I agreed with Day, as an ardent Anthroposophist. But I came to see that Steiner's Anthroposophy could not provide for the new culture so desperately needed. The Anthroposophical Society has failed. More on that here, for anyone who might be interested:

http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2011/...

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

preachin to the choir here. fun work to be done. highly recommended, this is about a new way of approaching life, interaction and the physical environment. this will be a handbook i promise.

[Jeneva Izorion · Rating 4 out of 5]

เป็นหนังสือสถาปัตย์ที่พึ่งอ่านเล่มแรก ๆ แต่เล่มนี้ก็ไม่ใช่สถาปัตย์หนัก ๆ ไรขนาดนั้น ออกแนว spiritual มากกว่า

คร่าว ๆ คือเล่มนี้พูดถึงการออกแบบที่ฟื้นฟูจิตใจ ก็คือสไตล์แบบสมัยก่อน ไม่เน้นเส้นตรง ๆ ทื่อ ๆ เน้นวัสดุธรรมชาติ มีต้นไม้ ใช้แสงธรรมชาติ ประมาณนั้น

อ่านแล้วอินมั้ย ก็ไม่ได้อินขนาดนั้นนะ อาจจะเพราะไม่เคยเดินเมืองที่เป็นสไตล์นั้น เช่นอังกฤษ แถบสแกนดิเนเวีย ไรงี้ แต่ทำให้รู้สึกว่า กรุงเทพไม่ได้คิดถึงขั้นออกแบบให้อยู่สบายจริง ๆ เอาแค่ทางเท้าก็น่าจะพอละ เดินโคตรลำบาก เรื่องต้นไม้ สถาปัตย์ มลพิษไรงี้ยิ่งแล้วใหญ่

เล่มนี้พอเป็นแรงกระตุ้นให้หาหนังสือเกี่ยวกับสถาปัตย์ การออกแบบเมืองที่ดี ไรงี้เพิ่มได้ดีเลย

[Jennifer Koskinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book changed my life... literally... in more ways than I can describe.
I read it in the mid 1990s and think of it still...

[Margaret]

Architecture + Environmental Design as a Healing Art.
seems like it would be a good companion to Christopher Alexander.
borrowed when first scouting books for GDP

[Penina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important and clearly-written book that is about far more than "eco architecture".

[Mariana R.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book; it is not the usual architecture book full of pictures and little explanation. "Places of the Soul" was inspiring and made me notice more my surroundings.