XS: Big Ideas, Small Buildings

I really enjoy reading about small buildings or spaces, and there aren't many books like this that focuses on really small structures and green architecture like those featured in this book. I borrowed this book from the library and enjoyed it so much that I thought to buy myself a copy. This book features various type of small structures (i.e. utility structure/summer house etc). What I also liked about the book that it showed projects from around the world and not just a couple of countries. (Though most projects do come from North America and Europe, with one or two from Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia.) 43 projects are in this book, divided into these chapters: "Views from outside"- small structures with the function on viewing from or to "Material concerns" - projects that experiment with materials "urban flowering" - structures that "enhance" the urban fabric or experience "Touching the earth lightly" - buildings that are portable. The book dedicates 2-4 pages per project with a short description and background to the project. I didn't find this to be terrible since many of the projects are very small and don't require a lot of photos to depict it. (Though some of the projects I would have really like to see more photos.) I really like this book and found a lot of the projects to be inspirational and interesting.

Note carefully the words in the title of this book, 'Small Structures.' In spite of the copy on the back of the book, this is not a book concentrating on small houses. This a book on all kinds of small structures. They may be viewing platforms, a bridge, a pigeon loft, a monument, an emergency shelter made out of an ocean shipping container, a camera obscura, a work of art, or indeed there are a few houses here. What this book is really trying to do is push the state of the architectural art just as far as it can be pushed. Here are structures that are ecologically responsible, wildly creative and showcase the advanced thinking that the premier architectural firms can do when removed from the restrictions of building yet another McMansion. As you look at these structures, some give you ideas that you'd really like to try in your next building, some of the others just look weird and don't fit into anything that seems reasonable. All in all, I found it a stay up late and look at every picture just to see what they might think of next kind of book.

This book is about creativity and innovation; not just small-house-designing, but compact-space-creation. It contains not only residential projects, but also public facilities (e.g., bus stops) and objects (e.g., stunning tents), plus some "think-outside-the-box" structures for extream weather (e.g., north pole), remote locations, unusual situations (e.g., floating on a river) and pure entertainment (a pocket-size [before use] inflatable space). It also includes all the information about the architects and designers and the prices (generally very cheap, the inflatable space only costs about 5 franc!). However, I would like to have more informatin about those designs, maybe more pictures or text to get a more complete 3D feeling of those spaces. I discovered this book in a bookstore. After skimming through it, I immediately decided to order one copy. If you want to find some recent architecture and building cases, you'd better get some other books or buy some magazines. But if you want to know how far architecure and design can go and want to experience some intellectural stimulation, then get this book. You will be enlightened.

I found this book while doing a newsstand project for my studio class. I was interested in seeing how other designers had tackled the high level of detail that becomes necessary when creating a small structure (and get some inspriation for my own project along the way). I wasn't disappointed. Although I usually like to see more process sketches in architecture books (Xs is completely lacking in this regard), the variety, creativity and inventiveness of the projects exhibited won me over. The different uses of materials are especially diverse and inspiring. The photographs are thoughtful and do a good job of showing much of the detail that makes these structures interesting in the first place. The text is well-written (I consider any architecture writing not filled with euphemisim and jargon a godsend), and the quotes from the designers is insightful. I started showing Xs to other architects in my firm and it quickly became a hit. It is, above all else, an accessable, fun book.

This is a nice little book, well put together, of some unique projects you might not otherwise see because they are so small. It isn't very indepth on any of them, no more that 3-4 pics usually. Contains a lot of projects with novel use of materials, most are built pretty cheap too.It is good general book and worth... I think.