Small Buildings (Pamphlet Architecture, 17)

Rating:
Summary: An Architect's Valuable Insight
Review: Having been a student of Mike Cadwell, I must first profess a bias in my critique.

That having been stated, Mike Cadwell's book is a documented insight into how he matured as an architect. From the onset, his initiative and determination is motivated by his desire to further his knowledge and understanding of how things are constructed.

Mr. Cadwell once stated that while working in an architect's office an employee was once asked by the firm owner what material that employee was rendering in color. The lack of an understanding that Mr. Cadwell overheard motivated him to fully understand the materials that architects use, how they go together, and the implications of designs.

The portfolio of the projects are impressive on the scale that they operate and how they serve Mr. Cadwell as studies.

But, what is more impressive is Mr. Cadwell's determination to take on such studies in an effort to better understand the practice of architecture. He is responsible for the design of the projects through the construction of them. He learns errors along that way that many architects suffer the criticism of contractors on.

Through these invaluable studies, it is evident that Mr. Cadwell evolves into a better architect of which many others only aspire to be.


Rating:
Summary: a real education
Review: In his introduction, Mike Caldwell refers to the gap between architectural abstraction - model making, sketching and drawing - and built reality as the motivating force behind these projects. Caldwell saw his lack of knowledge about how materials actually come together as a gap in what he calls his "sensual education" and undertook these projects as a remedy for that. Instead of simply building a tool shed or a set of shelves, Caldwell carefully thought out four clever hybrid structures - the Bridge-Box, the Drum-Barge, the Ark-Tower and the House-Tunnel. Each project took a familiar form and placed it in an unusual or whimsical situation. The process Caldwell took to arrive at each final form is well-explained and careful without stifling the spirit of structures.

As an architecture student, I can relate very personally to the feeling of disconnect that Caldwell had about his intellectual education. This sort of this simply isn't taught much in architecture schools these days; one has to independently recognize the defecit and seek to fill it. The power of building something of your design is extraordinary, and PA 17 is a wonderful reminder of how rewarding doing those small, personal projects can be.

Rating:
Summary: a real education
Review: In his introduction, Mike Caldwell refers to the gap between architectural abstraction - model making, sketching and drawing - and built reality as the motivating force behind these projects. Caldwell saw his lack of knowledge about how materials actually come together as a gap in what he calls his "sensual education" and undertook these projects as a remedy for that. Instead of simply building a tool shed or a set of shelves, Caldwell carefully thought out four clever hybrid structures - the Bridge-Box, the Drum-Barge, the Ark-Tower and the House-Tunnel. Each project took a familiar form and placed it in an unusual or whimsical situation. The process Caldwell took to arrive at each final form is well-explained and careful without stifling the spirit of structures.

As an architecture student, I can relate very personally to the feeling of disconnect that Caldwell had about his intellectual education. This sort of this simply isn't taught much in architecture schools these days; one has to independently recognize the defecit and seek to fill it. The power of building something of your design is extraordinary, and PA 17 is a wonderful reminder of how rewarding doing those small, personal projects can be.

Rating:
Summary: Well Worth It
Review: The title says it all - 'Well worth it.' This addition to the Pamphlet Architecture series is a must-have for anyone serious about architecture and/or the construction thereof.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST HAVE FOR ANY GOOD COLLECTION!!!
Review: This is a collection of exceptional works. Tectonically beautiful and intricate, his small buildings represent some of the finer points of simple thought in architecture. His own commentary and a conclusion by Turner Brooks allow a clear and concise understanding of the projects. As a former student of Cadwell, and now a colleague, this one book I would not pass up. Cadwell shows outstanding ability and promise for even more beautiful work to come.