The Tropical Asian House

Rating:
Summary: General plans & photos of contemporary homes in tropicalAsia
Review: Architect Robert Powell, a contributor to some of the latest Asian tropical style/garden/architecture books, has written this fairly straightforward book highlighting some remarkable Asian homes of recent design. It is very well illustrated and many of the photos show shadows and light to excellent effect.

It is something of a showcase for several Asian architecture firms, and the range of style is remarkably wide. Powell gets into the philosophy behind each design, discussing such matters as flow, function, exploitation of view or site features, use of vernacular, even local religious or cultural beliefs. Each house (total: 27) has its own chapter, with several good photos, general plans (!), elevations, and an essay about the structure and what each architect was expressing. While the text is sober and without fluff, reader can find in it a pleasing sense of respect for land, nature, materials, culture. (One disgusting exception: the photo of a room in a Thai house which contains several tiger and other exotic animal skins on the floor)!

If you are working with an architect and want to produce a certain effect, this book offers real solutions and helpful possibilities. Amazing variety.

Rating:
Summary: A Book to Dream On
Review: This is a great book and deserves the 5 stars I gave it. When I ordered the book, I was not aware of its contents in terms of photography or writing. But with the combination of beautiful photographs but perhaps more importanly with the writing, the books actually makes you experience the house as though you were actually there. The author's gift for language, combined with his technical understanding of architecture in general and the elements of tropical Asian architecture in particular, will feed your imagination with ideas about the wonderful possibilities of finding design elements that will bring joy to your life. Highly recommended, for looking at, and for reading.

Rating:
Summary: A Book to Dream On
Review: This is a great book and deserves the 5 stars I gave it. When I ordered the book, I was not aware of its contents in terms of photography or writing. But with the combination of beautiful photographs but perhaps more importanly with the writing, the books actually makes you experience the house as though you were actually there. The author's gift for language, combined with his technical understanding of architecture in general and the elements of tropical Asian architecture in particular, will feed your imagination with ideas about the wonderful possibilities of finding design elements that will bring joy to your life. Highly recommended, for looking at, and for reading.