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Summary: A beautiful book, but slightly lacking
Review: Architecture exists to serve its wealthy masters: corporations, governments (secular and religious), and wealthy homeowners. Imposing it on poor people who don't want it is folly, resulting in high-style homes with broken washing machines on the porches. Only shows what happens when the wealthy try to make over the poor in their own image.
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Summary: this book taught me so much, and reminded me of much more
Review: As an architecture student, each reading of this book reminds me why I got into archiecture in the first place; that architecture at its best is ingeneous and beautiful; that architecture is as relevant as its practicioners make it; that there is a greater good to be adressed by all in the field; that shelter is architecture's raison d'etre; that there are more important things in the architectural world than the latest Prada opening.As a human, it reminds me how to live and create well. You don't get that from your average architecture book, do ya?
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Summary: Rural Studio
Review: Basically replacing traditional shacks with better ones using inexpensive materials...Nothing particularly elegant or innovative...good intentions though...
Rating:
Summary: Rural Studio
Review: Basically replacing traditional shacks with better ones using inexpensive materials...Nothing particularly elegant or innovative...good intentions though...
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Summary: As a rural studio alumni...this book is highly recomended.
Review: Being a rural studio alum, I can say with confidence how much Sambo Mockbee and the rural studio have touched my life. This book should be read by anyone that views architecture as something that affects us as humans asthetically as well as socially. This book and the story it has to tell is wonderful! And to Sambo....you are truly missed, your spirit and "whoople-dust" will forever live on in the minds that you inspired.
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Summary: Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency
Review: Creative architecture doesn't have to be paved in gold. Mockbee and his students use basic materials in the most interesting ways for creating wonderful living, playing and meeting places for poor people out of former shacks or sometimes starting from scratch. I would love to see actual planned communities for the general public built in this style. I would live there! Very inspiring...
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Summary: this book is great
Review: i am a student at the rural studio right now and the book represents the rural studio very well. the book introduced me to architecture, and now i am here in architecture school and i am at rural studio.
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Summary: Is this book really about architecture?
Review: I cannot fault any book about Mockbee's inspired work too much, but when I bought this I was expecting to learn about the architecture in greater detail. Instead this book is mostly a profile of the "clients". With some exceptions, the photos demonstrate how the new projects are destined to quickly become like the shacks they replace because the "clients" don't take care of their new homes. So much for well-meaning gifts of social housing...
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book, but slightly lacking
Review: I have been an admirer of the work of the Rural Studio from the start and couldn't wait to get this book... The photos are beautiful and touching, but the book is lacking in drawings (i.e. plans) and text. I was hoping for more about the thoughts and processes that students put into the designs, the role of Sam Mockbee in it all, and some architectural drawings that would more comprehensively showcase the projects
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Summary: Important Lessons In architecture
Review: In an age when pretentious architects with cynical and destructive design ideaologies (Eisenman, Libeskind, Morphosis, etc.)are wrongly celebrated as heroes or role models, Mockbee provided a quiet but valuable alternative. While the others focussed on generating controversy and notoriety, Mockbee pursued an architecture of beauty and moral purpose. His social and civil lesson is an important one to any young architecture seeking serious direction.
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