Invitation to Architecture - Hardcover

This book discusses what differentiates 'architecture' from 'building', focusing on a whole range of architectural works. It explores the role of the Roman concepts of 'durability', 'utility', and 'beauty', the heart of what architecture strives for. In this engaging, original work, Max Jacobson and Shelley Brock present a compelling case for the importance of architecture in our day-to-day lives. The book explores what differentiates 'architecture' from 'building', focusing not only on the 'great' buildings of the world but also on the whole range of architectural works from indigenous structures to contemporary buildings. The core of the book is an exploration of the role of 'durability', 'utility', and 'beauty' in architecture. These three concepts (originally coined by Vitruvius during the Roman empire as Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas) remain at the heart of what architecture strives for.

Max Jacobson has been practicing architecture for almost 40 years. Co-author of A Pattern Language and Patterns of Home (the latter published by The Taunton Press), Max has been a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley and is currently Instructor of Architecture at Diablo Valley College in California. Shelley Brock is a licensed architect. She brings a background in art history, literature, and language study to the project of deepening awareness of the built environment and the profound effect it has on our daily lives.