Architecture

In one of the most popular books published on form and composition in architecture, Francis Ching examines basic elements of form and space (edges, corners, planes, etc.) and strategies for their organisation (axes, grids, symmetry, etc).

Like Baker, he includes approach, entry, and movement through built form.

The examples are taken from contemporary and historical buildings. The text is short and the diagrams plentiful.

Ching has also written good books on basic ideas in building structure and construction, both helpful in analysing buildings beyond form and space.

Both as a student, and now as a practitioner in the field of architecture, I found Ching's beautifully illustrated volume on architectural composition to be an indispensable resource. It offers a detailed guide to universal and timeless principles of architecture and environmental design. There are again similarities with A Pattern Language, but his prose is more pragmatic and his illustrations more elegant.

Ching’s diagrams are exquisitely simple and clear. There is just enough text, all tightly hand-lettered, to flesh out each concept. The range of modern and historical examples on adjacent pages—an ancient Japanese temple, a Wright house, and… show more.