Think Like an Architect

An award-winning architect and educator demystifies the process of making architecture and explains why good architectural design matters.

The design of cities and buildings affects the quality of our lives. Making the built environments in which we live, work, and play useful, safe, comfortable, efficient, and as beautiful as possible is a universal quest.

What many don’t realize is that professional architects design only about five percent of the built environment. While much of what non-architects build is beautiful and useful, the ugliness and inconveniences that blight many urban areas demonstrate that an understanding of good architectural design is vital for creating livable buildings and public spaces. To help promote this understanding among non-architects and those considering architecture as a profession, award-winning architect and professor Hal Box explains the process from concept to completed building, using real-life examples to illustrate the principles involved.

To cause what we build to become architecture, we have three choices: hire an architect, become an architect, or learn to think like an architect. In this book, organized as a series of letters to students and friends, Box covers:

• what architecture should be and do
• how to look at and appreciate good buildings
• how to understand the design process, work with an architect, or become an architect
• an overview of architectural history, with lists of books to read and buildings to see
• practical guidance about what goes into constructing a building
• an architect’s typical training and career path
• how architecture relates to the city
• where the art of architecture is headed
• why good architecture matters