To me, the two best things in this world are books and buildings. Therefore a book about a building is something special. Below are some of my particular favourites, ones I recommend if you are looking to understand a little more about this wonderous built environment we have created and how we have the power to make it even better.
A Trillion Trees | Fred Pearce
- An in-depth and hopeful book about the potential for trees to improve our world
- Written by an environmental expert drawing on decades of research
- In short, we have the power to reforest the world, however, we risk monocultures if we simply “plant more trees” best is to make space for more trees and let nature reforest herself…
Futureproof | Kevin Roose
- A readable and realistic introduction to AI and its potential impact on society
- Roose offers a totally unbiased view on AI – he’s not pro-AI or anti-AI. Rather he appears to be pro-human and interested in making sure we harness AI for the overall interests of humanity.
- This book provides 9 actionable steps that helps the reader to feel empowered to do our part to make AI better for the future!
Why Architecture Matters | Paul Goldberger
- Insightful exploration of why architecture impacts our lives.
- Recommended for anyone looking to understand more about our human relationship to the spaces around us.
Rethinking Real Estate | Dror Poleg
- Explores how technology fundamentally changes our relationship with physical spaces.
- Forsees the changes that were acclerated by COVID-19.
- Recommended for someone looking to understand areas of growth in the real estate world.
The Creeping Plague of Ghastly Façadism | The Gentle Author
- A sharp review of London’s less successful façade retention schemes
- Recommended for anyone working in development for whom facade retention has become the norm. And may have forgotten how it appears to people not working in the industry.
On Architecture | Vitruvius
- Written between c.30BC & 15BC, the orginal “architectural textbook”
- Written to advise Emperor Augustus on Greek & Roman methods of planning & constructing places, homes, machines, viaducts etc.Contains enduring views on beauty in architecture
- Recommended for anyone fascinated with history and architecture and how whilst so much changes, so much also stays the same…
A Country of Cities | Vishaan Chakrabarti
- Explores how urbanisation can, surprisingly, contribute to lower carbon emissions and a better quality of life
- Recommended for someone looking to create better cities.
People | Spaces | Places 