Gifts for Architects

Octavo Redux 1:1 
A record of Octavo, journal of typography 1986–1992

£75.00

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The eight issues of Octavo, journal of typography, published in the 1980s and 90s, have acquired cult status. Copies sell for exorbitant prices and only rarely become available. If you want to find back issues, be prepared to pay big money. But it’s now possible to ‘own’ all eight issues and to enjoy them at actual size in a brand-new Kickstarter-funded 384pp book – Octavo Redux The book has been designed and edited by two of Octavo’s original designers and editors – Hamish Muir and Mark Holt. And, as with the journals themselves, the book uses high-end production techniques to faithfully reproduce the original publications The book also documents covers and spreads from the full-scale working prototypes made by 8vo during the design process for each issue of Octavo. Subscription cards and subscription card mock-ups are shown at full-scale. The notorious eighth issue of Octavo (the ‘interactive’ CD-ROM) is also documented, including its packaging, as well as the content itself through a selection of actual-size screenshots (640×480 pixels) The pre-desktop computer production processes employed in the early issues of Octavo, are documented by showing selected type specifications and proof mark-ups for in-position page-make-up typesetting systems. These often resulted in long ‘discussions’ with the typesetters, conducted via bike messengers, red pen, highlight markers and Tipp-Ex. Through extensive captions and annotations, the book shines a light on this now lost practice of visual engineering – where maths mattered Spreads of the printed issues are created from high resolution RGB photography – one image capture per page – made from the original untrimmed press sheets. This allows perfectly flat, squared-up montages of left and right pages to be brought together as spreads in the lay-flat binding used in the production of Octavo Redux. In the spirit of Octavo, there are many production surprises in store for the reader of Octavo Redux. In addition to the wide gamut repro, which better represents the true colours of the original issues than everyday CMYK, two special inks are used in the book – metallic gold, and in the uncoated sections of the book, a soft neon yellow Other material considerations include foil blocking on reflective mirror paper, for the hard cover and end papers, and the books come wrapped in a translucent self-coloured trace jacket, in keeping with the original issues of Octavo As Caroline Roberts, in her book Graphic Design Visionaries, has noted: ‘Named after an abbreviation of the book-production term ‘octavo’, 8vo saw themselves as outsiders; they were intense, outspoken and did not identify or engage with the design community. They were pragmatists, obsessed with detail, believing that expression should be a result of the design process, not the motivation for it.’  Although 8vo disbanded in July 2001, Muir and Holt have reunited to design and edit Octavo Redux. They have applied all the ingenuity and close attention to detail that went into the journal to the design and production of this book

TD 63–73 (Expanded Edition)

£75.00

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TD 63–73: Total Design and its pioneering role in graphic design [Unit 03] was first published in 2011, selling out almost immediately. This tome is the new and expanded edition Written by Ben Bos, a key member of the TD studio, the book describes how a band of idealistic Dutch designers came together to form one of the first multidisciplinary design groups – one that helped shape the future of design in Europe and beyond Total Design began in Amsterdam in 1963. Ben Bos joined the founders (Wim Crouwel, Benno Wissing, Friso Kramer and the Schwarz Brothers) from the outset. Together and individually, they set new benchmarks for typography, identity design, cultural design, exhibition design and product design The expanded edition of TD 63–73 is a unique insider’s account of Total Design’s golden period. It contains hundreds of images from the TD archive, and in Ben Bos’s text the reader is given a personal history of a design group that remains as important today as it did when it launched in 1963

Beautiful Users: Designing for People

£13.99

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In the mid-twentieth century, Henry Dreyfuss, widely considered the father of industrial design, pioneered a user-centred approach to design that focuses on studying people's behaviours and attitudes as a key first step in developing successful products. In the intervening years, user-centred design has expanded to undertake the needs of differently abled users and global populations as well as the design of complex systems and services Beautiful Users explores the changing relationship between designers and users and considers a range of design methodologies and practices, from user research to hacking, open source, and the maker culture Designs featured range from classics such as Henry Dreyfuss s telephone to cutting-edge inventions such as Yves Behar s pill dispenser, the Nest thermostat, Robohand (3D-printed prosthetics), off-road wheelchairs, and Thimas Carpentier's Measure(s) of a Man project

Archigram - The Book

£95.00

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Archigram comprised Warren Chalk (1927-88), Peter Cook (1936-), Dennis Crompton (1935-), David Greene (1937-), Ron Herron (1930-94), and Michael Webb (1937-). Together, in the 1960s and early 1970s, they envisioned the future of architecture in ways that enthralled a generation In an era defined by the space race, they developed a 'high-tech', lightweight, infra-structural approach that stretched far beyond known technologies or contemporary realities. They devised autonomous dwellings and focused on survival technology; they experimented with megastructures and modular construction systems; they explored mobility through the environment, and the use of portable living capsules: all through the medium of an incredible series of drawings and models Archigram's influence has been profound and enduring. They gave the High-tech movement its impetus; they inspired architects such as Renzo Piano and Norman Foster; and they laid the ground for the design of buildings such as the Pompidou Centre. This book catalogues Archigram's activities over fourteen years, together with commentaries by the architects and critics writing then and now. Edited and designed by Archigram member Dennis Crompton, it has been 40 years in the making

House: First Words Board Books

£13.99

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Budding young architects and their design-minded parents will love exploring this set of 5 miniature board books, each touring a different room in a stylish, modern house: living room, bathroom, kitchen, garage, and bedroom Inside, inviting illustrations of familiar, everyday objects are paired with first words, promoting early vocabulary development, pattern recognition, and open-ended, imaginative play

Together! The New Architecture of the Collective

£45.00

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The last decade has seen a growing social movement towards collectivity, sharing and participation. This paradigm shift is reflected in architecture as well: In recent years, increasingly innovative collective housing projects, organised around the principle of trading in private spaces for larger, more luxurious shared spaces, have been emerging across the globe - many of them realised through bottom-up grassroots initiatives The return of the collective in architecture has resulted in surprising architectural solutions that also create new urban spaces. Together! The New Architecture of the Collective presents around twenty international building projects from Europe Japan, and the US that provide innovative platforms for collective living in the present day. A selection of projects are discussed in detail, ad extensive photo essays offer rich and vivid impressions of the daily collective and private lie and everyday routines in these buildings Interviews with movers and shakers from the collective housing scene, written by international journalists, offer insights and background information on the processes and people that have made each project possible. All that is complemented by theoretical and historical context, including analytical essays by experts in the field, info graphics providing facts and figures, diagrams explaining how different collective housing models work, and an extensive timeline detailing genealogy of the collective housing movement in the twentieth century

Rethinking the Modular: Adaptable Systems in Architecture and Design

£24.95

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The modular did not have to be invented: it can be found everywhere. We divide surfaces into grids, spaces into parts, and time into rhythmic units. Modular structures are also increasingly being recognised as a way of communicating, where the aim is not to construct a universal principle but to facilitate interplay between different systems Building on the visionary design system that architect Fritz Haller and engineer Paul Schärer developed in 1965 for Swiss furniture company USM, Rethinking the Modular brings together specially commissioned essays and interviews with leading designers, architects and thinkers to present the wide-ranging importance and influence of modular design over the past fifty years. In revealing the broad possibilities created by balancing structure with flexibility, the timely publication redefines the place of modularity in modern design history, and offers a rich resource for designers today

HomeWork: Design Solutions to Working from Home

£16.95

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Growing numbers of us work not only from home, but from anywhere; job flexibility has become a key requirement for employers and workers alike. This, in turn, has created new challenges for architects and designers - many of whom themselves start out working from home - who are tackling demand head on with innovative solutions that allow clients to transform their spaces to suit a wide range of needs, from multi-functional studios to homes that seamlessly combine work and family life Divided into five thematic sections, this book explores the exciting variety of ways that the workplace can be integrated into the domestic environment. From stand-alone multi-functional furniture to mobile room dividers and dynamic solutions that fold out or pop up to create new work areas, each design addresses the unique needs of the space, client and working practices for which it was required, and tackles new questions about the rapidly evolving relationship between work and domestic life in the 21st century This essential and timely resource for homeworkers and practitioners offers fresh ideas for how to strike the perfect balance between living and working at home

The LEGO Architecture Ideas Book

£20.99

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The LEGO Architecture Idea Book will provide endless inspiration for aspiring builders who want to turn their ordinary models into something extraordinary In this example-packed guide, Alice Finch (renowned for her massive, detailed models of buildings from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings) shares her best building secrets for crafting realistic walls, roofs, columns, and decorations using LEGO

Arts & Architecture 1945-49

£45.00

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Ambitious and engaged, Arts & Architecture magazine celebrated change and innovation across politics, society and especially culture. This selection from the magazine's first five years features the complete covers.  It focuses on the groundbreaking Case Study House Program, one of the most unique and influential events in the history of American architecture.

Plumen 001 LED bulb pendant

£49.00

Colour Copper Black White

Colour

Copper

Black

White

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The Plumen Pendant is designed to be the perfect partner for the Plumen 001 LED light bulbs but is also suitable for other bulbs Includes a painted metal ceiling rose, lamp holder, drop cap and two metres of matching fabric cable The Plumen Pendant is suitable for installation in any ceiling and the cable length can be adjusted to your preference Available in black, white and copper Purchase with the Plumen 001 LED light bulb for a saving Please note: this product is only suitable for bulbs with an E27 Edison Screw fitting

Elemental Living

£29.95

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60 stunning works of contemporary architecture, all of which have a special relationship with the natural landscape Elemental Living presents 60 works of architecture from across the 20th and 21st centuries that have a special relationship with the natural world. The book includes a visually breathtaking selection of architect-created houses that have been designed to create unparalleled views of a wide variety of natural landscapes; designed to be almost indistinguishable from the natural landscape; or designed using materials and forms found in the natural landscape Each house demonstrates a deep concern with the creation of unique living spaces that connect their inhabitants with the forests, mountains, lakes, deserts, and oceans that have attracted humanity for millennia

Sustainist Design Guide: Co-Designing for Connectivity, Localism, Sharing and Sustainable Life

£16.95

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Social innovation is experiencing a resurgence at a time when cultural boundaries are shifting. A wave of new social initiatives is coming into view worldwide, where millions of dedicated  people are beginning to “design” different kinds of living environments that are more collaborative, more socially just, and more sustainable. This movement is what this Sustainist Design Guide is all about. As the authors say: “It is no longer a matter of designing for society, but within it. ”This exploratory guide travels the new landscape of social design thinking and practice, viewed through the lens of sustainism -  a perspective that is seen as a new ethos for design The Sustainist Design Guide presents an agenda for social innovation, based on values such as sharing, connectedness, localism and proportionality, as well as sustainability. It challenges us to transform these and other sustainist  qualities into design criteria and include them in our design briefs The Sustainist Design Guide maps out best practices and explores how designers can become more socially and  ecologically responsible. It opens the debate on what it  means to be “sustainist designers Including 12 changemaking cases, ranging from urban farming and crowdsourced public architecture to collaborative crafts

Eco-Visionaries: Art, Architecture, and New Media After the Anthropocene

£40.00

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Eco-Visionaries presents contemporary positions in art and architecture seeking answers to current environmental problems that transcend mainstream notions of sustainability This comprehensive volume is a companion to the collaborative 2018 exhibition endeavoured by four participating European museums. Each show maintains a different focus and curatorial approach, and for each, artists investigate alternative visions regarding humankind’s place on earth through video and sound works, paintings, and installations While the series of exhibitions presents the works of artists and architects who offer critical reflections on pressing contemporary issues, the book unites research, essays, as well as a survey of the artworks. Besides the historical antecedents of current ecological thinking in the fields of art and design, this catalogue also promotes current approaches that represent alternative visions for future uses of energy, resources, and the environment

Building Better: Sustainable Architecture for Family Homes

£45.00

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Sustainability and energy efficiency play a critical role for anyone building or renovating a house. Thankfully, architects from around the world are now developing single-family homes that combine ecological responsibility with contemporary and imaginative design Building Better is an engaging visual showcase of outstanding environmentally friendly houses. It not only offers an insightful exploration of the latest developments in sustainable design, but it also takes an in-depth look at the high performance building materials and technical data involved in each featured project In the book, architects and homeowners work together to find unique and aesthetically compelling ways to build more sustainably. Melding client desires with real world pragmatism, these efficient homes present a diverse spectrum of solutions that include everything from state of the art climate control systems to ancient, passive, and renewable building techniques

Shoplifter! New Retail Architecture and Brand Spaces

£50.00

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Retail is dead, long live retail. Shoplifters explores innovative store concepts and provides expert insights into how brands can engage with their customers in novel ways Disrupted by online shopping, shops and brands find themselves in a permanent battle over the most innovative store concepts, striking window displays, and genius presentation of goods to breath new life into the traditional retail flow. It is this creative struggle that has heralded in a golden era of retail design. Brand experiences now stretch far beyond the end product; the dialogues between a shop and its consumers are becoming increasingly important. Companies are tapping top designers and retooling their talents, be it through sophisticated flagship stores or unexpected temporary venues Shoplifters showcases the most outstanding concepts across a number of industries, introducing the most innovative brands with rich, in-depth case studies