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Description
A captivating exploration of the ever-evolving world of architecture and the untold stories buildings tell. When a building is finished being built, that isn’t the end of its story. More than any other human artifacts, buildings improve with time—if they’re allowed to. Buildings adapt by being constantly refined and reshaped by their occupants, and in that way, architects can become artists of time rather than simply artists of space. From the connected farmhouses of New England to I.M. Pei’s Media Lab, from the evolution of bungalows to the invention of Santa Fe Style, from Low Road military surplus buildings to a High Road English classic like Chatsworth—this is a far-ranging survey of unexplored essential territory. Discover how structures become living organisms, shaped by the people who inhabit them, and learn how architects can harness the power of time to create enduring works of art through the interconnected worlds of design, function, and human ingenuity. Read more
Publisher : Penguin Books
Publication date : October 1, 1995
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 0140139966
ISBN-13 : 69
Item Weight : 1.83 pounds
Dimensions : 10.75 x 0.71 x 8.43 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #19,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Historic Architectural Preservation #3 in Architectural Criticism #4 in Architectural History
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
One of the best on the subject of sociology and history of the built environment. Brand is an artist and a scholar.
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2026 by BK
Format: Paperback
I am an acoustical and systems design consultant who specializes in worship and performing arts facilities, and use this book regularly in my practice. I have found no better resource for introducing the facility planning "layperson" to the enormous blind-spot that many in the architectural design and construction profession have regarding the relevance of buildings to the functional needs that should define their design, as well as the ongoing process of maintaining this relevance over time. While highly specialized rooms such as auditoria do not usually lend themselves to significant modification over time, or to strategies such as "loose fit," Brand's advice about the risk of architectural experimentation in the fundamental form of most buildings is spot on. This book is an extremely engaging read, and also serves as an excellent introduction to other key literature on architectural programming, scenario planning, the evolution of the architectural profession, and so forth. As other reviewers have suggested, anyone who lives or works in a building can profit from reading this book. I would add that anyone who works in the construction or facility management industries, or who expects to be involved in planning a building project from the perspective of the owner or user, has a duty to seek out the sort of education that this book provides.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2008 by Chip Sams
Format: Paperback
Amazing that a book published in the mid-nineties is still garnering regular reviews - this says something about the enduring appeal and quality of Brand's work. I first bought a copy of this book in the mid-nineties, and I've been handing them out to colleagues ever since. To me the book speaks beautifully about architecture and how our built environment evolves, but that's not its real appeal to me. As a computer scientist, I'm fascinated by the more general lessons that can be drawn from this book about complex systems, the interplay between their temporal layers, and how understanding this can lead to better systems designs in a host of fields. I've applied these lessons in areas from software engineering to organisational and cultural change, and my sense is that this book's importance -- like Alexander's Timeless Way of Building -- extends far beyond architecture. If you're involved in evolving organisations, software, towns or buildings, you'll not regret taking the time to read it.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2017 by FozzieBear
Format: Paperback
I live in the deep south where, even today, kitchens in newly-built houses are generally very small. Most southerners that I know do not know why or even care that their kitchens are so small. I happen to live in a house with a large kitchen, a huge front porch, and a small back porch. I don't know the how or why the original builder of the house decided to include a very large kitchen, but I, being a Yankee, love having a large kitchen. Kitchens in the south were the domain of domestic help, and the cultural norm was not to provide a great deal of space for the help. That tells us something about cultural attitudes even though most of us no longer can afford to employ domestic help. I would conclude the obvious then, that buildings do not learn on their own: They need to be nudged to catch up with current realities--just like school kids who want to skip school. At present, I am trying to figure out what to do with my front porch that just collects garden furniture laden with dust. I don't need an extra room and have no desire at this time to screen the porch in. Screening is too obvious. What to do? The small back porch has already been enclosed and has "learned" to be a mud room for our two pet canines when it's too hot or cold for them to stay outside or when it's raining. Perhaps by the time I have finished reading this wonderful book, I'll know what to do about the idiot front porch. I love this book and highly recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2010 by citizen fact checker
Format: Hardcover
Stewart Brand has a well-deserved reputation as a visionary iconoclast. The founder of the Whole Earth Catalog has been challenging our preconceptions for many, many years. With "How Buildings Learn" he turns his finely-honed analytical and futurist abilities on architecture and construction. This book is primarily synthetic in its focus. There aren't any brand-new ideas here, but there are many powerful methods and ways of thinking from other disciplines that Brand has brought to bear on the problem of making buildings that stand the test of time. Those whose backgrounds are not as diverse as Brand's (and whose is, really?), will be exposed to many unconventional ways of thinking about buildings. The reader will come away with a powerful sense of possibility and a deeper understanding of the built environment. Whether you're an expert or simply have an interest in the structures we build around ourselves, you'll find much to admire in this thought-provoking exploration of buildings through time. It's every bit as relevant and ground-breaking today as it was when it was published.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2010 by J. Wharton
Format: Kindle
Brand opens the door to the history of renovations, adjustments, and satisficing we do with our buildings. We built the building -- but what if it doesn't fit? What if the halls are too narrow, the atrium too echoey, and the lecture halls tucked out of the way? Why does the roof leak? What happens when technology changes and you have to retrofit data connections into a 300 year old building? Ever try to make a 300 year old building ADA compliant? Brand explores the history of building design, the changes owners make to their buildings, the strategies buildings take in longevity (flexible vs historic monument), and the 6 layers that make up a facility: Site, Structure, Services, Space Plan, Stuff, and Skin. An excellent and enjoyable study in how buildings are designed and how they change.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2015 by Norty
Format: Paperback
I checked this book out at the library a long time ago and it completely changed the way I look at houses. Read it and you'll understand why old houses are always more interesting than new ones. In my case, I bought this book again because I'm planning to build my house in a couple of months and I don't want it to be yet another house that falls apart in 20-30 years because it's useless and/or ugly. Stewart Brand is thorough and observant, and he has a fascinating perspective on the built world as it relates to time. I will be reading more of his work as soon as I have the time.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017 by John
Format: Paperback
After spending 11 years as a facility manager at a large tech company, this book reaffirmed how and why I built spaces the way I did. Many of the lessons and anecdotal stories in this book mirrored my own. I would consider this required reading for any of my future employees and any student interested in learning about the what and how of building things designed for time and occupancy rather than just for photographs.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020 by Christopher Jon Barker