architect54

(from pg. 88, Levy and Salvadori, Why Buildings Fall Down, 2002)

Last week Thursday, I finished reading some Pre-Design study material for the architecture exam and felt drained and bored. So I thought why not try to read about some architects and what not? Well I went to Strand bookstore and came across “Why Buildings Fall Down” by Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori (2002). I’ve read it before and knew it to be good, light reading with plenty of illustrations to help understand the reasons for failure of various structures. With brief appendices that cover Loads, Stress and Strain, Structural Materials and Structural Systems, this book stays in context of what an architect is trying to achieve. A building that stands, not falls!

It is a fun book that covers some very unusual circumstances of collapse. Inside there is even an interesting story of Salvadori’s involvement with an insurance court case concerning whether a person jumped or accidentally fell to his death! Interesting in part because it illustrates the need to prepare and to maintain composure and absolute confidence regarding facts.

In writing this I just picked up the book and realized the 18th chapter deals with the World Trade Center (WTC) bombing, Murrah building bombing (Oklahoma) and the WTC 9/11 collapse! New stuff, the original book I read didn’t have! The book doesn’t seem so fun, when you can attach these tragic events to your own era/existence.

Still I’m introducing reading relevant to the exam that helps me stay interested when the other stuff gets boring. Something you might want to consider in your studies.