Building Simply: Modern Done Right

Building Simply is a book that I discovered when researching beautiful and well executed construction details for a building that begged to be an overall simple form. Our design team knew that with this simple modern aesthetic most of the rigorous design had to lie in the selection of materials and actual detailing, especially where the materials joined. Otherwise it would be a pretty boring "one-dimensional" building. This book stresses that the construction process is also crucial in the success of the detail and also continues the creative process where builder and architect collaborate.

I also find that architects can spin their wheels designing a detail that has already been designed and proven successful, so for my new posting series I am collecting details – simple or complex, functional or expressive for myself and fellow designers to share, learn and continue to improve. If you have any projects with details you would like to share, contact me at sophorn@hotmail.com. We want to know how you developed and executed the detail especially in collaboration with the builder, and if you use it again, what you would do differently. I’ll also be contacting some firms, local and international, to contribute as well. Hope you stay tuned.

{Excerpt from book shown above illustrates the construction detail of what is shown in the photograph. Over 25 projects are featured.}

To order or to see more excerpts from this book, click here.

Photos from detail magazine website.