February 21, 2008

Book Review - Architectural Voices

Architectural Voices: Listening to Old Buildings
David Littlefield and Saskia Lewis
TH 3401 .L58 2007

Littlefield and Lewis present an interesting collection of essays. Some present old buildings on the precipice of transition. Others highlight transformations where old shells have taken on new internal structure. Several essays discuss the process from decay into ruin and whether that ruin has some quality or character worth preserving. Another handful show the relationship of outdoor spaces and placements to structure and indoor activities. This collection contains a mixture of case studies and think pieces which can help all of us--architects, historians, insiders, and outsiders alike--learn to listen to old buildings, appreciate their place in the past, and integrate them into our present and future.