Buildings That Feel Good

Description

What makes a building good? This central challenge facing architects and clients can only be answered by looking at what works well for those who know the buildings most intimately the buildings users.

Richly illustrated in colour, this refreshingly original book is packed with case studies of recent buildings that feel good. This ineffable quality is architectures Holy Grail. It is rooted in the physical but mediated by human experience, and may only be judged after the building has been lived in and stood the test of time. The trick is to identify the relevant characteristics that will inform new buildings before they are built.

Written by a highly respected briefing and design evaluation expert who specialises in optimising the experience of building users, Buildings that feel good distils a set of hard-won lessons synthesised from years of empirical research. It argues that a powerful key to designing good buildings is to decipher consistent principles from users positive experience of existing buildings.

The case studies include many recent highly-rated projects that cover a wide range of building types offices, retail, industrial, infrastructure, sport and education. The lessons extracted are universal and provide valuable generic insights into the critically important briefing process.

Eclectic, thought-provoking and distinctive in articulating propositions for successful design, Buildings that feel good offers a design action agenda aimed at clients, architects, engineers, interior designers, construction professionals, students and indeed anyone interested in the nature of spaces that are both effective and cherished.

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About the Author

Ziona Strelitz

Ziona Strelitz is a social anthropologist, town planner and interior designer. In 1990 she founded ZZA Responsive User Environments, a research and advisory practice that works with leading developers, designers and occupiers, mediating cultural and spatial issues to help to shape effective and sustainable buildings and settings. Her academic involvement includes teaching on the innovative programmes in Intelligent Buildings at the University of Reading and in Interdisciplinary Design Management at the University of Hong Kong.

Featured Reviews

Reviewed by Dr Bernard Rimmer, former Director of Slough Estates

"It is probably one of the most important books written about the built environment in the last decade or two. Why? Because it provides, for the first time to my knowledge, a check-list for the main considerations in the design of buildings that contribute to the delight of occupiers and visitors, thus creating high value. Many fine examples are given, and each point is made with clarity and insight. If I had read such a book when I started in the development world at Slough Estates I would have been a better client. I just hope that Ziona says more about air quality in the next edition of this wonderful book."

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