101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

The winner of a host of prizes, this delicately laid-out book advises students how to approach a number of design principles. Including advice on everything from 'how to draw a line' to 'how to sketch a one-point perspective of a rectangular interior space' this is a must-have for anyone starting out in the field.

Will Coldwell

The Independent

How to draw a line, the meaning of figure-ground theory, hand-lettering and the fact that windows look dark in the daytime each item has resonance beyond architecture. Books like this are brief tutorials in the art of seeing, a skill useful in every aspect of life on the planet.

Susan Salter Reynolds

latimes.com

101 Things de-mythologizes the jargon that obscures the real meanings of what is taught in design schools. Designers too often write in obtuse terms that make relatively simple concepts difficult to comprehend. But understanding how we perceive, experience, and interpret the spaces we inhabit should not make us feel dumb, or left out. This readable and graphically clear book is a great introduction to design terms, principles, and concepts. Anyone interested in design will learn much from this terrific book.

Theodore C. Landsmark, President, Boston Architectural College, President 2006-07, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture

Matthew Frederick offers a wide-ranging assortment of architectural pearls of wisdom that every architecture student should understand, consider and embrace or perhaps rejectwhen first learning the daunting process of design. Encompassing both theory and practice, and illustrated with often witty drawings, 101 Things is an eclectic itemization of architectural philosophies, compositional strategies and tactics, design conventions, drawing and presentation techniques, and even tips about how to behave as an architect.

Roger K. Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Architecture, University of Maryland, author of Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession