Architecture BOOK REVIEW | Operative design + Conditional Design

Reviewing two architecture books: Operative Design + Conditional Design and sharing my thoughts on the kit-of-parts design methodology they promote. Together these volumes are an excellent primer on architectural form making, iterative design, and can serve as handy portable, pocket-sized reference manuals. The diagrams are beautifully composed in full-color and the accompanying text - although brief - offers enough information to guide the reader / viewer on the book’s use. Recommended for: architecture students, teachers and professionals looking to revisit first principles or reinvent their own tired formal language.

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Please watch: "Making a Site Model - The Outpost Project"
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[danielkris]

I'm so happy that i can find a real architect being a youtuber like you, someone who share not only experience & advice, but also a lot of practical step in architecture. I'm in my 7th semester in architecture school, I used to love working on new project each semester, and I'm planning to take my master degree after i graduate, so i can learn more. But as time flies, I feel really demotivated and hopeless. Then I saw your video "Architecture Q&A", and you experience same thing as mine, being terrible, giving up. But you overcome it succesfully. Do you have more tips or advice for me, or probably some student out there that feel like giving up architecture, when we, deep down, actually love it ?


Sorry for the long post Eric. Keep up the good video :)

[EASSIMVAMOS]

These books are amazing. I bought them in January and they already helped me a lot! As a student who is still building my spacial vocabulary these books serves as a dictionary. I'm surprised that you decided to make a review on them, it helped me to use their content even better! Thank you!

[miabriddon]

I have been binge watching all of your videos all day! Thank you for giving me motivation and inspiration as I head into my second year of architecture school

[sauravsardar]

I bought Operative Design a few weeks back. I was confused about the usage procedure in the beginning but I felt that I can pick any of the forms; add and subtract them to gain ideas and you just confirmed that. Thanks!!

[ghaydaawad]

I would love to see a review of your previous architecture projects and models, you are really inspirational and I love your editing and video making.

[gmbarchitect]

Just received your Architect + Entrepreneur Vol 1. in the mail, Eric. Can't wait to jump into it! Thank you again for sharing your videos and advice with all of us!

[mateusmedeirosml]

You would be a very inspiring professor, Eric. I love your work! Congratulations, man.

[Copernicus]

Eric! Your editing is ON POINT, and seems to get better all the time. What setup/filming/editing/YT production resources could you suggest for a fellow sole-practitioner looking to document his process & practice?

[nancyspicer]

Do you want to hear my story?Lol I guess I am telling it. . . .

I am using the resources I have at home first!! So if I get into a design/ drafting program that is more hands on. I will be able to jump on the projects and not have to do so much reading...Just utilizing resources. I have been designing homes in my mind since I was 8 and now need to work on drawing them drafting them on the paper and computer. I have some residential design experience AIO. But am moving on with ideas to getting a more hands-on approach.  I am over my largest road-block a 25+ year struggle with bipolar I. Now getting back into the designing/ artistic aspects of designing feels lovely again. Who knows how it will come about. But I am sure glad to be watching your channel and having some of my design questions answered. Thank you

[shinomakana]

I couldn't resonate with this more! It is my 3rd semester as an architect student and our professors are "brainwashing" us with this same methodology - that we must build our kit first with various shapes and relationships through abstract means. I hope to carry these lessons throughout my career.

[CURAMI]

I really like your channel, I find it interesting and very objectively developed. Keep up the great work!

[emeilalvarez]

Thank you for this. Please do more book reviews w/ additional architectural thoughts!

[WadWizard]

These sound really neat, im not an architect or planning to be but i am into design and i am most interested in the process of making a design language, i find some appeal to abstract forms and shapes like this and they arent really that limiting, take power tools for instance, they have a certain forms that have to be included because they require the machinery to function, and yet different brands have somewhat distinct design languages even though the overal shapes are relatively the same.
When drawing in perspective its common to learn to construct forms by fitting them in a box, the box doesnt decide the form, it just gives you a reference point, these arent much different, just a tool to imagine forms in space, a starting point to further alter as you see fit.
I should do something similar, build my own library(folder or puref file) of shapes/forms like this, theres an artist i find interesting who uses a modular approach to projects, thomas scholes, hes on artstation.

[ithilweenshadowsong]

You need to get Architectural Diagrams 1: Construction and Design Manual and Container and Modular Buildings: Construction and Design Manual too, they're as good as those 2 you got there. I'm in love with the diagram's book, is just a giant bomb of inspiration/learning for think-drawing.

[RamyAydarous]

I gott them both along with Siteless by Blanciak and they made a great collection. Thank you for the recommendatin.

[NormanZealandMalana]

I bought these two. Wanted to use your link, to help you out, but I'm in the UK. Thanks for the great videos!

[mercenary]

I have to say, that it would be awesome to dive into your library. Although its beneficial to build our own, it would be exciting to know all of the books behind you and to delve into the unknown.

[kummer]

These are the basics of parametric architecture. The idea of approaching architecture from a rational point of view throws the practitioner into the fields of geometry, algebra, analysis and logic.

These books are the basis for rational thinking. Grasshopper 3D and Dynamo becomes natural tools for such endeavors. However pencil and paper will never ever be replaced such as physical model making. These are the tools that motivates rational thinking.

Those are great books.

[LJLancaster]

thank you so much for this review. I have had these in my Wishlist for the last month so it might be time to pull the trigger.

[onkarkitekt]

Great video, these are going to be one of the next purchases 🏆 for my generative and computational design. I hope they cover the fundamentals in terms of the topic of primitive geometry 🤞🏾