Books published by Birkhauser

Peter Zumthor's passion is the creation of buildings with architectural atmosphere. But how can one actually set out to achieve it? In nine short, illustrated chapters framed as a process of self-observation, Zumthor describes what he has on his mind as he sets about creating the atmosphere of his houses.

Offers an introduction to technical and constructional open space planning, with all the relevant topics, from the most common materials and surfaces to the construction of open space elements and the use of plants.

Features text and images that complement each other to create a narrative thread that offers informative insights into the architect's intellectual and visual imagination and expands our understanding of Olgiati's oeuvre.

Building with wood as an ecologically viable material is a tradition with a long history. The timber architecture which has ensued over the past centuries reveals to the modern observer the depth of knowledge which has enabled both Eastern und Western cultures to use this wonderful material in such a creative way. In the most typical method of building with wood, elements are connected by using wood joints which do not require the assistance of adhesives or metal connectors. This art of wood jointing reached its zenith in Japan; but Europe too provided its share of highly influential forms. By looking at several hundred examples from Japan and 18 European countries, with a new chapter on China added to this enlarged edition, this book describes in great detail the history of timber architecture in terms of its technical, aesthetic and ecological dimensions. This thorough study is a mine of information to specialists in this field; it opens up to the craftsman of today what has become an almost forgotten world and provides a fascinating account for the general reader. Here is a man who has trekked though the wild Carpathian forests, the Norwegian outback, the Russian steppes and obscure regions of Japan in pursuit of the wood joint. He tells the story with a sense of unfolding discovery; for anyone interested in how buildings work this book is a joy to read."e; the architects' journal

Design beinhaltet immer, aus sich heraus, den Anstoß zur Theorie. Theorien wiederum sind regelmäßig Faktoren in einem dynamischen Feld der poetisch-praktischen Setzungen und Gegensetzungen, die einen Widerstreit von Objekten, Auffassungen, Szenarien ermöglichen. Design-Entwerfen ist also auch implizite Theoretisierung der Gestaltungsprozesse. Was kontrovers bleibt, muss stets neu artikuliert werden. Das Exemplarische situiert sich in der jeweiligen Zeit, aber die Folge der Präsenzen geht nicht auf in einem Drehbuch linearer Fortschritte. Die beiden Bände bieten Texte zur kulturgeschichtlichen, soziologischen, ästhetischen und theoretischen Begründung von Design - von den Kontroversen um Moderne vs. Postmoderne der 1980er-Jahre bis zu den medialen Ausweitungen und Neusituierungen der Kulturkämpfe in der Gegenwart.

This text might be rendered on a screen. It could appear on paper as well. I have written it using a computer. As you are reading this text, some thing is functioning as an interface. Although I do not know exactly what this thing is, I know for certain that there is some thing here, slipping your mind as you read this text. This knowledge and this slipping away is the subject of this book. This research project questioned the sustaining support of digital objects: it aimed to challenge the habitualisation towards digital devices, the forgetting of the physical interface that leads to the supposition of digital immateriality. By handling computers as absurd things that escape language, the author sought to position himself among these strange and aloof digital entities and their effects.

Die unbewusste Botschaft von Gestaltung Unzählige Interaktionen mit Dingen prägen unseren Alltag: Schnürsenkel binden, Anrufe tätigen, Fahrradfahren - das Repertoire an Handlungs- und Orientierungswissen, das dabei tagtäglich nötig ist, lässt sich schwer in Worte fassen. Unbewusst nehmen wir wahr, welche Handlungsmöglichkeiten die Dinge bieten. Doch wie kann die wortlose Kommunikation zwischen Dingen und NutzerInnen gelingen?Die Autorin zeigt, wie diese implizite Vermittlung designt wird und wodurch Menschen fähig sind, ihre Interaktionsmöglichkeiten wahrzunehmen, zu nutzen, und sie sogar mitzugestalten. Die Bedeutung dieser Ergebnisse sind für das Design, die Designforschung sowie wie für die Technik- und Wissenschaftsforschung von hoher Relevanz. Implizite Wissensformen, die im Interaktionsdesign eine unentbehrliche Rolle spielen Erstaunliches Wissensrepertoire in Alltagsinteraktionen Eine geschriebene Ausstellung als Form, die selbst im Text implizit Verborgenes sichtbar werden lässt Stefanie Egger, The Invisible Lab, Graz

2016 New editorship Elisabeth Blum, Jesko Fezer, Gunther Fischer, Angelika Schnell Not unjustly referred to as legendary, this series of books on the history and theory of architecture and urban development was founded in 1963 by Ulrich Conrads, who was joined by Peter Neitzke as a co-editor of the series in the early 1980s. Now numbering over 150 titles, it is the most comprehensive German-language book series covering these fields. Following the deaths of the two longtime editors Ulrich Conrads (2013) and Peter Neitzke (2015), a new editorial committee was formed to continue their work: Elisabeth Blum, Jesko Fezer, Gunther Fischer and Angelika Schnell. As the future editors of this series, it is our aim to maintain the course set by our forerunners. The series has fulfilled its original aim of taking stock of the constructional and urban planning ideas and realizations formulated and achieved over the twentieth century in exemplary fashion. The Bauwelt Fundament series actually represents a history of ideas in the fields of planning and building that extends from the beginning of the twentieth century into the present. The second objective of the series, one that is anchored in its very name, will also continue to guide the development of the series, namely the publication of foundational thought - authoritative and fundamental - rather than passing opinion, of theses and polemics relating to the burning architectural and urban planning themes of the time. Penetrating complex interrelationships and probing them with systematic analysis provides the prerequisite for fruitful discourse and ongoing debate. As a forum for such discourses and contributions, the Bauwelt Fundamente series is maintaining its focus on the areas of architecture and urbanism, supplementing it with the always necessary historicala investigation of important questions and texts and its extension into other cultural and social fields. A strong international orientation and the desire for more female authors are self-evident in such a context. The original graphic design approach taken by Helmut Lortz to the series is being maintained. As is fitting for a working library, Bauwelt Fundamente titles remain simply designed, using black and white for the logo, the images on the front and back, and the eleven-line summary of the volume's contents. This is indicative of the broad orientation of Bauwelt Fundamente to all those interested in the cultural and social development that provides the context for the creation of cities, houses and other objects, which in turn create contexts for the world. "e;Architects, it is said - or hoped - have always been interested in the world beyond the boundaries of their profession."e; (1) (1) Peter Neitzke, manuscript of his address Nicht mit dem Rucken zur Gesellschaft (Not with one's back to society) given to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Bauwelt Fundamente in Berlin, 2013.