My Favourite Books: Thomas Schroepfer, Design of the Year Recipient, President*s Design Award 2018

This is a bimonthly series of book recommendations by President*s Design Award recipients, brought to you by DesignSingapore Council, Urban Redevelopment Authority, and library@orchard.

This month, we invite Thomas Schroepfer, Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design, and Director of Advanced Architecture Laboratory of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to share his recommendations. Thomas Schroepfer holds doctoral and Master’s degrees with Distinction from Harvard University. He began his academic career at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, where he was appointed Assistant Professor of Architecture in 2004, and Associate Professor of Architecture in 2008. He was named Full Professor after joining SUTD in 2011, where he became Founding Programme Director and Associate Head of Pillar of Architecture and Sustainable Design.

Prof Schroepfer’s project, The Future of Us Pavilion, won the P*DA 2018 Design of the Year. Prof Schroepfer recommends the following books:

Digital Culture in Architecture

Author: Antoine Picon
Publisher: Birkhäuser, 2010
Location: Not available from public libraries

Digital technologies now offer possibilities that were previously inconceivable. In this book, Antoine Picon, Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, provides an insightful and comprehensive introduction to the increasingly important role digital technologies play in architectural design and related fields. Included are also Picon’s discussions about how digital technologies continue to challenge the field of architecture, and raise important questions about the future of architectural design.

The Function of Form

Author: Farshid Moussavi
Publisher: Actar, 2010
Location: Reference Art (Lee Kong Chian Reference Library Level 8)

Call no.: English 729 MOU

The Function of Form by Farshid Moussavi, Professor in Practice at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, is an essential graphic manual on structural systems and their capacity to produce a variety of architectural forms. Based on a series of Moussavi’s seminars at Harvard, her research presents notions of systems that determine how parts interrelate and multiply, moving away from ‘mechanistic’ notions of systems for simply re-producing forms. A fascinating read for anyone interested in contemporary architectural design discourse.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec Works

Author: Anniina Koivu
Publisher: Phaidon, 2012
Location: Not available from public libraries

In this beautiful and comprehensive monograph, Anniina Koivu, a professor at the University of Art and Design Lausanne, Switzerland, documents the exciting work of French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, from their first joint projects in the late 1990s up till the book’s publication in 2012. The work explores topics such as ‘Module: On Puzzle Makers and Puzzle Lovers’, ‘System: Manual Not Included’ and ‘Outline: The Narration of Form’ through photographs, drawings, and a series of essays and interviews with project collaborators.

The librarians from library@orchard also recommend these titles­:

Jean Nouvel: Architecture and Design 1976 – 1995: A Lecture in Italy

Author: Jean Nouvel
Publisher: Skira, 1997
Location: Space Design, Architecture
Call no.: English 724.6 NOU

Drawing from his first lecture given in Italy, French architect Jean Nouvel provides an autobiographical examination of his oeuvre. This little guide is accompanied by photographs and illustrations from Nouvel’s personal archives, along with detailed commentary on his planning philosophy and processes. In his closing comments, Nouvel examines the relationship between architecture and design, and concludes with a brief remark on his vision for the future of architecture.

Fragments of Construction

Author: Gregotti Associati
Publisher: Skira, 2001
Location: Space Design, Architecture
Call no.: 720 GRE

Fragments of Construction is a bilingual book (Italian and English), filled with 91 “fragments” of architecture over the past 40 years, rich with detailed sketches, illustrations, and thought-provoking pictures. Presented with little commentary, these images encourage independent interpretations that prompt discussion and further thinking about the field of architecture. In its simplicity, this elegant and contemplative book leaves room for readers to decide its purpose – whether it is a reflection on the progress of architecture, a historical view of selected architectural forms, or inspiration for projects yet unformed.

The recommended titles are available from library@orchard and other public libraries, unless otherwise stated.

Head over to www.designsingapore.org/pda to read more book recommendations from P*DA!