Francis D. K. Ching 
Architecture: Form, Space, and Order [PDF ebook] 

ARCHITECTURE THE GOLD STANDARD IN INTRODUCTORY ARCHITECTURE TEXTS, FULLY UPDATED TO REFLECT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD For more than forty years, the beautifully illustrated Architecture: Form, Space, and Order has served as the classic introduction to the basic vocabulary of architectural design. In this fifth edition, more recent additions to the architectural panoply illustrate how contemporary digital and building technologies have influenced the development of architectural forms and spaces and how architectural siting and design have responded to the call for more environmentally responsible buildings. It is designed to encourage critical thought and to promote a more evocative understanding of architecture. The fifth edition is updated with many new urban design and building precedents from a diverse range of cultural and geographic areas New content focuses on the latest technology and trends in structure, construction, materials, and sustainability Includes more than 800 illustrations, many hand-drawn, which demonstrate the foundations and concepts every architect must master Architecture: Form, Space, and Order distills complex concepts of design into a clear focus and brings difficult abstractions to life. It explains form and space in relation to light, view, openings, and enclosures and explores the organization of space, and the elements and relationships of circulation, as well as proportion and scale. In addition, the text s detailed illustrations demonstrate the concepts presented and reveal the relationships between fundamental elements of architecture through the ages and across cultures.