Snøhetta: People, Process, Projects

I love who Snohetta represents as an architecture firm, their culture and the work that they produce. However, this book does not seem to encapsulate what the title suggests - "People, Process, Projects". With the exception of very brief text and some sketches at the end, this product reads purely as a picture book of random images with limited information regarding process/details/text on Snohetta's portfolio of work. While some of the pictures are beautiful and inspiring, there is a real lack of effort to convey what makes this firm and their projects work so well.

I have to summarily disagree with these other reviews. The book is not a conventional instructional survey of Snohetta's work. And that is perfectly fine and I would argue, respectful of the reader's intellect. This is not a primer on how to make architecture by Snohetta. It is simply a book documenting moments in their projects. Lots of large and close up photos, and some studio shots which show their processes. As a licensed architect in NY and PA, I never understood why there is a demand for the drawings of the projects by That is like asking Miles Davis to expose his notes. You can read an Architect's details and learn from them but EVEN IF you plagiarized their drawings, a great architect offers an other thing, an approach, a process,an intangible that emerged from the process of design. Design, I argue, is a process that begins with the unknown and is wrestled into existence through the real world parameters of finance, physical limitations, social need, and a commitment to preserving the integrity of the initial kernel which set the design in motion in the first place. So, this book doesn't completely expose the backgrounds that resulted in the finished product. But rather it documents the bits and pieces of the fruits of Snohetta's labors. This is only my take. I was never short on ideas and don't look to get ideas from books like this.

Very dissapointing. I was expectng way more from this book.There are a few-none diagrams and just a bunch of random pictures of their offices.

WTF? Where's the text? I went online to see if I'd missed the companion volume. But no! This book is for NON-READERS! I'm embarrassed to own it.

There are only great pics but there is not explanation or blueprints.

great

Really disappointed for this book!

While the photos displayed are amazing, the book does not have any blueprints or explantions about the projects