Chris' Fish Place

Disclaimer: ARC read via Netgalley.

                The Philadelphia School System has closed a few schools in the last couple years. This is due to largely to cost cutting issues in regards to not having enough money. The reasons for the lack of money are vast but can pretty much be summed up by the following statement – “Inner city schools, and Philadelphia should secede from the state of PA”. There was much discussion and attempts to save some of those schools (especially those that had special programs that exposed inner city children to things they weren’t normally see such as wildlife) as well as the fact that the remaining schools would be over crowded and unstaffed. Several people wondered what would happen to the closed buildings. More than one person simply stated they should be turned into prisons because if you are not educating a population, you are telling them crime is a good option.

                But the suggestion of a jail is more apt than many people would think at first. Read this book and you will know why. After all, in her book about buildings and what their style tells prospective owners, visitors, and users.

                Windows are far more important than you think, and not just in schools.             

                Though the design of school says rather much, and at least today none of it really good.

                Brick means more than you think.

                Lurie looks at all aspects of the building, not just material and purpose, but also by design. She answers the question why are rooms square or rectangular, for instance. More importantly, she writes in such a way that reader does not need a background in architecture or design to read the book. Lurie’s focus is on the effect such buildings have on people but also what they say about people. This translates not only to male and female but also class. There is much about how buildings influence and reflect people as well as how people see living space. The most poignant example coming in Lurie’s discussion about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the destruction of New Orleans.

                The book is divided, roughly, into different types of buildings from private homes to schools to office buildings to museums. Different cities are looked at. The ARC I receive didn’t have photos, and photos in some cases would have made the book better. Lurie does mention mostly well known buildings but in many cases, a photo would have given a clear impression. There are funny sketches before each chapter.