From the Author:
This new edition of the book adds an Index to the original Chapters, which are otherwise unchanged. I recently used this text for a course on architectural theory, along with Christopher Alexander's "The Nature of Order: Book I", and the course material (excluding readings from the two textbooks) became the new book "Unified Architectural Theory".
From the Back Cover:
"Surely no voice is more thought-provoking than that of this intriguing, perhaps historically important, new thinker?" -- From the Preface by His Royal Highness, Charles, The Prince of Wales.
"A New Vitruvius for 21st-Century Architecture and Urbanism?" -- Dr. Ashraf Salama. Chair, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
"Architecture, Salingaros argues, is governed by universal and intuitively understood principles, which have been exemplified by all successful styles and in all civilizations that have left a record of themselves in their buildings. The solution is not to return to the classical styles... the solution is to return to first principles and build within their constraints..." -- Dr. Roger Scruton, Philosopher, London, UK.
"A fundamental text, among the most significant of the past several years." -- Dr. Vilma Torselli, Architect and Author, Milan, Italy.
"A Theory of Architecture demonstrates how mathematics and the social sciences offer keys to designing a humane architecture. In this brilliant tome Salingaros explains why many modern buildings are neither beautiful nor harmonious and, alternatively, how architects and patrons can employ scale, materials and mathematical logic to design structures which are exciting, nourishing, and visually delightful." -- Duncan G. Stroik, Professor of Architecture, University of Notre Dame, Indiana.
"Salingaros explores ways to clarify and formalize our understanding of aesthetic forms in the built environment, using mathematics, thermodynamics, Darwinism, complexity theory and cognitive sciences. Salingaros' remarkable observations suggest that concepts of complexity and scale can someday provide a full-bodied explanation for both the practice and the appreciation of architecture." -- Kim Sorvig, Architecture & Planning, University of New Mexico.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.