25 Concepts in Modern Architecture: A Guide for Visual Thinkers

Designed to appeal to visual thinkers, 25 Concepts in Modern Architecture explores the fundamental ideas behind architectural design, through easy-to-follow sketches, drawings and succinct explanations.

Twenty-five concepts – each of which are key to architectural design thinking – are accessibly explained by examining twenty-five different masterworks of modern architecture. For example, the concept of 'movement' in architectural design is explained through a close look at a Le Corbusier building; 'transparency' is examined in Philip Johnson's seminal Glass House; 'asymmetry' is understood through the work of Zaha Hadid – and so on, through twenty-five core concepts and twenty-five of the most significant buildings of the modern era.

Taking a highly-visual approach, this simple yet visually-powerful guide is an essential companion in the design studio and to introductory courses in modern architecture, interior architecture, and interior design.

Understanding these concepts will provide a key to demystifying the greatest works in modern architectural history, inspire new ways to think about new design projects, and reveal how drawing and sketching are used as tools for the visual analysis of architecture.

Stephanie Travis is Associate Professor and Director of the Interior Architecture and Design programme at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, The George Washington University, US. Her previous books include Sketching for Architecture and Interior Design (2015)

Catherine Anderson is Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture and Design at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, The George Washington University, US.