Elements

This new series examines the role of details in contemporary architecture through the work of many emerging and established practitioners whose designs speak sensitively and energetically at the small scale. The collection presents these details in photographs, accompanied by working drawings, sketches, an introductory essay, and captions that explain how the elements were conceived and built.

The details presented are often beautiful telltales of a designer's thoughts, scaled to our eye, made physical to the touch of our hand. These crafted moments remind us that architecture can be a subtle and powerful force - played out in some cases by evoking historical motifs, in others by radical experimentation with new materials. But more than a simple catalogue of ideas, these details are ultimately shown as individual expressions of discovery, gestures of delight or severity, of beauty and clarity. They are meaningful indications of the architect's presence - more than all else, willful signs that the true craft of design is alive and well.

Elements includes projects in which the designer's ideas are evident in the minor moments of a space, such as the curve of a handrail, the profile of a cabinet, or the form of a fireplace. The images feature a range of elements - from columns and staircases to doors and windows - all used to shape a broad variety of residential, commercial, and institutional spaces.

Oscar Riera Ojeda is an editor and designer. He is the creator of many architectural books including the Single Building series, Ten Houses series, Contemporary World Architects series, and Architecture in Detail.