ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book by Steve Bowkett

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ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book by architect and professor Steve Bowkett is an amazingly cool book that should inspire and educate anyone with an interest in buildings and building! While I know almost nothing about architecture (everything I learned comes from the picture books with architectural themes at the end of this review...) but I didn't find ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book intimidating at all and I don't think that kids of a certain age and interest (the age of the child you might give this book to depends on her/his level of interest, intellect and drawing abilities, but I could imagine a kid as young as 10 going to town with this book) will either. However, I did seek out other reviews from professionals to help me write  this review. 


Knowing that ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book is published by Laurence King Publishing, a London based house that publishes books for students and professionals on advertising, art, fashion & textiles, animation, graphic design, interior design, photography and product design was my first indication that this book would be of high quality, both in content and design. However, I found this review by architecture professon John Hill at A Daily Dose of Architecture confirmed for me that, while ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book is a fun book to give to a kid, it's also a useful book for students of architecture and architects themselves.



Hill begins his review by saying, "One of the things I stress to my students is that process is as important as product, and in that vein I promote keeping a sketchbook. Drawing by hand is the best means of getting ideas from one's mind out into the real world, on paper, as it is. This act allows ideas to be shared, discussed, edited, and more easily recalled at a later date." Hill goes on to say that this book is as "valuable in teaching about architecture as it is about sparking the imagination." I love knowing that ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book is a book that is meant to be a creative inspiration to students of architecture and students of creativity both!



A lot of thought clearly went into ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book. Bowkett depicts a streetscape that he says is in need of "greening," both horticultural and  environmental. His provides examples of wind turbines, solar panels, vertical farms and greenhouses. There are also rivers and highways that need bridges, the opportunity to put a new roof on the Sydney Opera House and the chance to design a house on a cliff as well as adding on to a forest of tree houses.


The penultimate page in ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book invites readers to design a city panorama that reflects your vision of the future and, once completed, give your city a name! The final page of the book? Design your award for Architect of the Year that you will be awarded upon completing ARCHI-DOODLE: An Architect's Activity Book!



Really cool picture books 
with architectural themes:



Young Frank by Frank Viva



Library Mouse : Home Sweet Home




Iggy Peck, Architect




The Three Little Pigs, An Architectural Tale

(Yep, that's Frank Gehry, Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson as the three little pigs setting out to build their houses!)


Source: Review Copy

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