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101 Things I Learned in Architecture School (The MIT Press) Hardcover – 9 Oct. 2007
Purchase options and add-ons
- ISBN-100486844749
- ISBN-13978-0262062664
- Edition3rd Third Edition
- PublisherMIT Press
- Publication date9 Oct. 2007
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions13.11 x 18.75 x 2.31 cm
- Print length212 pages
Frequently bought together
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Product description
Review
How to draw a line, the meaning of figure-ground theory, hand-lettering and the fact that windows look dark in the daytime each item has resonance beyond architecture. Books like this are brief tutorials in the art of seeing, a skill useful in every aspect of life on the planet.
--Susan Salter Reynolds, latimes.com--From the Back Cover
Concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation, from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory. 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : 0262062666
- Publisher : MIT Press; 3rd Third Edition (9 Oct. 2007)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 212 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0486844749
- ISBN-13 : 978-0262062664
- Dimensions : 13.11 x 18.75 x 2.31 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 62,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 131 in Gardens in Britain
- 1,649 in Other Reference by Subject
- 7,822 in Arts & Photography (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Matthew Frederick is an architect, urban designer, instructor of design and writing, and the creator, editor, and illustrator of the 101 Things I Learned series. He lives in New York's Hudson Valley.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book easy to read and interesting, providing a good introduction to architectural design. They find the content elegant and stimulating, with honest truths about the design process. The instructions are simple and user-friendly for adults.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book easy to read and interesting, even if they are not in the building industry. They find it useful for finding ideas and inspiration, especially as a starting point for studying architecture. The book provides helpful tips and advice in simple terms, making it a good choice for beginners.
"A terrific gift for anyone, it is interesting and user friendly for any adult. I wish there were more in this series." Read more
"...The fact there is no context page really adds to the excitement of reading this book." Read more
"This book is great. I'm not sure if you'd use it as a bedside book for guests, a loo book or a coffee table book...." Read more
"...AMAZING BOOK!" Read more
Customers find the book provides an engaging introduction to architectural design. They say it's a good introduction to the basics and brings home some honest truths about the design process. It's a must-have for architecture students and suitable for teenage budding designers.
"...of inspiration when it comes to your design journey, the design world and designing...." Read more
"...new things to learn and this book brought home some honest truths about the design process...." Read more
"Very interesting and informative. Also aesthetically appealing. Highly recommend" Read more
"Really good introduction to the basics of architectural design" Read more
Customers find the book user-friendly with simple instructions that are easy to understand. They also mention it's concise and interesting for adults.
"A terrific gift for anyone, it is interesting and user friendly for any adult. I wish there were more in this series." Read more
"...it should be given to all student upon starting the degree! simple instruction that are easy to understand!..." Read more
"Excellent, Insightful and Concise..." Read more
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2023A terrific gift for anyone, it is interesting and user friendly for any adult. I wish there were more in this series.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 May 2023I only just started reading this and I gotta say, I am liking it. The fact there is no context page really adds to the excitement of reading this book.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2020This book is good if you’re looking for little sparks of inspiration when it comes to your design journey, the design world and designing. I’ve added tabs to revisit certain pages to help me with things from advice to presentation styles!
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2018This book is great. I'm not sure if you'd use it as a bedside book for guests, a loo book or a coffee table book. I used it to read cover to cover several times and think about. If you want to reflect on the use of space and design this is a great way to start.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 December 2013Ever since I started architecture last September, I was quite lost and clueless with what the course seemed to offer. A wide range of skills and interests; numeracy skills, literature reads, digital software, critical and analytical thinking skills, drawing, modelmaking...etc. Architecture is indeed a course that touches aspects on almost everything though we may not know all. Thanks for the book, I am now slowly paving my way towards being a though-not-so-perfect architect student but definitely a fearless one. AMAZING BOOK!
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2021Bought this for my 14 year old son who wants to be an architect. It's an excellent read. Short bits of useful information that lay the foundations for anyone interested in this career path. He learnt key takeaways which I hope he'll remember for always.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 December 2013Bought my university days back! looking through this book made me laugh and think about my first years as an architecture student! I would 100% recommend buying this book! it should be given to all student upon starting the degree! simple instruction that are easy to understand! Answers those stupid questions no one wants to ask!
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 April 2015I bought this book after reading an electronic version - I'm a UX designer who knew nothing about architecture, and this is a great book to flick through for ideas, inspiration and a bit of education!
Top reviews from other countries
- NikaReviewed in Canada on 13 February 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School – A Must-Read for Architecture Students!
101 Things I Learned in Architecture School" is a concise, insightful guide that offers practical lessons and foundational concepts for architecture students and design enthusiasts. It breaks down complex ideas into simple, memorable principles, covering topics like design thinking, spatial composition, and visual communication. The clear illustrations and short lessons make it easy to digest and fun to revisit. Overall, it’s a 5-star must-have that’s both inspiring and useful—I’d highly recommend it for anyone studying or passionate about architecture and design!
- 123456Reviewed in the United States on 31 December 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for landscape architects, too
I am enjoying this window into the training and process of an architect, and excited that many of these concepts apply to the practice of landscape architecture as well (I am a 20+ year landscape architect). I consider this book to be a fun gift idea for architects and landscape architects, students through seasoned professionals.
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ArturoReviewed in Mexico on 7 November 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro para comenzar en este campo de la arquitectura
Libro básico en cualquier estante de algún estudiante de arquitectura, muy fácil de entender con conceptos concretos
- CaboxReviewed in Italy on 13 January 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars So funny and helpful
Concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation, from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory. This is a book that students of architecture will want to keep in the studio and in their backpacks. It is also a book they may want to keep out of view of their professors, for it expresses in clear and simple language things that tend to be murky and abstruse in the classroom. These 101 concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation-from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory-provide a much-needed primer in architectural literacy, making concrete what too often is left nebulous or open-ended in the architecture curriculum. Each lesson utilizes a two-page format, with a brief explanation and an illustration that can range from diagrammatic to whimsical. The lesson on "How to Draw a Line" is illustrated by examples of good and bad lines; a lesson on the dangers of awkward floor level changes shows the television actor Dick Van Dyke in the midst of a pratfall; a discussion of the proportional differences between traditional and modern buildings features a drawing of a building split neatly in half between the two. Written by an architect and instructor who remembers well the fog of his own student days, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School provides valuable guideposts for navigating the design studio and other classes in the architecture curriculum. Architecture graduates-from young designers to experienced practitioners-will turn to the book as well, for inspiration and a guide back to basics when solving a complex design problem.
CaboxSo funny and helpful
Reviewed in Italy on 13 January 2021
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SebReviewed in Germany on 30 August 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Top! Macht sich gut am Schreibtisch und Sie nachdenklich
Als Freund schöner Bücher ist für mich, nebst Inhalt, auch wichtig, dass ich das Buch gerne in die Hand nehme. Daher erfreue ich mich auch, wie hier, an bereits gelesenen Exemplaren oder Bibliotheksausgaben. Keine Scheu, dass Buch "zu fordern" und ins alltägliche Leben mit einzubeziehen.
Das Buch stach mir eher von seiner gestalterischen Aufmachung ins Auge. Ich besitze bereits ein Buch dieser Reihe, wer sie kennt weiß was er bekommt. Jedes "Thing I Learned" wird auf einer Doppelseite ausgeführt. Eine Seite für eine kleine ergänzende Illustration, ein kurzer Paragraph auf der anderen Seite erläutert den Sachverhalt. Das Buch "zu lesen" würde vermutlich keine halbe Stunde dauern. Daher liegt das Buch, aufgeklappt auf meinem Schreibtisch. Ich suche mir einen Paragraph, der mir wichtig genug erscheint häufiger darüber nachzudenken. So verweilt das Buch dann bis ich mir den Paragraph lange genug vor Augen geführt habe, dann wird ein weiterer gewählt. Schon fast wie ein Tischkalender ;)
Zum Inhalt finden sich hier sicherlich noch mehr wunderbare Rezensionen. Ich stecke noch mitten im Buch empfehle der gerne sein bestehendes Wissen prüft und auch an Grundlagen der Materie interessiert ist (Einsteiger!). Zumindest wäre das mein momentanes Fazit.
Über meinen Account werden Liebhaber schöner Bücher definitiv fündig!