Library of the Little Architect
What architecture is and what an architect does can be explained fairly quickly to children with a certain simplification. However, if the curious questions from children continue, it is appropriate to reach for a book. Recently, several translated books as well as original Czech ones have appeared on bookstore shelves that present the world of building and architecture to children in an attractive way.
A family house is the most tangible architecture for most children. Martin Sodomka's book How to Build a House is intended for the youngest readers or for those who are still being read to by their parents. It is the latest book from the Technical Fairy Tales Series. The story, with familiar animal characters, guides young readers through the entire building process. The text and illustrations are evenly balanced, and the supplementary technical drawings are presented in a quantity that does not distract from the narrative. In the spirit of Czech DIY culture, the heroes of the book design the house entirely on their own, without needing an architect or structural engineer. But why not, when in one of the previous books they showed readers how to construct an airplane?
The first translated book in this selection is the phenomenal D.O.M.E.K. by Polish authors Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński. The book, with simple drawings, presents 35 very atypical family houses from around the world. Young readers will understand through this book that a family house does not have to be just a bungalow or a timber cottage. It's just a shame that no Czech house made it into the selection.
Architect and publicist Ondřej Šefců primarily focuses on monuments in his profession. Probably because of this, in his book From Cave to Cathedral, the most modern construction is a television transmitter and the Ještěd hotel, which has stood at the top of the same-named hill for almost fifty years. This thin book alternates between comics and text. The light comic story always serves as an introduction to a more serious professional text.
Urbanism is also an integral part of architecture. It is very commendable for authors who strive to make this less accessible field approachable for children. The book by the husband-and-wife team Klára and Jana Smolík How to Build a City explains the formation of a city by example, focusing on a medieval city, which is the closest to us Central Europeans. The book does not focus only on architecture, but seeks to address the theme of a medieval city as a whole. The book story is complemented by illustrations that further develop or clarify technical aspects. A fairly comprehensive terminological glossary is spread throughout the entire book and will be informative even for adult readers.
The book What Are Architects Good For by Karolína Jirkalová and Ondřej Dušek, who also illustrated the book, is positively local in nature. All the buildings mentioned are located on Czech territory. The authors explain more general architectural concepts through individual buildings, which are organized into structured chapters. This book is likely not to be reached for by the youngest readers themselves, but it will be a good tool for teachers who have decided to incorporate the theme of architecture into their lessons. It will also serve well as a guide to current quality architecture.
The last and concurrently the most recent book is Building: Hidden Stories of Buildings, written by British engineer Roma Agrawal, who was born in India. The author draws from her own experience in the book and explains even relatively complex construction and structural aspects of buildings with remarkable ease. The text clearly predominates over photographs and technical sketches. The book is intended more for adolescent readers who are seriously considering pursuing architecture or structural engineering in adulthood.
This text is not and cannot be a review of the mentioned books. Its aim is to point out an interesting phenomenon that seems to be connected to an increased general interest in architecture and public space.
A family house is the most tangible architecture for most children. Martin Sodomka's book How to Build a House is intended for the youngest readers or for those who are still being read to by their parents. It is the latest book from the Technical Fairy Tales Series. The story, with familiar animal characters, guides young readers through the entire building process. The text and illustrations are evenly balanced, and the supplementary technical drawings are presented in a quantity that does not distract from the narrative. In the spirit of Czech DIY culture, the heroes of the book design the house entirely on their own, without needing an architect or structural engineer. But why not, when in one of the previous books they showed readers how to construct an airplane?
The first translated book in this selection is the phenomenal D.O.M.E.K. by Polish authors Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński. The book, with simple drawings, presents 35 very atypical family houses from around the world. Young readers will understand through this book that a family house does not have to be just a bungalow or a timber cottage. It's just a shame that no Czech house made it into the selection.
Architect and publicist Ondřej Šefců primarily focuses on monuments in his profession. Probably because of this, in his book From Cave to Cathedral, the most modern construction is a television transmitter and the Ještěd hotel, which has stood at the top of the same-named hill for almost fifty years. This thin book alternates between comics and text. The light comic story always serves as an introduction to a more serious professional text.
Urbanism is also an integral part of architecture. It is very commendable for authors who strive to make this less accessible field approachable for children. The book by the husband-and-wife team Klára and Jana Smolík How to Build a City explains the formation of a city by example, focusing on a medieval city, which is the closest to us Central Europeans. The book does not focus only on architecture, but seeks to address the theme of a medieval city as a whole. The book story is complemented by illustrations that further develop or clarify technical aspects. A fairly comprehensive terminological glossary is spread throughout the entire book and will be informative even for adult readers.
The book What Are Architects Good For by Karolína Jirkalová and Ondřej Dušek, who also illustrated the book, is positively local in nature. All the buildings mentioned are located on Czech territory. The authors explain more general architectural concepts through individual buildings, which are organized into structured chapters. This book is likely not to be reached for by the youngest readers themselves, but it will be a good tool for teachers who have decided to incorporate the theme of architecture into their lessons. It will also serve well as a guide to current quality architecture.
The last and concurrently the most recent book is Building: Hidden Stories of Buildings, written by British engineer Roma Agrawal, who was born in India. The author draws from her own experience in the book and explains even relatively complex construction and structural aspects of buildings with remarkable ease. The text clearly predominates over photographs and technical sketches. The book is intended more for adolescent readers who are seriously considering pursuing architecture or structural engineering in adulthood.
This text is not and cannot be a review of the mentioned books. Its aim is to point out an interesting phenomenon that seems to be connected to an increased general interest in architecture and public space.
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