There’s a stack of books on the corner of my desk that never really goes down, because there are a lot of talented writers dealing with some of the same thoughts that we are working on. Most of them circle the same handful of questions: how houses perform, how neighborhoods come together, how streets either serve people or push them aside.
I’ve started keeping a running list of the ones worth your time.
https://bookshop.org/lists/architecture-planning-and-sustainability
These aren’t background reading for me. They’re the ideas underneath the decisions we make on every project. When we argue for a smaller, better-built house instead of a bigger leaky one, that comes from somewhere. When we push for a site plan that works with the land instead of flattening it, that comes from somewhere too. Plus there are some big picture sustainability and planning things that help keep the tiny details in context, too.
It covers what we care about: high-performance and Passive House building, the housing types that actually fit how people live, walkable streets, and the planning decisions that shape all of it. Some titles are brand new. Some have been around for decades and still hold up.
Here’s the part I’ll be straight about. If these books interest you, we will probably get along. The clients we do our best work with tend to show up already curious about this stuff. I love that!
The list lives on Bookshop.org, so any purchase also supports independent bookstores instead of the giant you’re picturing. Or browse it and go to your local library. That’s where I borrowed most of them!
If one of them sparks something for your own project, tell me. That’s usually a good first conversation.