The Architecture of Happiness

Alain de Botton's Architecture of Happiness is a humanist's guide to understanding built environments. Finding room to appreciate both classical and contemporary architecture, de Botton resolves the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns by suggesting that every architecture strives to provide the conditions for happiness. "What works of design and architecture talk to us about is the kind of life that would most appropriately unfold within and around them. They tell us of certain moods that they seek to encourage and sustain in their inhabitants." (72) Although the book is dedicated to the pursuit of happiness, its best moments are shot through with midlife melancholy. De Botton reflects on the ache inspired by an eighteenth-century ornament: "The ceiling is a repository of the qualities the man would like to have more of in himself: it manages to be both playful and serious, subtle and clear, formal and unpretentious ... it has a profound unsentimental sweetness, like that of a smile breaking across a child's face" (148-9). The book itself is founded on the double premise that our surroundings affect our moods and modes of living, yet "will only ever constitute a small, and imperfect protest against the state of things" (25). De Botton, that is, believes deeply, very deeply, that architecture matters, but he does not suffer from the self-importance of the professional architect. Phew. What excites me most about de Botton's work, however, is his ability to weave design, literature, and philosophy into a mode of discourse that speaks with an eye to illumination, not obscurity. The writing is too beautiful to be reduced to a set of "take-aways," the emerging tin standard for public speech, yet de Botton uses page breaks and illustrations to escape the mesmerizing movement of his own syntax. Could this be ... the typography of happiness?

Alain is a great writer and this is a must read for anyone who has ever questioned " Do architects really care " Erudite / Wonderful / Superb. I use several books to explain GOOD system design to clients ( Don Normans The Design of Everyday Things, called the coffee pot book ) ( Alan Coopers The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity - the jail book ) and now this classic. Good design leads to happiness. De Botton makes a great case and his history checks on this theory are very good I especially liked the instance with Le Corbusier's first major client screaming at him that her house is leaking like a sieve and her son in in hospital as a result, with pneumonia, and he responds " But MADAM the design was so well received in the architectural press " I nearly fell of my seat laughing. Thank you Alain for a great contribution to man and his understanding of how things SHOULD work. I have now ordered ALL of his other works

Like Tom Wolfe before him (see "From Bauhaus to Our House"), De Botton has produced one of the finest books of architectural theory and criticism by a non-architect. By that I don't mean that "he did all right for an amateur and a dilletante;" rather I mean that De Botton has written one of the best books of architectural criticism in recent memory, period. The fact that he is not an architect or critic only enhances this book's appeal, because it is written in plain language, with lovely illustrative phrases that allow the reader to inhabit his prose in the imagination. This is not "Architecture for Dummies," by any means, but De Botton's argument is accessible and understandable to architects and non-architects alike. This book is richly illustrated to bring home the salient points, and De Botton seems to have traveled enough to speak with authority about the places he writes of. This charming volume should be read and studied by every architect, would-be architect, architecture student, client, and design review board on the planet. Humanity would be well served if it became a standard text.

This is a very interesting way to approach architecture, mainly related to human emotions an psychological needs. It is not a technical description nor an expert analysis. Is a fresh and touching window to consider some aspects you will not find in most books on architecture. It is a pity that the images does not look OK in the Kindle edition. You need color and precision to understand and enjoy. (Of course no mention of prehispanic architecture in America, which is not ok). Anyway, very enjoyable and valuable. Very De Botton. And that is something to thank.

To read De Botton is to go on a journey to places at once unexpected yet familiar; for example, one point is supported by reference to a diagram of nose shapes and sizes. His books teach rather than exposit; they do not lack for a direct thesis--they make arguments and reach conclusions. In this book on architecture the point is made that we have a responsibility to create something that is worthy of the natural surroundings that will be altered by the creation. We have the ability and resources to transcend mere engineering concerns and the argument is made in this book that we have a duty to do so. Obviously we cannot live the modern life stuck out in a meadow, no matter how beautiful the scenery--but our author argues that is equally difficult (or pointless) to live in a community of soulless boxes, that architecture which fails to honor aesthetic ideals is a failure even if it keeps the weather out. Good architecture is the result not of adherence to classical ideals, budget measures or engineering goals but of a balance achieved among the almost infinite range of available architectural choices. The author understands that in order to bring his reader to an appreciation for balance in architecture that he must provide a context--he has to demonstrate when things are out of balance. De Botton excels in providing just the right amount of history, pictorial evidence, contemporary example and discussion--in fact, his presentation is itself artfully balanced and perfectly suits his theme. There may be disagreements about the thesis; however, I think that the quality of the writing is worthy of any superlatives. Anyone familiar with Michael Palin's travelogues knows that they can't be missed regardless of the destination--Mr. Palin is unfailingly respectful of tradition but never misses an opportunity for a witty remark. So likewise are Mr. De Botton's books. Regardless of his chosen subject, he has earned my trust--I'll read whatever he chooses to print. Highest Recommendation

After buying and reading this book, I did something I've never done before: ordered a copy sent to a lifelong friend who, like me, is not an architect, but has an appreciation and abiding interest in topics and writings that are so well developed and imaginative as to take the topic to a new or higher level. I told my friend that this little book is worth reading in itself on at least three separate levels of interest and enjoyment: 1) the marriage of function and beauty revealed in good architecture, 2) the soaring, imaginative range of vocabulary the author uses to make his thesis, and finally, 3) the exquisite humor he inserts, when least expected, to lighten (and enlighten). In short, this is a wonderful little book to send your spirits soaring, get a frequent laugh, and even discover new meaning and beauty in the man-made structures around us.

The actual content of the book was informative, but the physical book was handled poorly and came bent.

De Botton goes ahead and quotes thinkers and poets and scientists and writers like Maria Rilke, Le Corbusier, Freud, etc. He talks about art and more specifically architecture and design with a very poetic and philosophical approach. He asks questions like the meaning and value of beauty, how buildings talk, the moral messages behind design and how architecture “renders vivid to us who we might ideally be”. He also guides the reader through the “journey” of architecture and all the different movements and styles, which always end up being influenced by the social context of the era (so it’s full of worthy information, facts, theory and history). I will quote a paragraph that I really liked because it perfectly explains not only the importance but the urge to put all of our hearts and minds into designing beautiful things: “To describe a building as beautiful therefore suggests more than a mere aesthetic fondness; it implies an attraction to the particular way of life this structure is promoting through its roof, door handles, window frames, staircase and furnishings. A feeling of beauty is a sign that we have come upon a material articulation of certain of our ideas of a good life.” De Botton never fails to touch my heart so it's no surprise this book definitely did it.