John R. Silber (1926–2012)

President of Boston University for 25 years, the author surveys the miserable buildings foisted on the world by ego-driven architects. In 1951, as a faculty member at UT, he spoke on the topic of why their would never be an architecture of the absurd as in art and music, arguing that buildings were too expensive and structures had to meet the needs of the client. How wrong he was! This book is a treasure-trove of educated and often witty commentary on the reason why people run in terror from the idea of having an architect design their house or business building.
Who wants an ugly building with a leaky roof that costs millions and doesn't do what you need done?
On the plus side, Silber gives the client tools for dealing with idiot architects, and points out that most of the practitioners of the art of design DO want to build good buildings that work.
Read this in tandem with "How buildings learn" by Stewart Brand.… (mere)