New Organic Architecture

New Organic Architecture is a manifesto for building in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and kinder to the environment. It illuminates key themes of organic architects, their sources of inspiration, the roots and concepts behind the style, and the environmental challenges to be met. The organic approach to architecture has an illustrious history, from Celtic design, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, to the work of Antoni Gaudi and Frank Lloyd Wright. Today there is a response to a new age of information and ecology; architects are seeking to change the relationship between buildings and the natural environment. In the first part of his book, David Pearson provides a history and assessment of organic architecture. The second part comprises statements from thirty architects from around the world whose work is based on natural or curvilinear forms rather than the straight-line geometrics of modernism. Each statement is accompanied by full-color illustrations of one or several of the architects' built projects.

David Pearson is an architect and planner actively involved in inner city and new community planning--both in Britain and the U.S. For more than ten years he has been active in the field of ecological design. With degrees both from the University of London and the University of California, Berkeley, he works, lectures, and travels widely. He founded the Ecological Design Association and is the editor of EcoDesign, the association's journal. His The Natural House Bookwas revised and updated in 1998.