Architecture depends - Jeremy Till

Architecture depends -- on what? On people, time, politics, ethics, mess:
the real world. Architecture, Jeremy Till argues with conviction in this engaging,
sometimes pugnacious book, cannot help itself; it is dependent for its very
existence on things outside itself. Despite the claims of autonomy, purity, and
control that architects like to make about their practice, architecture is buffeted
by uncertainty and contingency. Circumstances invariably intervene to upset the
architect's best-laid plans -- at every stage in the process, from design through
construction to occupancy. Architects, however, tend to deny this, fearing
contingency and preferring to pursue perfection. With Architecture
Depends, architect and critic Jeremy Till offers a proposal for rescuing
architects from themselves: a way to bridge the gap between what architecture
actually is and what architects want it to be. Mixing anecdote, design, social
theory, and personal experience, Till's writing is always accessible, moving freely
between high and low registers, much like his suggestions for architecture
itself.