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Alvar Aalto and the Future of Architecture
In the contemporary practice of architecture, digital design and fabrication are emergent technologies in transforming how architects present a design and form a material strategy that is responsible, equitable, sustainable, resilient, and forward-looking. This book exposes dialogue between history, theory, design, construction, technology, and sensory experience by means of digital simulations that enhance the assessment and values of our material choices. It offers a critical look to the past to inspire the future. This new edition looks to Alvar Aalto as the primary protagonist for channeling discussions related to these topics. Architects like ALA, Shigeru Ban, 3XN, Peter Zumthor, and others also play the role of contemporary guides in this review. The work of Aalto and selected contemporary architects, along with computer modeling software, showcase the importance of comprehensive design. Organized by the five Ts of contemporary architectural discourse―Typology, Topology, Tectonics, Technic, Thermodynamics―each chapter is used to connect history through Aalto and develop conversations concerning historical and contemporary models, digital simulations, ecological and passive/active material concerns, construction and fabrications, and healthy sensorial environments. Written for students and academics, this book bridges knowledge from academia into practice and vice versa to help architects become better stewards of the environment, make healthier and more accountable buildings, and find ways to introduce policy to make technology a critical component in thinking about and making architecture.
- GenresArchitecture
250 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2022
3 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 10, 2024
This book is fantastic with some great examples of what makes the work of Aalto genius.
January 6, 2025
This book has a novel premise that I think can be summed up in the following – that as people who design “projects,” ie. people who project forwards in time for a living, dreaming up and then designing buildings that do not exist [yet], architects should be asking themselves more about that future we are designing for. How does the Anthropocene era play itself out? What will the environment be like? How will human needs change, and what needs remain the same? The question is: how will the buildings we are designing –now– respond to those future times -then- adequately?
As architects in our era especially, we are daily confronted with existing buildings’ drawbacks and difficulties in our renovation projects. We tend to admire buildings that seem to age better and take to renovation without too much difficulty or expense, and denigrate buildings that don’t seem to take to change with grace, environmentally, technically, and formally. The idea of what sort of building embodies a future-tense best is an impossibility, as there are too many variables, and the future is not certain, but with enough analysis, we can perhaps make buildings that are more future-proof and thus more truly sustainable. Timeless through Technics, as it were.
In order to prove this thesis, Robert Cody and Angela Amoia are compelled to go back in time to make this case using a particular architect whose work has aged exceptionally gracefully. They look backwards to the period of high Modernism in the twentieth century, still very much in our architect collective consciousness. But they look not to Le Corbusier, not to Mies Van der Rohe, not even to Louis Kahn, but to the work of the architect Alvar Aalto from Finland, who was able to mould International Style Modernism to fit his region and cultural sensibilities, or perhaps the other way round, to create great buildings with exceptional human comfort. It is now common knowledge how Scandinavian Modernism has gone ‘round the globe and has transfixed us by its minimal, yet subtle expression, its human scale, and materiality, all the way from Arne Jacobsen to the bins in the self-service section at IKEA. Using an architect from the past to prove a future visioning project may seem paradoxical, but through many examples from Aalto’s oeuvre, especially his building planning techniques, his environmental controls using passive systems and light control using fenestration, with copious diagrams and descriptions, the authors laboriously prove that Aalto had things mostly right, and his buildings are [mostly] still great. And they seem to ask: “we should be able to do this today, with all our tools.”
There are then works by contemporary architects that are included in the book that the authors cite who they believe also follow Aalto in his future-proofing, but the point is harder to prove with projects that have not stood the same test of time. According to the authors, the now numerous technologies that architects can now harness that Aalto could have only dreamed of should conceivably allow us to model, prognosticate, and economize building performance and features for maximum sustainability and aesthetic impact, at least just as well as Aalto (whose tools were much more limited), or even better (in theory). Whether or not architects and architects-in-training (the authors are professors at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and Design) will take the hint we will just have to prognosticate.
All-in-all a serious, but easy to read book enlivened by extensive diagrams and drawings in a portable package.
As architects in our era especially, we are daily confronted with existing buildings’ drawbacks and difficulties in our renovation projects. We tend to admire buildings that seem to age better and take to renovation without too much difficulty or expense, and denigrate buildings that don’t seem to take to change with grace, environmentally, technically, and formally. The idea of what sort of building embodies a future-tense best is an impossibility, as there are too many variables, and the future is not certain, but with enough analysis, we can perhaps make buildings that are more future-proof and thus more truly sustainable. Timeless through Technics, as it were.
In order to prove this thesis, Robert Cody and Angela Amoia are compelled to go back in time to make this case using a particular architect whose work has aged exceptionally gracefully. They look backwards to the period of high Modernism in the twentieth century, still very much in our architect collective consciousness. But they look not to Le Corbusier, not to Mies Van der Rohe, not even to Louis Kahn, but to the work of the architect Alvar Aalto from Finland, who was able to mould International Style Modernism to fit his region and cultural sensibilities, or perhaps the other way round, to create great buildings with exceptional human comfort. It is now common knowledge how Scandinavian Modernism has gone ‘round the globe and has transfixed us by its minimal, yet subtle expression, its human scale, and materiality, all the way from Arne Jacobsen to the bins in the self-service section at IKEA. Using an architect from the past to prove a future visioning project may seem paradoxical, but through many examples from Aalto’s oeuvre, especially his building planning techniques, his environmental controls using passive systems and light control using fenestration, with copious diagrams and descriptions, the authors laboriously prove that Aalto had things mostly right, and his buildings are [mostly] still great. And they seem to ask: “we should be able to do this today, with all our tools.”
There are then works by contemporary architects that are included in the book that the authors cite who they believe also follow Aalto in his future-proofing, but the point is harder to prove with projects that have not stood the same test of time. According to the authors, the now numerous technologies that architects can now harness that Aalto could have only dreamed of should conceivably allow us to model, prognosticate, and economize building performance and features for maximum sustainability and aesthetic impact, at least just as well as Aalto (whose tools were much more limited), or even better (in theory). Whether or not architects and architects-in-training (the authors are professors at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and Design) will take the hint we will just have to prognosticate.
All-in-all a serious, but easy to read book enlivened by extensive diagrams and drawings in a portable package.
July 14, 2025
Angela Amoia and Robert Cody have sounded a gong for our building design & construction industry to hear!
After reading this book, it became apparent to me as an architect and educator, that the future of
architecture that lies in the hands of practicing architects and students alike, has a distinct opportunity to be directly informed by the work of Alvar Aalto. Studying precedents, although critical to the educational sector, is even more critical to practicing architects of today. Why do I say this? Because we practice. Practice based on established roots and shoulders that we have had the privilege to step upon to elevate our expression in the built environment. This book reminds me that looking back with today’s relevance, can offer new perspectives on what has already been implemented. A new point of beginning may be necessary or a continuation of a legacy of true and honest architecture may ensue.
What I love about this book is how it has summarized the topics discussed using alliteration; called the “Five Meme Methodology” and “The Five T’s”. It grabs the reader with this strong sense of organization, and in each chapter you can follow the authors logic as to how they convey their material, presenting their case as to how these terms act as the framework of the book. It is through the eyes of Cody and Amoia that I was able understand more about Aalto and his relevance today and moving forward. This book brought me beyond the stereotypical buzz words and approaches used by others to depict his philosophies; de-bunking, clarifying, expanding upon or supporting in detail the clichés and watered-down summaries that described his process and designs.
Without hesitation this book also depicts the relationship between Aalto and his wife, Aino. Their
personal relationship intertwined with their passionate work relationship fueled an alignment in their philosophies that produced so many provocative works. It seems quite appropriate that the authors as partners themselves would bring forth this aspect of the team as creatives.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book, and will keep it close as a source of inspiration and as a reminder of the role we all play as architects on the family tree.
~Maria Di Natale, AIA, NCARB
architect.educator.advocate
After reading this book, it became apparent to me as an architect and educator, that the future of
architecture that lies in the hands of practicing architects and students alike, has a distinct opportunity to be directly informed by the work of Alvar Aalto. Studying precedents, although critical to the educational sector, is even more critical to practicing architects of today. Why do I say this? Because we practice. Practice based on established roots and shoulders that we have had the privilege to step upon to elevate our expression in the built environment. This book reminds me that looking back with today’s relevance, can offer new perspectives on what has already been implemented. A new point of beginning may be necessary or a continuation of a legacy of true and honest architecture may ensue.
What I love about this book is how it has summarized the topics discussed using alliteration; called the “Five Meme Methodology” and “The Five T’s”. It grabs the reader with this strong sense of organization, and in each chapter you can follow the authors logic as to how they convey their material, presenting their case as to how these terms act as the framework of the book. It is through the eyes of Cody and Amoia that I was able understand more about Aalto and his relevance today and moving forward. This book brought me beyond the stereotypical buzz words and approaches used by others to depict his philosophies; de-bunking, clarifying, expanding upon or supporting in detail the clichés and watered-down summaries that described his process and designs.
Without hesitation this book also depicts the relationship between Aalto and his wife, Aino. Their
personal relationship intertwined with their passionate work relationship fueled an alignment in their philosophies that produced so many provocative works. It seems quite appropriate that the authors as partners themselves would bring forth this aspect of the team as creatives.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book, and will keep it close as a source of inspiration and as a reminder of the role we all play as architects on the family tree.
~Maria Di Natale, AIA, NCARB
architect.educator.advocate
January 25, 2025
I went into this reading with the potential of expecting a straightforward dive into Alvar Aalto’s historical influence or a showcase of projects inspired by him as some similar works may but was inspired by the content of the book. Instead, it was a deeply practice-focused exploration of the technical and material strategies that make Aalto’s work timeless. The authors, Robert Cody and Angela Amoia, do an excellent job of connecting Aalto’s legacy to contemporary works and architects, though it’s harder to tell how successfully their projects embody Aalto’s future-proofing ideals. The book’s chapter-by-chapter organization is well crafted for a range of readers. Clearly written for both researchers, students, and academics, it leaves room for technical material knowledge and application into practice, helping architects take agency over their role in human-centric experiences as well as their environments. In closing, it is packed with insights that I bookmark constantly; can’t wait to see what the more urban design-focused follow-up has to offer. Cheers!
January 20, 2025
Alvar Aalto and the Future of Architecture by Robert Cody and Angela Amoia serves as an invaluable primer for students, encouraging them to critically examine architectural history and theory as a foundation for shaping their own work and overall ideological positioning. I experienced this approach firsthand as a student of theirs (Now a practicing Architect) and have since evangelized this way of thinking to friends/colleagues for when approaching creative projects. (Even outside of Architecture) In addition, Cody and Amoia’s combined experience as professors ensures that the book's content is not only educational but also engaging, making complex concepts approachable and relevant.
January 5, 2025
This compelling book reaffirms Alvar Aalto's enduring influence on contemporary architecture, sparking fresh perspectives on design. Rich with exquisite diagrams, it is as visually inspiring as it is intellectually engaging. Perfect for architecture students of all backgrounds, especially those interested in the connections between systems and design, contemporary ecological challenges, or the Aaltos' work.
February 9, 2025
Alvar Aalto and the Future of Architecture highlights Aalto's thoughtful material choices and harmonious integration with nature. More than a tribute, Amoia and Cody explore his lasting influence, demonstrating his relevance in shaping the architecture of the future.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews