Prepared by Vanja Alendar
The book by Mentor Llunji was first published in Serbian by MS Project in 2014. This review refers to the expanded English edition from 2016.
One may ask why to review a book published two, or rather four years ago, which now seems almost sold out? The reason is that we believe the book deserves attention, and we were unable to do so earlier because SUZI was established in 2018.
The book Seismic Architecture has 494 pages, divided into nine chapters and two appendices. Unlike the Serbian edition, the English edition carries the subtitle The Architecture of Earthquake Resistant Structures. This subtitle almost poses the question of what kind of architecture can actually be “drawn out” or achieved from earthquake-resistant structures. Today, the process is often reversed - trying to somehow fit the structure into the architectural fabric. Both approaches are mistaken and unnatural. We believe that the subtitle Architecture in Seismic-Prone Regions would better emphasize that architecture should adapt to local conditions, including natural forces such as wind, earthquakes, temperature, fire, marine exposure, aggressive environments, potential sabotage, and so on. This inevitably requires collaboration with civil engineers, which is essentially the core message of this book.
The book is encyclopedic—almost a lexicon of seismic terms that both architects and civil engineers need to know in order to understand each other while working together for the same client. The author rightly believes that the key prerequisites for a successful project are a good concept, well-executed details, and high-quality workmanship. To convince us of this, he doesn’t rely on mathematics, which is practically absent from the book.
The book reads easily, like a story; it’s easy to remember because it is clear, almost intuitive, and leaves the reader with a good feeling of having learned a lot or at least having supplemented and systematized their previous knowledge.
Like most literature in this field, including regulations, the book primarily focuses on how to build in seismic regions and deals with so-called “regular structures.” The book does not aim to teach you architecture or seismology, but it systematically presents the problems you need to pay attention to because it’s not terrible to not know the solution right away — what’s dangerous is to completely overlook the problem.
When it comes to “irregular structures,” this book cannot provide sufficient help. Each such case is usually unique. In these not-so-rare cases, a deeper understanding of structural behavior under earthquake conditions is necessary, and consulting experts is recommended.
As is common in books of this kind, the examples of damage and even collapse of structures are dramatic, since they involve buildings located in areas of high seismic hazard. Fortunately, Serbia has been spared catastrophic earthquakes, which should give architects more creative freedom—provided they collaborate closely with other professions.
Investors, and probably most architects as well, are often not aware that earthquake-resistant structures designed according to the currently valid regulations primarily ensure that the building does not collapse during an earthquake, thus preventing loss of life. Whether the building remains usable afterward, or if it is worth repairing, is uncertain. Nowadays, the trend is to inform the investor about the possible consequences of choosing certain design solutions and to plan with them an acceptable level of damage. The book does not go into detail on this topic but concludes with an informative chapter on ‘Performance-based Design,’ highlighting that there are more modern methods for analyzing and detailing structures.
If the book is sold out (both locally and on Amazon), ask your friends, check libraries, look among used books, and make an effort to find it — we highly recommend reading it.
Finally, let us mention that the author frequently cites the book "Seismic Design for Architects" by Prof. Andrew Charleson from New Zealand.
We are pleased to invite you to a three-day course/seminar that Prof. A. Charleson will hold in December 2018, organized by SAEE and the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade.
Prepared by Vanja Alendar
The book by Mentor Llunji was first published in Serbian by MS Project in 2014. This review refers to the expanded English edition from 2016.
One may ask why to review a book published two, or rather four years ago, which now seems almost sold out? The reason is that we believe the book deserves attention, and we were unable to do so earlier because SUZI was established in 2018.
The book Seismic Architecture has 494 pages, divided into nine chapters and two appendices. Unlike the Serbian edition, the English edition carries the subtitle The Architecture of Earthquake Resistant Structures. This subtitle almost poses the question of what kind of architecture can actually be “drawn out” or achieved from earthquake-resistant structures. Today, the process is often reversed - trying to somehow fit the structure into the architectural fabric. Both approaches are mistaken and unnatural. We believe that the subtitle Architecture in Seismic-Prone Regions would better emphasize that architecture should adapt to local conditions, including natural forces such as wind, earthquakes, temperature, fire, marine exposure, aggressive environments, potential sabotage, and so on. This inevitably requires collaboration with civil engineers, which is essentially the core message of this book.
The book is encyclopedic—almost a lexicon of seismic terms that both architects and civil engineers need to know in order to understand each other while working together for the same client. The author rightly believes that the key prerequisites for a successful project are a good concept, well-executed details, and high-quality workmanship. To convince us of this, he doesn’t rely on mathematics, which is practically absent from the book.
The book reads easily, like a story; it’s easy to remember because it is clear, almost intuitive, and leaves the reader with a good feeling of having learned a lot or at least having supplemented and systematized their previous knowledge.
Like most literature in this field, including regulations, the book primarily focuses on how to build in seismic regions and deals with so-called “regular structures.” The book does not aim to teach you architecture or seismology, but it systematically presents the problems you need to pay attention to because it’s not terrible to not know the solution right away — what’s dangerous is to completely overlook the problem.
When it comes to “irregular structures,” this book cannot provide sufficient help. Each such case is usually unique. In these not-so-rare cases, a deeper understanding of structural behavior under earthquake conditions is necessary, and consulting experts is recommended.
As is common in books of this kind, the examples of damage and even collapse of structures are dramatic, since they involve buildings located in areas of high seismic hazard. Fortunately, Serbia has been spared catastrophic earthquakes, which should give architects more creative freedom—provided they collaborate closely with other professions.
Investors, and probably most architects as well, are often not aware that earthquake-resistant structures designed according to the currently valid regulations primarily ensure that the building does not collapse during an earthquake, thus preventing loss of life. Whether the building remains usable afterward, or if it is worth repairing, is uncertain. Nowadays, the trend is to inform the investor about the possible consequences of choosing certain design solutions and to plan with them an acceptable level of damage. The book does not go into detail on this topic but concludes with an informative chapter on ‘Performance-based Design,’ highlighting that there are more modern methods for analyzing and detailing structures.
If the book is sold out (both locally and on Amazon), ask your friends, check libraries, look among used books, and make an effort to find it — we highly recommend reading it.
Finally, let us mention that the author frequently cites the book "Seismic Design for Architects" by Prof. Andrew Charleson from New Zealand.
We are pleased to invite you to a three-day course/seminar that Prof. A. Charleson will hold in December 2018, organized by SAEE and the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade.
