In/formed by the land : the architecture of Carl Abbott / Carl Abott

An architecture suspended between earth and sky / Robert McCarter -- In his approach the views are sacred / Lord Norman Foster -- Motivated by the horizons of infinity / Michael Sorkin -- True to his beliefs / Peter Bohlin -- Buildings that are works of art / Lord Richard Rogers -- A strong belief in the power of architecture / Carl Abbott -- Weld Beach House -- Lido Bayfront Residence -- Caribbean Hilltop Residence -- Villa Cedro -- Fale o Lanu -- House of columns -- Casa del Cielo -- Seaside estate -- Artist's family compound -- Affordable housing -- Bay Center Towers -- Astronaut Memorial -- Wave -- Other media -- Public shelter prototype -- Women's Resource Center -- Summerhouse Restaurant -- Zen retreat -- Church of the trinity -- New College Chapel - St. Thomas More Church Center -- Deering Bayfront Residence -- Tierra Verde House -- Putterman Bayfront.

Abbott's work has a timeless modern quality, yet is also strongly informed by his experience of the sacred architecture of ancient Egyptians and Maya in the manner in which it responds to the land and the movement of the sun and stars. The spaces Abbott sculpts, both inside out, are designed to focus on Nature, making buildings that transcend. This book tells the unique story of Carl Abbott from his youth in the 'low-country' of Georgia to his acceptance to Graduate School at Yale University. At Yale, Abbott would study under professor Paul Rudolph, and would lead classmates and future Lords Richard Rogers and Norman Foster on a pilgrimage west to experience the work of American Master Frank Lloyd Wright. Large images give viewers a strong sense of experiencing the humanistic Architecture with its connection to the land. The book also illustrates the design process Abbott has developed by which the building forms evolve from the land itself. Working closely with photographers and designers, the architect was careful in the planning of this book to ensure it conveyed the experience of moving through the highly choreographed spaces he designed. This book presents works, which span the decades of his career, and shows a range of works including affordable residences, large private estates, as well as inspired spiritual spaces. Abbott's buildings are made of wave-like curves, dramatic angular forms, and stepped planes to enhance the way one experiences nature and its play of light. His buildings, like a seashell, are made of a solid protective side and a side which opens to the light. The spaces are intentionally designed not just for looking out at the beauty of nature but for bringing nature and its dancing qualities into the spaces, creating a unique synthesis of man and environment.