Asking, Looking, Playing, Making: A nature-focused design process

by Mike Tonkin, Anna Liu

Overview

Design is a process requiring both rigour and freedom; focus and expansion. Yet how does the concept - the 'intention' - become a built project?

This accessible book acts as a storytelling toolkit, taking designers through a tried-and-tested process for taking an architectural project from thought to built project. Based around four main sections - Asking, Looking, Playing and Making - the authors show how a design process can generate beautiful buildings which are rooted in a sense of place. Further examples include a range of project types and scales to demonstrate the versatility of this toolkit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781915722591
Publisher:	RIBA Publishing
Publication date:	04/01/2025
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 1.50(h) x 9.50(d)

About the Author

Mike Tonkin is an architect with 35 years of international experience, and founded Tonkin Liu with Anna Liu in 2002. He has lectured and been an international visiting critic, most recently in the role of External Examiner for MArch at the Bartlett and is currently a teaching fellow at Bath University.

Anna Liu is an architect with over 18 years of experience, encompassing practice and teaching in the UK, China, Japan, the US and Taiwan. She founded Tonkin Liu with Mike Tonkin in 2002 and leads the studio's public landscape and sculpture projects.

Table of Contents

Overview A nature-focused design process Exploration and evaluation ASKING Exploration Nature People Place Evaluation LOOKING Exploration Nature People Place Evaluation PLAYING * Exploration * Nature * People * Place * Evaluation MAKING * Exploration * Nature * People * Place * Evaluation CASE STUDIES Singing Ringing Tree Water Tower Tower of Light Three Waves Swing Bridge Heritage Quad Louis Khan Conclusion