Maybe you enjoy the feeling a bathtub evokes, but are not a fan of taking baths. What if you could shower in a luxurious and relaxed setting? Then this bathing escape would be accessible to you on a daily basis and not just when the bathtub stars align.

In a study on how people use their homes, “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors”, the #1 “Must-Have” item in master bathrooms was also the least used item. That enigmatic object? The bathtub. The idea of taking a slow bath with scented candles and a glass of champagne sounds nice. However, like many things in life, if you do not make room or time for what you want, it will not happen. Could there be something worse than wishful thinking? Absolutely. Allowing other people’s expectations to dictate your tailored home design. Installing a freestanding bath in a master bathroom “because that’s what is expected” is no way to design your home, especially if you have no intention of actually using it.

The Basics

When I design a luxurious experience, I aim to create harmony among objects, balancing light and space to create a flow which soothes the senses. It is not about checking items off a wish list. What good is it to have all the most luxurious bathing elements crammed into a poorly implemented design?

Consider again the bathtub. Imagine lying in a hot, steamy bath with a ceiling tub filler, a cold drink on a ledge to your side, and yet at eye level one foot away — the toilet. Worse yet, you are at an angle that makes it painfully obvious you did not clean it properly. Not so luxurious anymore, right? The unpleasant view has canceled out the relaxing effects of taking a bath in the first place.

Now, imagine the same scenario again, except this time the toilet is around the corner tucked away in a room of its own. Your eyes are free to survey the room without wincing at the back of the toilet and you can truly relax. Buying the right things can only take you so far. Without a thoughtful design that considers these moments in advance, it is all for nothing. Great design (not fixtures) transforms a space.

Japanese Style Toilets

Speaking of toilets, I cannot recommend enough the “Japanese toilet”. More commonly used in Japan than in the USA, they are so nicknamed because Toto, a Japanese company, has the lion’s share of the market for bidet or washlet toilets. These are multi-functional toilets that wash/dry your sensitive areas, warm the seat seconds before you sit down, and ventilate all unpleasant smells during use. Many have night lights, automatic flush, and remote controls with personalized settings for multiple users. In addition to all these entertaining features, it is also the most hygienic way to clean yourself. Look ahead, think ten to twenty year from now. These toilets are a godsend when you become physically less flexible, break an arm, or have a demobilizing injury. Two of my favorites: Toto Neorest (the Bentley of Japanese toilets) and the Kohler Karing (pictured on right). Every master bath should have a Japanese style toilet.

The Importance of Quality Fixtures

In support of a thoughtful design, high-end bathroom fixtures can make a huge difference on the impact of a luxury bathroom. Luxury fixtures are tangibly more solid, reliably constructed, and available in a variety of colors, finishes, and styles to specifically complement the demands of your overall design. Are you asking yourself if Dornbracht is worth the money? Keep in mind, that the fixture price is just a fraction of construction cost. Consider how often you will come in contact with it every single day, multiple times a day. Will each interaction give you joy or regret?

Why Not Sit?

While traveling, your senses are on high alert and you notice everything, especially the little things. During a trip to Japan, I stayed one night at a capsule hotel. Everything about that experience was unusual. I checked in by giving the front desk my shoes. Sleeping quarters were single occupant coffin-sized tubes stacked two tubes high. The next morning, instead of showering standing in a “western” stall, I sat (more like squatted) on a low stool in a communal spa-like setting. I had never showered sitting in front of a mirror before. Even brushing my teeth in this position seemed exotic. What stuck with me was a feeling of ease, which I found luxurious. Why not sit while showering?

For deeper insight into the Japanese mentality of bathing, check out Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows. This short gem of a book compares the values of space, food, darkness and ambiguity. There is quite a lot of page space devoted to toilets; a fun and easy read.

In this bachelor’s apartment pictured above, I was seeking a feeling not unlike what Tanizaki was describing in his book — a texture and warmth that gleaming ceramic tile cannot alone provide. The shower floor is an open deck of teak wood, warm and soft to the touch. Black tile with hints of gold line the walls. A teak shower nook holds all the daily showering necessities. The shower’s crowning touch is the Axor ShowerCollection ShowerHeaven. (If that is too much shower for you, I recommend the Hansgrohe Raindance Royale. It has the most luxurious feel of any rainhead I have ever tried — like showering in raining buttery goodness.)

Hansgrohe/Axor invited me to their “Aquademie” in Alpharetta, Georgia in 2016. I got to experience every shower fixture in their lineup, including their very first hand-showerwhich is still one of their best. I also got to tease my wife (then only newly engaged at the time) that I was showering with 15 women. She laughed (keeper). I highly recommend that architects and interior designers visit this shower paradise. There is nothing like experiencing something first, especially when trying to decide if it is right for you. An adventure to shower paradise not an option? Then I recommend visiting a showroom that has functioning showers. It really comes down to personal taste and there is no substitute for experience.

Having been tailored to the desires and values of my clients, each of these bathrooms has their own unique personality and feel. They have been created to indulge my clients with a sense of everyday luxury that fits them like a glove.

What comes to mind when YOU think of luxury bathing? Drop me a note in the comments.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

In this article — Friedrich Kuhl, August Smart Lock, Nest Cam, Skybell HD, and more

Air Conditioners

For window air conditioners there is only one make and model that I recommend — Friedrich Kuhl. My clients love it and so do I. If you love to entertain and want to hear your guests talk or just want to watch TV without the air conditioner competing with the volume, go with a Kuhl. They look sleek, they’re nearly silent, and cool a room quickly. You can set 7 day schedules and group units for zone or centralized control using this FriedrichLink™ WiFi adapter. Kuhl is the quietest and best air conditioner I have seen. They even make color covers you can swap out if you are so inclined.

Shades

Shade control has until now been an expensive feature requiring hard wiring and dedicated closets. We still do a lot of these in bigger projects. In homes and apartments where you don’t want to go all out with a hard wired shade solution but want to retrofit or have a less expensive option, Lutron has created an Apple Homekit compatible product — Serena. This line of shades is remote controlled with the Pico or from anywhere on earth with the Lutron app and their Caseta bridge. Caseta is a very flexible ‘bridge’ because it works with most of the big names today in smart home technology — Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Carrier Cor, Ecobee, the Google Assistant, Nest, Honeywell, Logitech, Samsung SmartThings, and Sonos. Where Lutron shines is lighting and shade control. In fact, their Radio Ra system is what I use in most apartments. But while Lutron is compatible with all these systems, it does not mean it is going to play well with other devices and the granular controls you may want if setting up a comprehensive home automation kit.

Smart Locks

I love this door lock for holiday homes. August is doing something very interesting where they are targeting AirBnB hosts. Their smart lock gives your guests a “virtual key” via their smartphone for the duration of their stay. It also notifies you when guests lock or unlock and can sync with their Smart Camera. This is a game changer for AirBnB users and vacation homes where you may be letting in house guests when you are away. And of course, it is compatible with Apple Homekit.

Doorbell Camera

Skybell HD looks to be the best of the digital doorbell camera market. It has the biggest view range, high definition video, night vision, and a convenient app. Unlike some of its competitors it does not charge a monthly fee for online video storage. While the August doorbell camera might be attractive to the design fans of Braun, I still think Skybell is a better choice. Skybell is compatible with IFTTT, Nest, SmartThings, Kevo, and Echo. This is what I would put in my house.

Universal TV Remote

When I wanted a wall-hung TV and a hidden cable box, I got a Harmony Hub. It allows for less clutter and wires everywhere. The cable box, Playstation, and router stay hidden away. It has wi-fi and bluetooth, and you can connect it to other smart home hubs and devices.

Indoor Security Camera

I started using Nest thermostats as soon as they came out. Then started using Nest Protect smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. So the Nest Cam is a natural progression. Some of my contractors use this Nest Security Camera on the job site to let me see what’s going on any time from my desk. What sets this apart from the usual security cameras is that you can talk to people through the speaker and mic on the camera. Tell your dog to get off the couch, tell the plumber to pull up his pants, the possibilities are endless. They also have an outdoor model that has the same features.

*With a little WantedDesign Manhattan
^And a lot of sake…..

The ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) is one of my Favorite design fairs of this art and design filled month. It has special meaning for me because that’s where I first showed the Slouch Couch back in 2002. There is a mix of established companies showing their latest products, up and coming designers, and new products that you didn’t know you needed till you saw it.

Some of my favorite finds of the show:

Art & Guile — http://artandguile.com/

Just to prove that CNC milling and meditative sculptural lighting is coming to a head in a beautiful way, Art & Guile featured their D25 (25" diameter?) sconce which uses indirect light, subtle curvature of the wood, plus some choice ridges to create a mesmerizing and calming light.

TopZero — http://www.topzero.com/

This is a new product that I overlooked on my first day and glad I noticed on my second pass through the big show. For years now the cleanest look for a kitchen sink has been the undermount. With an undermount sink, you see the thickness of the countertop and the sink starts under it. Topzero created a clever mounting (with adjustments for different thickness countertops, thwarting my first objection) that allows the top edge of the sink to align to the top of the countertop. What does this all amount to? It sounds like a lot of fuss but I am always seeking clean design solutions. Architecture is a complex assemblage of thousands of parts. It takes a vigilant eye to keep a clean design free of barnacles. This is one product that has potential to remove a bit of visual clutter (the thickness of the countertop, any minute misalignments,etc) away. I’ve designed integrated sink/countertops to avoid this very condition. This product opens some doors. I’ll be doing my homework and you might see it in a future project if it goes well.

Anony — http://www.anony.ca/

Speaking of clean, down the street from the ICFF was WantedDesign, and there I saw a magically clean wall sconce consisting of a flat floating disk by Anony, a Canadian lighting designer. So simple and elegant, this wall sconce is a beautiful sculpture whether it is on or off. I could expend all my energy trying to put this into words but one photo will do.

Two.Parts — https://two.parts/

Back at the ICFF, Two Parts, a Brooklyn design Company built a cave out of CNC milled blue foam to showcase their ceramic CNC made light fixtures, each fixture looks like a 3D symbol. They are super shiny and feel perfectly smooth. Little candy lighting. Can you see a cluster of these over a dining table?

Majer Home Supply — https://majerhomesupply.com/

Majer Home Supply showed us their H Series hooks, handmade steel that was clean and direct; unassuming. I could see using this in a concrete bachelor bathroom or conversely giving a contrasting heft to a more delicate room.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUc3C0vAfpq/?taken-by=andrewmikhael

Sake with Good Thing!

If you follow my instagram you’ve seen some of these already, along with a sake bottle, yes the fine people at good things were giving out bottles of cold sake with a straw. Their slim bookend is one of my favorites. And while walking around drinking sake out of a straw may not fit with the canonical sake drinking etiquette, it made walking around 100,000 square feet of design show a lot more interesting!

Did you go to the show and have any favorites? Send me an email. I’d love to know what caught your eye.

The husband, when finding out I have my own architecture practice, asked me, “How do you survive? Aren’t all doctors and architects giving up sole practitioner offices to be in big corporations?”

I smiled. He’s not entirely wrong. I know that there is more stability for employees in a big corporation. But that isn’t what attracts me. I explained how my work is about the one on one relationship between client and architect. I feed off of that direct rapport. The opposite, working on mega projects with no direct communications with the client, is familiar to me. What I took away from that experience was my focus on big ideas. Small minded people start with details without determining the big idea (think, designing to imitate trends). It is a limiting, shallow way of thinking. Big projects can’t afford to run that way. Big picture thinking to unify and direct all the details. I seek that high level of thinking to any project whether it’s big or small. The big ideas organize the minutiae. They tell you where to go. Without it, you are flying by the seat of your pants making decisions without unifying principles. The result of that haphazard approach is a mishmash. The result of ideas driven work that is seen through to the end is where the gut checking, moving architecture comes from.

It reminded me of David Lynch’s book, “Catching the Big Fish”. The big ideas, what physicists call the unifying principles, are what drive the universe.

“Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper. Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They’re huge and abstract. And they’re very beautiful.”

It doesn’t take a 300 person international office to make big ideas, it just takes the right fisherman.

Despite the excitement of working on projects around the world for others, I knew that working for myself and having a direct connection to my clients is more important for me. I’m happy to work on far flung corners of the world only as long as I have that connection.

Once in a while I get questions from people like you asking for advice and recommended reading. After responding to a hopeful architect on Dwell.com I decided to flesh out my answer and include more books.

Here is a list for you, broken down into categories. Naturally there is some overlap and some of these books could fit in multiple headings, this is architecture after all. I recommend getting a balanced reading from each of the categories, even if your current interest is learning about only one. Your future in architecture depends on your ability to learn and UN-learn — letting go of how things are and imagining new possibilities. Read on.

Entrepreneurship

There is a reason I am starting here and not with design. Being a successful architect takes more than creating a wonderful idea and presenting it to your client. The work involved in setting up your design firm can be overwhelming and 99% of it was never taught to you in school. If you take away one thing here, let it be this: How you start is how you go. Now start on the right foot.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey — This is a universally loved book by people in every field. It is no surprise why. One great takeaway from this book that you can put into immediate action is his Time Management Matrix. Do you find yourself spending all your time on urgent and important matters? That is a result of neglecting not urgent and important work, which could have saved you. Learn and avoid repeating these mistakes.

I once had a phone call with an architecture student asking for advice. I was telling her something about carving her own path and her response led me to believe it wasn’t sinking in — instead of understanding that I was telling her to find her compass (an inner centering that guides you in ANY situation), as Stephen Covey would say, she thought I was giving her a map (directions for a particular situation). Perhaps I should have given her this book instead?

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber — Consider this essential reading. Most creative people will shirk at this book thinking that automation is a dirty word that removes creativity…wrong! It enables you to have the time and mental space to be MORE creative, since you are spending less time with the monotonous tasks. Take this book to heart and read it over and over till the lessons sink in. You have to work ON your business, not just IN your business.

How to Build and Maintain a Strong Client Base for Your A/E Firm by PSMJ — Several years ago I met PSMJ founder Frank Stasiowski at an AIA conference after he gave a presentation. I had never heard of PSMJ before then, but I am glad I did. They put out many publications and business resources specifically made for architects and engineers. This book is one of my favorites as it touches upon all reaches of a design practice and how to make your unique firm the best it can be. Side note, I emailed PSMJ with a question after buying one of their earlier books and soon after they set up a phone call with Frank to answer my question. Pretty remarkable service!

Architect + Entrepreneur: A Field Guide to Building, Branding, and Marketing Your Startup Design Business by Eric Reinholdt — I have many books on how to run an architecture business but chose this one in particular because it is up to date on contemporary marketing strategies. @EricReinholdt is also a believer in the importance of systematizing your business, which I can’t stress enough.

The Interior Design Productivity Toolbox: Checklists and Best Practices to Manage Your Workflow by Phyllis Harbinger Once you read the e-myth you’ll understand this pick. There are infinite ways of “being an architect” and each firm runs its own way. That said, systematizing and automating your routine tasks is the number one way to freedom, clarity, organization, and more time and headspace for the fun stuff. It will also make your projects go smoother and who doesn’t want that? Enter the Id toolkit, which contains around fifty checklists for processes ranging from meetings and onboarding prospective clients to lists for designing wine cellars and home spas. This book is worth more than it’s weight in gold. It’s written and targeted to interior designers, but the vast majority of it applies to architects’ work too. Bonus, all the checklists are downloadable word files via a password in the book. This is the best immediately actionable book I can recommend for day to day design work operations.

Theory + Design Process

This would have been my favorite section when I was an architecture student.

Architecture and Disjunction by Bernard Tschumi ……This is by far my most marked up, underlined, and starred architecture book. If you are feeling stuck this is the book to shake you up. In a way, it is a book of questions; questioning why things are the way they are, posing questions for the reader to ponder. His ten page chapter, “Questions of Space” reads like a trippy barrage that takes you from a room to outer space to consciousness, linguistics, and politics. And you thought architecture was just a floor plan.

Towards a New Architecture by Le Corbusier — One of my first architecture books. When it comes to “un-learning”, which I think is essential to becoming an architect, this book should be at the top of the pile. Corbu was living through the changes of the Machine Age and was drawn to the naked truth of machine design. He wanted to create architecture that was as truthful to its use as a machine is to its use. A classic that should be on every architect’s shelf.

Thinking Architecture by Peter Zumthor — Thinking architecture is a collection of essays and lectures that Zumthor gave, it feels like an intimate conversation. This book feels like fragments of a Tarkovsky movie, except you don’t need the attention span of a saint to follow. When you are in the weeds of construction documents, RFI’s, AFP’s, and need a mind refresher, pick up Thinking Architecture.

Tadao Ando Conversations With Students by Tadao Ando — Ando has always been one of my favorite architects since I “discovered” him at my undergrad architecture school library. His designs are so calm and clean that I expected a calm demeanor, but it was the opposite. Ando expressed a tenacity and persistence and explained in this book how that tenacity is essential in realizing your dreams. With some years under my belt, I’ve learned to understand this. It takes a strong willfulness to achieve that calm; otherwise it would be washed away by all the “necessities” of building and, to put it bluntly, corner cutting that could ensue with a less vigilant architect at the help. In a more unorthodox moment of vigilance, he punched a construction worker for throwing a cigarette into a concrete mix. Whatever it takes! I open this book whenever I need this kind of medicine.
S,M,L,XL by Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau — This was a monumental, ground shifting book when it came out in 1995. Before then, architecture books were mainly stiff “portfolios” or theoretical treatises. The landscape is different now, see KM3 by MVRDV and more recently, Yes is More by Bjarke Ingels for example. This reads as a maniacal heart racing ride-along with renegade architects on the run. Diary entries, unashamed messy models and sketches, a dictionary running throughout the book in the margin, and construction photos all work together in a novel way to give the reader a front row seat in a fast moving and high profile architecture firm. Just get it and enjoy the ride. S,M,L,XL is one architecture book that could go in any category; because of the unique insight during the design process I put it here.

Informal by Cecil Balmond — I went to the University of Pennsylvania’s Architecture program for my master’s degree in no small part because Cecil Balmond was teaching there. At the time he was leading Arup, one of the largest engineering firms in the world, and the hands on collaborator with many famous architects, namely Rem Koolhaas, Alvaro Siza, Shigeru Ban, and Daniel Libeskind, to name very few. Informal is a unique companion book to S,M,L,XL in that @BalmondStudio was a frequent collaborator with Koolhaas, so you can get a glimpse of the same projects through a different lens. You follow a project and see the discarded ideas along the way. Seeing the design thinking from the engineer’s point of view who isn’t shackled by the obvious solution but the best one is a treat. Lest any architect think that all structural engineers are just calculators, show them Informal.

Architecture Workbook: Design Through Motive by Sir Peter Cook — Peter Cook was a main member of the neofuturist architecture group, “Archigram” in the 1960’s. He is basically an architecture superstar before “starchitects” existed. The Archigram projects were so out of this world you could call them instigations more than projects. Fortunately for us, he didn’t “grow out of this phase” and his built work is as exciting as his early sketches, see Kunsthaus Graz in Vienna for example. This book is divided into different motives, such as “Architecture as Theater” and “Can We Learn From Silliness?”. The former chapter includes a thorough analysis of food kiosks across Europe. Sir Cook’s writing reads as clear and conversation theory that is fun and engaging.

Construction

When you start working in an architecture firm and are tasked with drawing part of a building in design, you will invariably get stuck and have to look around the office for advice. In many firms, there is a technical “guru” who will be the go-to. You will find yourself asking what you think is a simple question, only to get an thirty minute answer that is the culmination of a life working in the field. Do not let your iPhone attention span ruin this teaching moment. If you are lucky enough to work with someone like this, ask them many questions! In the meantime, here are a couple easy to understand technical books to help you get started.

Building Construction Illustrated by Francis Ching — the gold standard for simple to understand yet buildable diagrams. Clear and discrete details in varying situations with explanations, what more could you ask for?

Graphic Guide to Frame Construction by Rob Thallon — If you find yourself working on wood frame construction, this is an excellent starter book to help you understand how framing works and how to start detailing under many different conditions. When you know how carpenters frame, you set yourself up for success because you can speak their language. It will also help you when you are creating unusual designs, because you will understand WHY typical details are the way they are. When you understand the rules on this level, it makes breaking the rules that much easier.

Bonus

Even through a translator, the funniest architecture lecture I ever experienced was Tadao Ando’s talk at Cooper Union. Before the talk I got him to sign his book, Ando: Complete Works 1975–2014, buy it here. His signature is a sketch of one of my favorite Ando works, the Church of The Light.

This list tripled from what I originally thought it would be. Hopefully this list helps inspire, educate, and set you on your way to a life of learning and UN-learning!

• Andrew

Originally published on http://www.andrewmikhael.com/blog/2017/5/29/14-books-every-hopeful-architect-will-need-expert-advice