News on Relevant Science: 20 Beautiful Novels for Architecture Students

July 31st, 2011

Most books on architecture and architects fall into the realm of nonfiction, but both topics can make interesting fodder for fiction as well. If you’re an architecture student in college looking to read some relevant fiction this summer, there are plenty of wonderful books out there from which to choose. Here, we’ve listed twenty novels that examine fantastical structures, the lives of imaginary architects and the emotional impact of the spaces we inhabit — among many other compelling and inspirational topics — that are perfect for anyone looking for a read outside of the usual texts.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand:
If there was ever a book that inspired as many people to loathe it as love it, it would be this one. Some students will find it inspiring, while others will want to throw it (and the message it conveys) out the window. Either way, any book provoking an emotion in you is worth reading, especially one featuring a young architect as the main character.
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan:
While a fictionalized take on the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick, the bulk of this novel is based on extensive research done on the life of the largely-unknown latter. Readers will get insight into not only the personal intricacies of their love affair, and the public shame that followed, but their creative and artistic aspirations as well.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett:
While the personal dramas featured in this novel border on soap opera fodder, few books have brought the politics and struggles of building a medieval cathedral to light in such an entertaining way. Architecture students are sure to be caught up in the trials and tribulations of building on such a massive scale, and the sex and violence don’t hurt, either.
Piranesi’s Dream by Gerhard Kopf:
A fictionalized account of the life of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, an 18th century master engraver, this novel takes readers on a journey through the ups and downs of his career. How does it relate to architecture? Most of Piranesi’s works feature structures, from epic Roman ruins to strange prisons — projects Kopf describes in great detail.
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino:
Perhaps one of the most beautiful and imaginative books on this list, Calvino’s work is a must-read for anyone with an interest in architecture or art history. Set as a conversation between Kublai Khan and Marco Polo, the novel describes in lush detail cities both real and imagined.
The Stones of the Abbey by Fernand Pouillon:
This book is not, strictly speaking, a novel — but we couldn’t resist including it here. It is a highly authentic and interesting account of the construction of a Cistercian monastery in 12th century France, shedding light on the spiritual and emotional relationship between humans and their architectural spaces like few other books can.
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski:
This bestselling novel isn’t necessarily an easy read, featuring copious footnotes, footnotes on footnotes, references to books that don’t exist and a bit of an unconventional writing style. Nonetheless, it can be worth it for students to navigate the ins and outs of the novel to explore the varying storylines — including one describing a house that defies the laws of space and time and changes constantly as though in a dream.
Artificial Love by Paul Shepheard:
The genre of this book is hard to define. It is neither novel nor nonfiction, blending fantasy and fact to explore some of Shepheard’s ideas about the nature of architecture and machines. He may just get you to redefine how you think about the built world.
A Laodicean by Thomas Hardy:
In this novel, published in 1881, a young woman inherits a castle from her father and employs an architect to modernize the structure. She quickly develops feelings for him, though ends up torn between him and the aristocratic Captain De Stancey.
Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens:
One of the least-known and least popular of Dickens’ works, this novel is nonetheless still worth a read for fans of architecture and the picaresque. It features amazing characters who are some of the most villainous in all of the author’s oeuvre, who push and pull a young architect and his future for their own means.
A Burnt Out Case by Graham Greene:
Querry, a famous architect, finds himself with a serious case of indifference in this novel, heading off to a leper colony to help himself find some meaning. While not the most well-known of Greene’s novels, it is still a beautiful tale of both the good and bad in humanity.
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III:
If you’re looking for an uplifting book, this one isn’t going to provide any sunshine and rainbows. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a great read for architecture students, however. The novel follows a woman as she struggles to get back the house she lost from an immigrant couple who have purchased the property — with disastrous results.
Billiards at Half-Past Nine by Heinrich Boll:
Nobel Prize-winning author Boll here takes a look at the family history of the Faehmals, a metaphorical criticism of the Nazi Party, whom Boll staunchly opposed. While not entirely about architecture, readers will follow the tale through three generations of architects.
The Man of Property by John Galsworthy:
The first in the Forsythe Series of novels, The Man of Property introduces readers to the Forsythe family including the possessive Soames whose wife falls in love with the architect he has hired to build a house for her (that was intended to be her prison) much to his displeasure.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton:
Garnering Wharton the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, this novel is consistently ranked on lists of must-read texts in the English language. While the story itself is compelling, architecture students will most appreciate the way the author has brought to life 19th century New York, describing in great detail the exterior and interior design that characterized it in a way few other authors have before or since.
Washington Square by Henry James:
This short tragicomedy is supposedly based on a true story told to James by his close friend. At the heart of the novel are the familial relationships the drive the action, but readers interested in architecture will also find vivid descriptions of the Washington Square neighborhood (in which the author was born) compelling.
The Gray Cloth by Paul Scheerbart:
This avant-garde novel takes the use of glass in architecture to the extreme, with imaginative and engrossing results that will have any building buff finding a hard time putting it down.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison:
While more importantly a book about race in America, Invisible Man also touches on the power of place and how the context of our surrounding play a pivotal role in defining who we are and who we are supposed to be. Memorably, Ellison writes, "I am an invisible man. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination — indeed, everything and anything except me."
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins:
While it’s doubtful if this novel would ever truly be called beautiful, it certainly is entertaining. Readers will be familiar with the story from the ’80s film modeled after its narrative. Called The Money Pit, it tells the tale of young man and his wife who find their dream home, only to discover problem after problem that make it much more of a nightmare.
A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul:
We all long for a place to call home, a space that’s truly our own, and that’s just what the main character of this novel is searching for. Shuttled from place to place, Mr. Biswas’ story explores a variety of important topics, from autonomy to the relationship of happiness to the places we inhabit.