John Rowell – författare

***Winner of the 2023 BTES Book Award*** Architectural Terra Cotta examines the evolution of terra cotta and prepares architects and builders to make new, creative uses of the timeless material. Terra cotta is among the oldest of manufactured building products, yet it has once again become a material of choice in contemporary façade design. From the walls of Babylon to high performance rainscreens, terra cotta claddings have repeatedly proven to be technically superior and aesthetically triumphant. Understanding the evolution of terra cotta prepares architects to add new, creative chapters to a rich history. This book describes the key attributes that recommend the use of terra cotta and explain its continuing success. The core of the book traces the many ways that terra cotta can be formed, finished and applied to buildings. These techniques demonstrate the full potential of the material, showing how its unique capabilities have been developed over time. A comprehensive inventory of recent examples, project case studies and architectural details, this book provide a basis for understanding the nature of the material and the opportunities it offers in new work.With over 150 color images, this volume provides a concise resource for all those considering terra cotta as a façade system: architects, façade engineers, cladding subcontractors, materials suppliers, developers and prospective clients. With inspiring examples of expressive possibility, this invaluable book will find a home with students and professionals alike interested in making rich, colorful and durable buildings.

***Winner of the 2023 BTES Book Award*** Architectural Terra Cotta examines the evolution of terra cotta and prepares architects and builders to make new, creative uses of the timeless material. Terra cotta is among the oldest of manufactured building products, yet it has once again become a material of choice in contemporary façade design. From the walls of Babylon to high performance rainscreens, terra cotta claddings have repeatedly proven to be technically superior and aesthetically triumphant. Understanding the evolution of terra cotta prepares architects to add new, creative chapters to a rich history. This book describes the key attributes that recommend the use of terra cotta and explain its continuing success. The core of the book traces the many ways that terra cotta can be formed, finished and applied to buildings. These techniques demonstrate the full potential of the material, showing how its unique capabilities have been developed over time. A comprehensive inventory of recent examples, project case studies and architectural details, this book provide a basis for understanding the nature of the material and the opportunities it offers in new work.With over 150 color images, this volume provides a concise resource for all those considering terra cotta as a façade system: architects, façade engineers, cladding subcontractors, materials suppliers, developers and prospective clients. With inspiring examples of expressive possibility, this invaluable book will find a home with students and professionals alike interested in making rich, colorful and durable buildings.

With a voice that is both sophisticated and deeply Southern, author John Rowell evokes the memory of the great Truman Capote in this wonderful collection of short stories, peopled with unforgettable, endearing characters and filled with wry insights.Drawn from the emotional well of a young man who grew up in love with the glittery, glamorous world of music and movies and theater—far removed from his own more prosaic life in North Carolina—and informed with honesty and compassion, the seven short stories that comprise The Music of Your Life showcase the talent of a remarkably gifted writer. Compulsively readable and always accessible, each story takes the reader into the mind and heart of its central character, whether a young boy suffering from Lawrence Welk damage and teetering precariously on the edge of puberty ("The Music of Your Life") or a not-so-young-anymore man for whom fantasy and reality have become a terrifying blur and who finds himself slipping over the edge toward total meltdown ("Wildlife of Coastal Carolina").Nostalgia plays a part in these stories as a somewhat jaded New York film critic looks back on his life and the movies that shaped him ("Spectators in Love"), and an aging flower-shop owner ruefully assesses the love he found and lost when, as an eighteen-year-old, he embarked on a Hollywood career that never soared but did include one particularly memorable appearance on the I Love Lucy television show ("Who Loves You?") These stories all create entire worlds within which the characters live and struggle to find their way. Funny, touching, serious, and tender, the tales within The Music of Your Life are sure to appeal to anyone who has ever known the awkwardness of being "different," and while life is often harsh for the stories' characters, the bold determination with which they persevere offers inspiration to all.