Martin Pearce Livres

Buildings tell stories in many ways, and Design Engine Architects believe that architecture is the art of these stories. Building Stories: Design Engine Architects explores this idea through the work of the practice, giving a fascinating insight into its work and the broader concerns and concepts informing the buildings that shape our world. Building Stories will appeal to architects, students and the general reader, and is thoroughly illustrated with photographs, drawings, models and diagrams. The book is structured around thematic chapters that address their concerns and practice, exploring their projects including universities and schools, cultural spaces, offices and houses. It examines the importance of an architect in responding to unique qualities of site and environment, sustainability, the formal language of architecture, and ideas of volume, form and space, whilst addressing the methods through which buildings are realised, and the tactile and visual delight of materials brought together under the passage of light and time.

'I cannot think of a better biography of a spy chief' Richard Davenport-Hines, The Spectator Sir Maurice Oldfield was one of the most important British spies of the Cold War era. A farmer’s son from a provincial grammar school who found himself accidentally plunged into the world of espionage, Sir Maurice was the first Chief of MI6 who didn’t come to the role via the traditional public school and Oxbridge route. Oldfield was the voice of British Intelligence in Washington at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of JFK, and was largely responsible for keeping the UK out of the Vietnam War. Working his way to the top of the secret service, he took on the job of rebuilding confidence in the British Secret Service in the wake of the Philby, Burgess and Maclean spy scandals. This is the fascinating life story, told in detail for the first time, of a complex, likable character as well as a formidable intelligence chief.