A revealing look at the holistic, community-centred philosophy behind Bing Thom's internationally acclaimed architecture.

Forgotten spaces, declining malls and sterilized neighborhoods seem like odd places to find inspiration. But it is these awkward places that have driven much of the work of Bing Thom Architects. This highly visual book outlines the recent work and thoughts of Bing Thom Architects (BTA), recently awarded firm of the year by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. The book opens with a particular focus on BTA's most recent project, the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. It takes the reader through the creative process, featuring detailed descriptions and illustrations of this beloved regional theatre's transformation into what will be the second-largest performing arts centre in Washington.

Architects, urban planners and even those in the theatre community will all appreciate Bing Thom Works for its informal essays about how the firm approaches each of its projects as both a philosophical and a practical process. The essays are followed by seven well-illustrated examples of recent BTA projects, ranging from an intimate single-family dwelling to a large-scale urban intervention, that have changed their communities.

Bing Thom was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Vancouver as a child. He studied architecture at the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley. Early in his career he worked with Arthur Erickson, where he oversaw projects such as the Robson Square courthouse complex in Vancouver and Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. In the early 1980s he established Bing Thom Architects, and this firm quickly established a reputation for innovative design on a wide range of projects. Thom is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He lives in Vancouver.

Bing Thom's profile page

Fumihiko Maki is a Japanese architect who, in 1993, received the prestigious Pritzker Prize, which is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honor "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." Maki is currently designing Tower 4 at the former World Trade Center site. He lives in Japan.

Fumihiko Maki's profile page

"Beyond the traditional display of selected projects this book provides a range of essays by Bing Thom that deal with the questions he has been asking throughout his career. "What is architecture? What is the right approach to architectural design?" These essays provide a nice backdrop to the diverse range of projects presented in this monograph. It is easy to see how Bing Thom has tried to explore these questions with different scales and programs."

Arch Daily

"[Bing Thom has] articulated his thoughts in a new book called Bing Thom Works that reaches out with seven of his projects, seeking to dissolve the boundaries between architects and artisans."

Architects + Artisans

"For anyone inspired by nature, Thom's biophilic, environmentally-sustainable, and socially-conscious built sculptures are worth delving into."

The Dirt: Connecting the Built and Natural Environments

"Bing Thom Works seems to be aimed at a wider readership than most architecture books. The writing is clear, articulate and unpretentious. It avoids arcane theoretical discussion or technical details, which makes it more user-friendly for the uninitiated."

Literary Review of Canada

"The book itself is as lovely as many of Mr. Thom's projects. The photography is lush and the floorplans and elevations exquisite. The text is mostly written from the internal perspective of the Bing Thom firm and is informative when it sticks to the facts about projects."

National Post