Book excerpt: Structures support load and are essential to define form and space. To design structures in synergy with form and space requires creativity and informed intuition of structural principles. The objective of Structure and Design is to introduce structural principles as the foundation of creative design and demonstrate successful application through many case studies. Using rich illustrations, Structure and Design clarifies complex concepts without calculus and provides greater insight for readers with mathematics background. It includes details in wood, steel, concrete, masonry, and fabric and contains graphs that streamline complex tasks, such as column buckling and design for wind and seismic forces. Structure and Design is a reference book for design studios, architects, civil engineers, and builders and an excellent text for courses relating to those fields. G G Schierle holds Ph.D. and master of architecture degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and a Dipl-Ing degree from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences. He teaches structures and design at the University of Southern California and has also taught at University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and Stanford University. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, recipient of the Creative Achievement Award of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, founding director of University of Southern California's master of building science program, and a professional architect. He has lectured and published extensively on design for earthquake safety and tensile structures, including lectures at American Institute of Architects national conventions. Professor Schierle has served on the California structure license committee, the Journal for Architectural Education editorial board, and the Fabric Architecture magazine advisory board and annual awards jury. His professional practice includes major projects in America, Asia, and Europe.