A. Quincy Jones

Book excerpt: Filled with beautiful photographs and informative essays, this volume presents the genius of A. Quincy Jones, whose collaborative nature provides a timely example for today's architects. While the architect A. Quincy Jones is most recognized for his glamorous homes for Los Angeles's cultural elite, he was equally dedicated to postwar Southern California's rapidly expanding middle class. As this fascinating book reveals, Jones and his collaborators were truly ahead of their time. Their vision of creating affordable, aesthetically pleasing structures prefigured the advent of several important architectural trends, such as sustainable building designs, maximization of available space, and sensitive site planning. Filled with images by noted photographer Jason Schmidt, as well as period photographs by Julius Shulman and others, this volume looks at every aspect of Jones's career. Original drawings, models, and furniture designs from the architect's personal archives illustrate a wide variety of projects featuring the hallmarks of Jones's style: soaring interior spaces, the blurring of indoors and out, laminated timber construction, angled walls, and innovative use of concrete, redwood, and glass. Essays explore Jones's quintessentially collaborative nature as he consulted with other noted architects, landscapers, interior designers, developers, and city planners to create buildings of lasting beauty and importance.