My review of Rick Joy's New book, Studio Joy Works, the long-awaited follow-up to his first book, Desert Works. Born and raised in Maine, Rick Joy is one my favorite residential architects, a master of light, material and simple forms.
As his firm turns 25 and commissions move beyond the desert where he built his early career we see how a design strategy rooted in place translates to new contexts. A study in adaptation and how to avoid repeating oneself architecturally while continuing to work - predominantly - on a single building typology: the house.
Included in the 207 page book are 13 projects, an introduction by Joy, an essay by Michael Crosbie, beautiful photographs and minimal text describing each project. We also see the firm's first foray into large scale public work in the transit station completed in 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey.
Unlike a great many architects who achieve such recognition, he’s quick to share it with collaborators, interns, contractors and clients alike recognizing that these works aren’t the result of one person’s efforts, but many.
There’s much to learn from the lines he’s drawn on both these pages and our profession. Adding this book to your library (or coffee table) is sure to make you a more fertile place for ideas to land.