Books, Architects & Where to Start - What Should I Be Reading? (And Who Should I Be Following?)

Following on from my  'Hello & Welcome' post, where I promised to share more about my interests in Architecture, Design, Art and Culture (a little later than planned!), I thought a good place to start would be something I am always quietly thinking about in the background — what should I be reading, and who should I be following right now?

It sounds like a simple question, and with Llandeilo Literature Festival 2026 on its way, it has got me thinking. It has also led me to realise that it is not quite as straightforward as it once was.

When I first fell in love with—and studied—architecture, there were very clear names to look to, “starchitects” if you will, and equally clear books to read. You could pick up a single volume and it felt like you were getting a broad picture of architecture as a whole. There were the big personalities, the iconic buildings, the glossy monographs — and it all felt quite defined and inspirational.

Lately, in trying to refresh my own reading list, I have realised just how much that has changed.

There isn’t really one “go-to” book or series anymore that sums everything up. Instead, the books being published now tend to focus on specific themes — sustainability, materials, reuse, the social impact of design — rather than sweeping overviews. In a way, that makes them more useful, but it also means you have to be a bit more intentional about what you choose to read.

In the last few days, I have found myself going down a bit of a rabbit hole… starting with the question of whether there was a modern equivalent to the classic texts, and ending up with a growing stack of very different books on my Amazon wish list — which, in truth, has been running for quite some years now and still has plenty left on it to read.

Click here if you'd like to take a look:  Amazon  

Although Amazon is still my go-to for saving my book wish list, we are incredibly fortunate to have had Noisy Newt Books open in Llandeilo recently, alongside the Red Cross second hand bookshop and other wonderful independent shops. Nothing beats popping in there, chatting to Non, and having a browse.

Some of the recent books I have added to my reading list look at how architecture is responding to climate and landscape; others focus on how buildings are actually put together; and some step back entirely and question the role of the architect in today’s world. It feels less about “style” now and more about process, responsibility and context.

Above all, I still love a good book — one you can sit down with properly, rather than scroll past on a screen. There is something about reading from paper, seeing drawings, details and ideas laid out on a page, that simply cannot be replaced.

It has also been interesting to realise how much of this thinking is not just happening in books, but much closer to home as well.

This year’s Llandeilo Lit Fest includes a number of talks and books that, while not strictly labelled as “architecture”, feel very connected to it — particularly around themes of place, landscape and heritage. Events exploring Welsh landmarks, lost buildings and changing communities, alongside discussions about our relationship with nature and environment, all touch on ideas that sit right at the heart of architecture.

Carwyn Jones’s talk on Vanished Wales, for example, looks at buildings and places lost within living memory, while Mark Rees explores the stories and folklore tied to local landmarks. Even broader sessions reflecting on “cynefin” — our sense of belonging and connection to place — feel closely aligned with how we think about designing and shaping spaces today.

It is something I am especially pleased to support again this year, in a small way, having signed up as a sponsor and it feels like a reminder that architecture does not sit in isolation — it is woven into culture, language and the stories we tell about where we live.

The same changes we see in literature also apply to architects themselves.

We have often heard—and used—the term “starchitect”, and for a long time there were a handful of names that dominated; the Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid era informed my studies. But now, that idea feels a little less relevant. There are still well-known figures, of course, but the focus has shifted. It is not just about one person and their signature style — it is far more about teams, collaboration and how projects respond to place and purpose.

I have found that the architects I am most interested in at the moment are those working a little more quietly — often focusing on reuse, community and thoughtful design rather than headline-grabbing, boundary-pushing forms. It feels closer to the kind of work I see day-to-day and in many ways, is all the more meaningful.

There are a handful of practices and designers I keep coming back to at the moment and I think they deserve a post of their own — so I will share those properly next time.

So this feels like the start of a bit of an ongoing series, with plans to share:

• the architects and practices I keep returning to
• a few of the most interesting architecture books I have come across recently
• and perhaps a revisit of some of the classics that still hold their place on the shelf

It is very much a work in progress — and I quite like that.

If anything, writing this has reminded me that architecture is not something fixed or neatly defined. It is constantly shifting, shaped by everything around it — and the way we read about it and learn from it shifts too.

And just maybe, that is what makes it so interesting.

Tickets for the Lit Fest are now available — click on the image below to link you to the programme: