A curated collection of readings for anyone interested in space, architecture and film. These are the books that shaped how I see the world, and how I design it. I've organised them into three categories so you can find what you need.

  • Space and architecture: the fundamentals of how space feels and works
  • Production design and film: how sets and environments tell stories
  • Worldbuilding and visual storytelling: composition, colour, light and imagination
  • Architecture: Form, Space, and Order, Francis D.K. Ching
    The visual dictionary of architecture. If you want to understand how space is organised, start here.
  • The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard
    How attics, corners and drawers hold memory and emotion. Essential for designing spaces that feel lived in.
  • The Architecture of Happiness, Alain de Botton
    Why some places make us feel calm and others uneasy. An accessible introduction to how design affects mood.
  • Liquid Spaces: Scenography, Installations and Spatial Experiences, Gestalten
    A visual collection of scenography and immersive installations, where space itself becomes the storytelling. A brilliant source of ideas for sets and environments that feel like experiences.
  • Anime Architecture, Stefan Riekeles
    Hand-drawn megacities and background art from classic anime. Proof that environments can carry a whole film, and an endless source of reference.
  • High-Rise, J.G. Ballard
    A novel where the building itself becomes the story. Read it, then watch the 2015 film adaptation to see how production design turns architecture into atmosphere.
  • Artists' Master Series, 3dtotal Publishing (Composition & Narrative, Color & Light, Perspective & Depth)
    Leading concept artists break down how they frame scenes, use light and colour, and build depth. A brilliant toolkit for planning shots, whether you're painting, building in Blender or generating with AI. If you enjoy these, explore the rest of 3dtotal's books too. Their whole catalogue is full of gems for visual storytellers.
  • Living in a Dream, Gestalten
    Imagined architecture and interiors from artists using AI and digital tools. A glimpse of the worlds spatial design and AI can build together.
  • The Beauty of Everyday Things, Sōetsu Yanagi
    An appreciation of ordinary, handmade objects. A reminder that believable worlds are built from small details.