A captivating view of the world through the memories, eyes and sketchbook of a renowned architect.

In watercolours and words, South African-born A.J. Diamond gives a rare glimpse into the sights that informed his life and career on three continents. From childhood and youth in South Africa to education in England and the United States and finally to life in Toronto, Diamond has kept a sketchbook, paints and a pen at hand. Wandering and wondering, this book gives visual and narrative illustrations of how he has viewed the world he has travelled. "Simply, I love this book. We are welcomed into [Diamond's] way of seeing so gracefully. Absolutely lovely and absolutely intelligent. And, best of all, the combination of the written and the visual is intensely moving." (Anne Michaels, author of Fugitive Pieces)

A.J. Diamond graduated from the Universities of Cape Town, Oxford and Pennsylvania. He is a Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medallist and an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Toronto and Daltech, in Nova Scotia. He is a Member of the Order of Ontario and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the founder of Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated, which has received numerous national and international awards for design and sustainability. Diamond lives in Toronto.

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"It is such a relief when a book appears that reminds us why real books are necessary. Sketches is a book that has a weight and texture, inside and out...In Sketches, written words and drawn-and-painted images combine to make a complete three-dimensional picture."

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