Art & Architecture Library: sustainability

Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts

Friday, September 21, 2018

Homes That Heal (and those that don't) : How Your Home Could be Harming Your Family's Health

Homes That Heal (and those that don't) :

How Your Home Could be Harming Your Family's Health

2004 | PDF | 321 pages | 5,2 MB

Media reports focus increasingly on the declining health of children in industrialized countries. Asthma, autism, learning and behavior problems, and cancer are all on the rise. At the same time, there is consistent news about poor indoor air quality, mold and how buildings can make people sick.

Homes that Heal addresses both of these developments, revealing that our own homes can contribute to many of these health problems.

A passionate examination of our built environment and the alarming impact today's chemically polluted world is having on the health of present and future generations, Homes That Heal is easy-to-read, solutions-oriented and humorous, full of stories and advice that empower families to take back their health on a daily basis.

Topics covered include:

• A Healthy Home Quiz that enables readers to evaluate the health of their own home and identify many of the common home health hazards

• factors impacting indoor air quality

• A room-by-room examination of typical problems and solutions

• Toxic materials used in building a new home or remodeling

• Cleaning products and other consumer hazards found in the home

• An easy-to-understand introduction to the science of Bau-biologie (Building Biology), an internationally recognized approach to healthy construction.

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Thursday, August 9, 2018

Eco-Urban Design

Eco-Urban Design

2011 | PDF | 236 pages | 80.7 MB

"Eco-Urban Design" focuses on the unprecedented challenges currently faced by architects and designers. In a world where climate change, diminishing natural resources and an increasing global population have become indisputable facts of life there is now a rising demand for evolved buildings that no longer endanger the Earth's fragile ecological systems.

This book endeavours to tell the positive side of the story by featuring considered design solutions provided by the world's most innovative architects and engineers. By only including realised projects which have been subjected to post construction monitoring this publication provides evidence-based information that measured reductions in carbon emissions, water and energy usage can actually be achieved in the field and not just on the drawing board.

These completed projects demonstrate best practice and will inspire a new hybrid generation of designers who will combine architecture and engineering skills to resolve a key environmental challenge. Furthermore, these creative construction projects from a variety of genres including, commercial property, public buildings, social housing and private homes give testimony to the fact that investment in green archineering also provides a commercial advantage to forward thinking developers and investors.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Designing High-Density Cities: For Social and Environmental Sustainability

Designing High-Density Cities:

For Social and Environmental Sustainability

2010 | PDF | 396 pages | 12 Mb

'A distinctive and comprehensive selection of conceptual ideas covering the 'art and science' of sustainable city design.' Khee-Poh Lam, Professor of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University, USA 'Designing High-Density Cities is a unique contribution. It is an excellent overview of the state of the art on design process for cities presenting high densities. The book is an outcome of long standing research in the area of urban sustainability and includes contributions from internationally acclaimed researchers and building scientists. This is a valuable reference not only for academics but also for architects and practitioners.' Matheos Santamouris, Professor of Energy Physics, University of Athens, Greece 'An outstanding collection of papers on a key issue in planning today. Starting with the essentials of high density building, this book then explores the complex relations of high-density metropolitan areas...It goes without saying that the combination of such important themes fills a gap in our knowledge and that no planner can ignore this book' Tejo Spit, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Utrecht University, The Netherlands 'At first glance this may not seem to be a text book for urban designers but I wish that it had been available when I was working on large projects in Hong Kong... the twenty two contributors to this book comprehensively cover the gamut of issues of building at high densities, the growth of mega cities and their environmental consequences.' Urban Design, Issue 115, 2010

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Monday, July 9, 2018

Building Your Straw Bale Home : From Foundations to the Roof

Building Your Straw Bale Home :

From Foundations to the Roof

PDF | 281 pages | English | 6,4 MB

This practical guide is written especially for the owner-builder and provides step-by-step instructions supported by diagrams and photographs.

It covers the construction process from site preparation through to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. Special techniques for straw bale construction and the integration of these techniques with those of conventional house building are also covered, including floors, timber wall-frames, ceilings and roof framing. Advice is offered on plumbing and electrical work in a straw bale house.

Straw bale is a renewable resource. Compared with timber, which is regenerated typically every 20 to 30 years, straw is generated once or twice per year. As long as people need grain as a food source, straw will be generated as a by-product.

Straw in many parts of the world is still regarded as a waste. Even its disposal has become an environmental issue, like burning in the field. On the other hand, straw has certain excellent properties as a building material, such as its thermal capacity. In baled form, it keeps its integrity reasonably well. Once rendered, straw is durable and strong.

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Sunday, June 17, 2018

House Rating Schemes : From Energy to Comfort Base

House Rating Schemes : From Energy to Comfort Base

2010 | 300 pages | PDF | 2,6 MB

"House Rating Schemes" provides information to students, architects and researchers in the field of the built environment.

It reviews current House Rating Schemes (HRS) used in different countries and investigates how these schemes assess the thermal performance of a house. It challenges the way that these schemes assess building energy efficiency and their inability to evaluate free running buildings which do not need an energy load for heating and cooling indoor environments.

Finally, the book proposes a new index and method for HRS in which the efficiency of a house design can be evaluated with reference to its thermal performance in both free running and conditioned operation modes.

The book deals with various approaches and methods for rating buildings on the basis of different indexes, with implications for both energy efficiency and thermal comfort. It also guides readers through a computer simulation program for developing a rating system that evaluates and ranks building energy efficiency.

Download : Oboom / Mega

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

The Handbook of Sustainable Refurbishment

The Handbook of Sustainable Refurbishment

Volume 1 : Non-Domestic Buildings

2009 | 190 pages | PDF | 10,7 MB

The refurbishment of existing buildings is a neglected subject within sustainable architecture; attention is usually focused on new buildings. Old buildings can use large amounts of energy and provide poor internal conditions for occupants.

They may have high heating demand, poor lighting, poor ventilation, solar penetration and glare, and poor control of heating and cooling. Demolition is an option but the alternative of refurbishment is starting to be seen as more sustainable in terms of architectural value, materials use, neighborhood disruption and waste disposal.

Building new is more carbon intensive and carries many wider environmental impacts. In addition, the potential impact of low energy refurbishment is much greater than that for new build since there are many more existing buildings than will be built in the next 10 - 20 years, the period over which many CO2 emission targets apply.

The Handbook of Sustainable Refurbishment: Volume 1: Non-Domestic Buildings offers architects, engineers and a wide range of building professionals practical advice, illustrated by real examples.

It moves from principles of sustainable refurbishment to specific design and engineering guidance. It emphasizes the need for an integrated approach by showing how refurbishment measures interact with one and other, and with the occupants, and how performance is ultimately influenced by this interaction.

Download : Oboom / Mega

Monday, May 28, 2018

Solar Domestic Water Heating

Solar Domestic Water Heating

The Earthscan Expert Handbook for Planning, Design and Installation

(Earthscan Expert Series)

Solar Domestic Water Heating is a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of solar domestic water heating systems. As fossil fuel prices continue to rise and awareness of climate change grows, interest in domestic solar water heating is expanding.

Solar water heating technology is the most environmentally-friendly way to heat water. This fully-illustrated and easy-to-follow guide shows how domestic solar water heating systems work, the different types of systems, types of collectors, both flat plate and evacuated tube, types of storage tanks and other accessories.

It also shows how systems are installed and explains how solar water heating can be integrated into existing water heating systems. Numerous examples from around the world have been included. The ideal guide for plumbers, heating engineers, builders and architects, housing and property developers, home owners and DIY enthusiasts, and anyone who needs a clear introduction to solar water heating technology.

Download : Oboom / Mega

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Solar Architecture: Strategies, Visions, Concepts (In Detail)

Solar Architecture:

Strategies, Visions, Concepts (In Detail)

In the very near future energy-efficient building will be the rule rather than the exception.

Insulating glazing, multi-functional facades and organic solar cells are examples of important new developments in the field of solar thermal technology, photo-voltaics, heating and ventilation technology which are suitable for a wide range of uses from large-scale urban-planning projects to individual single family houses, and can make significant contributions to the conservation of natural resources in sustainable building.

Carefully selected articles provide information on planning methods and techniques which will enable the user to assess and apply appropriate measures.

The essays are complemented by a selection of built examples which demonstrate innovative solutions and the importance of an integrated planning process in realized projects, complete with full plans and large scale details.

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Design for Water

Design for Water :

Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse

2007 | 240 pages | PDF | 15.8 Mb

In an era of dwindling resources, water is poised to become the new oil. The entire world now faces the reality of a decreasing supply of clean water.

To avert a devastating shortage, we must not only look at alternate water sources for existing structures but must plan our new developments differently.

Download : Oboom / Mega

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

New Japan Architecture

New Japan Architecture

Recent Works by the World's Leading Architects

The global changes taking place in the architectural world are crystallizing right now in Japan, with the past five years being considered one of the most innovative periods in current Japanese design history. Observed by architects and designers from around the world, these changes are illustrated and articulated in New Japan Architecture.

By documenting 48 important projects by 42 established and avant-garde architects, this book takes the reader through a journey of current trends in contemporary Japanese architecture and predicts future directions. While some buildings strive for the ultimate Zen white cube, others exemplify the search for the 'Wow' factor.

Cutting edge modernity in some buildings is countered by a concern for sustainability in others. The selection of buildings in New Japan Architecture includes projects that are big and small, private and public, residential and commercial.

The informative writings complement beautiful photographs that highlight the remarkable aspects of each building. A must-have book for those interested in architecture and Japan.

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