Book Description

There is no "one-size-fits-all" plan for so-called "green" homes; rather, there are universal principles of design that can be applied to individual tastes and needs. Architect Angela Dean offers a variety of ways to incorporate green building into your home, including using healthy building materials such as straw bales and natural flooring, taking advantage of local materials and resources, reusing gray water for landscaping, and incorporating passive solar design. Her goal is to teach people how to think about building sustainable homes.

Green by Design provides a thorough analysis of what it means to build green and offers advice on what to consider when designing a sustainable home. Green by Design features full-color photographs and line drawings of floor plans show different examples of successful sustainable homes. It also includes in-depth case studies of more than a dozen homes so readers planning a green home can see what worked for others. By providing people with knowledge, inspiration, and the ability to ask the right questions (and understand the answers) Green by Design puts home builders and owners on a path to creating beautiful, environmentally responsible homes that they can be proud to live in.

Angela Dean, AIA, is principal architect of AMD Architecture in Salt Lake City. She specializes in environmentally responsible designs to create healthy, comfortable buildings that are in harmony with the environment ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Excellent
This book is the only structures book that I have ever read that is fun to read! It makes use of real life exemples insted of mathematical equations. It is a common sense approach to structures.

Good for the layman, but insufficient for engineers!
Let me start by saying I did not voluntarily purchase this text. I had to read it cover to cover for my "Solid Mechanics and Design" course.

This book is filled with many interesting aectdotes from the author's experiences. It is written in a casual way, which I like. Most textbooks I had overcomplicate everything! This book covers a broad range of topics without going into any of them too deeply.

The problem is that I found it lacked the detail I needed to actually "use" it. There's no math. This makes it great for the layman, but what layman would be interested in reading about Civil Engineering? It provided decent base knowledge, but when it was test time, I found it completely useless. The author repeatedly suggests out-of the-box thinking, which is good, but doesn't really help. He'll talk about birds and say "aeronautical engineers take note." Thanks a lot.

Buy this if you are passionate about science and engineering or are a middle school or high school student. Don't buy this if you're looking for help in college or your career.

nice to read but lacks rigour ...
The book is indeed good for the layman (I would even say very good), but it lacks rigour and this makes it less usable for professional purposes...
The author wants to avoid as much math as possible but as a consequence, some explanations contain gaps.
This book can be seen as an extra to more professional books, everybody will definitely learn something from it and it reads very well...But if you want to have a rigorous understanding of structures, you should buy another book ...

Eccentric
At times I was annoyed by Mr Gordon's style - this is the work of a real old-world engineer. The little anecdotes he scatters through the work where so-and-so told him something, or it was rumoured that professor somebody said this, or 'I have heard it claimed that.....' annoyed me with their hearsay quality and lack of verifiability.

But then there are some very interesting discussions that do make the book an interesting introduction to engineering and the structure of things. I just would have preferred if it read less like an engineer had written it!

Very interesting book
I bought this book translated into Spanish. (Ediciones Celeste)ISBN 84-8211-190-6.
I'm Civil (Structural) and Industrial engineer. I found this book with a different vision of our profession. Gordon wants to answer why the things are stable. ... Read more

Book Description

A home by the lake or sea, a refuge by the water's edge, is the romantic dream of almost every homeowner. But the technical and aesthetic challenges of waterside construction place unique demands on the builder. Through exquisite photography and detailed architectural plans, this volume explores innovative residential designs from around the globe to illustrate how top architectural firms have met those challenges and created some of the most strikingly beautiful homes in the world.

Amazon.com

Florence-based Studio Marmo provides marketing materials to stone suppliers worldwide, and in that sense, Fine Marble in Architecture is kind of like a straightforward, coffee table-quality shopper's catalog for designers, builders, their clients, and anyone else who wants a working primer of the finest marbles available for big-ticket, high-profile projects. After an introduction that lays out the basic traits, history, strengths, weaknesses, uses, and technical details of the best marbles, the book becomes a guide to some 48 different varieties, including polychrome and monochrome breccias, ophiolithic-type green marbles, quartzites, stones, and granites. A handsome full-color blowup of each marble in question appears on every right-hand page while a rundown of its aesthetic characteristics, locale and mode of production, workmanship, and history (including distinguished sites that incorporate it) appear on the left, sometimes along with contact information for a producer or distributor (nearly all in Italy).

Finally, there's a portfolio of built works utilizing various marbles. From a ninth-century Indian temple to the Jefferson Memorial to the Trump Tower, the authors make it clear this book isn't a do-it-yourselfer for homeowners looking to install a marble birdbath. There's also a CD-ROM with all the samples from the book, if you want to pass around swatches electronically. This could well be the standard-bearer for fine-marble references--there's really nothing else quite like it. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Book Description

For those who want a beautiful home that also reflects an environmentally conscious lifestyle, the 22 residences featured in Living Homes prove that it's possible to have the best of both worlds. In this lushly photo-graphed book, authors Suzi Moore McGregor and Nora Burba Trulsson take readers on a visual tour of stunning earthen homes. They explore a rammed earth neighborhood, a two-story Victorian-style straw bale house, and a recycled concrete coastal retreat, among other alternative living spaces. Meet the architects and owners, read their stories, learn what inspired them, and explore their beautiful gardens and décor. Terrence Moore's striking photographs capture the exquisite interiors and exteriors and showcase the picturesque landscapes that create such magnificent backdrops. With profiles of adobe, rammed earth, straw bale, and reinvented materials in both their historical and contemporary applications, Living Homes is a visual inspiration and vital guide to sustainable architecture and alternative materials. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A good intro.
This book offers a good introduction into building with earth, straw and recycled materials. There are lots of nice photos with a brief story telling how and why the builders used the chosen materials.

This book does not go into depth on how to make a home out of straw bale, adobe, rammed earth or any other techniques. There are lots of other good books that do though.

I am kind of disappointed in a couple of the things the author says that are a bit misleading or untrue, probably unintentionally, but non the less they are there and you will not pick them out unless you are well read on alternative building techniques.

Living Homes shows "Architecture"
Finally! A book on sustainable architecture that shows quality buildings designed by Architects. All too often, these books show buildings that are not well designed, and detailed, and the quality of construction is lacking. I was very pleased to see well known architects, as well as lesser known architects' work detailed in this beautiful book. This book is wonderful to look at and it also has excellent, well written descriptions of each project.
It's a great read, and it is now in my personal library. I also bought one for the office.

A beautiful book
In the course of designing our new house, my family and I were looking for inspiration. This book gave us plenty of ideas and opened up new possibilities as to materials we could use that would be kinder to the environment that traditionally built homes.

The photographs are beautiful, and it was interesting to read what each of the book's homeowners had to say about constructing their houses. I had always thought that homes built of rammed earth or bales of straw were boring-looking, but this book proves the materials can be used to make great-looking houses.

Beautiful, but lacking
I received this much-anticipated book today. True to description, it contains beautiful photos (one page was misprinted with a wide pink streak across the photo) and text from architects, owners, etc. What it doesn't have much of is anything more than brief or shallow explanations of HOW sustainable living takes place -- minimal floor plans (meaning only for a few of the homes reviewed.

For one clear example, Lake/Flato architects built a truly innovative vacation house, with the living area surrounded - wrapped really - in the bedrooms and bathrooms of the house. Only a floor plan can reveal their creative arrangement of the rooms. The house is featured in this book, but no indication of the remarkable new layout - maximum living in minimal space. (Look for the Contemporary Architecture series for Lake/Flato architects for more information.)

Broad but shallow is a good summary for this pretty, but not nearly as informative as I had hoped, book. ... Read more

Book Description

R. Dodge Woodson uses his years of experience as a builder and land developer to compile this unique checklist and forms book covering the day-to-day business practices of the residential land developers and the construction community.

All forms and checklists will also be available in customizable Word and PDF format from companion website.

Contents: Researching Profitable Properties * Doing the Demographics *Zoning Matters *Flood Zones and Flood Plains * Wetland Issues *Road Considerations *Leftover Lots *Timber Tactics *Budgeting Your Money *Selecting Partners *Beating the Bank *Organizational Skills That Win • Selecting Your Professional Team *Contractual Terms and Offers *Dealing With Property Owners *Working With Real Estate Brokers *Site Inspections * Plans and Specifications *Putting Work Out to Bids *Sales Projections *Insurance Needs *Working With Subcontractors * Watching Your Workers *Beating Your Budget *The Exit Plan ... Read more

Book Description

The bible of the industrial storage and distribution industry and the manual of policy and practice. It provides information for those with empty buildings on their hands, those trying to find space for new and/or growing enterprises and those faced with the problem of how to manage multi-tenant, multi-use buildings. An outline of feasibility studies both from the standpoint of users looking for a building and buildings looking for a use is also included. One is matched with the other.

The whole process is explained and placed in a legal and planning framework. Allowances for technological change and expansion are outlined as well as an explanation of the significance of various patterns of ownership, tenancy and management that can be adopted. As the container has been universally acepted for use in materials handling, this book is internationally relevant.

Preface by George Heery AIA of the Heery Corporation, one of the largest and most successful industrial storage and distribution companies in the US.

*Gain a comprehensive overview of the processes and uses of industrial storage buildings
*Have the most up to date legal and planning information at your fingertips
*Outlines allowances for technological change and expansion ... Read more

Book Description

Steel is one of the most versatile materials available in the construction industry and its many applications have enabled architects and engineers to go far beyond what was once considered possible. The second volume in this new series documents all aspects of steel as a construction material. Just like the Glass Construction Manual, this volume first looks at the historical development of building with steel.This is followed by several chapters which examine to a high degree of technical detail the physical properties of the material, the principles of construction using steel and the wide spectrum of the use of steel elements. The final chapter presents 54examples which illustrate the many applications of steel in constructionfrom simple halls to complex multistorey buildings. These examples were selected because of their innovative use of steel, demonstrating its great potential for minimising the necessary materials and montage. For ease of comparison all the plans have been drawn to the same scale. The volume concludes with an extensive bibliography and a listing of the relevant norms and regulations, making this work an indispensable reference for all architects and engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Steel Construction Manual
The title of this book, in my mind, is a misnomer. If you're looking for a true manual of steel construction, meaning a how-to book, this isn't the book to buy. This book is centered around architecture, not down and dirty steel construction techniques. There are no methods included in the book for such things as calculating loads, yield, tensile, etc. If you want a world wide sampling of connecting means, truss designs, etc. with no dimensions in the examples then this is the book for you. In short I am very disappointed in my purchase as it doesn't suit my needs.

Ideal for architects and engineers
This book gives a synoptic view of steel in building construction, mostly its structural uses. It differs from the Concrete and Masonry versions, which lean more towards a summary of the building codes, and the Glass version, which goes on at length about solar effects, in its more lengthy review of the engineering basics involved. (But perhaps the subject lends itself to this approach, being more specialized.) The text is also the easiest to read of all the books, more than compensating for the lack of color pictures anywhere. The middle technical section covers the subject in a very orderly way, beginning with the structural properties of small components and proceeding on to the assembled skyscraper. The last sections will leave you scratching your head unless you're an engineer though.

There is also a section on construction practices, where you might be reminded to leave an inch or two of space under your column base plates to allow for construction tolerances, and to use special expanding grout for filling it instead of mortar or concrete, which would shrink on curing and provide opportunities for water getting in. Or to try to achieve equal compression in all your columns, so settling will be uniform.

Surprisingly enjoyable, and not used in the other books but maybe not possible there, owing to their extensive excerpting of tables from building codes, is the way the text does not normally keep referring you to figures, but allows you to read uninterrupted. The figures are there, as in the other books, but they have more extensive captions which allow them to stand alone and be read in parallel with the main text.

Like the other books in the series, there are no equations to speak of, or very few. Just an attempt to explain all the relevant principles in a qualitative way and to demonstrate their use with hundreds of meticulous drawings. ... Read more

Book Description

In this comprehensive work to date on membrane technology for architecture, pioneers show how one of the world’s oldest forms of building material is also its most innovative.

Today, the cutting edge in architecture is not sharp but curved and undulating. It is also impermeable to moisture, resistant to extreme temperatures, flexible and portable. Known as the fifth building material after wood, stone, glass, and metal, membranes are popping up everywhere: in Olympic stadiums in Berlin and Atlanta, in airports from Denver to Bangkok, over fashion shows, formal gardens, and soccer fields. Membranes’ ability to not only let in but also reflect light portends enormous possibilities for harnessing energy.

This fascinating survey of membrane structures throughout the world discusses the history of the medium, describes the materials and their uses, explores the technology of membrane construction, and investigates numerous current and future projects. A final chapter offers a reasoned argument for further research and experimentation in this rapidly expanding field and a projection of its exciting future. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Chicken Soup for the Soul, for the Straw Bale Builder...
Chicken soup, that is, with a lot of nuts and bolts thrown in for extra fiber!! All though this is, more of a what happens to you in the process book, than it's a "how to do it" book? It should be the second book following "Build it with Bales II," that you should read. Even if written from the female perspective? It will give anyone invaluable insight regardless of your gender, to build your dream home (right). Without needlessly killing yourself or your spouse (or kids) in the process. Her centering herself in spirit and connection to the earth pulls her through, as it will you. After buying and reading this book, you can move on to the other coffee table books on the topic.

I'll admit bias, I was there in the early stages to help Carolyn get her dream up, and out of the desert dirt. I am "Spuds" (Chapter 9). Until I read further into the process, I couldn't believe she would have had more difficult times? After working hand and glove, sweat and toil with this absolute dynamo of a woman? I can tell you she writes it as it happened and her writting, reads just like she speaks.. honest, straight forward, focused, sincere and connected to her purpose. By keeping focused on the goal, she surmounts obsticles that most of us would cave into. But not her. Due to her indominatable connection to spirit, she, rejects "no" for an answer. It didn't take me long to learn that aspect of her persona first hand.

In the previous reviews, short shrift was given to the envolvement of community and personal commitment in the process.
Carolyn, would be the first to step forward with a long list of names. The point being, Staw Bale, by it's nature is a event that "makes" community happen, and long lasting friends.

Of all the books written of the topic, this one alone stands as the testimate from the beginning of the dream to the; blood, sweat, tears, fears, and toil it takes... It's just not that easy. If you think it is? Read this. And, if you take her path, you'll eventually feel the same gratification, and relief that is "almost" done....

I'll sum up her book in one word.. backbone! She's got it. If she can get it done, so can you. If you doubt it? Start reading.

Building a simpler life
This is a great book of building dreams and manifesting your own destiny. As I read I was brought out into the hot sun, crying, sweating and blistering along with the builder. It has never ceased to amaze me what human beings can bring about if they really put their mind to it. Carolyn Roberts is truly a warrior of life and creates a reality we can all live with. Keeping life simple allows one to focus on realizing one's dreams. And Carolyn's dream is one of giving. Giving back to Mother Earth and giving us a good example of how simple, healthy, loving life can be.

If you are interested in building a house, especially one of straw, this is a must read. It prepares you for the pitfalls and the joys of accomplishing challenges you never thought you could.

An Emotional How-To Manual For Building Your Dream Home
This truly is a great read whether you're building a house of straw, wood, recycled soda bottles, old tires or anything else. Although I wouldn't consider this a how-to-manual, it really does provide the reader with a great deal of information you wouldn't usually get your hands on unless you paid a building contractor or consultant. This is a fantastic story of a very brave woman who bucks the system and builds a house on her terms, her way, and largely by herself. You experience the highs and lows, mania, confusion and every other human emotion as she devotes her very being to the birth of her house. Overall, I found this to be an amazing story, written by someone with an inner strength and conviction few of us seem to possess in this day in age. Very inspiring and a must read to anyone crazy enough to embark on a similar journey.

Life's not about what you have, but how you live.
I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to anyone who has a dream that they are not sure they can accomplish, but are dying to try. Carolyn Roberts is an outstanding example to those of us who are willing to work hard and to stand up for what we believe in.

Life is full of choices and we all know that the choices we make shape our lives for better or worse, but to challenge yourself and have the courage to deliberately make difficult choices based on what one truly feels is right is a rare thing. Most of us feel that we are so busy that we don't have the time or energy to develop our own personal code of ethics. We forget about our standards and how our actions drastically affect the people and environment around us. This book beckons us to stop and think that maybe there is something we can all do by actively making choices about the way we live our lives and especially how we manage natural resources. Most of all, this book encourages us to do just that: stop and think.

This book is not just a workshop on natural building, but a testimonial to why this world is worth saving. It's a look at the world through the eyes of someone who has wandered the forests of New England in her youth, raised children on the shimmering beaches in the lush tropical island of Kauai, Hawaii, and decided to make her home a sanctuary in the unforgiving Sonoran Desert's harsh and dramatic splendor. The appreciation of the glory of this planet and what it provides for us not only to live, but to enjoy life, is as refreshing as a cool breeze on the hottest summer day.

This book is not as much about how to build a house as it is about how to build a life, and about making decisions based on a responsibility to humanity and respect for nature. In doing so, we strive for excellence and accept nothing less than everything we can give, and the results are truly marvelous. This book is an exercise in how to triumph by simply standing behind your beliefs and having the courage to pursue your dreams.

I am utterly inspired by this charming woman who has truly put into practice the theory that life isn't about what you have, but how you live. Read this book whether you are planning on building a house or not.

A Truly Fantastic Story That All Should Read
This really is a great read. Although it largely deals with the construction of a straw bale house, I think it would be indespesible to anyone who's thinking of building a house of any type. You get the unique chance to travel along with this very brave woman as she fails and succeeds time and time again along the path to having her own home. She builds this house with very little money, a great deal of heart, and largely by herself. Along the way she develops a unique community of friends and family who help her and the house is raised in an almost amish community fashion. I too am thinking of building a straw bale house and I'm glad this is where my research began.
Jason
Tucson AZ ... Read more

Book Description

The Designer's Workspace presents an extensive resource of distinguished firms' responses to the design of their own offices. Featuring everything
from technical detail to interior design, it illustrates what these designers see as the major considerations for modern workplace design.

This book reveals design solutions, details, and concepts that have been explored and used by design firms from around the world. From the firstimpressions at the Reception area and Lobby, to the appeal and diverse uses of the meeting areas, to the functionality and sleekness of the Design Studio
itself, it illustrates how the designer's office can be quite unique in style, function, and character whilst also varying from culture to culture. No two designers will produce the same atmosphere. With this objective, The Designer's Workspace showcases an array of designs from the traditional to the contemporary, from the historic renovation to the new office tower and serves as a portfolio of the varied responses and solutions found to the challenge of designing the modern office.

* Provides a wealth of information on a diverse selection of international design firms, large and small, and their working environments
* Reveals design solutions, details, and concepts that have been explored and used by design firms from around the world
* Beautifully illustrated in full color to inspire cutting edge workplace design ... Read more

Book Description

The negotiated contract method for RFPs is a rapidly growing trend in construction. Traditionally, RFPs have gone through a competitive bid method – meaning that 100% of the design work is done without the input of contractors and with very little real cost information. With the negotiated contract method, only about 10% of the design work is done before a contractor is brought to the table, which means less paperwork and lower up-front costs. There are several advantages to the negotiated contract method: • Because only a small part of the design work is done up-front (before a contractor is brought on board), no extensive re-design work has to be done when budget/schedule issues with the design become a factor. • A complete team – architect/designer and contractor – is assembled earlier, making for a much more efficient process and outcome. • The RFP process becomes a collaborative effort, rather than a competitive one.There is no other book on the shelf that either focuses specifically on RFPs in the construction industry, or features a step-by-step method for implementing the negotiated contract method.This is a step-by-step guide for managing the RFP process in a way that saves time, money, enhances team collaboration, and assures quality in construction. Focusing on the negotiated contract method (as opposed to the competitive bid method), the book takes readers from articulating the needs/wish list for a construction project, to the analysis of responses and interviews, through negotiations and finalization of the deal. This is a roadmap for: • Preparing, understanding, and assessing the quality of information in an RFP. • Gathering critical, project-specific information from free and up-to-date local databases. • Adding value to the process by assisting consultants in marketing and project management capabilities. • Selecting and working with a team early in the process to stay on-schedule and on-budget. • Improving the materials selection process and the end-result overall quality of construction. • Example and template forms make it easy to create a successful RFP process. ... Read more

Book Description

Laboratory Design Guide 3rd edition is a complete guide to the complex process of laboratory design and construction. With practical advice and detailed
examples, it is an indispensable reference for anyone involved in building or renovating laboratories.

In this working manual Brian Griffin explains how to meet the unique combination of requirements that laboratory design entails. Considerations range from safety and site considerations to instrumentation and special furniture, and
accommodate the latest laboratory practices and the constant evolution of science. Case studies from around the world illustrate universal principles of
good design while showing a variety of approaches.
Revised throughout for this new edition, the book contains a brand new chapter on the role of the computer, covering topics such as the virtual experiment, hot desking, virtual buildings and computer-generated space relationship diagrams.
There are also 10 new international case studies, including the Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building at the University of Hong Kong.

* Provides step-by-step explanation of how to meet the unique design requirements of laboratories
* Shows how to make laboratories responsive to evolving technological and scientific practices
* International selection of case studies helps the reader evaluate the options available and is a source of inspiration ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Book Review in "Chemistry in Australia"
Laboratory Design Guide, B.Griffin (Architectural Press,1999) ISBN 0 7506 3858 3

Having moved in to a new laboratory for teaching and research 12 months ago, I wish that our faculty had had this book available to us 4years ago while we were in the planning stage of the building.This wouldhave given the laboratory staff insights into how buildings are built andhow to go about consulting with the building designers, architects,engineering consultants, contractors and sub-contractors and all the othervarious people that most laboratory staff have little day-to-day experiencewith.It would have also improved the discussion on options for design ofthe laboratories and furniture by the faculty staff.The idea ofadjustable benches would have been a better solution to our need to caterfor disabled students than making a permanent low bench in each teachinglaboratory which means these benches go unused if no disabled student is inthe unit. The second half of the book is case studies and looking at newlaboratories. Fourteen of the 17case studies are from Australia, all buttwo of these from NSW. How the architects responded to the needs of theirclients and the different needs for different types of laboratories isdiscussed.The examples cover rnultifunctional tertiary teaching, researchinstitutions, pure research, and commercial pathology and governmentlaboratories.All the case studies are there to amplify points madeearlier in the book. This book must be read in conjunction with theappropriate Australian Standards and the CCH manual and although it doesnot mention individual standards or CCH guidelines the text does give agood place to start your search of the standards and guidelines which arethe definitive sources.

Neil Ludvigsen, Northern Territory University,Book review in "Chemistry in Australia" ... Read more

Book Description

Straw Bale Details is the perfect companion for those who are serious about building with straw. It focuses entirely on the specific design theories and practices that result in well-built, long-lasting bale structures. It extends the range of books like Straw Bale Building through large, easy-to-read architectural drawings rendered for a wide variety of building options, including load-bearing and post-and-beam designs. A range of foundation, wall, door and window, and roof-plate scenarios is presented, along with notes and possible modifications. Also included are the most recent testing data to help base designer and builder decisions on sound science.

Chris Magwood is coauthor of Straw Bale Building and editor of The Last Straw Journal. Chris Walker is a Toronto architect specializing in sustainable design.

Book Description

Make compliance with the Uniform Building Code a cinch with this complete set of project-oriented checklists. They decode the often arcane and unwieldly requirements of the UBC and reduce verification of code compliance to the simple act of running through a checklist. No matter what stage your project is in or what type of structure you're working on, this resource provides the needed time-saving, code-verifying tool. Divided into four major sections, this book/CD package gives you checklists for the design stage, architectural documentation, structural documentation, and specifications. Provided in both print and computer-ready format, these checklists simplify record-keeping as well as compliance. This valuable tool reduces the need for time-wasting design changes, expensive construction change orders, and worseÑclaims that can result from failure to design and build according to code. Concise and easy to read and to use, the Uniform Building Code Manual is your key to quick and complete verification. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fundamentally, a Check List
This book is a big check-list. Do not buy it if you are actually looking for building code information. However, it would probably be useful to contractors who want to be sure they have covered all bases. (I gave it two stars because it was not useful for me.)

A Must Companion for the UBC Code
This book makes an excellent Companion for the 1997 UBC Code. It is broken into section like the UBC code, each section has check list that can be used to insure compliance with the code.

The CD Rom in the back of the book allows you to print out check list that can be used in project files for documentation. An excelent tool for any design Engineer. ... Read more

Book Description

New materials and stricter energy-efficiency requirements have brought about radical changes in timber construction in recent years. Whether built on site or pre-fabricated, this publication provides a concise survey of modern timber construction, the materials and their applications. ... Read more

Book Description

These books cover both the documentation and the administration of construction.

Candidates may enroll in both Construction Documents and Services 1 and 2 for a special combined fee of $102. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is the best and most concise reference available on the design of concrete structures. It covers new materials, practices, and research in the field, examples of general building structural systems and the use of computers in structural design. Covers the basics as well as practical design examples. Examines a wide range of concrete structures, building types, and construction details. Includes numerous illustrations, text examples, and exercise problems with answers provided, plus a general question and answer section and a glossary. Updated to reflect changes in standards, industry technology, and construction practice; conforms to the widely accepted ACI Code. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Simplified Design of Concrete Structures, 7th Ed.
This is a decent introduction to reinforced concrete design, but I do not like the way the material is presented.Ambrose has done a poor job in picking up Parker's work.

First and foremost, Ambrose does not appear to be a very good writer.The text is written in the first-person, which I find awkward and unprofessional for such a topic.There are numerous typograpical errors.The first six chapters of the book are largely qualitative and superficial discussions on concrete uses, production and so forth.Earnest problem solving doesn't start until Chapter 7.

Parker's 3rd Edition of Structural Steel design has been a trusted companion of mine for many years.The information is concise and the presentation robust without a lot of nonsense.I was hoping to get that same treatment out of Ambrose with this edition of concrete design.Ninety dollars later, I discovered that I have not. ... Read more

Book Description

"Every preconceived notion we hold about the nature of construction is being challenged. Architects have to take advantage of these sea changes to change the building industry."—Toshiko Mori

Over the course of history, materials such as concrete and steel revolutionized architecture. Immaterial/Ultramaterial, the second volume in the Millennium Matters series, investigates today's revolutionary new materials and methods of fabrication, and the profound impact they're having on the continuing evolution of architecture. The impact is felt in many areas, including architects' design methods, the conception of form, and modes of production. From the use of immaterial elements such as light, sound, and smell, to the implications of invincible materials ("ultramaterials"), which technological developments may soon place within our reach, this book envisions the future of architecture.

The innovations in materials and fabrication explored in this volume are the result of an independent seminar held at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design that investigated new materials and novel applications of familiar ones. Divided into four groups that focused on "Surface," "Edge," "Phenomena," and "Substance," the members of these research teams rediscovered the relationship between material and design. Not only architects, but anyone interested in the fabrication of materials, in construction, or in design, will want to read about these groundbreaking innovations. 50 illustrations in color, 10 in b/w. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dry Study
Toshiko Mori has sadly fallen into the trap of confusing the practice of architecture with merely writing about it. This once-talented architect has now become a parody of herself, a self-important academic smugly satisfied with the sound of her own rhetoric. As for the book, it documents new materials and systems. But the presentation is dry, more in the form of an industrial catalog, and lacks any substantive commentary on architecture itself. And I can't help wondering how many trees might have been saved if Mori and her clique edited out the repetitive and cliched use of words like "challenging", "distorting", "alienating" etc. Architectura and materials evolve; the first use of them, however experimental, is not always good. Like Mori's work, it is stylish, but not classic. Faddish, but not timeless. Pass this one up before it becomes embarrassing to have it on your bookshelf.

cutting egde projects--carefully displayed
some very interesting projects by Harvard Design School students. projects are critically approached, its not just eye candy. seem to be on the cutting edge of this kind of exploration. and some interesting interviews of practioners ... Read more

Book Description

It was 1976--twenty-five years after R. Buckminster Fuller introduced geodesic domes when literary critic Hugh Kenner published this fully-illustrated practical manual for their construction. Now, some twenty-five years later, Geodesic Math and How to Use It again presents a systematic method of design and provides a step-by-step method for producing mathematical specifications for orthodox geodesic domes, as well as for a variety of elliptical, super-elliptical, and other nonspherical contours.

Out of print since 1990, Geodesic Math and How To Use It is California's most requested backlist title. This edition is fully illustrated with complete original appendices. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Geodesic Math
The subject very well presented and in a way that is easy to understand. Gives the underlying math to be able to use our modern computers setting on our desk tops to go far beyond what one person could do 25 years ago.

Geodesic Math And How To Use It... Back In Print!
Well, the time has come for the pirates to take a hike. UC Press is reprinting this book. The information I have indicates both hard and softcover bindings...It will be available this year (2003).

Geodesic Math and How To Use It is an extremely well written book, and with the NASA papers, forms the "canon of applied geodesic math." It is a great book, well written and useful.

Geodesic Math and how to Use It
I have been researching geodesics for a while and have found this book valuable in understanding the subject, however, I would suggest downloading some of the NASA tech briefs about geodesic math (and its free) before spending this amount of money on a book. There are several online sources of info to help the novice.

You know *what*, now find out *how*
Hugh Kenner's book is the bible of geodesy. While other books provide you with tables and some of the rudiments of the theory of geodesic domes, 'Geodesic Math and How to Use it' gives you a first-principle look at how domes are developed from a mathematical/geometrical point of view. Most importantly, Kenner introduces the reader to a novel metric for both describing the location of geodesic points in space and calculating their exact positions, so you can develop your own chord factors rather than relying on tables without understanding the underlying math. ... Read more