The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods PDF Author: Jon Nunan
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company
ISBN: 1601382456
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Learn how to identify, locate, and effectively use alternative building materials, including cob, adobe, rammed earth, bamboo, cork, wool carpeting, and more. You will also learn about the structure, climate control, siting, foundations, and flooring options you gain when using these materials. Ultimately, you will come to understand that these materials are cheaper, easier to build with, stronger, more durable, and more fire resistant.

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods PDF Author: Jon Nunan
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company
ISBN: 1601382456
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Get Book Here

Book Description
Learn how to identify, locate, and effectively use alternative building materials, including cob, adobe, rammed earth, bamboo, cork, wool carpeting, and more. You will also learn about the structure, climate control, siting, foundations, and flooring options you gain when using these materials. Ultimately, you will come to understand that these materials are cheaper, easier to build with, stronger, more durable, and more fire resistant.

Alternative Construction

Alternative Construction PDF Author: Lynne Elizabeth
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 9780471249511
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The first comprehensive guide to combining traditional natural materials and modern construction methods. From adobe to straw bales, traditional building materials are being adapted to meet code-required standards for health and safety in contemporary buildings around the world. Not only are they cost effective and environmentally friendly, but, when used correctly, these natural alternatives match the strength and durability of many mainstream construction materials. This book examines a broad range of traditional and modern natural construction methods, including straw-bale, light-clay, cob, adobe, rammed earth and pise, earthbag, earth-sheltered, bamboo, and hybrid systems. It also covers key ecological design principles, as well as current engineering and building code requirements. Experts on each building system have contributed core chapters that explore the history, development, climatic appropriateness, environmental benefits, performance characteristics, construction techniques, and structural design principles for each method. More than 200 visuals depict both construction processes and completed structures. An extensive resource guide shows where to go for further information, training, and research. In an increasingly resource-conscious era, alternative construction is truly an idea whose time has come. Whether you're an architect, designer, student, or homeowner, this book will help you to combine indigenous building materials with modern construction systems and design standards to create low-impact, high-quality buildings that meet the highest levels of comfort, health, and safety.

The 'One Planet' Life

The 'One Planet' Life PDF Author: David Thorpe
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317625900
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 477

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Book Description
The One Planet Life demonstrates a path for everyone towards a way of life in which we don’t act as if we had more than one planet Earth. The difference between this approach and others is that it uses ecological footprint analysis to help to determine how effective our efforts are. Much of the book is a manual – with examples – on how to live the 'good life' and supply over 65% of your livelihood from your land with mostly positive impacts upon the environment. It examines the pioneering Welsh policy, One Planet Development, then considers efforts towards one planet living in urban areas. After a foreword by BioRegional/One Planet Living co-founder Pooran Desai and an introduction by former Welsh environment minister Jane Davidson, the book contains: An essay arguing that our attitude to planning, land and development needs to change to enable truly sustainable development. Guidelines on finding land, finance, and creating a personal plan for one planet living. Detailed guides on: sustainable building, supplying your own food, generating renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions from travel, land management, water supply and waste treatment. 20 exemplary examples at all scales – from micro-businesses to suburbs – followed by Jane Davidson’s Afterword. The book will interest anyone seeking to find out how a sustainable lifestyle can be achieved. It is also key reading for rural and built environment practitioners and policy makers keen to support low impact initiatives, and for students studying aspects of planning, geography, governance, sustainability and renewable energy.

How to Be Your Own Contractor and Save Thousands on your New House or Renovation While Keeping Your Day Job - Revised 2nd Edition

How to Be Your Own Contractor and Save Thousands on your New House or Renovation While Keeping Your Day Job - Revised 2nd Edition PDF Author: Tanya R Davis
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company
ISBN: 1601389426
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
In this completely updated and totally revised second edition, you will learn how to choose a site, draw up construction time line and flow charts, apply for consturction loans, obtain essential insurance information, buy plans, find and negotiate with subcontractors, and comply with building code, inspection, and permit requirements. The ins and outs of self contracting are explained, combined with the experiences of others, and with dozens of forms and checklists at hand, you will learn all about: building materials and foundations, windows, decks, roofing, plumbing, heating, wiring, air-conditioning, and much more. There are hundreds of tools, contracts, and checklists to help you get your project organized and save you thousands! The companion CD-ROM is included with the print version of this book; however is not available for download with the electronic version. It may be obtained separately by contacting Atlantic Publishing Group at [email protected] Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

Megacities and Rapid Urbanization: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice

Megacities and Rapid Urbanization: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice PDF Author: Management Association, Information Resources
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1522592776
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 628

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Book Description
As the global population continues to increase, it has become necessary to find ways to handle this increase through various policy tools that address population growth and urbanization problems. The urbanization process has both potential issues and opportunities that need to be exploited to move societies forward. Megacities and Rapid Urbanization: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice examines trends, challenges, issues, and strategies related to population growth and rapid urbanization and its impact on urban environments. The book also explores the use of different governance approaches in addressing challenges and different tools and systems of appropriate allocation to address issues. This publication is an ideal reference source for academicians, students, practitioners, professionals, managers, urban planners, and government officials.

Smart Cities as a Solution for Reducing Urban Waste and Pollution

Smart Cities as a Solution for Reducing Urban Waste and Pollution PDF Author: Hua, Goh Bee
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 152250303X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
The exponential growth of urban settings has led to an increase in pollutants and waste management issues around the world. As the environment continues to falter under the weight of these pressing issues, it has become increasingly imperative to develop new technologies and methodologies that have the potential to improve the overall sustainability and cleanliness of these cities. Smart Cities as a Solution for Reducing Urban Waste and Pollution examines emergent research on smart innovations within built urban environments. Featuring best practices and theoretical frameworks, as well as potential issues in the implementation of smart and green technology in urban settings, this publication is a vital reference source for graduate students, researchers, academics, engineers, architects, facility managers, and government officials.

Essential Sustainable Home Design

Essential Sustainable Home Design PDF Author: Chris Magwood
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 1771422408
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 363

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Book Description
Design your own sustainable home Many people dream of building a beautiful, environmentally friendly home. But until now there has been no systematic guide to help potential builders work through the complete process of imagining, planning, designing, and building their ideal, sustainable home. Essential Sustainable Home Design walks potential homebuilders through the process starting with key concepts, principles, and a project vision that will guide the house to completion. Coverage includes: How to clarify your ideas and create a practical pathway to achieving your dream A criteria matrix to guide design, material, and systems decisions Creating a strong, integrated design team and working with professionals and code officials to keep the project on track from start to finish. Key building science concepts that make for a high-performance, durable building Primer on building logistics, material sourcing, and protocols to ensure that the initial vision for the project comes to fruition. One-page summaries and ratings of popular sustainable building materials and system options. Ideal for owner-builders and sustainable building contractors working with clients aiming to design and build a sustainable home. Chris Magwood has designed and built some of the most innovative, sustainable buildings in North America, including the first off-grid, straw bale home in Ontario. He is co-founder and director the Endeavour Centre for Innovative Building and Living and co-editor of the Sustainable Building Essentials series. Chris is the author of Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction, Essential Hempcrete Construction, Straw Bale Details, More Straw Bale Building , and Making Better Buildings .

The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home

The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home PDF Author: Kent Lester
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440346097
Category : House & Home
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
Save 30% on home construction! Whether you want to take on all the responsibility of contracting your home or simply want to intelligently communicate with your homebuilder, The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home can help you save 30% or more on the cost of home construction by teaching you the ins and outs of managing your construction project. Learn how to get your project off to a solid start. Get financial and legal details in language you can understand. Learn what to consider when selecting a lot and how to deal with suppliers, labor and subcontractors. Gain understanding of building codes and inspections so you can manage with authority, confidence, and efficiency. This extensive guide walks you through each phase of construction including preconstruction, foundations, framing, roofing, plumbing, electrical, masonry, siding, insulation, drywall, trim, painting, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, tile and landscaping. Completely revised and updated, this edition includes a new section on sustainable building as well as the most comprehensive building resources section ever compiled. You'll find schedules, order forms, control logs, contracts and checklists to help keep your project on track.

Making Better Buildings

Making Better Buildings PDF Author: Chris Magwood
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 1550925156
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 467

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Book Description
Sustainable building from the ground up - the pros and cons of the latest green and natural materials and technologies From foundation to finish, a wealth of information is available on sustainable construction methods-entire volumes have been published on individual green and natural building techniques. But with so many different ideas to choose from, there is no single resource that allows an owner or builder to quickly and objectively compare the merits of each system for their particular project. Making Better Buildings cuts through the hype and provides the unvarnished facts about the upsides and downsides of the most widely discussed materials and technologies. Drawing on the real-world experiences of designer/builders, this comparative guide systematically and comprehensively examines each approach in terms of: Cost, sourcing, labor intensity, and ease of construction Energy efficiency, embodied energy, and environmental impacts Availability/accessibility Viable applications and future potential. Each chapter is rounded out by a chart which summarizes the material in a quick and accessible manner. Whether you are an owner preparing to build a green or natural home, or a conventional contractor determined to integrate sustainable alternatives into your existing construction practices, this up-to-the minute resource will help you make the best decisions for your project, while meeting your energy, efficiency, budgetary, and site-specific needs.

The Solar House

The Solar House PDF Author: Daniel D. Chiras
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603580158
Category : House & Home
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Passive solar heating and passive cooling—approaches known as natural conditioning—provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. Now Dan Chiras, author of the popular book The Natural House, brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts. The techniques required to heat and cool a building passively have been used for thousands of years. Early societies such as the Native American Anasazis and the ancient Greeks perfected designs that effectively exploited these natural processes. The Greeks considered anyone who didn't use passive solar to heat a home to be a barbarian! In the United States, passive solar architecture experienced a major resurgence of interest in the 1970s in response to crippling oil embargoes. With grand enthusiasm but with scant knowledge (and sometimes little common sense), architects and builders created a wide variety of solar homes. Some worked pretty well, but looked more like laboratories than houses. Others performed poorly, overheating in the summer because of excessive or misplaced windows and skylights, and growing chilly in the colder months because of insufficient thermal mass and insulation and poor siting. In The Solar House, Dan Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious—and entirely avoidable—errors. More importantly, Chiras explains in methodical detail how today's home builders can succeed with solar designs. Now that energy efficiency measures including higher levels of insulation and multi-layered glazing have become standard, it is easier than ever before to create a comfortable and affordable passive solar house that will provide year-round comfort in any climate. Moreover, since modern building materials and airtight construction methods sometimes result in air-quality and even toxicity problems, Chiras explains state-of-the-art ventilation and filtering techniques that complement the ancient solar strategies of thermal mass and daylighting. Chiras also explains the new diagnostic aids available in printed worksheet or software formats, allowing readers to generate their own design schemes.