Architecture

Ball, Philip Universe of Stone eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Chartres Cathedral, south of Paris, is revered as one of the most beautiful and profound works of art in the Western canon. But what did it mean to those who constructed it in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries? And why, during this time, did Europeans begin to build churches in a new style, at such immense height and with such glorious play of light, in the soaring manner we now call Gothic?

Universe of Stone shows that the Gothic cathedrals encode a far-reaching shift in the way medieval thinkers perceived their relationship with their world. For the first time, they began to believe in an orderly, rational world that could be investigated and understood. This change marked the beginning of Western science and also the start of a long and, indeed, unfinished struggle to reconcile faith and reason.

By embedding the cathedral in the culture of the twelfth century—its schools of philosophy and science, its trades and technologies, its politics and religious debates—Philip Ball makes sense of the visual and emotional power of Chartres. Beautifully illustrated and written, filled with astonishing insight, Universe of Stone argues that Chartres is a sublime expression of the originality and vitality of a true "first renaissance," one that occurred long before the birth of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Francis Bacon.

Brookes, Alan CLADDING OF BUILDINGS eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Addresses the topic of lightweight claddings in buildings and is a useful overview for the student and new practitioner. Written by a well-known specialist, this new edition has been brought up- to-date, covering the latest environmental issues.

Dovey, Kim Framing Places (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

"Framing Places" investigates how the built forms of architecture and urban design act as mediators of social practices of power. The author contends that the nature of architecture and urban design lend them to practices of coercion and seduction, thus legitimizing authority and control over civilian populations.
The book draws from a broad range of social theories and deploys three primary analyses of built form: analysis of spatial structure; interpretation of constructed meanings; and, interpretation of lived experience. These approaches, to program, text and place, are woven together through a series of narratives on specific places and types of environment, such as Berlin, Beijing and Canberra.

ROMAN VILLAS eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Moskow, Keith Sustainable Facilities eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Let a Team of Leading Architects Take You through 20 Large-Scale, Sustainable Facilities Designed with Green Methods and Materials!

A vital working tool for all building professionals interested in green architecture and construction, Sustainable Facilities presents an in-depth look at 20 facilities that were designed for environmental organizations and were constructed and now operate using green building methods and materials.

Featuring contributions by leading architects in green building, this expert resource examines each building_from planning through operations-- covering new construction, energy-efficient design, operational cost savings, historic preservation, renovation and expansion, land conservation, and LEED ratings.

Packed with 200 black & white and full-color illustrations, Sustainable Facilities takes readers through the Woods Hole Research Center… Chesapeake Bay Foundation Environmental Center…Conservation Law Foundation Headquarters… Marion Art and Environmental Center… …Thoreau Center for Sustainability… California EPA Headquarters Building…Forestech Centre…Institute for Forestry and Nature Research…and many other facilities. This skills-building reference features:

Discussions of 20 facilities_from planning to operations
Contributions by leading architects in green building
Answers to FAQs about sustainable methods and materials
Guidance on the advantages and obstacles involved with green projects
Methods for weighing up-front costs against operating costs for facilities

Essential for architects, engineers, and contractors, Sustainable Facilities presents state-of-the-art guidance on all the materials, methods, and costs needed for success in green design and building.

A groundbreaking resource in the literature of green architecture and construction, Sustainable Facilities offers building professionals everywhere a compelling, in-depth look at 20 facilities that were designed for environmental organizations and were constructed and now operate using green building methods and materials.

Written by award-winning architect Keith Moskow, together with a team of leading architects in green building, the book focuses on the unique challenges of each building—from planning through operations-- covering new construction, energy-efficient design, operational cost savings, historic preservation, renovation and expansion, land conservation, and LEED ratings.

Sustainable Facilities also explores the advantages and obstacles building teams face on green projects, and explains how to weigh up-front costs against operating costs for facilities.

In addition, this cutting-edge reference provides answers to many frequently asked questions about sustainable methods and materials such as:

How did the design process differ from that of a conventional building?
Has the building performed up to expectations?
Were the initial building costs higher than conventional costs?
What effect has the building had on its users?
Has the building changed people's perceptions of sustainability?

Filled with 200 outstanding black & white and full-color illustrations, Sustainable Facilities examines a wide range of noted green buildings in the U.S., Europe, and Australia, including:

Woods Hole Research Center (Falmouth, MA)
Conservation Law Foundation Headquarters (Boston, MA)
Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Lodge (Crawford Notch, NH)
Doyle Conservation Center, (Leominster, MA)
Bay Education Center (Providence, RI)
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Philip Merrill Environmental Center (Annapolis, MD)
PEEC Visitor Activity Center (Dingmans Ferry, PA)
Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (Gwinnett County, GA)
World Birding Center (Rio Grande, TX)
Kresge Foundation Building (Troy, MI)
National

Magazine, GreenSource Emerald Architecture eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Improve Your Green Design Skills with 24 Full-Color Case Studies of Sustainable Structures and Facilities!

Turn to Emerald Architecture for a full-color collection of 24 in-depth case studies of sustainable structures and facilities.

Packed with more than 200 design-inspiring photos and illustrations, this beautiful architectural guide presents design data and specifications from a wide variety of projects, including schools, offices, labs, libraries, government buildings, and even a summer camp.

For each case study, the book gives a description of the building, how it works, and how successful it has been. In addition, each case study includes architectural details, elevations, and floor plans…photos and illustrations…site plans…product sources and credits…key building parameters…charts for tracking climate and rainfall…and LEED scores and ratings.

Written by the experts at GreenSource Magazine, Emerald Architecture provides:

A one-stop source for green architectural data and design inspiration
24 in-depth case studies of sustainable structures
More than 200 beautiful photos and illustrations
Details, plans, charts, diagrams, and elevations
Key parameters, such as location, square footage, cost, carbon footprint, and energy use
Charts for tracking climate and rainfall to forecast energy needs
Source and product information to maximize research and planning

A vital tool for everyone who wants to capitalize on the latest advances in sustainable design and construction, Emerald Architecture presents an abundance of “hard” information on the planning, design, and methods for green structures.

The sustainability movement in architecture is gaining tremendous momentum every year, especially now that buildings can be rated with LEED and their operations tracked for effectiveness. However, the building industry is still in need of “hard” information about the planning, design, products, and methods for sustainable structures.

In order to help meet this crucial need, Emerald Architecture offers you a full-color collection of 24 in-depth case studies of green buildings that are as attractive as they are sustainable.

Using more than 200 beautiful photos and illustrations, this timely architectural guide presents design data and specifications from a wide variety of projects, including schools, offices, labs, libraries, multifamily housing, and government buildings.

For each of the cutting-edge projects included, Emerald Architecture provides a lucid description of the building itself…how it works…and an evaluation of how successful it has been.

Written by the experts at GreenSource Magazine, this invaluable design tool features the following information for each of the 24 case studies of successful sustainable structures and facilities:

Comprehensive architectural details, elevations, and floor and site plans
Numerous full-color photos and illustrations of the project
Carbon footprint and energy use
Accurate product sources and credits to aid in research and planning
Key parameters, such as location, square footage, and cost
Handy charts for tracking climate and rainfall to understand energy use
LEED scores and ratings

In addition, this all-in-one green resource contains a comprehensive introduction to concepts of sustainable design…time- and money-saving material on new building technology…the international aspects of sustainable design and construction…innovative new green products…and many forward-looking design ideas and techniques that are currently being used to enhance the beauty, viability, and management of sustainable structures and facilities.

An essential, skills-building reference, Emerald Ar

Kubal, Michael T. Construction Waterproofing Handbook eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

The Latest Waterproofing Techniques and Technology
Fully updated to include new techniques for mold remediation, Construction Waterproofing Handbook simplifies the critical task of keeping a building's envelope watertight. It begins with a tutorial on basic waterproofing concepts and materials, then moves on to the particulars of designing and installing systems in commercial, industrial, and residential structures.
Written by a renowned expert and popular author on the subject, this comprehensive guide provides key information on such matters as quality assurance, admixtures, expansion joints, testing, and safety. Because of recent natural disasters, clients are more concerned with waterproofing than ever. Construction Waterproofing Handbook provides everything you'll need to complete the most demanding projects with confidence and within budget.
Packed with hundreds of illustrations, Construction Waterproofing Handbook includes:
Innovative mold remediation techniques
New information about residential waterproofing
Illustrations of installation procedures
Detailed plans and specifications
SI units
Inside:
• Waterproofing Principles • Below-Grade Waterproofing • Above-Grade Waterproofing • Residential Waterproofing • Sealants • Expansion Joints • Admixtures • Remedial Waterproofing • Mold • The Building Envelope • Life Cycles • Envelope Testing • Leak Investigation and Detection • Safety • Guide Specifications • Resources

Bennett, Clayton Greening Your Home eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Choose Green Systems That ConserveResources While Matching Your Budget and Lifestyle

A vital conservation and money-saving tool, Greening Your Home provides helpful information that will help you select sustainable green options that match your specific needs for every system in your house. This “one-stop” guide provides the latest information on systems and materials that conserve resources for a cleaner, more energy-efficient home.
From the lively writing, with illustrations and examples, you will learn how to incorporate sustainability into your housein beautiful, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible ways. Both inspirational and practical, Greening Your Home features:
A wealth of green building and remodeling options for homeowners
Photographs and information on green products and systems and their advantages
Your Complete Guide to a Green, Energy-Efficient Home
Material Options: • Structural Insulated Panels • Low-VOC Paints • Replacement Windows • Green Certified Doors • Glass Block • Fly Ash Concrete • Bamboo and Cork Flooring • Plastic Plumbing Pipe • Red Cedar Siding • Recycled InsulationRecent Technology: • Power Consumption Monitors • Timers and Motion Sensors • Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures • On-demand Water Heaters • Radiant In-floor Heating • Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilators • Whole-house Fans • Spray Foam Insulation • Induction Cooktops • Horizontal Axis Washers/DryersGreen Practices: • Reducing Your Carbon Footprint • Green Power • Saving Money Twice • Community-Supported Agriculture • Growing Your Own Food • Composting Biodegradables • Using Graywater • Making Your Own Cleaning Products • Reusing Containers • Xeriscaping

Plant User Handbook: A Guide to Effetive Specifying (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Professional landscapers and all those involved in creating green spaces have long been in need of a book that is a guide to plant specification, but also makes sense of plants and their cultivation.

Plant User Handbook is for practitioners who are professionally engaged in the use of plants in public, commercial and institutional landscapes. Planting schemes are undertaken on the basis of a binding contract – generally between the client (who owns or leases the landscape) and the implementer (the landscape contractor), with the designer acting both as specifier and contract administrator. Within this contractual relationship, planting schemes must be implemented to an agreed timetable. To manage this procedure efficiently, landscape designers and managers need quick access to the factual and scientific background for practical planting design and its implementation through specification writing and contracts.

The book covers over 20 well defined topics, and is written by leading experts in the industry. It is arranged into five sections:

Preliminaries to plant use and the landscape
Managing plant growth on landscape sites
Establishment and management of trees
Establishment and management of smaller woody plants
Establishment and management of herbaceous plants

Carefully illustrated with diagrams, black and white photographs and colour plates, this handbook provides a unique resource for professionals wanting to improve their specification skills, as well as to explore creative approaches to design and practical implementation.

Urban Sprawl in Europe: Landscape, Land-Use Change and Policy (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Urban sprawl is one of the most important types of land-use changes currently affecting Europe. It increasingly creates major impacts on the environment (via surface sealing, emissions by transport and ecosystem fragmentation); on the social structure of an area (by segregation, lifestyle changes and neglecting urban centres); and on the economy (via distributed production, land prices, and issues of scale).

Urban Sprawl in Europe: landscapes, land-use change & policy explains the nature and dynamics of urban sprawl. The book is written in three parts. Part I considers contemporary definitions, theories and trends in European urban sprawl. In part II authors draw upon experiences from across Europe to consider urban sprawl from a number of perspectives:

Infrastructure-related sprawl, such as can be seen around Athens;
Sprawl in the post-socialist city, as typified by Warsaw, Leipzig and Ljubljana;
Decline and sprawl, where a comparative analysis of Liverpool and Leipzig shows that sprawl is not confined to expanding cities;
Sprawl based on the development of second homes as found in Sweden, Austria and elsewhere.

In part III a formal qualitative model of sprawl is developed. Policies for the control of urban sprawl and the roles of different stakeholders are considered. Finally, a concluding chapter raises questions about the nature and dynamics of these new urban landscapes and their sustainability.

Chappell, David Contractual Correspondence for Architects and Project Managers (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

This book provides over 160 model letters, with commentary for use with all the main JCT 2005 building contracts. It concentrates on problems which can arise during a project, and draws on the author’s extensive experience as a contracts consultant. It is a companion to the author’s Standard Letters in Architectural Practice which covers more routine matters.

The revised Fourth Edition takes account of:

the 2005 editions of the JCT Standard Building Contract, the Intermediate Building Contract and the Minor Works Building Contract, both with their contractor’s design versions, ICD and MWD

the 2004 updates of the Standard Form of Agreement for the Appointment of an Architect

changes to case law since the last edition was published in 1996

It will be an invaluable guide for architects, building surveyors and project managers.

Sawyer, Ann The Access Manual: Auditing and Managing Inclusive Built Environments (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Please make the most of what you find in this volume, but please don’t use it merely to achieve compliance. Use it to spark creativity, humanity and urbanity in the buildings and public spaces we all use every day, so nobody need feel “this place isn’t for me” and everyone feels welcome. Richard Simmonds, Chief Executive CABE
I welcome this guidance which should enable people to understand access requirements and to undertake access audits… The law is important but how much better if those organisations simply did it right in the first place so the law did not need to be used. This book should help do just that. Bert Massie, Chairman of Disability Right Commission UK

This manual covers the design, improvement, maintenance and management of accessible environments. It shows you how to provide and run buildings, services, and employment facilities to enable independent and convenient use by everyone.
The Access Manual was first published in November 2003 and has been used by architects and facilities managers needing to meet the requirements of new legislation in 2004. It was well received by design, management, access, and health professionals.
This is a fast moving area and there are now several additional pieces of legislation and guidance central to inclusive design and making buildings accessible to all.
This new edition follows the same structure and approach and updated the following areas of legislation:
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & 2005
• Building Regulations: approved document to Part M (2004)
• The Planning and Compulsory Purchases Act 2004
• British Standards: amendment and updating of BS8300
The authors have also updated the material on access auditing, providing additional examples and sample access audit reports and access statements can be found at www.blackwellpublishing.com/theaccessmanual.
With its comprehensive information on standards, legislation and good practice, the manual will make sure you can:
• be fully aware of the issues involved in accessibility
• understand your legal obligations and the guidance available
• commission access audits
• create and manage an access improvement programme
• maintain accessibility in buildings and working practices
From the reviews of the First Edition:

‘Both authors are well known for their work on access… between them they have produced a useful book that is helpful in the context of our current built environment and what steps can be taken to improve access.’ Barrierfree
'This is a well written and practical manual, recommended reading for building engineers concerned with the creation, planning and management of buildings.' Building Engineer
‘incredibly informative … will enable you to keep the edge over non-enlightened competitors’ Architectural Technology
'This is an excellent book' Access Journal

Bright, K. T., Di Giulio, Roberto Inclusive Buildings: Designing and Managing an Accessible Environmnent CD-ROM (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Recent legislation (the DDA - Disability Discrimination Act) together with Part M of the Building Regulations place an increasing onus on construction professionals to provide and maintain accessible environments. No longer is it acceptable to ignore access to the built environment.
This interactive CD presents a wealth of design information within hundreds of 'pages' containing text, diagrams, detailed floor plans and annotated photographs, all linked in a way to allow you to pass between sections, gathering data, advice and guidance as required.
It is designed to be explored; the more you look, the more you will find ...
There is extensive detail on user needs and many examples of good design solutions. A range of building categories are assessed (from health, education and commerce to leisure, transport and social) are assessed and broken down into functional elements (external areas, horizontal circulation, facilities, general services, etc).
The Inclusive Buildings CD is an essential desk tool for architects, surveyors, facility managers and all responsible for ensuring that buildings meet the provisions of the DDA. It will also be an indispensable study guide for access consultants and auditors and enable them to audit buildings for accessibility with confidence.
PC and Mac Compatible

Cook, Martin The Design Quality Manual: Improving Building Performance (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Everyone involved in a building project wants to achieve a better building but design quality means different things to clients, users, architects, cost consultants and contractors. Negotiating design priorities is an important part of the development process.
The Design Quality Manual helps give an objective evaluation of the qualitative aspects of design. Matrices with five defined levels of quality have been developed that cover the key areas of architecture, environmental engineering, user comfort conditions, whole-life costs, detail design and user satisfaction. These can be scored by a visual survey and professional judgement and then augmented by scientific measurement where possible (e.g. temperature, lighting and sound levels). The resultant scores allow comparisons in terms of overall and specific aspects of building performance and design quality.
The Manual covers schools, hospitals and housing and offers a set of criteria by which to judge a broad range of design values; it focuses the design team on the needs of the end user and on the overall building performance.

Cole, Ray, Lorch, Richard Buildings, Culture and Environment: Informing Local and Global Practices (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

With accelerating change towards globalisation, the efficacy of design solutions not embedded within regional culture has been prone to failure - technically, socially and economically. Environmental problems and questions surrounding how to achieve a sustainable built environment are now posing urgent challenges to built environment practitioners and researcher. However, international cooperation in setting targets and standards as well as an increasing exchange of environmental information and practices present designers, clients and occupants with new problems that comprise local needs and the built environment.

This book addresses the role regional culture play in the successful (or otherwise) process of exchanging and adapting environmental practices and standards in the built environment. Using the specific case of the design of environmentally sound buildings, the book identifies a number of issues from different perspectives:

The conflict between regionally appropriate environmental building practices within a global technical and economic context.

How human, social and cultural expectations limit technological advances and performance improvements.

To what extent information on environmentally progressive buildings can be transferred across cultures without compromising regional and local practices.

Which ideas travel successfully between regions – generic principles, specific ideas or specific solutions?
How the idea of regional identity is being redefined as the process of globalisation both widens and accelerates.

Architectures: Modernism and After (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Architectures: Modernism and After surveys the history of the building from the advent of industrialization to the cultural imperatives of the present moment.

Brings together international art and architectural historians to consider a range of topics that have influenced the shape, profile, and aesthetics of the built environment.
Presents crucial "moments" in the history of the field when the architecture of the past is made to respond to new and changing cultural circumstances.
Provides a view of architectural history as a part of a continuing dialogue between aesthetic criteria and social and cultural imperatives.
Part of the New Interventions in Art History Series, which is published in conjunction with the Association of Art Historians.

Smith, Carl, Clayden, Andy Residential Landscape Sustainability: A Checklist Tool (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

This valuable resource for developers and designers will help to develop design solutions sympathetic to the environment and improve the sustainability of residential landscapes.

The landscapes around housing have a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future with carbon-neutral homes. This book shows how to improve the sustainable profile of new residential developments through landscape planning, design and management – by conserving resources and minimising pollution, and by enhancing ecological diversity. This may be achieved without significant additional capital outlay.

The residential landscape sustainability checklist gives housing developers, landscape architects, architects and planners a tool with which to assess the environmental implication of their schemes throughout the design process – from site planning to detailed design.

The checklist focuses on residential housing developments but many features of the tool - including improving energy efficiency, materials selection, planting design and management - can also be applied to a wide range of different types of development, from school grounds to retail parks.

Anderson, Jane, Sinclair, Mike The Green Guide to Specification: An Environmental Profiling System for Building Materials and Components (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

How can you tell if the materials and components you are specifying have a low environmental impact? A full life-cycle assessment is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process; the environmental ratings summarised in this Guide provide a quick and easy way for designers and specifiers to assess their options.

The relative environmental performance of over 250 materials and components have been assessed in this guide, using carefully researched, quantitative data derived from the BRE Environmental Database. A wide range of alternative specifications are provided for:

· walls
· floor systems
· floor finishes
· roofs
· windows
· doors
· ceilings
· paints
· insulation
· landscaping.
The performance of each specification is measured against a range of environmental impacts including:
· climate change
· toxicity
· fossil fuel and ozone depletion
· levels of emissions and pollutants
· mineral and water extraction.
Environmental performance is indicated by a simple to use A-B-C rating system. To further aid specifiers, guidance on capital coasts, typical replacement intervals and information on recycling is also provided for each material and component.
An important part of BREEAM, the BRE's widely accepted scheme to improve the environmental performance of buildings, The Green Guide to Specification is an essential tool for architects, surveyors, building managers and property owners seeking to reduce the environmental impacts of building materials through informed choice.

Syms, Paul Land, Development and Design (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

This new textbook for students and practitioners of surveying and town planning, as well as other built environment professionals with an interest in the processes of property development, provides a modern view of site assembly, town planning policies and development risk, environment issues, masterplanning and design. The principal focus of the book is on the reuse of urban land, including treatment options, and regeneration of the built environment, whilst not ignoring greenfield development.

The book is divided into four parts:
(1) the development process and planning policies
(2) site assessment, risk analysis and remediation of contaminated land
(3) feasibility studies and financial appraisals
(4) design issues
‘Paul Syms has written to fill the gap [between developers and public planners], and is to be congratulated on doing so …. It will immediately and justifiably become a standard text for every student and professional who wants to understand the land development process and its outcomes.’ – Professor Sir Peter Hall, Director of the Institute of Community Studies

Morrissey, Jake Genius in the Design, The eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

The rivalry between the brilliant seventeenth-century Italian architects Gianlorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is the stuff of legend. Enormously talented and ambitious artists, they met as contemporaries in the building yards of St. Peter's in Rome, became the greatest architects of their era by designing some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and ended their lives as bitter enemies. Engrossing and impeccably researched, full of dramatic tension and breathtaking insight, The Genius in the Design is the remarkable tale of how two extraordinary visionaries schemed and maneuvered to get the better of each other and, in the process, created the spectacular Roman cityscape of today.

FATHI, SAUL SILAS FULL CIRLE: ESCAPE FROM BAGHDAD AND THE RETURN (Adobe Reader) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Friedman, Avi Sustainable Residential Development eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Capitalize on a Comprehensive New Process for Planningand Designing Sustainable Green Communities

Written by internationally renowned architect Avi Friedman, Sustainable Residential Development equips you with a much-needed process and examples for planning and designing green communities. This landmark resource explains the principles of green building and how to apply them to residential development, presenting guidelines for creating communities that balance social, economic, and environmental needs.
Filled with plans, elevations, and vignettes, the book shows how to incorporate wind direction, sun exposure, tree preservation, topography, and public spaces into site plan. It also shows how to design high-density neighborhoods…apply green design and construction principles by using local materials and techniques, solar power, waste management, and water efficiency…as well as rehabilitate neighborhoods while respecting their heritage. Sustainable Residential Development features:
Expert guidelines for planning and designing communities that balance social, economic, and environmental needs
A wealth of international and U.S. case studies and examples that illustrate the principles of sustainable community design
Over 100 downloadable plans and elevations that offer a head start for planning and designing sustainable communities

Inside this Green Planning and Design Guide:
• Defining and Applying Principles of Sustainability in Neighborhood Development • Learning Lessons from the Past: The Rise of Suburbia • Site Selection and Analysis • Strategies for High-Density Neighborhoods: The New Urbanism • Planning, Design, and Construction Principles for Sustainability • The Urban Renewal Process and Architectural Heritage • Balancing Environmental, Cultural, and Economic Needs: A Framework for Greener Neighborhoods

Fischer, Robert F. Optical System Design, Second Edition eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Learn advanced optical design techniques from the field's most respected guide
Honed for more than 20 years in an SPIE professional course taught by renowned optical systems designer Robert E. Fischer, Optical System Design, Second Edition brings you the latest cutting-edge design techniques and more than 400 detailed diagrams that clearly illustrate every major procedure in optical design.
This thoroughly updated resource helps you work better and faster with computer-aided optical design techniques, diffractive optics, and the latest applications, including digital imaging, telecommunications, and machine vision. No need for complex, unnecessary mathematical derivations-instead, you get hundreds of examples that break the techniques down into understandable steps. For twenty-first century optical design without the mystery, the authoritative Optical Systems Design, Second Edition features:
Computer-aided design use explained through sample problems
Case studies of third-millennium applications in digital imaging, sensors, lasers, machine vision, and more
New chapters on optomechanical design, systems analysis, and stray-light suppression
New chapter on polarization including lots of really useful information
New and expanded chapter on diffractive optics
Techniques for getting rid of geometrical aberrations
Testing, tolerancing, and manufacturing guidance
Intelligent use of aspheric surfaces in optical design
Pointers on using off-the-shelf optics
Basic optical principles and solutions for common and advanced design problems

Gevorkian, Peter Solar Power in Building Design eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

Design, Implement, and Audit the Most Energy-Efficient,Cost-Effective Solar Power Systems for Any Type of Building!

Solar Power in Building Design is a complete guide to designing, implementing, and auditing energy-efficient, cost-effective solar power systems for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. From basic theory through project planning, cost estimating, and manufacturing methods, this vital resource offers you everything needed for solar power design success.
Filled with case studies and illustrations, this state-of-the-art design tool covers new solar technologies…design implementation techniques…energy conservation…the economics of solar power systems…passive solar heating power…and more. Solar Power in Building Design features:
Step-by-step instructions for designing, implementing, and auditing solar power systems
Expert guidance on using solar power in any type of building-from basic theory through project planning, cost estimating, and manufacturing
Complete details on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), plus rebate procedures and forms
Inside This Cutting-Edge Solar Power Toolkit
• Solar power physics and technology • Practical guide to solar power design • Solar power design implementation • Energy conservation • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) • Sustainable energy rebate • Economics of solar power systems • Passive solar heating power

Petroski, Henry Pushing the Limits: New Adventures in Engineering (Mobipocket) eBook

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 59:07:01 GMT

In the ever increasing push for longer bridges, taller buildings, bigger stadiums, and grander projects of all kinds, engineers face new challenges that redefine our sense of both aesthetics and functionality. Pushing the Limits describes two dozen adventures in engineering that provide a fresh look at the past, a unique view of the present, and a telling glimpse into the future of the discipline and how it affects our lives.

Henry Petroski tells the stories of significant and daring enterprises—some familiar, some virtually unknown, and some that are still only dreams—in their historical and technological contexts. Among the achievements are Philadelphia’s landmark Benjamin Franklin Bridge, London’s incomparable Tower Bridge, and China’s ambitious Three Gorges Dam project. But pushing the limits of technology does not come without risk. Petroski also chronicles great technological disasters, such as the 1928 failure of California’s St. Francis Dam, the 1999 tragedy of the Texas A&M Bonfire, and the September 11, 2001, collapse of New York’s World Trade Center towers. He deals with other calamities as well, such as the 1994 earthquake that struck Southern California and the embarrassingly wobbly Millennium Bridge in London, which had to be shut down only three days after it opened.

The breadth and depth of Petroski’s erudition and his passionate interest in the art of design and in building have earned him the title of America’s poet laureate of technology, and his exploration of the complexity of what goes into design continues to stretch the imagination.

From the Hardcover edition.