Three hundred years ago, intellectuals of the European Enlightenment constructed a mythology of technology. Influenced by a confluence of humanism, colonialism, and racism, this mythology ignored local wisdom and indigenous innovation, deeming it primitive. Today, we have slowly come to realize that the legacy of this mythology is haunting us.

Designers understand the urgency of reducing humanity's negative environmental impact, yet perpetuate the same mythology of technology that relies on exploiting nature. Responding to climate change by building hard infrastructures and favoring high-tech homogenous design, we are ignoring millennia-old knowledge of how to live in symbiosis with nature. Without implementing soft systems that use biodiversity as a building block, designs remain inherently unsustainable.

Lo--TEK, derived from Traditional Ecological Knowledge, is a cumulative body of multigenerational knowledge, practices, and beliefs, countering the idea that indigenous innovation is primitive and exists isolated from technology. It is sophisticated and designed to sustainably work with complex ecosystems.

With a foreword by anthropologist Wade Davis and four chapters spanning Mountains, Forests, Deserts, and Wetlands, Julia Watson explores thousands of years of human wisdom and ingenuity from 18 countries including Peru, the Philippines, Tanzania, Kenya, Iran, Iraq, India, and Indonesia. We rediscover an ancient mythology in a contemporary context, radicalizing the spirit of human nature.

The tactile reading experience of Lo--TEK reflects the ingenuity of carefully selected projects with sophisticated design details: copper highlights the value of ancient knowledge, a cardboard hardcover echoes rawness, and the Swiss binding showcases an open spine and reveals the construction of the book, just as the book discloses hidden technological knowledge.

Picture a beautiful, green neighborhood where most of your needs could be met by walking, rolling, or accessing transit. There is a diversity of housing types with abundant affordable and middle-income options. Schools, services, and pedestrianized streets make the neighborhood family friendly. As cities turn brownfields into green fields and look to maximize public investment in transit and infrastructure, ecodistricts are the answer. Eliason shows that this type of affordable, climate-adaptive living option is possible anywhere.

In Building for People, architect and ecodistrict planner Michael Eliason makes the case for low-carbon ecodistricts and presents tools for developing these residential and mixed-use quarters or neighborhoods. Drawing from his experience working in Europe and North America, he shows the potential for new climate-adaptive ecodistricts that directly and equitably address our housing shortages while simultaneously planning for climate change. Eliason explains that to create highly livable places with a low carbon impact, ecodistricts must incorporate ample social housing for a good economic and social mix of residents, invest in open space, create infrastructure that can adapt to a changing climate, and offer car-free or car-light realms. He also looks at how public health, livability, climate adaptation, and quality of life are interconnected.

Full-color photos and illustrations show what is possible in ecodistricts around the world, drawing heavily from examples in German cities.

Building for People shows professionals involved in regulating, planning, or designing our communities that high-quality, low-carbon living is within reach.

From simple stone walls to elaborate homes and studios, this is the ideal book for any DIY builder interested in working with stone.

Thanks to its utility and cost-effectiveness, stone is an ideal construction resource for the astute owner-builder. Cheap and readily available, rock can be gathered from streambeds, abandoned quarries, and open fields with relative ease. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a natural landscape devoid of building stone. In this book, beloved home-building expert Ken Kern teams up with fellow stone masons Steve Magers and Lou Penfield to present the ultimate guide to DIY stone masonry.

The Owner-Builder's Guide to Stone Masonry is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of building with stone. Everything from detailed information on sourcing, sorting, and selecting stones, to the various methods of building with stone. There are even chapters on building fireplaces, steps, floors, and arches.

Readers interested in related titles from Ken Kern will also want to see: The Owner-Built Home (ISBN: 1626545464), Owner Built Homestead (Emblem Editions) (ISBN: 1626545448), The Owner-Built Home (ISBN: 1626545464), Owner Built Homestead (Emblem Editions) (ISBN: 1626545448).

Take a greener approach to building with this informative, easy-to-follow handbook--more than 200,000 copies sold internationally!

Whether you're a DIY builder or simply want to understand construction to better communicate with your contractor, Johan van Lengen can help. As a former United Nations worker and prominent architect, Johan has seen, firsthand, the need for a green approach to housing. This comprehensive book clearly explains every aspect of this endeavor, including design, materials, and implementation.

Discover the many options and important decisions you can make--such as siting and climate considerations--that are inexpensive, sustainable, and could save you thousands of dollars while helping the environment. Included are sections about urban planning, small-scale energy production, cleaning and storing drinking water, dealing with septic waste, and more. Plus, all the information is applied to three distinct regions: humid areas, temperate areas, and desert climates. Hundreds of instructional drawings allow even novice builders to get started with ease.

Inside you'll find:

• Bio-architecture, basic design, and site planning for humid and dry climates


• Material tips about adobe, rammed earth, bamboo, plaster, wood, concrete, and ferro-cement


• Information on foundations, roofs, floors, walls, doors, windows, and eco-techniques


• Introductions to solar heating, water-powered electricity, water purification, composting toilets, and more

The Barefoot Architect is a perfect book for these times of increased worldwide concern for the environment and for those who desire to build eco-conscious dwellings by utilizing natural resources.

Architect Jeanne Gang explores how the horticultural practice of grafting can inspire a fresh paradigm for sustainable design.

Jeanne Gang, one of America's most distinguished contemporary architects, proposes applying the plant cultivation technique of grafting to architecture and urban design as a way of rethinking adaptive reuse and combatting climate change. Grafting is the process of connecting two separate living plants--one old and one new--so they can grow and thrive as one. This ancient practice continues to be performed today in search of more fruitful, palatable, and resilient varieties of plants.

Grafting is also a useful paradigm for how architecture can address climate change on a broadly impactful scale by reusing and expanding older structures. Addressing both the environmental and cultural value of reuse, Gang shows how the concept of grafting can inform architecture across many scales, provoking the imagination and shaping tectonic, programmatic, formal, and regenerative adaptations.

Imagine waking up to the gentle noises of the city, and moving through your day with complete confidence that you will get where you need to go quickly and efficiently. Soft City is about ease and comfort, where density has a human dimension, adapting to our ever-changing needs, nurturing relationships, and accommodating the pleasures of everyday life. How do we move from the current reality in most cites--separated uses and lengthy commutes in single-occupancy vehicles that drain human, environmental, and community resources--to support a soft city approach?

In Soft City David Sim, partner and creative director at Gehl, shows how this is possible, presenting ideas and graphic examples from around the globe. He draws from his vast design experience to make a case for a dense and diverse built environment at a human scale, which he presents through a series of observations of older and newer places, and a range of simple built phenomena, some traditional and some totally new inventions.

Sim shows that increasing density is not enough. The soft city must consider the organization and layout of the built environment for more fluid movement and comfort, a diversity of building types, and thoughtful design to ensure a sustainable urban environment and society.

Soft City begins with the big ideas of happiness and quality of life, and then shows how they are tied to the way we live. The heart of the book is highly visual and shows the building blocks for neighborhoods: building types and their organization and orientation; how we can get along as we get around a city; and living with the weather. As every citizen deals with the reality of a changing climate, Soft City explores how the built environment can adapt and respond.

Soft City offers inspiration, ideas, and guidance for anyone interested in city building. Sim shows how to make any city more efficient, more livable, and better connected to the environment.

Natural swimming pools are the biggest news for gardeners since green roofs. The water is cleaned by aquatic plants instead of chlorine so it is gentle on the eyes and healthy for swimmers. These self-cleaning ecosystems are beautiful to look at and provide a valuable water source for dragonflies, honeybees and other beneficial insects. Wolfram Kircher has researched extensively into the low-nutrientdependent plants that are needed for the surrounds of natural swimming pools and the high-nutrient dependent plants that are required for the regeneration zone. In the book he demonstrates how to maintain the nutrient level in perfect balance to keep down the algae down and water sparkling. The authors have installed pools for decades and trialled different systems and plants to come up with the best possible designs.

A seductive, stylish, compelling, and authoritative assembly of vanguard small-scale houses that tread very lightly in nature, leading the way for architects, homeowners, and dreamers to rethink ways we can live, reside, and flourish.

Architects have sought more and more to integrate residences into their settings minimally disturbing nature, with houses that float on the water or up in the trees. This book reveals 51 designs that bring their residences into nature, even allowing the natural setting to enter the very walls, with priority given to sustainability and carbon footprint. Each of the book's homes is carefully chosen for its innovative and seductive design, approachable scale, and stunning location, whether cocooned within the earth itself or soaring high amongst the treetops, surrounded by cooling waters, or resisting the desert heat.

Considerations of energy consumption can dictate a green roof in some cases, while blending ever more fully into the environment gives the satisfaction of not existing in contradiction with the world, a kind of escape to the original garden, or more precisely, a return to fundamental, incontrovertible values.

The book's collection spans the globe--from a remote bay on Bruny Island (Tasmania) to an isolated beach in Nicaragua or cabin perched above a fjord in Norway. Today's architectural vanguard is represented, as well as established firms working at the forefront of twenty-first-century design, such as Tom Kundig of the Seattle practice Olson Kundig and Sn hetta from Oslo. With a wealth of photographs showcasing each house inside and out, plus plans, Houses Natural/Natural Houses offers inspiration--and tranquility.

-Second Edition includes digital resources.

PASS THE LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE EXAM WITH FLYING COLORS

The LEED Green Associate V4 Exam Complete Study Guide aims to provide deep insight into the principles of green building; and helps the reader to learn, rather than to memorize the essential information for the exam. Thus, this approach equips candidates to successfully pass the LEED Green Associate exam with flying colors in order to actively apply green building and LEED principles in real life. It does not matter how much time passes after taking the exam, as learning the real reasons behind the green building and LEED principles through observation will help to consolidate this information concisely.

This book is the only resource a candidate needs in order to successfully pass the exam. As LEED v4 is quite different in comparison to the former versions, the book was entirely re-written; thus, it was not updated from a previous edition. All of the chapters contain guidance on the aspects that require extensive attention, while the book points out the finer details to focus on for the exam purposes.

Even though the LEED Green Associate exams are sometimes referred to as conceptual exams, in reality the exam goes well beyond that. Without diving into the LEED prerequisites and credits, a candidate cannot ever guarantee passing the test; as a result, the book covers the core concepts of each LEED credit category, and then evaluates the LEED prerequisites and credits to demonstrate how those green building concepts turn into real projects with LEED requirements.

• Pass the LEED Green Associate exam with flying colors
• Thoroughly understand and apply the green building principles for life, and retain all the information you have learned
• Apply the green building and LEED principles in real life
• Know all the important things to consider during the exam beforehand

The book is also recommended for students, professionals, and anyone who has not chosen to take an LEED professional exam, but nonetheless retains a strong interest in LEED and green buildings.

This book documents the intersection of architecture and design with ecology, environmental history, policy, governance and law from the 19th century to today. It presents conflicting definitions and concepts of architects and designers and the parallel histories of their intellectual positions toward environmental throughout time.

There have been many accounts on the history of ecology and others on the migration of ecological thought to design and architecture practice. Yet, the work of a focused and expanded history of ecological design is much needed. This book presents conflicting definitions and concepts of architects and designers and the parallel histories of their intellectual positions toward environmental thought from the 19th century to today.
To survey the formation of this field, the history of ecological design will be not be exclusively examined chronologically, but also in connected worldviews, each rendering evolving perceptions of nature, its relation to culture, and the occupation of the natural world by human and non-human subjects.

This book is about climate and architecture. Written by the Swiss architect Philippe Rahm, it is at the same time a monograph on the architectural, urbanistic and landscape work of the office Philippe Rahm architectes, a manifesto for a climatic architecture to face global warming, and a theoretical and practical treatise on the art of building atmospheres.

Architecture and urbanism were traditionally based on climate and health, as we can read in treatises of Vitruvius, Palladio or Alberti, where exposure to wind and sun, variations in temperature and humidity influenced the forms of cities and buildings. These fundamental causes of urban planning and buildings were ignored in the second half of the 20th century thanks to the enormous use of fossil energy by heating and air conditioning systems, pumps and refrigerators, that today cause the greenhouse effect and global warming.

The fight against climate change forces the architects and urban designer to take back seriously the climatic issue in order to base their design on more consideration to the local climatic context and energy resources. Faced with the climatic challenge of the 21st century, we propose to reset our discipline on its intrinsic atmospheric qualities, where air, light, heat or humidity are recognized are real materials of building, convection, thermal conduction, evaporation, emissivity, or effusivity are becoming design tools for composing architecture and cities, and through materialism dialectic, are able to revolutionize esthetic and social values.

The ability to imagine different possible futures and the will to influence the course of events are deeply human. These ideas about the future can also determine which of the many possible futures will become reality. Designing futures therefore means that by creating and communicating potential scenarios, you can shape the futures of your fellow human beings and influence the course of events.

Design is becoming more strategic as a discipline, moving away from 'making things beautiful' to 'thinking creatively'. This book provides designers with the methods and tools they need to develop discussable and tangible scenarios. It also outlines ways for creative people, activists and decision-makers in politics, science and the wider society to imagine more desirable futures.

- With over 500 illustrations.
- Case studies from across the world.
- Foreword by Riel Miller, senior fellow at the École des Ponts Business School, the University of Stavanger and the University of New Brunswick.

Hacking the Earthship: In Search of an Earth-Shelter that Works for EveryBody is a collection of academic and in-the-field research on Earthships combined with practical advice for designing and financing a truly sustainable earth-sheltered home. Rachel Preston Prinz and contributing authors discuss the history, research, design issues, and evolution of Earthships, drawing on the knowledge of thousands of builders, craftsmen, and designers who have mastered the art of earth sheltering. Then, they walk readers step by step through design, offering a wealth of resources that can inspire, inform, and educate. Within, readers will find the tools needed to understand their place's culture, architecture, and climate... and the ideal building methods for their climate, personality, values, and budget. THE NEW GENERATION OF EARTHSHIP ENTHUSIASTS: - Does not want to cart questionable building materials long distances and call it green. - Wants to build locally and naturally... and they want to build it themselves. - Wants their buildings to be cool in summer, warm in winter, the humidity to be predictable and regular; and they want to minimize pests and allergens. - Wants to be able to get a permit and insurance, and resell their homes if they want to; or pass them on if they can. - They want a smaller home that is just right... for their budget, time, ability, energy use, and maintenance. - They want to make their home easy to manage, maintain, and get around in, even if they are in a walker or wheelchair. - They want their home to feel like it is made from and relating to the earth: in views, in light, in fresh air, in the ability to grow food, and in a beautiful landscape that supports the home. Finding the balance between all these desires is a delicate and lengthy process of discernment, study, and goal-setting. That is what this book aims to help you do. Chapter 1 THE EARTHSHIP REALITY PROJECT discusses the issues and resolutions of the design. Chapter 2 THE SCIENCE: ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND TIRE OFF-GASSING reviews academic and scientific research. Chapter 3 A WAY FORWARD discusses financing and insurance, minimizing waste, managing the build, visioning, and Code requirements. Chapter 4 THE BUILDING'S CONTEXT AND SITE addresses the site and landscape. Chapter 5 DESIGNING FOR THERMAL COMFORT addresses natural, mechanical, and design options for improving thermal performance. Topics covered include passive solar design; thermal mass versus insulation; earth-coupling versus earth-sheltering; thermal and moisture protection; and natural ventilation. Chapter 6 THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM addresses the ways we can form the building's structure. Chapter 7 THE ENCLOSURE SYSTEM outlines the construction of the building's envelope or skin. We discuss traditional earthship building blocks like tire, glass, and can walls, as well as alternative systems like adobe, cob, rammed earth, earthbags, wood block concrete forms, timber frame, log, cordwood, and strawbale buildings. We also cover various roofing options as well as doors and windows. Chapter 8 ROOMS, SPACES, COLORS, & TEXTURES discusses how we can create a home we love. Chapter 9 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS outlines basic mechanical, electrical, and plumbing considerations, especially on-grid systems since those are what make an Earthship most affordable. Chapter 10 IMBUING SPACE WITH SPIRIT addresses psychological and spiritual aspects of design. Chapter 11 CONCLUSION: A NEW SET OF EARTH-SHELTER BUILDING CRITERIA Chapter 12 OVERWHELMED? NEED HELP? discusses some helpful tips if you hire an architect or residential designer . The APPENDICES offer resources and worksheets. Contributors include: Debra Bailey, Carrie Christopher, Michael Curry, Richard Flatau, Sigi Koko, Shannon Colvin Matteson, Chiara Riccardi, Maggie Schlarb, Steve Scott, Craig Schreiber, Asha Stout, & Pratik Zaveri

In the search for the sweet spot where nature and modern-day living meet, The House of Green delivers solutions for a perfect blend of both worlds.

Longing for nature is no strange feeling for anyone. We dream about forests and waterfalls whenever we need a minute to breathe and relax. But what if the calming lushness were a part of our daily life and work?

The House of Green is a collection of the most stunning architecture and interiors incorporating nature in their designs, that explores the benefits of this approach to homes, workplaces, and more. Whether you are a design lover looking to revamp your home or a designer searching for new professional solutions, we invite you to dive in and fully experience The House of Green through the immersive visual pages inside.

If you were asked to close your eyes and envision where you are happiest, would you picture somewhere inside a building? North Americans are inside buildings for more than 90% of the day. Meanwhile, the indoors are stifling us, sometimes even killing us. Buildings, and the materials that make them up, expose us to materials linked to negative health impacts. The construction and operation of buildings is responsible for 40% of climate-changing carbon emissions.

In the US, the design choices made by the typical architecture firm employee each year can reduce emissions by about 300 times that of an average American. But the promise of sustainable architecture will not be realized if sustainability remains a secondary consideration for architects. What if great design were defined by its ability to cool the planet, heal communities, enhance ecological functioning, and advance justice?

In People, Planet, Design, architect Corey Squire builds the case, provides the data, and lays out the practical tools for a transformative human-centered architecture. This approach integrates beauty and delight with an awareness of how every design choice impacts the community, the planet, and the people who will use the building. Outcome-focused with a deep dive into practical design strategies, the book showcases ten building systems that embody design excellence.

Squire centers the idea that by focusing on the desired outcomes--that buildings shelter us from the elements without disconnecting us from the world, that buildings provide the quality of air, light, and views we now know to be essential to health, productivity, and joy--we can move beyond the checklist mentality that has captured much of the design community.

Essential reading for architects who want to transform what the profession means, People, Planet, Design pioneers a new vision and sets readers up with clear guidance on implementing it. Only when design prioritizes people, as it should, can architecture realize its full potential.

Meet the DIY builders of the Pacific Coast, whose homes are practical, imaginative, and environmentally friendly.

If you're fascinated by homes and architecture or if you're seeking inspiration for your own DIY building project, then you have something in common with Lloyd Kahn. In 2004, he discovered a group of unique carpenters along the Pacific Coast of North America. Over a two-year period, he made multiple trips up the coast, shooting photographs and interviewing builders. The result of his efforts was Builders of the Pacific Coast, a spotlight on nearly 50 amazing builders and structures between San Francisco, California, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Every featured building is rich in culture, innovative design, and artistic creativity.

Three builders in particular are prominently featured: Lloyd House, master craftsman and designer, who created a series of unique homes on a small island; Bruno Atkey, builder of numerous houses and lodges made from hand-split cedar; and SunRay Kelley, barefoot builder tuned into nature, who designed and built wildly imaginative structures. In addition, you'll see working homesteads, sculptural buildings of driftwood, homes that are beautiful and practical, live-aboard boats, caravans, and examples of stunning architectural design--all in an incomparable full-color book with coffee-table appeal.

Inside you'll find:

• images of builders and their creations along the Pacific Coast of North America


• Stunning designs and innovative structures


• Fine craftsmanship with local materials


• Form plus function

A continuation of Lloyd's journeys into the creative processes of owner-built homes, this book explores unique techniques, use of sustainable materials, and essential dedication to natural elements. With more than 1,000 stunning photographs, as well as detailed drawings of the homes, this collection creates a template for a future filled with forward-thinking architecture.

As unprecedented heat waves, storms of the century, and devastating fires impact cities across the country, the time to create climate resilient communities is now. While large-scale innovations in policy and technology are necessary to preserve the planet, the wisest and most lasting adaptation solutions originate at the local level. However, with something as large as the climate crisis, it can be hard to know where to begin.

Climate Action for Busy People is a hopeful and realistic roadmap for individuals and groups who want to boost climate preparedness and move the needle towards environmental justice. Drawing from her professional and personal success in climate adaptation and community organizing, Cate Mingoya-LaFortune begins with a brief history of why our communities look the way they do (spoiler, it's not an accident!) and how that affects how vulnerable we are to climate risks. Each chapter will help readers scale up their actions, from identifying climate solutions that an individual or small group can pull off in a handful of weekends, like tree plantings or depaving parties, to advocating for change at the municipal level through coalition-building and data collection. It's not too late for people of all ages and skill levels to create climate safe neighborhoods.

Climate Action for Busy People is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to make lasting and equitable improvements that will make their communities climate resilient.

In recent decades, there has been a growing awareness of environmental issues in society as a whole, mainly due to the increasingly serious consequences of climate change and the progressive degradation of the natural environment caused by human activity. Within this trend, the so-called Green Architecture stands as one of the main tools to promote a change of course that helps to ensure the sustainability of the planet and the preservation of its natural heritage.

Setting the standard for modern cob construction - from design, engineering, and building code compliance, to sculpting beautiful structures

Cob - a mix of clay, sand, and straw - is one of the most popular and well-known natural building methods. Yet cob is often difficult to permit and can be used in inappropriate ways due to a lack of sound engineering and design information. Recent research and a newly developed building code promise to make cob building more accessible than ever.

Essential Cob Construction sets the new standard for cob construction. Incorporating rigorous, up-to-date engineering and building science and decades of practical lessons learned, coverage includes:

• Appropriate use of cob in different climates and contexts
• Thermal performance and moisture management
• Structural and architectural design considerations, including fire and earthquake resistance data from extensive laboratory testing
• Hands-on cob construction, including mix design, testing, manual and mechanical mixing, wall building, strong connections with foundations, roofs, and other structural elements, and finishing options
• Building code development and the permitting process for cob
• Planning, budgeting, and quality control
• The complete Cob Construction Appendix of the International Residential Code.

Essential Cob Construction is required reading for engineers, architects, designers, contractors, and owner-builders working with this ancient, aesthetically pleasing, low-carbon building material.

PASS THE LEED AP BD+C EXAM WITH FLYING COLORS

The LEED AP BD+C V4 Exam Complete Study Guide aims to provide deep insight into the LEED requirements and the certification process and helps the reader to learn, rather than to memorize, all the essential information for the exam. This approach equips candidates to successfully pass the LEED AP BD+C exam with flying colors in order to actively apply the LEED requirements in real-life projects.

This book is designed to be the only resource a candidate would need to successfully pass the exam. Even though the scope of the LEED AP BD+C exam includes heavy technical terms and principles that may seem confusing at first, the book enables the reader to fully grasp the information by simply demonstrating it. As a result, the need for further research and struggle on the same topic is avoided, and the candidate will be equipped with solid knowledge to coordinate LEED projects in real life.

As LEED v4 is quite different from former versions, the book is entirely written for LEED v4 and is not updated from a previous edition. All of the chapters contain strong guidance on the aspects that require extensive attention while the book points out the finer details to focus on for exam purposes. The case studies throughout the book demonstrate the real-life application of LEED requirements, and the Key Things to Remember sections at the end of each prerequisite/credit point out those elements that may seem not so important but may be encountered as questions on the exam. With the completion of the book, the reader can use the summary sheets to reinforce knowledge and ensure solid exam preparation.

• Pass the LEED AP BD+C exam with flying colors

• Thoroughly understand and apply the LEED requirements

• Avoid the need for researching and struggling on the same topics

• Know all the important things to consider during the exam beforehand

The book is also recommended for students, professionals, and anyone who has not chosen to take an LEED professional exam, but nonetheless retains a strong interest in LEED and green buildings.