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Reading list

The following titles relate to green construction and sustainable development, and are available to buy from RIBA Bookshops.

Environmental Construction Handbook

Environmental Construction Handbook is an illustrated analysis of the various specific sustainability challenges presented by different building types. Based on rigorous research, it examines the consequences of contemporary construction methods and the ways in which their environmental impacts can be improved.

A thought-provoking introductory chapter that makes sense of the plethora of benchmarks and environmental assessment methods serves as essential background reading, while the subsequent chapters, which concentrate on discrete building types, are designed to be dipped into as needed. The types considered – houses, housing, offices, schools, supermarkets, and factories – are all described using consistent, objective measures. The book is illustrated throughout with case studies contributed by some of the UK's leading exponents of environmentally conscious design, each accompanied by an ECOpoints summary to allow comparison. Comprehensive in its coverage, it makes extensive use of information panels that highlight particular issues, systems or technologies.

Overall, Environmental Construction Handbook is an important, authoritative compendium designed to help architects and other building construction professionals to deliver more sustainable buildings.

 

Feilden Clegg Bradley: The Environmental Handbook

This is the first monograph on one of the leading architectural practices in Britain - named as Architectural Practice of the Year 2004 by Building Design magazine - documenting their buildings and presenting in easily digestible form their unrivalled expertise in sustainable design. Feilden Clegg Bradley's work covers a wide range of building types, from student housing to auditoria and from offices to schools, and includes such well-known projects as the Greenpeace headquarters and new offices for the National Trust.

The buildings and projects are documented by drawings, photos and essays by critics, plus commentaries by Peter Clegg, Keith Bradley and the late Richard Feilden. The final section of the book, the Environmental Primer, gives hands-on guidance to detailed aspects of sustainable design, including lighting, ventilation, heating and materials. This book is the third in Right Angle's series on leading British architects of today, initiated by Dixon Jones. This was described by the Architect's Journal as 'a beautifully crafted example of how to present architecture in print; its presentation is exemplary.

 

Great Bow Yard Anatomy of Eco-Build

Great Bow Yard is an unusual development of 12 homes in Langport, Somerset. The developers, Ecos Homes Limited, set out to build to the highest environmental standards whilst still making a profit. The result is a successful and award-winning housing scheme which sets a new standard in private development. This frank and comprehensive account of the building of Great Bow Yard is intended to share the lessons with builders, developers, local authorities, planners and those involved at any stage in the building process. If the building industry is to play its part in reducing carbon emissions it is vital that new housing is built to exceed the timid environmental standards existing in law. Great Bow Yard proves that environmentally sustainable development is not only theoretically possible but also practically achievable.

 

Sustainable Construction

Sustainability occurs when a society can meet the needs of people today without compromising its ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. In a sustainable society economic, social and environmental concerns are adequately addressed, in a way that does not ignore the interconnected, systemic and global nature of these concerns. For building and construction, this means delivering buildings and communities with lower environmental impacts while enhancing health, productivity, community and quality of life. This suggests that sustainability is not limited to impacts on the natural environment, but on people and the community.

This groundbreaking book will help all building design and cost professionals to understand sustainable design and will provide the technical skills needed to implement the most up-to-date concepts. Based on a hugely successful series of workshops for professionals in construction, the book takes best practice in each area and sets out how to apply the lessons learnt to your project. From the basics of materials selection through building services and ventilation strategies to guidance on post-occupancy evaluation and benchmarking performance, Sustainable Construction is a master-class in practical, sustainable design encompassing cost, environmental and social issues. It features best practice solutions, case studies and practical advice on implementation of sustainable construction techniques. It is prepared by industry experts for their peers.

 

Green Building Magazine Winter 2007

The latest issue of this bright, futuristic construction magazine has a big feature on floors and the various factors involved in building them. Structural stability, aesthetics, heat loss, comfort, materials, renovating old floors, underfloor heating, waste - all are dealt with in a comprehensive section. Also in the magazine are pieces on the forest school initiative, Flimwell Woodland Enterprise Centre, millennium communities, the concept of carbon neutral and more. Adding matter-of-fact meat to the grail of green, this periodical is not to be missed.

 

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