Green Building Handbook: Volume 1: A Guide to Building Products and their Impact on the Environment

Author(s): T. Woolley

Publisher: E & Fn Spon

Paperback: 224 pages

ISBN: 0419226907

ISBN-13: 978-0419226901

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Environmentally responsible building involves resolving many conflicting issues and requirements. Each stage in the design process from the fundamental decisions about what, where and even whether to build has implications for the environment.
Evolving out of the success of Green Building Digest, a publication described by Building Design as well-researched, authoritative and exhaustive, this practical new handbook considers the environmental issues which relate to the production, use and disposal of key building products and materials. It is designed to help specifiers and purchasers gain awareness of the potential environmental impact of their decisions.
Chapter by chapter Green Building Handbook looks at a different sector of the trade from flooring to roofing, comparing the environmental effects of commonly available products with less well known green alternatives. A Best Buy section then ranks these products from lowest to highest impact.

Heating, Cooling, Lighting : Design Methods for Architects

Author(s): Norbet M. Lechner

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

ISBN: 0471628875

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Heating, Cooling, Lighting : Design Methods for Architects

Paperback, 544 pages
Publication date: January 1991

The publisher, John Wiley & Sons:
Using a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach, presents detailed information based on concepts, rules, guidelines, intuition, and experience for architects in the areas of heating, cooling, and lighting at the schematic design stage. The data explored supports a three-tiered approach–load avoidance, using natural energy sources, and mechanical equipment. Among the topics covered are shading, thermal envelope, passive heating and cooling, electric lighting, and HVAC. Case studies illustrate how certain buildings use techniques at all three tiers for heating, cooling, and lighting. An appendix lists some of the more appropriate computer programs available to the architect for analysis at the schematic design stage.

Table of Contents

Heating, Cooling, and Lighting as Form-Givers in Architecture
Basic Principles
Thermal Comfort
Climate
Solar Radiation
Passive Solar
Shading
Passive Cooling
Site and Community Planning
Lighting
Electric Lighting
Daylighting
Energy Efficiency: Keeping Warm and Staying Cool
Mechanical Equipment for Heating and Cooling
Case Studies
Energy Sources
Appendices
Bibliography
Recommended General Sources
Index.

Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies, 2nd Edition

Author(s): G. Z. Brown and Mark DeKay

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (October 24, 2000)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0471348775

ISBN-13: 978-0471348771

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Shaped to the broad conceptual needs of the designer at the schematic design stage, this book presents the methods necessary for the efficient interplay of nature — sun, wind and light–and architectural forms–building groups, buildings and building parts — when designing buildings. The material helps architectural designers understand the energy consequences of their most basic design decisions and how to use energy issues as inspiration rather than as limits to be accomodated.

Sun, Wind and Light was developed for rapid use during schematic design. It clarifies the relationship between form and energy and gives designers valuable tools for sustainable design. It also:

* Applies the latest passive energy and lighting design research.
* Organizes information by architectural elements at three scales: building groups, individual buildings and building parts.
* Brings design strategies to life with examples and practical design tools.

Sun, Wind and Light features 109 analysis techniques and design strategies. Metric and inch-pound units are used.

The overall organization — from analysis techniques, design strategies, to strategies for supplementing passive systems — allows the designer to make sure, swift progress from the articulation of a strategy to its well-conceived rendering on paper. G.Z. Brown is a registered architect and professor of architecture at the University of Oregon. Mark DeKay is a registered architect, assistant professor of architecture at Washington University and a 2000 Fulbright Fellow to India. Illustrations by Virginia Cartwright, Mark DeKay, Chi-Wen Hung, Pallavi Kalia, Arjun Mande.

382-page book, 750 illustrations, charts and tables, 2001

Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home

Author: Alex Wilson

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: New Society Publishers (June 1, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0865715556

ISBN-13: 978-0865715554

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More and more homeowners today want houses that are healthy to live in and cause minimal damage to the environment. That’s what green building is all about.

Your Green Home is written for homeowners planning a new home—whether you are working with an architect or builder, or serving as your own general contractor. Intended to improve the overall environmental performance of new houses being built, the book sets out to answer some of the big-picture questions relating to having a home designed and built—and getting what you want.

Your Green Home covers:

• Home location and its relationship to the community
• Site design
• Construction systems
• Building design to optimize energy performance
• Renewable energy systems
• Material selection
• Indoor environmental quality
• Water efficiency
• Material selection

Written by the founder of BuildingGreen—North America’s premier green building authority—this book will prove useful not only to future homeowners, but also to designers and builders seeking to meet this demand. Building professionals well-versed in green building may find this a useful book to give to potential clients to convey the scope and principles of green building.

Alex Wilson is president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and executive editor of Environmental Building News, the oldest and most respected publication serving North America’s green building industry. A green building expert since the 1970s, he has authored countless articles on the topic and several books, including Green Building Products, the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, and Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate.

The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook

Author(s): Michael J. Crosbie (Editor)

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Hardcover: 291 pages

ISBN: 0471183083

ISBN-13: 978-0471183082

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Publication date: October 1997

The only complete guide to passive solar design and construction

The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook is an unbeatable guide for architects and building contractors who want to satisfy the growing demand for passive solar residential design. A complete revision of the bible of passive solar design originally published by the U.S. Department of Energy, this is the only comprehensive guide to adapting standard building practices to current passive solar applications. It supplies detailed, step-by-step information on all practical aspects of passive solar design and construction and fills you in on all the latest advances in materials and building techniques–including the most recent findings on material and assembly performance. You’ll also find the latest techniques for computer simulation and energy analysis.

This timely and informative book:
* Reviews passive solar design principles
* Discusses the unique design opportunities inherent in passive solar homes
* Describes the various solar home types
* Introduces the principles of “whole-house” design
* Includes more than 300 illustrations, complete construction details and notes, and dozens of helpful case studies
* Explores important regional issues, such as termite shields, pressure treating wood, attic ventilation, and special structural requirements in seismic areas.

For building contractors, architects, and anyone interested in state-of-the-art passive solar construction, The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook saves hours of research and provides the complete, authoritative, up-to-date information that professionals need to take on a challenging job with confidence.

From the Publisher

The bible of passive solar design has been completely revised and updated. Extensive use of detailed drawings and case studies provide design and construction specifics. Includes updated information on material and assembly performance and computer simulation and analysis, plus the latest advances in materials and techniques.

Table of Contents
Passive Solar Fundamentals
Direct Gain
Thermal Storage Wall
Attached Sunspace
Convective Loop
Materials
Glossary
Bibliography
Index.

Roof Gardens: History, Design, and Construction

Author(s): Theodore Osmundson

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (November 1997)

Hardcover: 320 pages

ISBN: 0393730123

ISBN-13: 978-0393730128

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Sometimes called “green roofs” by promoters of sustainable architecture, roof gardens have stimulated much discussion among architects and urban planners. A great many roof gardens, from intimate private enclaves to enormous public spaces have been built in the last fifty years. But there has been little formal research into the systems that support successful roof gardens, the technical requirements of a long-lived, healthy roof garden — nor about the costly failures that can result when such requirements are ignored.

In the first comprehensive study published in English, respected landscape architect Theodore Osmundson provides the practical information professionals need to be able to include well-designed and well-constructed roof gardens in their projects. Roof Gardens covers site considerations, construction, design elements, and maintenance, as well as useful data and sources of supply and information. It presents a wealth of material, including typical sections and details of raised planters, walls, paving, drainage and lighting. It also discusses planting soils and root-proofing. New construction techniques — largely unknown in the United States are also reviewed.

In addition, Roof Gardens offers a richly illustrated tour of roof gardens around the world and through history.

“This should become the guidebook on the subject of roof gardens, acquired by every landscape architect employed in the task of greening cities and buildings.”-Ian McHarg, FASLA

“This long-awaited treatise on rooftop landscape architecture is . . . an authoritative work . . . a practical, creative, and stimulating book that is bound to make a difference.”-John Ormsbee Simonds, FASLA

1999, 320 pages, 100 in color, Hardcover

Green Home: Planning and Building the Environmentally Advanced House

Author(s): Wayne Grady

Publisher: Camden House Publishers

Paperback: 208 pages

ISBN: 0921820690

ISBN-13: 978-0921820697

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With its wealth of practical information and insight, Green Home is a must read for anyone who plans to build or buy a house and for all those who recognize that the housing decisions we make today will affect the planet we live on forever.

Reinventing Fire

Author: Amory Lovins
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing (October 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1603583718
ISBN-13: 978-1603583718

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How U.S. businesses can lead the nation from oil and coal to efficiency and renewables by 2050, and profit in the process

Oil and coal have built our civilization, created our wealth, and enriched the lives of billions. Yet their rising costs to our security, economy, health, and environment now outweigh their benefits. Moreover, that long-awaited energy tipping point—where alternatives work better than oil and coal and compete purely on cost—is no longer decades in the future. It is here and now. And it is the fulcrum of economic transformation.

A global clean energy race has emerged with astounding speed. The ability to operate without fossil fuels will define winners and losers in business—and among nations.

Now, in Reinventing Fire, Amory Lovins and Rocky Mountain Institute offer a new vision to revitalize business models, end-run Washington gridlock, and win the clean energy race—not forced by public policy but led by business for enduring profit. Grounded in 30 years’ practical experience, this ground-breaking, peer-reviewed analysis integrates market-based solutions across transportation, buildings, industry, and electricity. It maps pathways and competitive strategies for a 158%-bigger 2050 U.S. economy that needs no oil, no coal, no nuclear energy, one-third less natural gas, and no new inventions. This transition would cost $5 trillion less than business-as-usual—without counting fossil fuels’ huge hidden costs. It requires no new federal taxes, subsidies, mandates, or laws. The policy innovations needed to unlock and speed it need no Act of Congress.

Whether you care most about profits and jobs, national security, health, or environmental stewardship, Reinventing Fire charts a pragmatic course that makes sense and makes money. With clarity and mastery, Lovins and RMI reveal the astounding opportunities for enterprise to create the new energy era.

Buildings of Earth and Straw : Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw Bale Architecture

Author(s): Bruce King

Publisher: Chelsea Green

ISBN: 0964471817

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Buildings of Earth and Straw : Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw Bale Architecture

Paperback, 169 pages
Publication date: April 1997

Chelsea Green’s The Rammed Earth House and The Straw Bale House chronicle the possibilities and realities of straw bale and rammed earth construction. Buildings of Earth and Strawfills in the gaps for professional builders, contractors, engineers, inspectors, lenders, and architectural students. It includes special construction requirements of earth and straw, design capabilities and limitations of these materials, and documentation of testing data for use in addressing the concerns of officials. This book offers the nuts and bolts of rammed earth and straw bale building techniques, and why they are so spectacular, durable, and earth-friendly.

Review

“Bruce King has produced a book that is both long overdue and quite timely. While I find most technical books to be dry, uninteresting, and difficult to read, Bruce has managed to provide technical information in an accessible and entertaining manner. Although parts of his book will admittedly require engineering training to understand, even the uninitiated builder will find a wealth of usable material here.”
Bob Fowler, FAIA, PE, PBO past Chairman, International Conference of Building Officials, founding member, International Codes Council

“A revolution in environmentally friendly house construction is arriving. In this book, Bruce King explores the details and methods for building durable and safe earth and straw houses.”
Sim Van der Ryn, Architect, Educator, Author of Ecological Design

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Who Would Want to Read This Book, and Why?

Earth and Straw: Natural Companions

What We Will and Will Not Talk About

A Footnote About Bamboo…

Part One: BASICS

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Glossary

Structures and Forces

Physical Forces That Act On Structures

Some Other Variables

Foundations

Gravity Loads

Lateral Loads

In-plane Forces

Out-of-plane Forces

Earthquake Loads

Other Lateral Force Systems

Part Two: EARTH

The Material

Stabilized Earth

Rammed Earth

Gunearth

Stabilized Earth Mix Design–A Case Study

density and chemistry tests

compressive strength tests

moisture exposure tests

bond strength tests

fastener tests

admixture tests

absorptivity tests

erosion and wear resistance tests

Analysis

Design in Non-seismic Areas

Design in Seismic Areas

Foundations

Bond Beams

Lateral Loads

Analysis Method

Design and Construction Considerations

Stabilized Earth

Rammed Earth

Gunearth

Sample Calculations

Case 1: Seismic zone 2B

check h/t ratio

axial compressive stress at top of footing

Case 2: Seismic zone 4, wall cantilevered

check h/t ratio

horizontal earthquake load

compressive bending stress

shear stress

tensile bending stress in reinforcing

Case 3: Seismic zone 4, same wall restrained at top

horizontal earthquake load

design fc

compressive bending stress

shear stress

tensile bending stress in reinforcing

wall connection at top

Conclusions

Appendix E-1: Soil References

Appendix E-2: Soil-cement References

Appendix E-3: Sample Specification

Part Three: STRAW

The Material

Straw

Bales

Bale Variables

Bale Wall Types

Test Results–Straw Bale and Wall Properties

Bou-Ali test, Tucson, Arizona

SHB AGRA test, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Ship Harbour Project test, Nova Scotia

Fibrehouse Limited test, Ottawa, Ontario

Analysis

Load-bearing Straw-bale Walls

Gravity (Vertical) Loading

Lateral Loading: Wind

Lateral Loading: Earthquake

Non-load-bearing Straw-bale Walls

Design and Construction Considerations

Bales and Pinning

Wall Settling

Moisture

Fire

Sample Calculations

Case 1: Load-bearing Walls

design for bale bearing and precompression

check plaster skin in compression

design for out-of-plane shear

design for in-plane shear

Case 2: Non-load-bearing Walls

design for bale bearing and precompression

design for out-of-plane shear

design for in-plane shear

Conclusions

Appendix S-1: Straw Panels

Pyramod International, Inc., City of Industry, California

Stramit, U.S.A. L.L.C., Perryton, Texas

BioFab, Redding, California

Meadowood, Albany, Oregon

Conclusions

Appendix S-2: California Straw-bale Code

References

General

Stabilized Earth

Straw

Seismic Zone Map of the United States

Unit Conversion Tables

Base Units

SI Prefixes

SI Derived Unites with Special Names

Conversion Factors

Index

Graphic Guide to Frame Construction: Details for Builders and Designers

Author(s): Rob Thallon

Publisher: Taunton Press

ISBN: 1561583537

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A reigning classic, the Graphic Guide to Frame Construction is a complete visual handbook for wood-frame construction with a special emphasis on energy efficiency. Filled with hundreds of meticulous drawings, it shows the framing details you need to understand when building with wood.

This completely revised and updated edition is more comprehensive and reflects the most recent changes in residential frame construction. It contains more details for energy efficiency, use of modern engineered and composite materials, and construction in high-wind and seismic areas. It’s well annotated and covers foundations, floors, walls, stairs and roofs. Because examples are taken from actual job sites by a trusted expert, this book is an invaluable visual aid that can help builders and homeowners alike to tackle a wide range of framing projects. Whether building a partition or flashing a window, you’ll find the visual explanation here.

Graphic Guide to Frame Construction is a valuable reference for architects and builders, and an ideal primer for students and owner-builders. Starting with the foundation, the book moves systematically from component to component ending with the roof. Regional variations and options are included. These details were mined from actual job sites through the input of a panel of builders and architects from around the U.S. Graphic Guide to Frame Construction is an authoritative reference that helps you review your options and solve specific problems no matter where or what you’re building.

240 pages, 2000

“As a reference on wood framing and enclosure details, Graphic Guide is hard to beat. It’s very well organized and clearly written. The illustrations are sharp, well annotated and drawn at a 1- or 1-1/2-inch scale, so they can be easily transferred to working drawings. And Thallon’s treatment is extensive, often showing several different ways of doing a job.”

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From the Publisher

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Review

Preface

Introduction

Part One: BASICS

Part Two: EARTH

Part Three: STRAW

Index

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