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Books > Arts & Architecture > Architecture
"The Singapore House is not just a building; it is a cultural
phenomenon. Culture means ordinary everyday values-attitudes,
beliefs, ideas and heritage. These apply to the cultural landscape
of which the house forms a part and is particularly applicable to a
fast growing metropolis like Singapore that has changed
immeasurably in recent years."Setting the scene for this newly
presented edition of The Singapore House &Residential Life
1819-1939, Edwards addresses the house's unique naturein the
context of its colonial past. Architecture, the house plan,
landscape,societal norms, recreation and more are all presented in
a book where thepast resonates on every page. Thirty years on, the
book still provides aninvaluable introduction to the history of
architecture in the city-state.
With energy costs continuing to rise 'zero energy homes' are latest
big green building trend. A Zero Energy Home (ZEH) - a home that
produces as much energy as it consumes - is an idea whose time has
come! Authors David Johnston and Scott Gibson explore the design
and construction of self-sufficient houses from start to finish.
They: make the case for a ZEH; cite climate and geographic
challenges; describe exactly how to go about building an
energy-efficient home; and, feature ten houses that were built for
zero energy living. With unequalled knowledge and a passion for the
subject, the authors walk readers through the process of building
and living in a truly green home.
In 1921 Blair Mountain in southern West Virginia was the site of
the country's bloodiest armed insurrection since the Civil War, a
battle pitting miners led by Frank Keeney against agents of the
coal barons intent on quashing organized labor. It was the largest
labor uprising in US history. Ninety years later, the site became
embroiled in a second struggle, as activists came together to fight
the coal industry, state government, and the military- industrial
complex in a successful effort to save the battlefield-sometimes
dubbed 'labor's Gettysburg'-from destruction by mountaintop removal
mining. The Road to Blair Mountain is the moving and sometimes
harrowing story of Charles Keeney's fight to save this
irreplaceable landscape. Beginning in 2011, Keeney-a historian and
great-grandson of Frank Keeney-led a nine-year legal battle to
secure the site's placement on the National Register of Historic
Places. His book tells a David-and-Goliath tale worthy of its own
place in West Virginia history. A success story for historic
preservation and environmentalism, it serves as an example of how
rural, grassroots organizations can defeat the fossil fuel
industry.
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