Olaf Hunger, Nicolas Monnerat and Franck Petitpierre are the protagonists of the Lausanne office MPH. The architects have produced a significant oeuvre since 1997, mainly consisting of large housing developments, individual homes and renovation projects on historical buildings that impress through their structural clarity, coherent material choices and pronounced tectonics. Text in English and German.

"What makes a great house in the city? This title examines what has worked well in some of the most successful housing types throughout the world - from old to new, high rise to low rise, innovative to conventional. Authors Robert Dalziel and Sheila Qureshi critically examine what they believe are the most significant elements of urban housing design: adaptability and flexibility, construction and sustainability, space and light, appearance and threshold, and density and urban form. A House in the City concludes by proposing a pioneering approach to the town house: incorporating insights from these most important elements of urban housing, culminating in an aesthetically-pleasing family home that can adapt to changing needs. Illustrated with aerial views, plans, sections and photographs, A House in the City will be of use to all who strive to deliver high quality urban housing for the 21st century, including architects, planners and developers."

What are tire houses? Who builds them? How do they do it? Will I see the tires when the house is finished? How weird are they? Can I do it myself? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in this book that "Earth Quarterly" called ..".an excellent addition to the library of any potential tire house builder, offering a wealth of unique ideas that can jump-start you to getting up, getting out, and building that sucker " And the "Albuquerque Journal" said: "Better keep this one on the night table; you'll probably want to refer to it as you build a home or an addition to one." Using "landfill" tires and a revolutionary process, houses are being built that are both revolutionary and evolutionary--Michael Reynolds builds self-sufficient EarthshipsT, and Ed Paschich builds traditional homes using tires for the exterior walls. This book will tell you how you can be more responsible when you build a home, improve a home, or add a garden. You'll learn about constructed wetlands, solar air conditioning, and xeriscape landscaping. It's all here with many illustrations and photographs. Ed Paschich, artisan and master custom builder, is the owner of Passage Construction Company, Inc., in Corrales, New Mexico. Ed and his father, Jack, formed the company in 1976 and Ed has been building passive solar adobe homes in the high desert of the American Southwest ever since. Paula Hendricks is a well-known writer and photographer. Her own line of museum quality notecards featuring her photographic images are sold internationally.

Originally published in 1885 in a limited edition of 200 copies, for the purpose of presenting, in an accessible and attractive form, views of the numerous beautiful inhabited Castles and Mansions which adorn Ayrshire. The Plates were prepared specially for the Work by Messrs ANNAN, Glasgow. The Letterpress was drawn up under the editorial care of A. H. MILLAR, F.S.A.Scot., and embraces much interesting historical information. In most instances the descriptions have been revised by the Owners of the Mansions, and a few of them have been entirely written by them. Some changes have been made in this edition. The overall page size is now considerably smaller. The complete text has been re-set. In the original, the text was sometimes spread over two pages. In this edition, the print has been reduced in size, where necessary, to allow all the text to be read without turning the page, on the left-hand page, facing the photograph. The photographs are reproduced in the original size. In the original, the photographs were arranged to view at right-angles to the page. In this edition, the photographs are turned to a normal position. Two photographs were used for Woodside. Both are included in this edition.

This book begins with an intriguing overview of the first five round barns built across America, including one in New York State. Elliott Stewart, who built the first octagon barn in the Empire State in 1874, is revealed to be a passionate original whose vigorous editorial campaign led to the construction of dozen such barns. The author next introduces John McArthur who constructed a polygonal (sixteen-sided, double octagon) barn so huge it was the biggest in the state and second largest in the nation! Case histories document five other singular New York barns of varying configurations. Abundant photos make these bygone barns spring to life. Floor plans of the earliest barns show why the round shape engaged farmers at the turn of the century. The book also explains why true-round barns, born of silos, surpassed octagon barns in popularity. A special section on seven true-round barns in New York offers historical data and rare anecdotes by present owners. This fascinating chronicle shows how these eccentric barns rose to fashion, why so few survived in New York State, and why the remaining are worth studying--and preserving--as legitimate architecture and as a record of agricultural progress in New York.

"A fascinating insight into potentially one of the most exciting developments that affects each and every one of us as we move forward into the 21st Century. This book indicates the direction industry must take if we are to achieve the dream of living in a Smart Home." Steve Hearnden, Mobile Telecommunications Consultant, UK "A timely and much needed compliment to more technology-led explorations of the Smart Home. It draws attention to the complexity, diversity and conceptual richness of domestic life and critically reflects on the adoption and use of technologies in the home to date." Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Sapient Ltd, UK If the predictions of leading electronics and consumer companies are to be believed, in the future you may never again have to worry about forgetting to switch the lights off, or locking the front door when you leave your home. Even mundane chores such as visiting your local supermarket to stock up your fridge will become a thing of the past, as the Smart Homes of the future will be able to decide what is needed and order them for us. Inside the Smart Home looks at the designs and technologies behind these new innovations, along with their time-saving, environmental and security benefits, amongst others. Despite these clear advantages however, Smart Homes have so far failed to reach the levels of success originally anticipated, thereby forcing designers to further examine the roles and practicalities of these new technologies. Through the use of detailed case studies from such international giants as Orange, Ariston, Philips Electronics and Electrolux, this book clearly demonstrates what will be possible for our domestic settings in the future if we continue to develop the concept of the Smart Home.

This manual is for designers, developers, builders, and others who wish to build elevated residential structures in flood-prone areas prudently.Contents: Environmental and Regulatory FactorsSite Analysis and DesignArchitectural Design ExamplesDesign and Construction GuidelinesCost AnalysisResource Materials

MAKE A BIG SPLASH--WITH A LOT LESS CASH!

Let Terry Tamminen, "poolman to the stars," show you how to have a beautiful, hassle-free pool for thousands of dollars less than commercial installers charge -- by doing it yourself. Pool expert Tamminen helps you purchase, install, repair, maintain, and upgrade above-ground pools. You get parts and tools lists, tricks of the trade for each procedure, and a difficulty rating to help you decide if it's time to call a professional.

Soon you'll be saying, "Okay, everybody into the pool!"
* Selecting the right pool (from over a dozen types) for your site, budget, and individual needs
* Realistic cost estimates
* Easy-to-understand, photo-illustrated installation and repair guides
* Heating inexpensively and heater repair
* Repairing and replacing liners
* Winterizing
* Decks made easy
* Pool enhancements for added enjoyment and value
* Sources of cost-saving generic parts
* And more!

Originally published in 1903, the chapters are: Men Who Build Fine HousesThe Colonial ResidenceThe Meaning of the Transitional DwellingThe Character of the Transitional DwellingThe Beginnings of the Greater Modern ResidenceThe Modern American Residence - Economic and Social ConditionsThe Modern American Residence - Its ExteriorThe Modern American Residence - Its InteriorVintage photos (both interior and exterior) are included with history about the homes, and architectural opinions of the time are given. A large number of homes are covered in extensive detail, including the residences of William Waldorf Astor, Andrew Carnegie, Henry M. Flagler, Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. Pierpont Morgan, Potter Palmer, Lawrence C. Phipps, and many more.

One of the most important architectural pattern books, originally published in 1856.Contents: The House Considered in its Influence on the OccupantsThe Value of a Permanent HomeHome in the CountryThe VillageThe Choice of a LotThe Adoption of a PlanPrinciples as Applied to DetailsCottages of One StoryCottages of One Story and AtticHill-Side CottagesHouses of Two StoriesFarm HousesDouble CottagesInteriorsHints on ConstructionThe Improvement of GroundsThe Garden

In 1848, Orson Squire Fowler, published A Home for All, or a New, Cheap, Convenient, and Superior Mode of Building in which he announced that the octagon house with its eight sides enclosed more space than a square one with equal wall space. The octagonal form had been used in public buildings in the past, but now as a concept for domestic architecture it had a dedicated and convincing champion. Fowler's books, stressing the functional and stylistic advantages of the octagon house, found many readers and several hundred followers who sprinkled the landscape from New England to Wisconsin with eight-sided houses, barns, churches, schoolhouses, carriage houses, garden houses, smokehouses, and privies. Fowler's creative idea for an octagon house came to him while contemplating a design for his own home. He wondered why there had been so little advancement in architectural design, particularly given the preponderance of scientific advancements. Looking for a radical change in house style, Fowler questioned why the spherical form that is predominant in nature was not employed in architecture. The constraint of right angles for the framing of houses was the obvious reason. Fowler thought "Why not have our houses six-, eight-, 12-or 20-sided? Why not build after some mathematical figure?" The solution: the octagon. Since octagons enclose more floor space per linear foot than comparable squares or rectangles, Fowler claimed they cost less to build and reduced heat loss. He also insisted octagons allowed in more sunlight and had better ventilation than conventional houses; owners of these unusual homes found that the improved light and ventilation went into the triangular closets and pantriesthat occupied the octagons' angles.

"Practical, technical and topical, this new title from Architectural Design brings together contributions on all aspects of housing around the world: from design solutions to the focus on technical and cultural approaches to affordable innovation in housing design"

Housing for the people. What opportunities exist? Who is breaking down the boundaries to create innovative housing stock? Attitudes towards mass housing are changing. Progressive techniques, materials and technologies are opening up new possibilities and new alliances are being hammered out between designers and house builders. Could this signal the onset of a new era of design-conscious mass housing?

With contributors writing from six distinct geographical areas - the UK, the East Coast of the US, the West Coast of the US, Sweden, Japan and Australia - this book provides a global picture of the kinds of solutions available.

A reprint of an 1890's catalog of a Stockholm manufacturer of wooden houses, with floor plans and perspective drawings of 86 pavilions, bathinghouses, balconies, verandas, kiosks, and dwelling houses.

In the first book of its kind, architectural critic Michael Webb and Esto photographer Roger Strauss III examine 35 extraordinary modern houses that have been restored, enhanced, or extended by new owners who see them as timeless classics. Built in the heyday of modernism, from the 1930s through the early 1960s, these houses were designed by exceptional architects for themselves or for adventurous clients. A few were lovingly preserved as time capsules, but most endured years of neglect or abuse and might easily have been torn down.
Webb explores how these houses were created--as daring experiments or as creative responses to site and climate--and here are villas that fuse craft and invention, machines for living, and residences that embrace the landscape. Here, too, are houses inspired by the purity of classical temples, and frugal dwellings that have been sensitively enlarged. After a long eclipse, these houses and the enlightened attitudes they embody are being rediscovered by creative individuals searching for distinctive, open, light-filled places to live. Modernism is a way of living, more than a style, and this book celebrates the architects and owners who respect its character and scale.
Also included are nearly 200 photographs taken by Roger Strauss, all of which were specially commissioned for this book.

Powerful, memorable architecture in response to diverse conditions and briefs, conceived and developed by the Geneva architectural couple Kristina Sylla Widmann and Marc Widmann: this volume presents five school buildings and facilities with a high architectural quality, as well as several outstanding residential and administrative buildings. Text in English and German.

A highly praised critique of the modern suburb

What is it about modern American suburbs that has led to so much dissatisfaction? How has the typical suburban design of the past fifty years exacerbated the stress of daily life, and what better alternatives can be found? Philip Langdon crisscrossed the country to see how suburbs are being built and to interview designers, developers, planners, and residents. The first results of his research were published in a cover story in the Atlantic. Since then, he has broadened his analysis to create this well-illustrated and highly readable book.

"American suburbs foster social isolation, dependence on the automobile, long commutes, and segregation of land use, thereby contributing to family distress and urban decay. That damning verdict by Langdon ... informs a much-needed visionary critique of suburban planning and life-styles.... Compelling reading for those concerned with the declining quality of life, his well-illustrated analysis will serve as a sourcebook for planners, architects, builders, and designers". -- Publishers Weekly

"An excellent journalistic study of the 'neo-traditional' approach to town planning, which seeks to build suburbs designed deliberately to foster some of the oft-celebrated qualities of small towns: next-door neighbors who know each other, local gathering places where strangers can converse freely, attractive public spaces that encourage foot traffic". -- Wall Street Journal

This book consists of a discussion of the features of the North Italian domus and a catalogue of over sixty examples. George examines the components of the domus such as atria, porticoes, peristyle gardens and triclinia as well as interior decoration, construction, the houses in their urban context and how they fit into the overall picture of Roman domestic architecture. The catalogue consists of sixty-two plans of houses which builds up a good picture of the range and complexity of the buildings under scrutiny.

This self-taught Dutch architect was among the most widely copied architects of the 1930s and 1940s. His international influence is all the more amazing when one considers that most of his architecture was built in the provincial town of Hilversum. Travel, word-of-mouth, and literature spread the news of his humane, modern approach to building design. The more than 1,200 bibliographic entries in this work are presented alphabetically by decades and further by genres. Each is summarized, described, and evaluated in the context of a critical overview of Dudok's career. Architectural scholars and students will profit from this comprehensive guide to the international literature on one of the most emulated champions of modern architecture. For too long, much was made in the English-language architectural literature of Germany's pioneer role in developing Modernism. That contribution was undeniably valuable, but the Dutch were unfairly overlooked; however, Dudok's work was not. Hilversum became a magnet for young foreign architects in the 1930s. He cast his spell upon much of continental Europe, the United States and Britain, and throughout the 1940s his style was so widely mimicked that a new adjective was coined: dudoky. This volume will reintroduce the importance of Dudok's work to today's scholars and students.

Instant Houses presents in more than 450 photos the wide variety of beautiful prefabricated houses.

City Houses presents in more than 450 images the wide variety of houses possible in an urban setting.

In print since 1948, Dwelling House Construction is a homebuilding classic that covers site inspection, foundations, framing, windows, roofing and flashing, coatings, fireplaces and chimneys, insulation, hardware, plastics, mobile homes, and manufactured housing.This new edition has been substantially revised to take into account the many changes in materials and building technologies that have occurred over the past decade. The chapter on roofing has been completely revised. The chapters on coatings and plastics have been combined, as have those on manufactured and mobile housing. Sections on masonry, wood, steel, steel framing, and concrete have been added; the sections on septic tanks, balloon framing, braced framing, plaster, and standard requirements have been shortened, and specification clauses have been eliminated.Albert G. H. Dietz is Professor Emeritus of Building Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since its first publication by Melbourne University Press Australia s Home has been in constant demand. The author summarizes his story, from 1788 to 1960, as a material triumph and an aesthetic calamity'. Readers have thoroughly enjoyed the combination of informative detail and quiet humour, and the architectural features of a house, a street, or a suburb, which have up until now been simply different , gain an added interest and significance. People read Australia s Home for pure pleasure as an eventful illuminating story. Householders read it to see their house and streetscapes afresh through Boyd s eyes, their own vision both criticized and enriched by his. Architects and planners read it to agonize with Boyd over built forms and townscapes ...But the book is most remarkable of all as history, a great bit of poaching by an architect-journalist who never claimed to write history at all.

The overall aim of the first chapter is to improve the knowledge about the simulation of thermal indoor climate for buildings in different climate conditions and its application for computer-based simulations. The work is done in order to simplify the use of CFD as a powerful tool in order to model the temperature distribution within the building envelope in two real cases in Switzerland, and promote a comfortable indoor environment with a maximum reduction of energy consumption. High energy materials like cement, glass, brick and steel are typically used in building construction. However, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of any structure through the use of alternative, low-energy materials such as Silica aerogels (aerogel-based plasters), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Polyurethane foams (PU), and Mineral wool (Stone or Glass). Increased interest has focused on the development of advanced sustainable construction materials (Nano thermal insulation materials, aerogels, etc.) with adequate mechanical properties and durability performance. The most convenient way to get the most out of their investment in a building is to use energy modeling software. The second chapter will be primarily concerned with the choice of materials, then the suitability of insulation exterior facades. Geothermal is the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly method of heating and cooling buildings. The design of borehole thermal energy, as a common type of geothermal energy, is presented in Chapter Three. The calculation is based on heat transfer principles, including a case study of a BHE for a one-story house with all the properties related to analyze the BHE, e.g., to calculate the changes in the temperature of the circulating fluid. Economic analysis of implementing renewable energy technologies in buildings is especially important for a transition away from the greenhouse emitting energies since a great majority of the current capital stock and infrastructure of today's economic systems are adjusted based on fossil-fuel energies. Chapter Four presents a diverse collection of examples with economic analysis of costs and paybacks covering warm vs cold, social complexes vs private houses, and new vs historical buildings. Solar energy has various uses besides more energy production and it can be incorporated in applications with cooling, heating and desalination processes. The main objectives of Chapter Five are to assess the degree of energy reduction using solar energy in buildings and to establish the requirements for energy-efficient design of buildings in cold/hot regions. Payback period analysis that evaluates the cost savings resulting from energy efficiency improvements is also addressed.