This book is an in-depth study of the importnace of the Empire-Commonwealth in the two decades after WWII for Britain's self-image as a great power. By studying a wide range of debates on general and specific imperial problems, the book highlights the "official mind" of decolonization - and of late imperialism.

This book is an in-depth study of the importnace of the Empire-Commonwealth in the two decades after WWII for Britain's self-image as a great power. By studying a wide range of debates on general and specific imperial problems, the book highlights the "official mind" of decolonization - and of late imperialism.

The Active House B10 is situated in the heart of the famous Weissenhof estate in Stuttgart. It is a research project exploring how innovative materials, constructions and technologies can sustainably improve our built environment. Owing to an ingenious energy concept and self-learning home automation the building produces twice its energy requirement. The surplus thus gained powers two electric cars and an adjacent building designed by the architect Le Corbusier (since 2006 home to the Weissenhof museum). Prof. Werner Sobek is the founder of a globally active association of planning agencies for architecture, support structure planning, facade planning, sustainability consulting and design. Based on award-winning experimental buildings such as R128, H16, F87 and now B10 he analyses how new materials, structures and technologies can radically change our built environment.

Werner Sobek is one of the leading engineers and structural designers of our time. His works have been awarded numerous distinctions and enjoy the highest reputation worldwide. They all excel through their high level of sophistication and innovation, both with regard to materials and structural systems, thus demonstrating impressively Werner Sobek's biggest asset: the capacity to design filigree, nearly dematerialised structures with perfect details, structures that are in true harmony with their form and function. This book presents a sample of the most important projects in the fields of design, materials, skins and structures.

Werner Sobek is a researcher, designer and the founder of an internationally active group of planning offices. As an architect and consulting engineer, he has spent many years creating prize-winning experimental buildings to examine how new materials, structures and technologies can radically change our built environment. The single-family houses he has designed (such as R128, H16, Y1 and B10) have set new benchmarks with regard to both technology and aesthetics. This book presents the most important examples of his work from the last two decades.