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A showcase of sustainable living in prefab, solar, mobile and modular houses.

In this book, architect Ana Maria Alvarez presents an array of the world's best sustainable residential architecture. Studying houses in many countries, she provides photographs, floor plans and elevations, mechanical schematics showing water and air circulation, and more to reveal how even the smallest home can be sustainable, functional and beautiful.

Each of the homes is examined in numerous spreads over 400 inspirational pages. The homes range in style, setting, cost, and in some cases, purpose.

For example, the entirely self-sufficient Solar Active House was assembled on site of prefab pine panels and 263.7 sq ft of photovoltaic modules that produce all the energy it consumes. Triple pane insulation and heat recovery systems reduce temperature, and windows open automatically when there is a lack of oxygen or excess interior moisture. Shutters provide protection from heat and create a second layer of insulation, cooling in summer and warming in winter.

The Sunset Cabin (323 sq ft/30 m2) is set in a mixed wood on an Ontario lakeside and has one bedroom and one washroom. Its plywood and cedar frame and pine walls were built in a month in a city lot in Toronto. It then took just 10 days to dismantle the structure, sort the pieces and reassemble the house overlooking Lake Simcoe. Two reinforced steel beams over four concrete pylons lift the house off the ground for a good view of stunning lake sunsets.

The Study Box/Read-Nest is a petite (105 sq ft. /9.8 m2) mobile 1-bedroom hideaway perched on adjustable pylons. For easy and inexpensive mobility the factory timber frame and wood slat walls are easy to disassemble and re-assemble. Designed as a hideaway for reading, sleeping or simply relaxing, the Study Box has tons of shelving and, if needed, a foldable bed perfectly situated under a skylight.

Surveying original homes from around the world, Sustainable Residential Architecture is an exceptional resource, reference and book of inspiration for architects, designers, homeowners, and contractors. For all who seek to live with less cost to the environment, this gorgeous book will both inform and delight.

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Introduction In residential architecture today, there are more and more options for decreasing the ecological impact of home building and maintaining, and for increasing the energy efficiency and overall sustainability of the project. There are many associations and groups, such as the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) and the Green Planet Architects (GPA), which offer guidance and information on the topic. With concepts such as prefabrication, modulation, innovative materials, adaptation, mobility and off-grid living, eco-architecture has reached a point at which comfort and style need not be relinquished. The projects featured in this book, representing firms from around the globe, are examples of prefabricated (partial or total), adaptable homes with rapid assembly on-site. With prefabricated construction there is a considerable reduction in the total cost of the house (both in the construction and maintenance). The logic behind these new methods is that time and cost is saved if similar construction tasks can be carried out in a factory, so that assembly line techniques can be employed at a location where skilled tradesmen are constantly available; thus congestion at the final assembly site, which wastes time, can also be greatly reduced. The method finds application particularly where the structure is composed of repeating units or forms, or where multiple copies of the same basic structure are being constructed. Finally, other restricting conditions such as a lack of power, lack of water, exposure to harsh weather or a hazardous environment are avoided. Throughout the book, the surface area, number of main rooms and construction methods are provided with the aim of highlighting the qualities of the project. At the back of the book you will find a directory of architects, manufacturers and builders around the world, experts in the exciting field of sustainable architecture. Excerpted from Sustainable Residential Architecture by Ana Maria Alvarez All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Library Journal Review

What are sustainable buildings really? As definitions evolve, their multiple connotations vary from the use of renewable materials to selection of materials manufactured with little energy consumption to the abstract notion of engagement with the natural world. Alvarez, an architect and urban planner (coauthor, Light Color Sound: Sensory Effects in Contemporary Architecture), has coined yet another definition: lessened ecological impact through the use of prefabricated or modular construction. With the merest of introductions, no essays, spare verbal interpretation, and only a directory of architects and resources as extras, there is little more to this book than its illustrations of 50 preassembled, prefabricated, or modular houses. But what fine illustrations they are. Clear exterior views and numerous informative interior views, in addition to floor plans and sections, accompany the entries, each of which begins with basic information: the name of the house, locality, architects, square footage, type of construction and materials, and a two- to three-sentence description. The examples from several continents represent an impressive set of forms and materials, and, with their industrial overtones, embody a modernist aesthetic. While not as intellectually rigorous as Paul McGillick's The Sustainable Asian House (2013), this book would serve as a solid accompaniment to that title. VERDICT Recommended for collections aiming for comprehensive coverage of sustainable building practices.-Paul Glassman, Cheng Lib., William Paterson Univ., Wayne, NJ (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Ana Maria Alvarez is an architect, urban planner, writer and an editor of architectural books. She is co-author with Alejandro Bahamon of Light Color Sound: Sensory Effects in Contemporary Architecture ("Inspiring visual sourcebook." ArchNewsNow ). She lives in Barcelona, Spain.