Residential design that is inspired, responsible, and in harmony with the planet: that is the concept behind cradle-to-cradle systems, which seek to go beyond sustainability to the use of waste-free products that return to the earth's life cycles. Cradle to Cradle Home Design: Process and Experience is a groundbreaking text that offers a case study in this revolutionary design concept via the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Home Competition, based out of Roanoke, Virginia. More than 600 submissions from students and professionals around the world provide the archive for the book, creating a spirited, smart, and engaging guide that both delights in the possibilities offered by the paradigm, and inspires an alternative approach to design. Developed for interior design and architecture studio courses as well as practicing design firms, this book is a must-read for anybody looking to incorporate sustainable design principles and materials into his or her work.

A manifesto for a radically different philosophy and practice of manufacture and environmentalism "Reduce, reuse, recycle" urge environmentalists; in other words, do more with less in order to minimize damage. But as this provocative, visionary book argues, this approach perpetuates a one-way, "cradle to grave" manufacturing model that dates to the Industrial Revolution and casts off as much as 90 percent of the materials it uses as waste, much of it toxic. Why not challenge the notion that human industry must inevitably damage the natural world? In fact, why not take nature itself as our model? A tree produces thousands of blossoms in order to create another tree, yet we do not consider its abundance wasteful but safe, beautiful, and highly effective; hence, "waste equals food" is the first principle the book sets forth. Products might be designed so that, after their useful life, they provide nourishment for something new-either as "biological nutrients" that safely re-enter the environment or as "technical nutrients" that circulate within closed-loop industrial cycles, without being "downcycled" into low-grade uses (as most "recyclables" now are). Elaborating their principles from experience (re)designing everything from carpeting to corporate campuses, William McDonough and Michael Braungart make an exciting and viable case for change.

The Cradle to Cradle ("C2C") concept is a biomimetic approach that models human industry on nature's processes, viewing materials as nutrients circulating in healthy and safe metabolisms. It seeks to create systems that are not only efficient but also essentially waste free. A growing number of building owners and developers are looking to implement it in their buildings, be it to increase the productivity of their workforce, or to provide a differentiator. The C2C concept is reasonably covered in building construction; however, it is a rather uncharted area in building services, making it difficult for MEP engineers to develop C2C-inspired designs. Arup set out to bridge this gap, establishing how C2C-inspired design would look like in the different MEP disciplines, and researching which systems, products and materials are available in the market to meet the corresponding criteria. The result is a comprehensive guideline that enables MEP engineers to develop a C2C-inspired design. It covers design criteria, system selection, system sizing, design for deconstruction, as well as material and product selection for the main MEP disciplines, and sets out a number of criteria by which the aptness of a design for C2C can be measured.

Want to build responsibly, reduce waste, and help preserve the environment? Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your friendly, step-by-step guide to every facet of this Earth-friendly method of construction. Building a home—even a green home—uses plenty of resources and energy. This practical, hands-on book shows you how to build or remodel conscientiously, whether your dream home is a simple remodel or a brand-new multimillion-dollar mansion. You’ll start by identifying green materials and sizing up potential systems and construction sites. You’ll weigh the pros and cons of popular green building methods and identify opportunities for saving money in the long run. Need to find some green professionals to assist you in your venture? We’ll help you do that, too. This book will also help you discover how to: Understand the lifecycle of building materials Choose the right system for your green building project Put together a green team Work within your budget Use green building methods and sustainable systems Speed construction and reduce energy use and waste Refinish old fixtures and materials Beware of asbestos and lead-paint hazards Avoid costly mistakes Complete with lists of ten green things to do on every project and ten things you can do right now in your home in order to go green, Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your one-stop guide to planning and building the home you’ve always wanted.

About the way we use and reuse the resources in the building industry and ultimately eliminate the concept of waste. The book seeks to provide inspiration for 'building a circular future' by providing a set of principles and bringing forward the best practices from in and outside the building industry. This book presents findings, case studies, background and context for the project ?Building a Circular Future?, and consist of three main chapters: Design for Disassembly, Material Passport and Circular Economy. All content comes from extensive research and through workshops with partners across industries. The book furthermore provides 15 principles for "Building a Circular Future" and a thoroughly calculated business case, which documents that a demolition, that today would cost ?2.151.249,56 can be turned into a ?4.705.858,41 business upside in a future circular building industry.

From the authors "Cradle to Cradle," the next step, in how society must change the way it uses resources. Drawing on the lessons gained from 10 years of using the cradle-to-cradle concept, McDonough and Braungart envision the next step in the solution to our ecological crisis.