Sets out the essential elements of low energy architecture in a fresh, intuitive way. With reliable, simple rules that will provide new ideas and refresh the designer's palette, each page focuses on a single piece of advice along with an illustration. There are also plenty of tips and more detailed information for those who wish to dig deeper.

People across the world are becoming more aware of the need for the buildings and cities they live and work in to be sustainable, but the issue of how to be sustainable can seem a confusing and complex one. These rules of thumb provide universal guidelines for the sustainable design of both buildings and the urban realm. It’s a global primer and textbook for anyone interested in understanding sustainability in the built environment, an ideal starting point for students as well as an aide memoir for more experienced readers and practitioners interested in this field.

Buildings and construction are a major contributor to the climate and biodiversity emergency. They account for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is more important than ever for architects to design responsibly and create low-carbon, low-energy buildings for a sustainable future. 101 Rules of Thumb sets out the essential elements of low-energy architecture in a fresh, intuitive way. Where ever-changing technology and complex legislation can cloud the designer’s thought-process, this book equips you with the fundamentals you need to minimise CO2 emissions, design for low-energy use and work with, not against, the forces of nature. With reliable, simple rules of thumb, each page focuses on a single piece of guidance along with a clear hand-drawn illustration. The emphasis is on passive low-energy principles, and the rules of thumb cover all the design fundamentals from site and location to orientation and form, peppered with ideas to help the designer think outside the box, drawing inspiration from traditional methods, photoperiodic plants, and the black-tailed prairie dog. An extended, fully updated narrative bibliography explores the sources in detail and provides a valuable springboard for further study. Applicable throughout the world in any climate region, 101 Rules of Thumb is a global primer to be dipped into at any time as a quick means of re-focusing on what’s important when designing a new or retrofitted low-energy building. The rules cover: Site and location Orientation and form The low-energy building envelope Carbon free heating, cooling and lighting Passive low-energy principles.

The Environmental Design Pocketbook 2nd ed places the information you need for sustainable, low energy building design at your fingertips. Packed with diagrams, tools and tips, it cuts through the complex mass of technical data and legislation that faces the designer, and distils all the key guidance into a single reference that is quick, easy to use and points to the facts, figures and performance data that are most important. This 2nd edition is now fully up-to-date with the latest Building Regulations Part L and F legislation (England and Wales), RIBA Plan of Work 2013, new information on the Green Deal and Zero Carbon and contains revised references and further reading sections throughout. Whether used in the classroom, office or on-site, the book guides the designer through the entire process; from the fundamentals to the building details. From future-proofing for a changing climate to rainwater harvesting, retrofit, and zero-carbon technologies - the Pocketbook has got it covered.

A unique and revolutionary text which explains the principles behind the LT Method (2.1), a manual design tool developed in Cambridge by the BRE. The LT Method is a unique way of estimating the combined energy usage of lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation systems, to enable the designer to make comparisons between options at an early, strategic stage. In addition,Energy and Environment in Architecture the book deals with other environmental issues such as noise, thermal comfort and natural ventilation design. A variety of case studies provide a critique of real buildings and highlight good practice. These topics include thermal comfort, noise and natural ventilation.

Ten years ago, Clare Nash was struggling with a common problem: how to be an architect and still have a life. With no job, no savings and no clients in the midst of a recession, Clare set up her own practice with little more than a few postcards in local shop windows and a very simple website. Determined to better combine her life and family with professional work, she created an innovative practice that is flexible and forward-looking, based around remote working and the possibilities offered by improving technology. Bursting with tips, ideas and how-tos on all aspects of designing a working life that suits you and your business, this book explains in clear and accessible language how to avoid the common pitfalls of long hours and low pay. It explores how to juggle work with family commitments, how to set your own career path and design priorities, and how to instil a flexible working culture within a busy lifestyle. Encompasses the full range of life-work challenges: Money, fees and cashflow Playing to your personal strengths Outsourcing areas of weakness Building a happy and productive remote-working team Creating a compelling marketing strategy Juggling parenthood and work Studying and honing workplace skills Provides the inside view from innovative practices: alma-nac, Gbolade Design Studio, Harrison Stringfellow Architects, Invisible Studio Architects, Office S&M Architects, POoR Collective, Pride Road Architects and Transition by Design.

A classic examination of superb design through the centuries. Widely regarded as a classic in the field, Experiencing Architecture explores the history and promise of good design. Generously illustrated with historical examples of designing excellence—ranging from teacups, riding boots, and golf balls to the villas of Palladio and the fish-feeding pavilion of Beijing's Winter Palace—Rasmussen's accessible guide invites us to appreciate architecture not only as a profession, but as an art that shapes everyday experience. In the past, Rasmussen argues, architecture was not just an individual pursuit, but a community undertaking. Dwellings were built with a natural feeling for place, materials and use, resulting in “a remarkably suitable comeliness.” While we cannot return to a former age, Rasmussen notes, we can still design spaces that are beautiful and useful by seeking to understand architecture as an art form that must be experienced. An understanding of good design comes not only from one's professional experience of architecture as an abstract, individual pursuit, but also from one's shared, everyday experience of architecture in real time—its particular use of light, color, shape, scale, texture, rhythm and sound. Experiencing Architecture reminds us of what good architectural design has accomplished over time, what it can accomplish still, and why it is worth pursuing. Wide-ranging and approachable, it is for anyone who has ever wondered “what instrument the architect plays on.”