Through 12 case studies from Australia, Bangladesh, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the USA, this book focuses on the housing reconstruction process after an earthquake, tsunami, cyclone, flood or fire. Design of post-disaster housing is not simply replacing the destroyed house but, as these case studies highlight, a means to not only build a safer house but also a more resilient community; not to simply return to the same condition as before the disaster, but an opportunity for building back better. The book explores two main themes: Housing reconstruction is most successful when involving the users in the design and construction process Housing reconstruction is most effective when it is integrated with community infrastructure, services and the means to create real livelihoods. The case studies included in this book highlight work completed by different agencies and built environment professionals in diverse disaster-affected contexts. With a global acceleration of natural disasters, often linked to accelerating climate change, there is a critical demand for robust housing solutions for vulnerable communities. This book provides professionals, policy makers and community stakeholders working in the international development and disaster risk management sectors, with an evidence-based exploration of how to add real value through the design process in housing reconstruction. Herein then, the knowledge we need to build, an approach to improve our processes, a window to understanding the complex domain of post-disaster housing reconstruction.

How can we make old houses energy efficient without devaluing future sustainability? And how can we do so without compromising their appeal and character? This practical and essential guide to retrofitting for energy efficiency seeks to provide answers to this and other questions homeowners of old houses are asking. Whether your house is medieval and timber-framed or a Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian terrace, it can be made more energy efficient and sustainable. This practical, comprehensive and fully illustrated handbook will show you how. Revised and updated throughout, and with a foreword by Kevin McCloud, Old House Eco Handbook includes chapters on the building envelope; roofs and ceilings; windows and doors; walls; floors; paints; energy, air and water; plus a brand new chapter on retrofit materials. In association with The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, this is a must have for owners of old houses looking to make their homes more energy efficient and sustainable.

Disasters are not natural. Natural events such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc. become disasters because of the fragile relations that exist between the natural, human and built environments. Sadly, major disasters will always occur in towns and cities in the developing world where resources are limited, people are vulnerable and needs are particularly great. The prevailing state of emergency challenges thoughtful and sustainable planning and construction. Yet it is possible, in theory and in practice, to construct them in a way that provides a sustainable environment and improved conditions for current and future generations. Rebuilding After Disasters emphasizes the role of the built environment in the re-establishment of lives and sustainable livelihoods after disasters. Expert contributors explain the principal challenges facing professionals and practitioners in the building industry. This book will be of great value to decision makers, students and researchers in the fields of architecture, social sciences, engineering, planning, geography, and disaster recovery.

This book relates circular economy principles to housing design and construction and highlights how those principles can result in both monetary savings, positive environmental impact, and socio-ecological change. Chapters focus on three key circular economy principles and apply them to architectural construction and design, namely rethinking of the end-of-use phase of a building and the potential of design-for-disassembly; the role of digitization and data standardization in fostering evidence-based circular economy design decision-making; and presenting space as a resource to conserve, via exploration of the sharing economy and flexibility principles. Beyond waste management and material cycles, this book provides a holistic understanding of the opportunities across the building life cycle that can allow for sustainable and affordable circular housing. With case studies from 13 different countries, including but not limited to the Hammarby Sjöstad district in Sweden, the Circle House in Denmark, Benny Farm in Canada, VMD Prefabricated House in Mexico, and the Deep Performance Dwelling in China, authors pair theoretical frameworks with real-world examples. This will be a useful resource for upper-level students and academics of architecture, construction, and planning, especially those studying and researching housing design, building technology, green project management, and environmental design.

Written by experts using case studies of latest practice, Sustainable Housing brings new perspectives on residential sustainability and is based upon the 'Housing and Sustainability' conference at the RIBA in 1998.