Building

This comprehensive reference provides practical guidance for any homeowner who wants to create a more attractive yard.
Written by landscaping experts, it provides time-tested, easy-to-follow instructions for designing and shaping an effective landscape plan. Whether renovating an existing landscape or completely starti... read more

Until recently New Zealanders thought of prefabs as drab, cheap, temporary, poorly designed school classrooms. Prefab houses tended to be thought of as cheap, small, relocatable, standard homes. However, today's prefab home is design rich, high-quality and readily customised to individual sites and needs. It is likely to be s... read more

Everything you always wanted to know about walls. If you're interested in beautiful walls that make a difference in a landscape - a wall that really is an artful statement in and of itself, then this is the book for you.

Fundamental elements of garden and landscape architecture, walls define borders, create sp... read more

In the five years since the release of the international publishing success Treehouses of the World, the community of treehouse builders has grown considerably and many more - and more intriguingly innovative - treehouses have been built around the world, from North America to Asia and many points in-between. As world-changin... read more

Cars are frequently an expression of their owners' personalities and the wealth of examples included here along with their owners' stories are testament to the importance many of us attach to safeguarding this personal space while making it our public face. MY COOL CLASSIC CAR features approximately 42 vehicles from around th... read more

Old House Eco Handbook is a companion volume to the authors' highly successful Old House Handbook, published in association with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). It seeks to answer the questions homeowners and others are asking about how to make old houses - medieval and timberframed, Georgian, Vict... read more

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More and more people are discovering the benefits of building with earth. With improved techniques we need no longer fear buildings crumbling away in rain or earthquakes. These are buildings that will last many lifetimes, that provide an even temperature in summer and winter, and excellent soundproofing. Passion for Earth r... read more

This book is the first comprehensive guide to all the tools, tricks and techniques for building with bags filled with earth - earthbags. Introduced to sandbag construction by the renowned Nader Khalili in 1993, the authors have developed this 'Flexible Form Rammed Earth Technique' over the last decade. A reliable method fo... read more

From eco-friendly sheetrock to sustainable paint finishes, the green building movement is gaining momentum but with new products being introduced routinely, it is hard for architects or designers to know what is best for their projects. A companion to Understanding Green Building Guidelines (ISBN 9780393732634), this primer s... read more

Building a green home or redesigning an existing home to be green is more than energy efficiency and preservation of natural resources. It is about integrating cost-effective design and materials to better the well being of inhabitants.

All the power you need is already there.
 
This third edition helps readers understand the basics of solar (photovoltaic) power and explore whether it makes sense for them, what their options are, and what's involved with installing various on- and off-grid systems.
Solar power is a $3 billion industry,... read more

Energy bills have skyrocketed in North America, and traditional energy sources can be as damaging to the environment as they are to your pocketbook. The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy will show you how to slash your home energy costs while dramatically reducing your carbon footprint. Completely revised and upda... read more

New, practical paperback edition of the landmark design manifesto from the UK's favourite design guru. In this inspirational yet also practical paperback Kevin explores all areas of domestic living, from materialism to sustainability, craftsmanship to comfort. Kevin's beautifully written text brings insight and understanding ... read more

This book is a treasure trove of guidance and wisdom, advice based on years of practical and personal experience. It is a comprehensive guide to building your own wood-fired oven. It offers a brief history of wood-fired ovens, basic design considerations, and a guide to starting your wood fired oven project. Appendices cover ... read more

The most detailed, most current and most complete deck-building book on the market. It reflects the latest changes in building codes and it features deck-building materials that are popular today. The additional two signatures (32 pages) contain all new deck plans with complete plan drawings, and the DVD will show real time c... read more

Sustainable architecture is gaining in popularity as people develop an ever-greater commitment to preserving the Earth s resources. This practical new guide contains an illustrated reference section covering all aspects of sustainable building and decoration, from insulation to solar panels and from light bulbs to kitchen cou... read more

Advances in solar technology have made many DIY-friendly products available to consumers, several of which will be hitting the market for the first time in 2011. These include solar water heaters, solar battery charging stations, solar powered lights, photovoltaic shingles that provide supplementary electricity, solar heat pu... read more

Architecture, good and bad, is shaped by emotions.
In Why We Build Rowan Moore shows how buildings are driven by human emotions and desires -- such as hope, power, money, sex, and the idea of home -- and how buildings then shape our experiences. He explores the making of buildings from conception to inhabitation, and re... read more

The new edition of this successful book is a detailed description and evaluation of earthships in Europe. Its main purpose is to judge whether the translation of earthships - an American architectural concept pioneered in the New Mexico desert - to a European setting has been successful. The book includes case studies of peop... read more