3 comments about Pocket Guide to the ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities, Revised Edition.

1. The Table of Contents of this book is nearly indentical to the "Code of Federal Regulations" issued by the Justice Department and provided free of charge to anyone who asks for it. But at roughly 6x9 inches, it doesn't fit in my pocket. So if the pocket thing is important to you, I highly recommend this book!



2. This little book is easy to carry around and contains all of the ADAAG info you could ever need! I've been using mine for 2 years and would be lost without it! Thomas Schmokel - ADA Consultant



3. Are you tired of tracking down the office copy of the ADA standards? Is the only copy within the workstation of King Tornado? Get your hands on this little number. Keep it by you at all times. I have used this reference guide for two years now and it has saved me a lot of time. This is a very easy to use condensed version of the state issued ADA guide. It is accurate and reliable and it does not have to go back to the office library. And don't let the words "pocket guide" scare you off, this is not a brochure, it is a book. It's just smaller and smarter, not to mention lighter than the stardard issue. So get a grip on ADA, pocket size.

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No comments about Building Design & Construction Systems: ARE Sample Problems and Practice Exam (Architect Registration Exam).

5 comments about Understanding Buildings: A Multidisciplinary Approach.

1. This text is a great introduction to the world of building systems. It spells out in easliy understandable terminology the basics of many systems with great little sketches to boot. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about how buildings work and are constructed.



2. I am a fan of architecture with little technical background. I was drawn to this book because I wanted to increase my understanding of architecture by learning how the mechanical systems within buildings work. I began this endeavor with E. Allen's "How Buildings Work: The Natural Order of Architecture", perhaps the best introduction to the subject. Having enjoyed that book, I wanted to get to the next level of complexity.
   
   Esmond Reid's "Understanding Buildings" is an intermediate level book. The writing is at college freshman level and was easy to understand for a reader with no engineering or other technical background. The many line drawings helped immeasurably in getting across basic points.
   
   For the true beginner, I would recommend E. Allen's book. If you like that work, "Understanding Buildings" is an exciting progression in beginning to understand how the buildings we interact with on a daily basis work. Highly recommended.



3. This book was written mainly for aspiring architects and civil engineers, and covers almost all types of building systems thoroughly. It is very detailed and has separate chapters for important topics such as structure, climate services, lighting, acoustics, fire safety, etc. Although the author largely stays away from mathematics, he is always clear and concise in dealing even with complex analytical problems. As an example I would give his excellent treatment of two and three-hinged portals, and the fascinating parallels he draws between the engineering ideal of arches and the different types of portals. He covers all major construction techniques from timber platform frame construction (generally of houses), to more complex forms such as the hyperbolic paraboloid (opposed double curvature), and the esoteric "hyperboloid of revolution", the opposed double curvature architecture (almost always in concrete) common in power station cooling towers.

   His writing on accessory systems such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and fire detection and prevention are both introductory and comprehensive. In all areas from structure to systems he is careful to explain real-world rationale in an approachable format that is both thorough and easy to understand.

   This book is wonderful. It should be read by every student in engineering or architecture school (the section in chapter one on stresses is of enormous value to technical students), and I would further recommend it to practicing professionals as an excellent conceptual 'refresher course' of real world building systems wisdom. This is an excellent book.




4. This book was written mainly for aspiring architects and civil engineers, and covers almost all types of building systems thoroughly. It is very detailed and has separate chapters for important topics such as structure, climate services, lighting, acoustics, fire safety, etc. Although the author largely stays away from mathematics, he is always clear and concise in dealing even with complex analytical problems. As an example I would give his excellent treatment of two and three-hinged portals, and the fascinating parallels he draws between the engineering ideal of arches and the different types of portals. He covers all major construction techniques from timber platform frame construction (generally of houses), to more complex forms such as the hyperbolic paraboloid (opposed double curvature), and the esoteric "hyperboloid of revolution", the opposed double curvature architecture (almost always in concrete) common in power station cooling towers.

   His writing on accessory systems such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and fire detection and prevention are both introductory and comprehensive. In all areas from structure to systems he is careful to explain real-world rationale in an approachable format that is both thorough and easy to understand.

   This book is wonderful. It should be read by every student in engineering or architecture school (the section in chapter one on stresses is of enormous value to technical students), and I would further recommend it to practicing professionals as an excellent conceptual 'refresher course' of real world building systems wisdom. This is an excellent book.




5. It's rare to find an architect who can explain things in such a conversational way. The underlying principles are always laid out, first for a small building and then for a large one, to show the effects of changing scale. For example as the surface area to volume ratio changes, so do heating and cooling demands. And for me it was educational to see the British way of building houses: floor joists over concrete slabs, or brick basements. I learned the dew point drops gradually toward the exterior inside porous materials, and 15 deg east of south is the optimum solar orientation in the Northern hemisphere. And the slogan of the man who invented the revolving door ("It's always closed.")
   The second half of the book covers building services--heating, plumbing etc.--concisely, and it becomes apparent the author has plenty of real world experience and is no mere academic. Lighting, acoustics and fire safety finish the book. Even at 20 years old, still educational.

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1 comments about Structural Design: A Practical Guide for Architects.

1. i'm an architecture student...n taking structures for one of my classes, i found this book immensely helpful, especially, when the teacher's not that great!!!!!!

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