1 comments about Transmaterial 2: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine Our Physical Environment.

1. Cannot recommend this book highly enough - it does a great job of finding cool, interesting, ground breaking materials and then providing information on how to source them. A must-have reference for any designer, interior designer or architect who prides themselves on staying abreast of cutting-edge materials. (And since materials are the palette of the designer this book will go a long way to keeping you on the leading edge of design as well.) Not to be missed.

5 comments about Transmaterial: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine our Physical Environment.

1. I bought this book long time ago and it proved to be a great choice. Whenever I need an unusual and/or sustainable material I go back to this book!



2. Wish that there was more information on some of these pages. You see an interesting material and you get an address. And little else. Perhaps some inkling of the cost would be useful. Or add another little picture? Not sure what the best use of the space is, but blank areas are probably not it.
   
   Still, the materials in here are a revelation. Perfect for any architect and for many artists.



3. The subtitle of this book is "A Catalog of Materials That Redefine Our Physical Environment" and a catalog it is, albeit a very interesting one. The book is divided into 10 sections: Concrete, Mineral, Metal, Wood, Plastic-Rubber, Glass, Paint/Paper, Fabric, Light, and Digital, and each product's entry contains a brief description that reads like a press release. There is some basic information such as applications, sizes, etc., and contact information which includes websites.
   
   The introduction describes seven "trends" which may apply to a given product. Some of the trends are self-explanatory (i.e. "ultraperforming" and "repurposed"), while others are less familiar (i.e. "transformational", and "interfacial").
   
   I enjoyed the photos and the fact that every time I pick up the book, I learn something new. I do wish, though, that the photos were much bigger; there is but a single band, approximately 2" x 6" , reserved for the products' photos. A few manufacturers split the space in two; most squeeze in 3 or even 4 pictures, which is impossibly small and left me yearing for a larger format for the pix.
   
   Overall, I found this to be a worthy reference, providing a terrific review of up-to-the-minute materials and technology.



4. Great Book, I love it, has contact info for all the products, great photos, gave me a lot of new ideas as well.



5. I have already used this book as a reference in a few of my studio projects for school....I am a junior architecture student at Woodbury University. I look forward to buying other Transmaterial books in the series.

5 comments about Materials for Design.

1. It is really a nice book. The definitions for each material are clearly represented. The case studies are up to date. I like the demonstration of all of the details.



2. I highly recommend this book. I am an architecture student, and I have found this book to be interesting, useful, and full of great projects. The book does a nice job of talking about the history, uses, strengths, and weaknesses of building materials. The book is organized by material with building projects that utilize those particular materials in an innovating and interesting way. The photos are great and the detail drawings are very nice to see as well.



3. I absolutely agree with the two previous reviews-- it is a seamless combination of technical info and aesthetics. The book was recommended in my Masters of Architecture program by the Construction-I professor and since then it has been circulating widely in the design studios. It is a great resource for material detailing AND design inspiration. Wa-hoo-wa, Victoria Bell, great job.



4. Architecture is an interesting mix of enginnering and art. All too often one of these is emphasized too much at the expense of the other. If too much art is emphasized, it is easy to design structures that cannot be built with the materials being specified.
   
   This book is an attempt to bring the two together. It is broken down into five sections: Glass, concrete, wood, metals, and Plastics. In each category there is some description of the material itself, its history, and some generalized design characteristics. Then there is a set of descriptions of buildings built using that material. Each building is deacribed in some detail, photographed from several views and in most cases contain some line drawings of particular points of construction being used.
   
   Obviously this is an idea book that can be used in the early phase of design when the broad concepts are being discussed. The designs in the book stretche the normal thoughts in design with the particualr materials. It is far more interesting than most as it also stretches shat can be done with these materials.



5. If you've seen beautiful design and wanted to know how it was actually made, this is the book to show you. The case studies are the best of recent work and each has clear concepts, many color shots and ALSO clear construction drawings and details which are impossible to find. Some books only tease with images but not explanations, and technical manuals miss the beauty of design altogether. This book brings the two together. I don't know why this approach was not taken before, but it's what I've been looking for.

2 comments about Land Developer's Checklists and Forms.

1. Although this book gives good examples and PDF downloadable forms I found it somewhat lacking. An explanation of pertinent forms would be beneficial. If you're looking for good examples this book gives you that, but expect to consult an attorney and other industry specialists for your real-world application.



2. Very good format. The organization and format will help to build confidence for new developers. The author breaks down potentially complex issues into manageable chunks of information. The step by step format provides a great resource for real estate professionals thinking to undertake into land development.

5 comments about Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies, 2nd Edition.

1. This is one of the best books I've seen that address building architectural design considerations that affect heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. It presents tidbits from real designs, focuses on maximizing the effects of the local climate on the building toward the objective of a comfortable and usable living/working space, and addresses supplemental systems as well. This information presumes a level of knowledge relating to some of these concepts that I don't currently have, making it a pretty hard read in many places. However, the book digs pretty deep into each area, providing enough information to get a good start on a building design. The fusion of engineering and creativity is my favorite feature of this book. It provides insight into creative building designs while also presenting the more quantitative factors necessary to size and evaluate a design for intended use.



2. I thought the book itself was really interesting although a little confusing. Especially when I actually had to use it for class assignments!



3. Although I normally read books in twos and threes on the same topic to gain varied perspectives, this is the first time I am writing a single review encompassing two books. They mesh together so well that I cannot imagine studying this subject without having BOTH in hand.
   
   The two books are Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies, 2nd Edition and The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design.
   
   Start with the introduction in the Guidebook, which is blessed with a Foreword from Paul Hawken and see especially page 13 where the cost benefits are shown, with 48% energy savings for Gold, 30% for Silver, and 28% for Certified. See also the illustration on page 15 that I have reproduced in the image I am loading for both books: the old decision model was Cost at the top, with Schedule and Quality anchoring the triangle. the new decision model still has cost at the top, but Schedule and Human Health, Safety, & Comfort are on corners of this new pentagon, and the bottom is achored by Quality and Ecology, or what Paul Hawken would call in his books, "true cost" to the Earth and Humanitas.
   
   NOW shift to the Contents and the Detailed Contents of Sun, Wind, & Light. As one reviewer notes, this is a course book. I did not recognize it as such, I saw it as one of the most gifted complete collection of factors to learn and apply that I have ever seen for ANY topic of study. The content and organization of this book is nothing short of Nobel-level "wow." Finish going through this book.
   
   NOW go back to the first 218 pages of the Handbook, and study the checklists and varied helpful boxes and explanations. The rest of the book (217-459) is case studies of specific buildings, each a few pages, that can be left for last.
   
   At this point, I went into the Glossaries and Bibliographies of both books. Each is distinct, neither supplants the other. They must be taken together. I read Glossaries, and Indices, as content, and use them as a form of "second look" (in extremely complex books, this is actually where I start).
   
   NOW go back to the Case Studies in the Handbook, and read each from the point of view of what "take away" lessons are there for your own building.
   
   Reading these two books was a real treat. Outside my office kitchen is a deck with an 11 point system for attracting birds from bluebirds and bluejays to cardinals, gold finches, two kinds of woodpecker, and a flicker as well as the more common birds. I believe in diversity, and I believe that if we don't get our act together and start living up to the ideals of Natural Capitalism (see other recommended books below), our world will go sterile and dark before out great-grandchilden can share in the beauty of this planet. These two books are part of the solution, and I am in serious awe of those who made them available to all of us, and at reasonable prices to boot. Well done!!!
   
   Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
   Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
   The Ecology of Commerce
   Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications
   For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future
   The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
   Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons (Bk Currents)
   The Philosophy of Sustainable Design



4. So instead of getting a manual on how to design a building to maximize sun, wind, and light, what I got was a lengthy math book on how to quantitatively analyze the sun, light and wind in existing conditions.... There are some nuggets of good info but I don't see myself getting very much out of the book in general.



5. These guys need a third author (or good editor) who knows how to present ideas clearly, directly and in an intuivive manner. This information is dense enough without unnecessarily dense language which makes the material more difficult to use.

5 comments about More Straw Bale Building: A Complete Guide to Designing and Building with Straw (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series).

1. I was very impressed with the level of detail and thoroughness in how the authors explained about building with straw bales, the details, etc. If you are considering alternative building materials with an eye on energy conservation and reducing your "footprint" on the planet, this is a must for your library and to use while planning your home design.



2. This was a pretty good book. But, I must admit, I am waiting for one book that says it ALL!! I haven't found that book yet.



3. A VERY HIGH QUALITY INFORMATIVE PUBLICATION. ANYONE INTERESTED IN STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION SHOULD HAVE A COPY.



4. I received my item quickly and in good condition. Very satisfied.



5. I have been reading up on SB construction for quite some time now and this is by far the best book yet. It is a nice blend of the glossy pics that are nice and the technical info that we need. It is also nice to see Tina taking a bit of credit for a change. Congrats folks you have another great book out there.
   
   Nick

3 comments about The Barefoot Architect.

1. This is the first English translation of The Barefoot Architect (TBA), which was originally written in Spanish in Mexico in 1982. Obviously written with a Third-World audience in mind, TBA nevertheless has a multitude of useful ideas that could be incorporated into North American buildings. At first glance this handbook's 697 pages are intimidating, but fear not - this tome is extremely user-friendly, as it employs only simple drawings and brief text to convey a wealth of handy ideas for laymen/owner builders and professional contractors alike. The only exception to that last statement is that TBA has a rather skimpy index.
   
   TBA starts off with a thoughtful design overview which shows how to situate your house, say, to take advantage of the prevailing winds, solar orientation, terrain, and vegetation on your building site. Subsequent chapters cover considerations and methods for building in deserts, jungles, and temperate zones. Granted, not many Norte Americanos will want to build their homes with bamboo, thatch or handmade adobe bricks, but there are plenty of examples of materials and construction techniques that I wouldn't hesitate to use where I live in Northwest Wyoming.
   
   The use of modern insulating, siding, and roofing materials that would be familiar and available to Americans is little discussed. Remember that the primary audience for this handbook resides not in North America/First World, but in the southern hemisphere, where most citizens don't have our economic wherewithal. I would not use a lot of TBA's suggestions in the building of my primary residence, but for outbuildings, walls, gardens, get-away cabins, etc., I would use this book in a heartbeat for my construction bible. Thoreau would have loved it. Perhaps in a post-peak oil world, TBA will become a must-have resource for those of us who have to live more simply and take advantage of the building materials close at hand. Most discussions in TBA readily stimulate one to think of practical uses for the natural resources that surround us all.



2. After my wife and I had finished writing The Straw Bale House and were beginning work in Mexico on a number of projects, we came across this book during our travels. We loved it so much we set out trying to find out where we could get more copies. The search took us to a bookstore in Mexico City where we bought several cases to bring back to the States. They were so popular with friends that we gave away/sold all of them in almost no time at all. It's just a marvelous little book with simple but very clear illustrations. Quite truthfully I'm totally amazed that Lloyd Khan the publisher came across this book and decided to print it in English. But then again, that's what makes Lloyd the entertaining publisher that he is.



3. I'm in the process of re-building the kitchen, bathroom, foundation and an addition to our home. Picking up this book to peruse made my imagination wander and provided tremendous insight into not only how to go about these significant changes but also provided new ways based upon sensible and older techniques. There are so many ideas, drawings and explanations that even if you thought you had everything at hand and knew just what you were going to do, this could very much make your work better. I very much recommend this thick and interesting book.

5 comments about Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down.

1. I'm a starting-out engineer with a degree in aerospace. This is the sort of book that I would've "wanted" to read while in school. I personally haven't had chance to use 90% of what I've learned in school. But this book has opened my eyes to the root of what we do as engineers. Not something that'll get you a better grade in school. Instead, it will motivate you to really learn the most basic and important thing in engineering and to realize how important and crucial what we do at work are. 100% recommended for all my fellow engineering geeks out there!



2. The author, who worked as an aeronautical engineer during the war, was fond of asking his colleages "but shouldn't we put feathers on the wings". That his answer effected an instrument design of my own is strange enough, but it's his persistence in asking such a question well into middle age that is perhaps of higher value. It illustrates the childlike joy that marks the pleasures of engineering. In another example, a drawing of a wing feather showing the quill not centered but close to the leading edge provides a vivid punchline to the story of the development of the mono-plane. How putting struts in the center of their wings made them twist off when pulling out of a dive - resulting in the deaths of many Fokker pilots. He deepens our understanding of shear stresses through examples of form-fitting cocktail dresses made of fabrics cut 'on the bias' - heightening my appreciation both for the human form and Poisson's Ratio. That a book on structural enginnering was a pleasure to read was a surprise. That it was un-put-downable boggles the mind. He enables what we most hope for and least expect from a book: to see the world afresh.



3. I must confess I had a terrible time in the U making my degree in mechanical engineering.. stregth of materials almost made me mad.
   
   But as Twain said it, I have not let my schooling interfere with my education... and this are the books that educate.. for education can only be self-education... this is what I was after in the U and I never received it!!!
   
   I go futher with this assertion, the progress of the US (and some other advanced nations) above all the rest lies in the fact that popularizations of science and technology are readibly accesible to everyone (for all of those who want to use it, of course).. if anyone ever doubts the positive effects of globalization and the internet, I can testify that ever since I can use Amazon I can tap into the resources of knowledge previously denied by geographical barriers and help the system that produces this books.
   
   Getting back to the book, no matter what your schooling is, if you are into design and need to know about structures you cannot go wrong with this wonderful book.



4. I'M PROBABLY THE ODD MAN OUT ON THIS ONE BUT I HAD TROUBLE WADING THROUGH THIS BOOK..IN FACT I THOUGHT THE WRITING STYLE WAS GROPING AND STUMBLING AT BEST. WRITING ABOUT STRUCTURES IN SIMLPE TERMS IS A TOUGH TASK INDEED AND I'M NOT SURE GORDON HAS SUCEEDED HERE. I FOUND THE BOOK TO BE A REAL "YAWNER".
   
   FOR MY MONEY I WOULD BUY SALVADORI'S BOOKS OVER THIS. SALVADORI HAS A KNACK FOR MAKING THE SUBJECT TRULY GRIPPING READING. HIS BOOKS HAVE A MUCH MORE PRACTICAL BENT, AND IMHO THEY ARE WRITTEN MUCH BETTER, NOT TO MENTION THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE TOP GRADE. TRY STRUCTURE IN ARCHITECTURE OR WHY BUILDINGS STAND UP.
   
   THE 2 STARS ARE FOR GORDON'S DISCUSSION OF STRESS AND STRAIN, THE BEST PART OF THE BOOK FOR ME.



5. The book is indeed good for the layman (I would even say very good), but it lacks rigour and this makes it less usable for professional purposes...
   The author wants to avoid as much math as possible but as a consequence, some explanations contain gaps.
   This book can be seen as an extra to more professional books, everybody will definitely learn something from it and it reads very well...But if you want to have a rigorous understanding of structures, you should buy another book ...

2 comments about Building with Earth: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture.

1. The Hand-Sculpted House: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage (The Real Goods Solar Living Book)
   This is a great book..artistic and creative as well as practical. Lots of hands on information



2. This Gernot Mink's book is a great purchase. Its a practical technician book, with all needed information about buinding with loan, clavey soil, prefabricated panels, etc.. I think it is designed to builders and architects, but it is very easy to understand and can be read by everyone.

5 comments about Commercial Metal Stud Framing.

1. I am a practicing structural engineer. I have designed many light gage frames and seen them built in countless time. I have used custom structural details or typical details from SSMA. This book is a good reference book which summarizes what really happens out in the field. I remember when I came out of school as a green engineer, I sometime received comments like "your detail does not work", "it's always different in reality than what you draw in office". I wished there is a book out there to show me what the installer was thinking and how the frames were put together in reality. I finally found this book after several years. It shows, in step by step, how to install load bearing/non-load bearing stud walls, soffit, headers, interior partition walls w/ defl. tracks, etc. A lot of pictures to illustrate the installation procedures and contractor terms, such as 'dog ear', 'shoe cut', etc.
   
   I have to admit that there are some structural terms in the book that were incorrect, such as it refers precast-prestressed double T system as "truss system" as page 16; but overall, the book was well written in simple and clear format. Certainly, this book is not intended to teach you how to design light gage framing. So, if you are looking for a book to show you the formulas or engineering mechanics of light gage design, this is not the book for you.
   
   I recommend this book to all practicing structural engineers who desires to know every detail of how light gage framing get built in reality, especially those that you draw in your drawings, and typical details that you have seen for thousands of time.



2. This is a great beginner book for anyone wishing to get into metal framing. It covers all your basic cuts as well as the basic methods for leveling, plumbing and squaring. This book tells you how to build various walls, soffits, chases as well as introduce one to various headers and layout techniques. I used this book to educate myself on metal framing but discovered quickly, that when you do it in the field, it is not always as easy as it may seem in the book. Having said that, if you understand plumb, level and square then you can probably adapt to just about anything in the field with the techniques shown in the book.



3. I was looking for a book to help me complete an architectural drawing for office partition wall framing with metal studs. I found this book is not written for readers who want to find details in architectural drafting and design of metal stud framing in order to comply with commercial building codes.



4. The author admits he wrote this book to assist with classroom teaching. As an additional explanation to a teacher explaining it, the book would be great. The problem is his explanations are hard to follow and the picture angles and lighting make it hard to see many of the details he refers to. I ended up skimming the book for good basic ideas. He obviously is very knowledgable in the field.



5. I am a general contractor that needed good and reliable information on metal framing. This book is well worth the money and has allowed me teach in house crews how to properly work with metal framing components. This book shows a variety of procedures and a lot of "tricks" of the trade. I can honestly say that this book will take you from zero knowledge to actually being able to frame a decent size job starting with proper layout and moving onto framing around obstacles and a variety of different things like headering doors and windows, framing soffits, framing for suspended drywall ceilings, furred walls, interior and exterior walls, etc.
   
   This book has saved me hours of time right after I read it and started applying the information. My crews can cost me over $100/hr when they stand around trying to figure out something or have to redo work. Having them read this book before a job has saved hundreds of dollars and has produced a much better end product than we have had in the past.
   
   If you are new to metal stud framing, you need this book.