Book List #4

Books About Green Construction

Birkeland, Janis. Design for Sustainability: A Sourcebook of Integrated Eco-Logical Solutions. London: Earthscan, 2009. Print.

Costa, Duran S. Eco House: Practical Ideas for a Greener, Healthier Dwelling. Richmond Hill, Ont: Firefly Books, 2010. Print.

Comprehensive resource on ecological health in the home and how to achieve it. Called the "new architecture for the new world," sustainable building is firmly established as an important influence on residential design. Eco House is a complete guide to the structural features and interior and exterior elements that make a house healthy for its residents and for Earth. From solar roofs to sinks that flush the toilet by recycling their gray water, there are any number of options, expensive and inexpensive, that can turn a home into an "eco-house. "The book covers all of the essentials of sound bioclimatic design: Structures that works with sun and wind directions Optimum ventilation and heat recovery Green roof insulation and cooling Solar heating Geothermal heating and cooling Radiant heating Pellet-fuel heating and ventilation Photoelectric power Turbine wind power Rainwater-cistern and gray-water plumbing.  This practical reference also takes readers on a room-by-room tour of hundreds of eco-friendly lifestyle options, including how to clean with chemical-free products.  Homeowners can make one change or plan an entire refit to take their house off the grid -- nothing is too little. In addition to the well-known measures, such as straw bales and solar panels, Eco House describes the many newer options available, providing photographs and illustrations as well as a directory of manufacturers. These include thermal and acoustic bricks, living walls, vegetable-fiber insulation and solar-sourced indoor lighting.  This is a fascinating volume packed with descriptive photographs and the most current expert information.

Galloway, Terry R. Solar House: A Guide for the Solar Designer. Jordan Hill, Oxford: Architectural Press, 2007. Print.

Synopsis: Covering the full life span of the project, from siting issues through specific design features to maintenance of the property and equipment, this is a comprehensive guide to designing, planning and building a solar house. The author uses his experience of living in a solar house to inform the reader of the technology and practices needed for the design, operation and maintenance of the solar home. Each of the technologies of the house, such as space heating and cooling, domestic hot water and electric power technologies, are critiqued from the point of view of the owner/resident, with the author using his thirty years experience of living in a solar home. This provides homeowners who are thinking of going solar with first hand evidence of best practice, and provides the architect and designer with the knowledge of how to best satisfy their clients needs.* Provides essential information for the solar designer and contractor * Gives an insight into the authors experience of living in a solar house to advise on best practice * Informs about the latest technology and methods for maintenance of the solar home.

Gevorkian, Peter. Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

This GreenSource book is a comprehensive design reference for architects, providing pragmatic, hands-on design and installation guidelines alternative energy systems technologies.

Gottfried, David. Greed to Green: The Transformation of an Industry and a Life. Berkeley, CA: WorldBuild Publishing, 2004. Print.

Imhoff, Dan. Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood. Healdsburg, Calif: Watershed Media, 2001.

Johnston, David, and Scott Gibson. Green from the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy-Efficient Home Construction : a Builder's Guide. Newtown (CT: Taunton Press, 2008. Print.

A reference on green, sustainable and energy-efficient home construction. Starting with explanations of the concepts and fundamentals of green, healthy and energy-efficient construction, it takes readers through the construction process, offering expert advice at various decision points.

Owen, David. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are Keys to Sustainability. New York: Riverhead Books, 2009. Print.

Upending the environmentalist viewpoint that urban areas are "anti-green," New Yorker staff writer David Owen argues that sustainability is achieved in areas like New York City, while open space, backyard compost heaps, locavorism and high-tech gadgetry like solar panels and triple-paned windows are formulas for wasteful sprawl and green-washed consumerism.

Hemenway, Toby. Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. White River Junction, Vt: Chelsea Green Pub, 2009. Print.

Whatever size yard or garden you have to work with, you can apply basic permaculture principles to make it more diverse, more natural, more productive, and more beautiful. Best of all, once it’s established, an ecological garden will reduce or eliminate most of the backbreaking work that’s needed to maintain the typical lawn and garden.

Lancaster, Brad, and Joe Marshall. Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond: Volume 1. Tucson, Ariz: Rainsource Press, 2009. Print.

Lancaster, Brad, and Joe Marshall. Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond: Volume 2. Tucson, Ariz: Rainsource Press, 2010. Print.

"Earthworks are one of the easiest, least expensive, and most effective ways of passively harvesting and conserving multiple sources of water in the soil. Associated vegetation then pumps the harvested water back out in the form of beauty, food, shelter, wildlife habitat, and passive heating and cooling strategies, while controlling erosion, increasing soil fertility, reducing downstream flooding, and improving water and air quality.  Building on the information presented in Volume 1, this book shows you how to select, place, size, construct, and plant your chosen water-harvesting earthworks. It presents detailed how-to information and variations of a diverse array of earthworks, including chapters on mulch, vegetation, and greywater recycling so you can customize the techniques to the unique requirements of your site."--Publisher's website

Long, Charles K. The Stonebuilder's Primer: A Step-by-Step Guide for Owner-Builders. Willowdale: Firefly Books, 2006. Print.

Ludwig, Art. Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers and Ponds: for Domestic Supply, Fire, and Emergency Use. Santa Barbara, CA: Oasis Design, 2009. Print.

"Describes how to store water for home, farm, and small communities."--P. ii.

Snell, Clarke, and Tim Callahan. Building Green: A Complete How-to Guide to Alternate Building Methods: Earth Plaster, Straw Bale, Cordwood, Cob, Living Roofs. New York: Lark Books, 2009. Print.

"An alternative, or green, home is built with an understanding of how the specific site can match the needs of the owners and result in a dwelling that is attractive and environmentally responsible. With lively and detailed writing, plus more than 1,200 how-to photos, this bestselling book takes you through the construction of a small building that incorporates a wide spectrum of alternative techniques and materials. Now available in a new edition, you'll find a revised introduction that places the book within the context of the green building field, touches upon its success, and provides a link to extensive online resources collected and updated by the authors. Here is the perfect guide to creating your own thoughtfully planned and designed green home"--Cover, p. 4.

Stang, Alanna, and Christopher Hawthorne. The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2010. Print

Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne have traveled to the farthest reaches of the globe to find all that is new in the design of sustainable or "green" homes. The result: more than thirty-five residences in fifteen countries - and nearly every conceivable natural environment - designed by a combination of star architects and new practitioners.

Weismann, Adam, and Katy Bryce. Using Natural Finishes: Lime- & Earth-Based Plasters, Renders & Paints : a Step-by-Step Guide. Totnes: Green, 2008. Print.

Provides step-by-step instructions for applying natural finishes, including plasters, renders, and paints.

Yudelson, Jerry. The Green Building Revolution. Washington: Island Press, 2008. Print.

"The Green Building Revolution introduces readers to the basics of green building and to the projects and people that are advancing this movement. It shows readers why and how to start thinking about designing, building, and operating high-performance, environmentally aware (primarily LEED-certified) buildings on conventional budgets."--Jacket.