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The New Autonomous House: Design and Planning for Sustainability
"I've seen many books on this subject, but none so well documented and honest."― Whole Earth In 1975 Brenda and Robert Vale published The Autonomous House , a manifesto offering down-to-earth suggestions for building homes that do not pollute the earth or squander its resources. Their book received tremendous praise around the world and was seen as a significant move toward green architecture. Nearly twenty years later, in the early 1990s, the Vales decided to turn their groundbreaking ideas into reality.
The New Autonomous House records their building of a house on the principles of sustainable resources in the small town of Southwell in the British Midlands. As specialists in green architecture, the Vales sought to create an environmentally friendly four-bedroom house that was neither exotic in appearance nor difficult to maintain. They document the philosophy, design, and construction of a building that can produce power from the sun and obtain drinking water from the rain.
The New Autonomous House has a simple but revolutionary message: It is possible to live in an inexpensive house that is kind to the planet and liberates its owner from utility bills. The Vales provide a thought-provoking, practical solution to the environmental problems caused by the houses in which we live, a blueprint of green architecture for future generations. 37 black-and-white drawings
The New Autonomous House records their building of a house on the principles of sustainable resources in the small town of Southwell in the British Midlands. As specialists in green architecture, the Vales sought to create an environmentally friendly four-bedroom house that was neither exotic in appearance nor difficult to maintain. They document the philosophy, design, and construction of a building that can produce power from the sun and obtain drinking water from the rain.
The New Autonomous House has a simple but revolutionary message: It is possible to live in an inexpensive house that is kind to the planet and liberates its owner from utility bills. The Vales provide a thought-provoking, practical solution to the environmental problems caused by the houses in which we live, a blueprint of green architecture for future generations. 37 black-and-white drawings
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 8, 2015
Anything that deals with the ability of man to be autonomous is a great interested for me, especially your own house. Now that I am building my house I got a lot of ideas from this book and also applied a lot of its concept in the building of my own house. My house maybe not is autonomous as the one in the book but I made all the necessary provisions at some time in the future to become autonomous.
A wonderful book covers the entire subject and it’s like a bible for me for the specific subject.
A wonderful book covers the entire subject and it’s like a bible for me for the specific subject.
January 15, 2009
I like this book because it shows that an energy efficient house need not be unduly expensive or oddball. It focuses on the various options considered and the criteria used to choose between them, as well as basic design issues. I really like how they keep a good perspective on the real cost of each option, too.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews