How Buildings Work: The Natural Order of Architecture

by Edward Allen, David Swoboda (Illustrator)

Illustrated with hundreds of illuminating line drawings, this classic guide reveals virtually every secret of a building's how it stands up, keeps its occupants safe and comfortable, gets built, grows old, and dies--and why some buildings do this so much better than others. Drawing on things he's learned from the many buildings he himself designed (and in some cases built with his own hands), Edward Allen explains complex phenomena such as the role of the sun in heating buildings and the range of structural devices that are used for support, from trusses and bearing walls to post-tensioned concrete beams and corbeled vaults. He stresses the importance of intelligent design in dealing with such problems as overheating and overcooling, excessive energy use, leaky roofs and windows, fire safety, and noisy interiors. He serves up some thermal insulation is generally a better investment than solar collectors; board fences are not effective noise barriers; there's one type of window that can be left open during a rainstorm. The new edition emphasizes "green" architecture and eco-conscious design and construction. It features a prologue on sustainable construction, and includes new information on topics such as the collapse of the World Trade Center, sick building syndrome, and EIFS failures and how they could have been prevented. Allen also highlights the array of amazing new building materials now available, such as self-cleaning glass, photovoltaics, transparent ceramics, cloud gel, and super-high-strength concrete and structural fibers. Edward Allen makes it easy for everyone--from armchair architects and sidewalk superintendents to students of architecture and construction--to understand the mysteries and complexities of even the largest building, from how it recycles waste and controls the movement of air, to how it is kept alive and growing.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Reference, Textbooks, Construction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 1980

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

This is Edward^Allen, where ^=space.

Edward Allen has taught for more than thirty years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, and the University of Oregon. He is the bestselling author of Fundamentals of Building Construction, Fifth Edition.

Reviews

[Baboula · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[Tristesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this book. The book breaks down all aspects of building an architect must consider. I think it is a wonderful book for any person who wants to eventually build and design their own home.

[William Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you will ever need to know about the design and construction of buildings, informative and useful to the layman, inspirational perhaps to those who wish to broaden their interest in architecture and how we live.

[Sereyvong Chhinlim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good companion (which also can be used as reference guide) to accompany you to go from basic to advance design guides. This one has helped me a lot from my 2nd year to the last of my Arch Degree.

Recommend!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good diagrams. clear writing but could be more concise on the topics.

[Nima ُShoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

درک کلی از تمام مبحث های مرتبط با تنظیم شرایط محیطی، ساخت، سازه، تاسیسات، ایمنی، نگهداری و ... ساختمان ارائه می دهد. که البته با توجه به حجم کتاب، هر فصل شامل اشاراتی سطحی اما کاملا مفید می باشد.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super awesome. A great book for beginners wanting to know more about design and construction of houses