Bringing Buildings Back

Abandoned properties are a plague across the United States, from rust belt cities like Detroit and Buffalo to small towns like Lima, Ohio, and Waterloo, Iowa. Even in Sunbelt cities such as Houston and Las Vegas, abandonment is a major problem, as investment flows to the periphery, leaving the older, inner neighborhoods behind. In Bringing Buildings Back, Alan Mallach provides policymakers and practitioners with the first in-depth guide to understanding and dealing with the many ramifications that this issue holds for the future of our older cities. Combining practical suggestions with a thoughtful exploration of policy, Mallach pulls together insights from law, economics, planning, and design to address all sides of the problem, from how abandonment can be prevented to how best to bring these properties back into productive reuse. Focusing on the need for sustainable reuse and revitalization of America's cities and neighborhoods, Bringing Buildings Back shows how finding solutions for individual buildings can and must be tied to the larger process of making our cities economically stronger and environmentally sounder places to live and work. The book is replete with examples of how cities, community development corporations, and others have come up with creative, effective solutions. Written by a distinguished urban planner and practitioner with three decades of experience, Bringing Buildings Back provides both a detailed toolkit and a call to rethink the way America carries out urban redevelopment. It is a book that should be on the desk of every mayor, city planner, community developer, or neighborhood activist, and used in every course on urban redevelopment or neighborhood revitalization.

This book presents six case-study buildings, each more than a generation old, that were on the brink of oblivion. In each case, Mitchell Giurgola Architects worked closely with the client to determine how the project could be salvaged by incorporating updated program elements to serve a new generation of users. All six case studies present in detail how each project is analysed, from its energy use and curtain-wall performance to its mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, and structural stability. The results are born-again buildings created for a fraction of the cost and cosuming far fewer materials than a new facility built from scratch. Mitchell Giurgola documents a new, more sustainable approach to design and construction that builds on the past, and makes the old better than new.

"When nature inspires our architecture-not just how it looks but how buildings and communities actually function-we will have made great strides as a society. Biophilic Design provides us with tremendous insight into the 'why,' then builds us a road map for what is sure to be the next great design journey of our times." -Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman, U.S. Green Building Council "Having seen firsthand in my company the power of biomimicry to stimulate a wellspring of profitable innovation, I can say unequivocably that biophilic design is the real deal. Kellert, Heerwagen, and Mador have compiled the wisdom of world-renowned experts to produce this exquisite book; it is must reading for scientists, philosophers, engineers, architects and designers, and-most especially-businesspeople. Anyone looking for the key to a new type of prosperity that respects the earth should start here." -Ray C. Anderson, founder and Chair, Interface, Inc. The groundbreaking guide to the emerging practice of biophilic design This book offers a paradigm shift in how we design and build our buildings and our communities, one that recognizes that the positive experience of natural systems and processes in our buildings and constructed landscapes is critical to human health, performance, and well-being. Biophilic design is about humanity's place in nature and the natural world's place in human society, where mutuality, respect, and enriching relationships can and should exist at all levels and should emerge as the norm rather than the exception. Written for architects, landscape architects, planners,developers, environmental designers, as well as building owners, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life is a guide to the theory, science, and practice of biophilic design. Twenty-three original and timely essays by world-renowned scientists, designers, and practitioners, including Edward O. Wilson, Howard Frumkin, David Orr, Grant Hildebrand, Stephen Kieran, Tim Beatley, Jonathan Rose, Janine Benyus, Roger Ulrich, Bert Gregory, Robert Berkebile, William Browning, and Vivian Loftness, among others, address: * The basic concepts of biophilia, its expression in the built environment, and how biophilic design connects to human biology, evolution, and development. * The science and benefits of biophilic design on human health, childhood development, healthcare, and more. * The practice of biophilic design-how to implement biophilic design strategies to create buildings that connect people with nature and provide comfortable and productive places for people, in which they can live, work, and study. Biophilic design at any scale-from buildings to cities-begins with a few simple questions: How does the built environment affect the natural environment? How will nature affect human experience and aspiration? Most of all, how can we achieve sustained and reciprocal benefits between the two? This prescient, groundbreaking book provides the answers.

In The Divided City, urban practitioner and scholar Alan Mallach presents a detailed picture of what has happened over the past 15 to 20 years in industrial cities like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, as they have undergone unprecedented, unexpected revival. He spotlights these changes while placing them in their larger economic, social and political context. Most importantly, he explores the pervasive significance of race in American cities, and looks closely at the successes and failures of city governments, nonprofit entities, and citizens as they have tried to address the challenges of change. The Divided City concludes with strategies to foster greater equality and opportunity, firmly grounding them in the cities' economic and political realities.

The updated edition of the authoritative and comprehensive guide to construction practice The revised fourth edition of Barry's Advanced Construction of Buildings expands on the resource that has become a standard text on the construction of buildings. The fourth edition covers the construction of larger-scale buildings (primarily residential, commercial and industrial) constructed with load bearing frames in timber, concrete and steel; supported by chapters on offsite construction, piling, envelopes to framed buildings, fit-out and second fix, lifts and escalators, building pathology, upgrading and demolition. The author covers the functional and performance requirements of the main building elements as well as building efficiency and information on meeting the challenges of limiting the environmental impact of buildings. Each chapter includes new "at a glance" summaries that introduce the basic material giving a good understanding of the main points quickly and easily. The text is fully up to date with the latest building regulations and construction technology. This important resource: Covers design, technology, offsite construction, site assembly and environmental issues of larger-scale buildings including primarily residential, commercial and industrial buildings constructed with load bearing frames Highlights the concept of building efficiency, with better integration of the topics throughout the text Offers new "at a glance" summaries at the beginning of each chapter Is a companion to Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings, fourth edition Written for undergraduate students and those working towards similar NQF level 5 and 6 qualifications in building and construction, Barry's Advanced Construction of Buildings is a practical and highly illustrated guide to construction practice. It covers the materials and technologies involved in constructing larger scale buildings.

The Urban Task Force, headed by Lord Rogers, one of the UK's leading architects, was established by the Department of Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR) to stimulate debate about our urban environment and to identify ways of creating urban areas in direct response to people's needs and aspirations. Their findings, conclusions and recommendations were presented in a final report to Government Ministers in Summer 1999 and form the basis of this important new illustrated book.

Is it possible to energise the reuse of urban abandoned spaces with low financial capital investment? Addressing this question requires a normative and cultural change, where the rules are less focused on the material processes of producing space and more aimed at fostering the construction of relationships. The reality of several European cities shows how traditional forms of stimulating urban renewal – with respect to the financing of operations, how to design and build, and urban planning legislation – no longer work. This book examines an alternative culture of design and regulation, drawing on the richness of the various approaches to the subject to present an integrated study of the phenomenon of reuse across its economic, architectural and urban dimensions. From this theoretical base, it empirically analyses six Italian case studies in terms of the broadness of geography and in their governance models, and of the important role of the unity of cultural destination for their reuse proposal. The book is intended for all those involved in the cultural challenge of reusing urban abandoned spaces, including public administrators, entrepreneurs, architects, planners and academics.

The Committee's report examines the contribution of historic buildings to urban regeneration; the role and effectiveness of public agencies responsible for the built environment; the impact of the planning system and listing of historic buildings on urban regeneration; the role played by government departments to promote the historic environment; and fiscal and legislative reform options. The Committee concludes that regenerating historic buildings can reinforce a sense of local community and act as a catalyst for urban regeneration. However, historic buildings cannot be retained as relics of a bygone age, but new uses and sensitive adaptations allowed where the original use is no longer viable. The report highlights the shortage of conservation officers and the skills deficit in knowledge of regeneration and funding issues. It also call on the DCMS and the ODPM to working more closely together on their cross-cutting responsibilities, in order to boost the potential contributions made by historic buildings to the local economy. The current planning system is also criticised for causing delays and uncertainty, with developers being subject to as many as nine different regimes, including planning controls, listed building consent and conservation area controls.