Ecoarchitecture

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Ken Yeang is internationally recognised as the leading proponent of ecological design in architecture. In 2008, he was tipped by The Guardian to be one of the '50 people who could save the planet'. He has built over 200 buildings globally and published numerous books advocating an environmentally responsive approach to design. He is probably best known as the inventor of the green skyscraper; it was his innovative idea to incorporate bioclimatic features in a high-density building type. It is for this and his ecological urban design that he has gained a uniquely influential position within architecture. Though he has authored many books about his work and his ideas, this is the first definitive book to cover his forty-year career. Featuring 22 of Yeang’s most significant projects, EcoArchitecture begins with his earliest work on environmental design, executed as a student at the Architectural Association and then a Phd student at Cambridge in the early 1970s, and with his most recent projects with Llewelyn Davies Yeang in London and TRHY in Kuala Lumpur. A preface by Lord Foster and an introductory essay by Professor John Frazer provide the full context of Yeang’s thinking. The main text by contributing editor of Architectural Record, Sara Hart, and lecturer and freelance author, David Littlefield, provide some critical reflection on the development of his work.

Unlike the mechanistic buildings it replaces, Eco-Architecture is in harmony with nature, including its immediate environs. Eco-Architecture makes every effort to minimise the use of energy at each stage of the building's life cycle, including that embodied in the extraction and transportation of materials, their fabrication, their assembly into the building and ultimately the ease and value of their recycling when the building's life is over. Featuring papers from the First International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature, the text brings together papers of an inter-disciplinary nature, and will be of interest to engineers, planners, physicists, psychologists, sociologists, economists, and other specialists, in addition to architects. Featured topics include: Historical and Philosophical aspects; Ecological and Cultural Sensitivity; Human Comfort and Sick Building Syndrome; Energy Crisis and Building Technologies; Carbon Neutral Design; Alternative Sources of Energy (wind, solar, wave, geothermal etc); Design with Nature; Design with Climate; Siting and Orientation; Re-use of Brownfield Sites; Material Selection; Minimal Transportation Approaches and use of Indigenous Materials; Life Cycle Assessment of Materials; Design by Passive Systems; Conservation and Re-use of Water; Building Operation and Management; Applications in Different Building Types; Regulations and Contracts.

The New Eco-Architecture builds a historical bridge between architectural science and design. It seeks to address neglected aspects of the Modern Movement as a prelude to supporting a diversity of architectural insight and experimentation aimed at twenty-first century environmental needs and priorities. The attitudes and influences of renowned figures are re-examined in relation to current issues of architectural sustainability. By setting today's green architectural quest within a twentieth century context, and evaluating the main protagonists with regard to a modern eco-sensitive lineage, the book will be of primary interest to architectural students, academics and practitioners. However, it should also intrigue historians, theoreticians and critics, who tend to gloss over such issues, as well as other disciplines engaged with the built environment.

Architecture is very multi-disciplinary, attracting many different professions. This is reflected in the contributions contained in this volume that were originally presented at the 9th International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature. The included works review the challenges and new opportunities of contemporary architecture as a result of advances in design and new building technologies, as well as the development of new materials. Never before in history have architects and engineers had such a range of new processes and products open to them. In spite of that, the construction industry lags behind all others in taking advantage of a wide variety of new technologies. This is understandable, due to the inherent complexity and uniqueness of each architectural project. Advances in computer and information systems, including robotics, offers the possibility of developing new architectural forms, construction products and building technologies that are just now starting to emerge. Changes have also taken place in the way modern society works and lives, due to the impact of modern technologies. Patterns of work have been disrupted and changed, affecting transportation and the home environment. The demand is for a new type of habitat that can respond to the changes and the consequent requirements in terms of the urban environment. Such topics are dealt with as building technologies, design by passive systems, design with nature, cultural sensitivity, life cycle assessment, resources and rehabilitation and many others including case studies from many different places around the world.

New opportunities for solving the challenges of contemporary architecture occur as a result of advances in the design and new building technologies, as well as the development of new materials. Many of the changes are motivated by a drive towards eco-architecture, trying to harmonise architectural products with nature. Another important issue is the adaptation of the architectural design to the natural environment, learning from nature and traditional construction techniques. Contemporary architecture is at the threshold of a new stage of evolution, deeply influenced by the advances in information and computer systems and the development of new materials and products, as well as construction processes that will drastically change the industry. Never before in history have architects and engineers had such a range of new processes and products open to them. In spite of that, the construction industry lags behind all others in taking advantage of a wide variety of new technologies. This is understandable, due to the inherent complexity and uniqueness of each architectural project. Advances in computer and information systems, including robotics, offers the possibility of developing new architectural forms, construction products and building technologies which are just now starting to emerge. Changes have also taken place in the way modern society works and lives, due to the impact of modern technologies. Patterns of work have been disrupted and changed, affecting transportation and the home environment. The demand is for a new type of habitat that can respond to the changes and the consequent requirements in terms of the urban environment. This volume originates from the 8th International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature and deals with topics such as building technologies, design by passive systems, design with nature, cultural sensitivity, life cycle assessment, resources and rehabilitation and many others including case studies from around the world.

This book contains the proceedings of the fifth International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature (Eco-Architecture 2014). Eco-Architecture implies a new approach to the design process intended to harmonise its products with nature. This involves ideas such as minimum use of energy at each stage of the building process, taking into account the amount required during the extraction and transportation of materials, their fabrication, assembly, building erection, maintenance and eventual future recycling. Another important issue is the adaptation of the architectural design to the natural environment, learning from nature and long time honoured samples of traditional constructions. The papers in this book deal with topics such as building technologies, design by passive systems, design with nature, cultural sensitivity, life cycle assessment, resources and rehabilitation and many others. Also included are case studies from many different places around the world. Eco-Architecture by definition is a highly multi-disciplinary subject. Eco-Architecture V: Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature will therefore be of interest to, in addition to architects, many other professionals, including engineers, planners, physical scientists, sociologists and economists. Topics covered include: Design with nature; Energy efficiency; Building technologies; Ecological impacts of materials; Bioclimatic design; Water quality; Green facades; Ecological and cultural sensitivity; Education and training; Case studies; Design by passive systems; Adapted reuse; Life cycle assessment and durability; Transformative design; Sustainability indices in architecture.

Containing the proceedings of the latest in a series of conferences on the emerging topic of eco-architecture, this book presents the newest research in the field. Eco-architecture requires that buildings be in harmony with nature, including their immediate environs. Locations, siting and orientation, as well as the materials used, should be chosen based on ecological appropriateness. Practitioners make every effort to minimize the use of energy at each stage of a building's life cycle, including that embodied in the extraction and/or fabrication as well as the transportation of the materials used and their assembly into the building. There is even consideration given to the ease and value of changing use of a building and component recycling when the building's life is over. Designers may also carefully control the energy required for building maintenance, not to mention lighting, heating and cooling, especially when the energy consumed is related to greenhouse gas emissions. Passive energy systems such as natural ventilation, summer shading and winter solar heat gain also play a role, as do alternative sources of energy for heat and electricity, e.g. solar and wind power.Papers presented cover topics such as: Ecological and cultural sensitivity; Design by passive systems ; Life cycle assessment; Quantifying sustainability in architecture; Resource and rehabilitation; Building technologies; Ecological impact of materials; Durability of materials; Adapted reuse ; Carbon neutral design ; Education and training; Case studies; New architecture frontiers; Art and kraft; Quality in architecture; Temporary architecture; Selection.