Traditional Construction For A Sustainable Future

Since the spread of classical design and construction amongst the upper echolons of British society in the late seventeenth century, traditional construction methods have largely fallen by the wayside. Centuries later, as the construction industry faces up to its environmental responsibilities, this book explores its rich and ancient tradition to provide tried and trusted solutions to modern day construction problems. By way of introduction, the ancient and historical lifestyles that dictated the nature of traditional construction are explored, before focussing on its health and ecological benefits. As well as cultural background, this book includes a detailed scientific description of traditional building materials and their constituents which draws a sharp contrast with modern petrochemical-based materials. The studies of traditional buildings included reveal the sustainability of features such as natural ventilation and breathing walls, and comparisons with modern construction methods show how they could prevent 'sick building syndrome'. The author argues that maintenance for long life, by contrast with the modern concept of life-cycle costing, is at the nub of sustainability and underlies the contribution traditional building construction can make to tackling climate change. Over 250 original photos, and over fifty bespoke diagrams illustrate the features, techniques, and characteristics of traditional construction that could make such a valuable contribution to the industry today. The inclusion of a close study of how these methods relate to British building regulations makes this book a practical guide for construction professionals, as well as an authoritative resource for students and policy-makers.

Since the spread of classical design and construction amongst the upper echolons of British society in the late seventeenth century, traditional construction methods have largely fallen by the wayside. Centuries later, as the construction industry faces up to its environmental responsibilities, this book explores its rich and ancient tradition to provide tried and trusted solutions to modern day construction problems. By way of introduction, the ancient and historical lifestyles that dictated the nature of traditional construction are explored, before focussing on its health and ecological benefits. As well as cultural background, this book includes a detailed scientific description of traditional building materials and their constituents which draws a sharp contrast with modern petrochemical-based materials. The studies of traditional buildings included reveal the sustainability of features such as natural ventilation and breathing walls, and comparisons with modern construction methods show how they could prevent 'sick building syndrome'. The author argues that maintenance for long life, by contrast with the modern concept of life-cycle costing, is at the nub of sustainability and underlies the contribution traditional building construction can make to tackling climate change. Over 250 original photos, and over fifty bespoke diagrams illustrate the features, techniques, and characteristics of traditional construction that could make such a valuable contribution to the industry today. The inclusion of a close study of how these methods relate to British building regulations makes this book a practical guide for construction professionals, as well as an authoritative resource for students and policy-makers.

Sustainability is a concept that has monopolised a large number of the scientific debates in a wide range of spheres connected not only with architecture, urban planning and construction, but also with the product market, tourism, culture, etc. However, sustainability is indissolubly linked to vernacular architecture and the lessons this architectu

Launched in May 2000, the aims of the COST C12 cooperative action were: to develop, combine and disseminate new technical engineering technologies to improve the quality of urban buildings to propose new technical solutions to architects and planners to reduce the disturbance caused by construction in urban areas and improve urban quality of life. This volume contains the proceedings of the COST C12 final conference held in Innsbruck, Austria from January 20-22 2005. The book reflects not only the outcome of the four years’ work of the cooperative, but also the contributions made by other international experts at the conference, focused on three broad themes: mixed building technology; structural integrity under exceptional actions; and urban design.

For centuries the idea of durability was central to the practice of architecture. Today ephemeral, short-term construction has become normative. With the topic of sustainability now at the top of professional, academic, and political agendas, a building s ability to endure longer than the immediate requirements of its user for the benefit of future generations is being recognized again as critical. Assembled here are the thoughts, experiences and examples of finished work and projects under construction by architects who embrace the notion of durability in their buildings and promote it in their writings. The essays underscore the importance of the notion of an enduring architecture, and reveal the principles at stake; they highlight the many obstacles and difficulties encountered by traditional architects in their efforts to achieve permanence in construction. The works and writings showcased in this beautifully illustrated, informative book present a genuine spirit of stewardship with regard to the environment and the making of sustainable buildings and cities. Contents: Leon Krier: Preface; Richard Economakis: Introduction: Durability in Construction; Michael Lykoudis: Durability and the Culture of Building Cities; Samir Younés: The Enduring and the Sustainable; John Simpson: Building to Last; Richard Sammons: Longevity, Detailing and Method in the Anglo-American Tradition; Alireza Sagharchi: The Durable and the Disposable; Thomas Gordon Smith: The Durability of Strength, Function and Beauty in Ecclesial Projects; Nikolaos Karydis: Learning from the Vernacular Building Systems of the East Aegean: Traditional Examples of Durable Construction in a Seismic Region; Aimee Buccellato: The Responsibility of Technology vs. The Technology of Responsibility; Ettore Mazzola: Regenerating Suburban Districts: Urban proposal for the 'Groundscraper of Corviale, Near Rome; John Cluver: They Don t Make Em Like They Used To: A Preservationist s Perspective on Traditional and Contemporary Building Practices; Lucien Steil: A New Culture of Building: Sustainable Wall Systems for Durable Buildings Built with Healthy, Affordable and Ecological Materials; Jorge Hernandez: Durability, Stewardship and Sustainability: The Coral Gables Museum; Jose Cornelio Da Silva: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi: Reflections on Durability in Construction; David Mayernik: Practical Dreaming: Bearing Wall Masonry in the Real World; Pedro Godoy & Maria Sanchez: Durability in Construction: A Guatemalan Report; Duncan Stroik: Firmitas et Venustas; Krupali Krusche: Using Technology for the Benefit of Tradition: Lessons Learned from the Neumarkt Development, Dresden; Thomas Norman Rajkovich: Of Stonemasons, Painters and Sculptors; Luis Trelles: Vernacular Architecture; Steve Mouzon: The Lovability Dilemma; Steven Semes: The City of Continuity vs. The City of Contrast: Historic Preservation, New Traditional Architecture, and Sustainability.

This collection of research papers, presented at meetings organised by the Wessex Institute of Technology (WIT), concerns a variety of issues relating to the area of sustainable development. WIT has a long and very successful record of organising conferences on the topic of sustainability, which requires an interdisciplinary approach. Any sustainable solutions that are derived solely from the perspective of a single discipline may have unintended damaging consequences that create new problems. Thus effective sustainable solutions require the collaboration of scientists and engineers from various disciplines, as well as planners, architects, environmentalists, policy makers, social scientists, and economists. The contents of this book reflect that interdisciplinary approach, and include topics under the main areas of: Sustainable development and planning; Disaster management; Air pollution; Urban transport; Ecosystems and Water resources management.

Cities have a metabolism that requires energy, food, materials and water to be supplied and waste products to be removed. If cities are to remain the engines of economic growth they also require an input of knowledge as well as commodities. This fuels innovation and the skills that lead to economic success. With economic success comes the input of people and investment that require new buildings and the conservation of existing buildings. This, in turn, requires an input of both building materials and the knowledge of manufacturing and assembling them efficiently and effectively. This book reviews these aspects of development from an academic point of view and covers a wide area of professional expertise including planning, tourism, architecture, structural engineering, project management, air and water quality, conservation, landscape design, waste management and many other issues that impact on urbanism in Malaysia.