Building with Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood

(Paperback)

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Description

Combining environmental philosophy, practical information and dynamic visuals, Building with Vision makes accessible many solutions to wasteful tree-dependent construction and design. In addition to identifying the benefits, challenges, and applications of the recommended alternatives to contemporary American construction, this book details building methods to minimize wood waste, maximize efficiency, and emphasize the unique aesthetic properties of non-wood materials. Building systems featured include Rastra, a new kind of interlocking block made of recovered Styrofoam packaging; Structural Insulated Pales (SIPs) made of plywood, OSB, or strawboard with a thick foam core; and a variety of "Eco-Crete," super-insulating concrete systems. A wide range of finish materials are discussed as well; panel board made from agricultural crop waste, flooring derived from used tires, natural linoleum and certified woods, and cement countertops embedded with finds from the urban waste stream.

Reviews

"Building with Vision is timely and extremely useful, a must-have resource for every architectural studio across the country." Sim Van der Ryn, architect "A lens into the future of building." Zahid, Sardar, San Franciso Chronicle"

Author Bio

Daniel Imhoff is Executive Director of Watershed Media, a nonprofit communications agency located in Northern California. He and photographer/designer Roberto Carra have collaborated on four previous books, including Farming with the Wild: Enchancing Biodiversity on Farms and Ranchers (Sierra Club Books, 2003)