Provides designs for a variety of buildings that conserve space and help preserve the environment.

"Over 66 basic aspects of architecture are comprehensively covered with over 5,000 words in a visual context, to help visual thinkers clarify meanings. Comprehensive index permits the reader to locate any important word in the text. Oversized pages help present complicated material in easy-to-comprehend spreads. - Written by one of the most famous architectural authors --Frank Ching's name alone is a key selling feature for this book--he has earned...

How do you use your local library? Does it arrive at your door on the back of an elephant? Can it float down the river to you? Or does it occupy a phone booth by the side of the road? Public libraries are a cornerstone of modern civilization, yet like the books in them, libraries face an uncertain future in an increasingly digital world. Undaunted, librarians around the globe are thinking up astonishing ways of reaching those in reading need, whether...

Uncovering the biographies of some of the most fascinating lost and ruined buildings, an engaging compendium of 21 structures from around the globe, including The Tower of Babel, The Bastille, the Berlin Wall and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, is a unique guide to a world of vanished architecture.

"From the penthouse to the sewers--the political geography of the vertical city Vertical is a brilliant re-imagining of the world we live in. Today we live in a world that can no longer be read as a two-dimensional map. In Vertical Stephen Graham rewrites the city at every level, calling for a new understanding of our surroundings that takes into account above and below: why Dubai has been built to be seen from GoogleEarth; how the superrich in Sao...

An expert in American housing examines the rise of sprawling subdivisions, their effect on the environment, and sustainable development strategies. Americans are spreading out more than ever-into "exurbs" and "boomburbs" miles from anywhere, where big subdivisions offer big houses. We cling to the notion of safer neighborhoods and better schools, but what we get are longer commutes, higher taxes, and a landscape of strip malls and office parks. The...