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Download Ebook Making Better Buildings: A Comparative Guide to Sustainable Construction for Homeowners and Contractors, by Chris Magwood
Download Ebook Making Better Buildings: A Comparative Guide to Sustainable Construction for Homeowners and Contractors, by Chris Magwood
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Making Better Buildings: A Comparative Guide to Sustainable Construction for Homeowners and Contractors, by Chris Magwood
Download Ebook Making Better Buildings: A Comparative Guide to Sustainable Construction for Homeowners and Contractors, by Chris Magwood
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Review
"Making Better Buildings is essential reading for home builders, owner-builders, or anyone interested in hiring a contractor to build their green dream home. This book is full of useful, up-to-date, cutting edge information and is amazingly thorough and easy to read. It will help readers make the best decisions possible regarding energy efficiency, cost, durability, health, embodied energy, labor requirements, and so on. Quite possibly the most valuable book ever published on green building!"---Dan Chiras, Ph.D., director, The Evergreen Institute and author, The Natural House, The New Ecological Home and The Solar House"Comparing contemporary building technologies based on criteria such as embodied energy or energy efficiency is a huge job -- a job that holds most contractors and owner-builders back from making informed choices. Chris Magwood has saved us all thousands of research hours with Making Better Buildings. This book is not only a tool for the builders of today, but is a marvelous textbook for the young, emerging building professionals of tomorrow."---Emily Niehaus, Founding Director of Community Rebuilds"At last: clarity! There are more and more people all over the world who are discovering the joy and satisfaction of building for themselves with natural materials. Very few, however, are also able to teach, communicate and inspire those around them. Of that precious few, Chris Magwood is at the top of the list; his delight and mastery of the subject hums in every page. Whether you want a broad overview, or access to high-quality, practical information on specific subjects, this is the book for you."---Bruce King, PE, Director, Ecological Building Network"If you’re drilling deep into sustainable building and want more than superficial details, let Chris Magwood be your guide. Making Better Buildings will help builders and homeowners quantify the green building process, and better understand the impact of their decisions."---Scott Gibson, Green Building Advisor"Chris Magwood's new book is exciting news for builders and homeowners everywhere! This includes people who haven't even heard yet of the ideas that Chris lays out with such accessible knowledge and clarity. As one of the most knowledgeable and experienced ecological builders in North America, practicality and efficiency is one of his prime concerns. As one of the leading natural builders in the world, his affordable ideas are offered for all scales, within his broad and creative vision."---Mark Lakeman, Communitecture Architecture & Planning, and cofounder, The City Repair Project, Portland, OR"Based on Chris Magwood’s considerable experience of sustainable buildings systems, this book provides invaluable guidance for builders, designers and those thinking of building their own home. Stripping away the hype, the book provides a rational and balanced assessment of alternative options for the major components of a building. It is particularly valuable since it includes a wide range of criteria such as cost, durability, code compliance and labour intensiveness together with environmental criteria, which make it a highly useful decision support tool for many sustainable building projects. Also, we are encouraged to get beyond the bickering about different systems at the “micro” level and to focus on the bigger picture, “macro” issues, when choosing building components and systems which will lead to significant change."---Professor Mark Gorgolewski, Ryerson University"Making Better Buildings belongs in the library of every designer or builder in the green building business and should be read by every owner planning a new home. This is not simply green building -- this is the future of construction! Chris Magwood has clearly described the pros and cons of the most viable natural building techniques and places them in context to create a tool that is timeless. All of the systems reviewed have the promise of significantly reducing the environmental footprint of construction."---Jeff Ruppert, P.E., structural and civil engineer, and publisher, The Last Straw Journal"Ever wondered about the many shades of green in Green Building?The book you hold in your hand not only walks you through the vast array of techniques, written by one of the worlds most experienced green builders and educators, it also provides you with all the information necessary to compose the shade of green which suits you best. The information gathered here about issues such as techniques, embodied energy, health aspects are unique in the world, and is guaranteed to make this book the leading reference book for environmentally concerned building planners for years to come. Excellent work."---Max Vittrup Jensen, consultant, and director, PermaLot Centre of Natural Building"We're often asked to recommend books to guide people along the path to building their own natural home. The list of books is quite short, but with Making Better Buildings it just got one important book longer. "---Oliver Swann, naturalhomes.org"This book is a must read for anyone trying to demystify the myriad of green building options. Chris Magwood packs this book with scientific data plus his unique hands-on experience. The result will leave every reader with a clear understanding of the benefits and challenges for a variety of super eco-friendly building methods."---Sigi Koko, natural builder, and founder, Down to Earth Design"Making Better Buildings is essential reading for home builders, owner-builders, or anyone interested in hiring a contractor to build their green dream home. This book is full of useful, up-to-date, cutting edge information and is amazingly thorough and easy to read. It will help readers make the best decisions possible regarding energy efficiency, cost, durability, health, embodied energy, labor requirements, and so on. Quite possibly the most valuable book ever published on green building!"---Dan Chiras, Ph.D., director, The Evergreen Institute and author, The Natural House, The New Ecological Home and The Solar House "Comparing contemporary building technologies based on criteria such as embodied energy or energy efficiency is a huge job -- a job that holds most contractors and owner-builders back from making informed choices. Chris Magwood has saved us all thousands of research hours with Making Better Buildings. This book is not only a tool for the builders of today, but is a marvelous textbook for the young, emerging building professionals of tomorrow."---Emily Niehaus, Founding Director of Community Rebuilds"At last: clarity! There are more and more people all over the world who are discovering the joy and satisfaction of building for themselves with natural materials. Very few, however, are also able to teach, communicate and inspire those around them. Of that precious few, Chris Magwood is at the top of the list; his delight and mastery of the subject hums in every page. Whether you want a broad overview, or access to high-quality, practical information on specific subjects, this is the book for you."---Bruce King, PE, Director, Ecological Building Network"If you’re drilling deep into sustainable building and want more than superficial details, let Chris Magwood be your guide. Making Better Buildings will help builders and homeowners quantify the green building process, and better understand the impact of their decisions."---Scott Gibson, Green Building Advisor"Chris Magwood's new book is exciting news for builders and homeowners everywhere! This includes people who haven't even heard yet of the ideas that Chris lays out with such accessible knowledge and clarity. As one of the most knowledgeable and experienced ecological builders in North America, practicality and efficiency is one of his prime concerns. As one of the leading natural builders in the world, his affordable ideas are offered for all scales, within his broad and creative vision."---Mark Lakeman, Communitecture Architecture & Planning, and cofounder, The City Repair Project, Portland, OR"Based on Chris Magwood’s considerable experience of sustainable buildings systems, this book provides invaluable guidance for builders, designers and those thinking of building their own home. Stripping away the hype, the book provides a rational and balanced assessment of alternative options for the major components of a building. It is particularly valuable since it includes a wide range of criteria such as cost, durability, code compliance and labour intensiveness together with environmental criteria, which make it a highly useful decision support tool for many sustainable building projects. Also, we are encouraged to get beyond the bickering about different systems at the “micro†level and to focus on the bigger picture, “macro†issues, when choosing building components and systems which will lead to significant change."---Professor Mark Gorgolewski, Ryerson University"Making Better Buildings belongs in the library of every designer or builder in the green building business and should be read by every owner planning a new home. This is not simply green building -- this is the future of construction! Chris Magwood has clearly described the pros and cons of the most viable natural building techniques and places them in context to create a tool that is timeless. All of the systems reviewed have the promise of significantly reducing the environmental footprint of construction."---Jeff Ruppert, P.E., structural and civil engineer, and publisher, The Last Straw Journal"Ever wondered about the many shades of green in Green Building? The book you hold in your hand not only walks you through the vast array of techniques, written by one of the worlds most experienced green builders and educators, it also provides you with all the information necessary to compose the shade of green which suits you best. The information gathered here about issues such as techniques, embodied energy, health aspects are unique in the world, and is guaranteed to make this book the leading reference book for environmentally concerned building planners for years to come. Excellent work." ---Max Vittrup Jensen, consultant, and director, PermaLot Centre of Natural Building"We're often asked to recommend books to guide people along the path to building their own natural home. The list of books is quite short, but with Making Better Buildings it just got one important book longer. "---Oliver Swann, naturalhomes.org "This book is a must read for anyone trying to demystify the myriad of green building options. Chris Magwood packs this book with scientific data plus his unique hands-on experience. The result will leave every reader with a clear understanding of the benefits and challenges for a variety of super eco-friendly building methods."---Sigi Koko, natural builder, and founder, Down to Earth Design
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From the Back Cover
Sustainable building from the ground up – the pros and cons of the latest green and natural building materials and technologies"…Chris Magwood’s delight and mastery of the subject hums in every page. Whether you just want a broad overview, or access to high quality practical information on specific subjects, this is the book for you."Bruce King , Director, Ecological Building Network"… an objective source of information on all aspects of home building from the foundation to the roof to the energy to the waste water systems. It’s the ultimate guide on building energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and healthy green homes―quite possibly the most valuable book ever published on green building!"---Dan Chiras, Ph.D., Director of The Evergreen Institute and author of The Natural House, The New Ecological Home, The Solar House and many more…From foundation to finish, Making Better Buildings provides the unbiased facts about the upsides and downsides of the most widely discussed materials and technologies. Drawing on the real-world experiences of professional designers and builders, this comparative guide systematically and comprehensively examines green and natural building approaches in terms of:• Cost, sourcing, labor intensity, and ease of construction• Energy efficiency, embodied energy, and environmental impacts• Availability/accessibility and code compliance• Viable applications and future potential.Whether you are an owner preparing to build a green or natural home, or a conventional contractor determined to integrate sustainable alternatives into your existing construction practices, this up-to-the minute resource will help you to quickly and objectively compare the merits of each system for your particular project, allowing you to make the best decisions while meeting your energy, efficiency, budgetary, and site-specific needs."Chris Magwood has saved us all thousands and thousands of research hours with Making Better Buildings. This book is not only a tool for the builders of today, but is a marvelous textbook for the young, emerging building professionals of tomorrow." ---Emily Niehaus, Founding Director of Community Rebuilds"Stripping away the hype, [this] book provides a rational and balanced assessment of alternative options for the major components of a building. It is particularly valuable since it includes a wide range of criteria such as cost, durability, code compliance and labor intensiveness together with environmental criteria, which make it a highly useful decision support tool for many sustainable building projects…"---Professor Mark Gorgolewski, head of Masters of Building Science MSc program, Ryerson University…Chris Magwood is a sustainable builder and designer specializing in green and natural building techniques, and the founder and director of the Endeavour Centre for Innovative Building, Learning and Living. He is also the author of 3 previous books on sustainable building including Straw Bale Details and More Straw Bale Building. |Sustainable building from the ground up – the pros and cons of the latest green and natural building materials and technologies"…Chris Magwood’s delight and mastery of the subject hums in every page. Whether you just want a broad overview, or access to high quality practical information on specific subjects, this is the book for you."Bruce King , Director, Ecological Building Network"… an objective source of information on all aspects of home building from the foundation to the roof to the energy to the waste water systems. It’s the ultimate guide on building energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and healthy green homes—quite possibly the most valuable book ever published on green building!"---Dan Chiras, Ph.D., Director of The Evergreen Institute and author of The Natural House, The New Ecological Home, The Solar House and many more…From foundation to finish, Making Better Buildings provides the unbiased facts about the upsides and downsides of the most widely discussed materials and technologies. Drawing on the real-world experiences of professional designers and builders, this comparative guide systematically and comprehensively examines green and natural building approaches in terms of:• Cost, sourcing, labor intensity, and ease of construction• Energy efficiency, embodied energy, and environmental impacts• Availability/accessibility and code compliance• Viable applications and future potential.Whether you are an owner preparing to build a green or natural home, or a conventional contractor determined to integrate sustainable alternatives into your existing construction practices, this up-to-the minute resource will help you to quickly and objectively compare the merits of each system for your particular project, allowing you to make the best decisions while meeting your energy, efficiency, budgetary, and site-specific needs."Chris Magwood has saved us all thousands and thousands of research hours with Making Better Buildings. This book is not only a tool for the builders of today, but is a marvelous textbook for the young, emerging building professionals of tomorrow." ---Emily Niehaus, Founding Director of Community Rebuilds"Stripping away the hype, [this] book provides a rational and balanced assessment of alternative options for the major components of a building. It is particularly valuable since it includes a wide range of criteria such as cost, durability, code compliance and labor intensiveness together with environmental criteria, which make it a highly useful decision support tool for many sustainable building projects…"---Professor Mark Gorgolewski, head of Masters of Building Science MSc program, Ryerson University…Chris Magwood is a sustainable builder and designer specializing in green and natural building techniques, and the founder and director of the Endeavour Centre for Innovative Building, Learning and Living. He is also the author of 3 previous books on sustainable building including Straw Bale Details and More Straw Bale Building.
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Product details
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: New Society Publishers (March 25, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0865717060
ISBN-13: 978-0865717060
Product Dimensions:
8 x 1.3 x 8.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.3 out of 5 stars
10 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#355,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Very good book if you want to know a lot of information on what materials to use when you are going to either add on or build an entire house.
Great information if you want to build something other then wood frame.
love the book.
Great book for beginner fundamentals of alternative building
Just like I ordered it.
If you're looking at green building, this is a book for your list. There are many planning books out and this isn't one of them. This won't tell you how to build a straw bale house or give diagrams for dome homes. This gets down to the facts, figures, statistics and get-your-hands-dirty part of planning and deciding what you really want.From foundations, to floors to electrical systems and beyond this looks at options, and straight up tells you what the supporters say, what the critics say, what the green points are and possible criticisms. He's not a fan of concrete, for example, and backs up his reasoning, but includes the information for the benefit of those who may see differently. The information is there for *you* the reader to look at and decide. There's advice of how beginner friendly an option is - how much sweat are you willing to put into the building? Will you hire it done?Everyone's answers here may be different. It is different considerations in Arizona than Ohio. For those looking at sustainable options, this can save you thousands in frustration, disappointment and "I didn't know that was needed" aggravation.It can read like a textbook and, for the topic, I think it should. Building isn't cheap, and knowing what to expect is important! The details are consistent through the book. This isn't a sit down and read casually. Sometimes it sounds repetitive because several methods may have similar advantages or disadvantages. Consider it taking a class on sustainable building - don't just read it LEARN it.Very thorough, well done and objective.
Chris Magwood’s "Making Better Buildings" is a comparative guide to sustainable construction for homeowners and contractors. It is also a masterpiece of research and experience folded into an encyclopedic reference book for anyone interested in sustainable approaches to our built environment. Clearly a labor of love and a commitment to improving our situation on Earth, this book will have enduring value.To my knowledge, building science has never been approached with such an attitude of precise evaluation of all of the factors that affect the environmental impact of materials and building systems. Chris Magwood looks at both common, and not-so-common, ways of building to see how they stack up against each other, giving the reader the opportunity to compare every environmental and economic aspect. His criteria for this evaluation embrace environmental impacts, embodied energy, waste, energy efficiency, material costs, labor inputs, ease of construction for homeowners, sourcing/availability, durability, code compliance, indoor air quality, and future development. The environmental impacts include harvesting the material, manufacturing, transportation, and installation. Simple bar graphs indicate at a glance just how “green†each material or system might be.In addition to this meticulous look at materials and systems, Chris provides an overview of how each system works, in terms of methodology and skill. Here we can benefit from his many years of experience as a builder and teacher to offer tips for successful installations.Foundation systems evaluated include earthbag, stone, rammed earth tires, screw and wooden piers, poured concrete, concrete masonry units, autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, certain insulated concrete forms, and rubble trenches. At the end of the chapter Chris explains why he decided not to evaluate several very common foundation systems, such as pressure treated wood and concrete slab foundations. Basically he feels that these are so inherently unsustainable that he doesn’t want to encourage their use. I would have preferred that he included these popular concepts to allow the reader to form his own opinion about how sustainable they might be, based on the data itself.Wall systems evaluated include wood frame, straw bale, cob, cordwood, rammed earth, compressed earth block, and adobe. Chris indicates that many of the foundation systems can also be extended upward to incorporate whole walls, such as using earthbags for this. In this regard he failed to recognize that since earthbags can be filled with a wide range of materials (besides compacted earth), they can be tailored to meet a wide range of needs ranging from highly insulated to entirely thermal mass walls.Choices for insulating walls include cotton batt, straw/clay, hempcrete, hemp batt, perlite loose-fill, mineral wool, cementitious foam, wool batt, and cellulose. Again, some very popular insulated wall systems (including structural insulated panels and insulated concrete forms) are not thoroughly evaluated, other than to specify why they are too unsustainable.Floor and roof structures are combined into one chapter, and include wood framing, wood trusses, wooden I-beams, glulam framing, open web steel joists, timber framing (and post and beam), conical grain bin roofs, slab based floors. Then, as a separate chapter, various sheathing and cladding materials are evaluated. Earthen plaster, wood planks, plywood and oriented stand board, gypsum board, magnesium oxide board, fired clay brick, lime plaster, and stone are all indicated as useful for cladding walls. Roof sheathing includes metal roofing, cedar shakes and shingles, thatch, slate, composite shingles, green/living roofs, and clay tile. For flooring materials we have earthen floors, hardwood, softwood, tile, linoleum, bamboo, cork, and concrete.The environmental viability of various surface finishing materials is evaluated. Here we have earthen plaster, lime plaster and paint, milk paint, silicate paint, acrylic paint, oil paint, natural oils and waxes, wallpaper and coverings.The final chapters deal with utilities and mechanical systems. As sources for water, there are surface water, well water, rainwater catchment, and desalinated water. To pump that water, most common pumping systems are described. Possible water filtration is outlined. Common pipe materials are evaluated for their environmental impact. For waste treatment, we have municipal wastewater systems, septic systems, and compost toilets.For heating and cooling, passive solar, solar hydronic, solar hot air, various heat pumps, boilers, on-demand heaters, tank heaters, forced air furnaces, wood and pellet stoves, and masonry heaters are all considered. For electricity, there is grid power, photovoltaic power, wind turbines, and micro hydro turbines.From all of these lists you can gain a sense of how comprehensive this book really is. Over 400 pages of in depth data and evaluation give both professionals and homeowners the ability to make informed choices about all of the materials and systems that go into putting together a house.One thing became abundantly clear to me as I read through all the various chapters: building codes are pathetically out-dated, and don’t really take into account the truly important environmental considerations in their prescriptive codes. This must change if we want to move toward a sustainable future!
I'm an architect with 22 years experience, however I have worked primarily on commercial projects where sustainable construction was not the focus. I am designing my own eco-home now, and found this book to be very objective, well presented graphically. It gives an overview of many types of green construction with pros and cons of each. It's not a how to book, on how to use each product, rather it is a guide on the methods that are available. I highly recommend it if you are not familiar with sustainable building methods and you are trying to decide which route to take. Great job Chris!!
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