Notions of authenticity lie at the heart of many questions about heritage and identity in the built environment. These questions are most pertinent when buildings have been destroyed in disaster or war, and the built fabric is being reconstructed to reinstate traditional or historic appearances in place of what was lost.Authentic Reconstruction examines this idea of reconstruction, using it as a prompt to examine a range of deeper issues on heritage and the built environme...

A lively and provocative history of the contested landscapes where the majority of Americans now live.From rustic cottages reached by steamboat to big box stores at the exit ramps of eight-lane highways, Dolores Hayden defines seven eras of suburban development since 1820. An urban historian and architect, she portrays housewives and politicians as well as designers and builders making the decisions that have generated America’s diverse suburbs. Residents have soug...

Essential reading for students and practitioners of urban design, this collection of essays introduces the 6 dimensions of urban design through a range of the most important classic and contemporary key texts. Urban design as a form of place making has become an increasingly significant area of academic endeavour, of public policy and professional practice. Compiled by the authors of the best selling Public Places Urban Spaces, this indispensable guide includes all the crucial definitions ...

Winner of the 2016 Antoinette Forrester Downing Award presented by the Society of Architectural Historians.In many cities across the world, particularly in Europe, old buildings form a prominent part of the built environment, and we often take it for granted that their contribution is intrinsically positive. How has that widely-shared belief come about, and is its continued general acceptance inevitable?Certainly, ancient structures have long been treated w...

Architecture of Brazil: 1900-1990 examines the processes that underpin modern Brazilian architecture under various influences and characterizes different understandings of modernity, evident in the chapter topics of this book. Accordingly, the author does not give overall preference to particular architects nor works, with the exception of a few specific works and architects, including Warchavchik, Niemeyer, Lucio Costa, and Vilanova Artigas.

Building and architecture flourished throughout the Roman Empire. The Romans discovered new techniques to solve problems but also to impress the world. They built aqueducts to bring water into their cities and towns, grand baths for cleansing and socialising, and elaborate villas for the cream of their society. In this book, scientist and archaeologist Tony Rook takes the reader through Roman building techniques. He explores the structures that were found throughout the Roman Empire, inclu...

This work discusses the impact of the life of buildings on sustainable development methods. The study of the lifespan of the building is used to assess and manage the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, from raw material extraction through to repair, maintenance and 'end of life' scenarios. While several papers have discussed thegreenhouse gas emissions of buildings, less research has been done on how these are affected by the lifespan of the bu...

Disaster risk is increasing, not only in number of events, but also in incurred losses. Such increases are being driven also by the growing exposure of assets, due to the rapid urban growth, because vulnerability decreases as countries develop, but not enough to compensate. The situation will be more and more critical, due to the growth of the amount of the building stock. Thus we need new initiatives to foster upgrading of existing building and enhancement of land planning strategies. “Sa...

Adapting Building for Changing Uses discusses the comprehensive refurbishment of buildings to enable them to be used for purposes different to those originally intended.For those involved in the often risky business of conversion of buildings from one type of use to another, Adapting Building for Changing Uses provides secure guidance on which uses may be best suited to a particular location. This guidance is based on a unique decision tool, the "Use Comparator", w...

Non-Plan explores ways of involving people in the design of their environments - a goal which transgresses political categories of 'right' and 'left'. Attempts to circumvent planning bureaucracy and architectural inertia have ranged from free-market enterprise zones, to self-build housing, and from squatting to sophisticated technologies of prefabrication. Yet all have shared in a desire to let people shape the built environment they want to live and work in. How can buildings better refle...

This book presents a selection of the best papers from the HEaRT 2013 conference, held in Cosenza, Italy, which provided a valuable forum for engineers and architects, researchers and educators to exchange views and findings concerning the technological history, construction features and seismic behavior of historical timber-framed walls in the Mediterranean countries. The topics covered are wide ranging and include historical aspects and examples of the use of timber-framed construction s...

The Arab-Islamic city has been always a glamorous urban dream in human cultural memory. This is manifested in Cairo, the world's largest medieval urban system where traditional lifestyles are still implemented. Nevertheless, despite the extensive efforts to preserve Historic Cairo, it is sadly vulnerable. Ahmed Sedky investigates the reasons behind this condition, exploring and comparing regional and international case studies. Questions such as how and what to conserve are raised and elab...