Architecture book with Green living ideas

Architecture Laid Bare is a book by architect Robert Brown Butler.  This book educates and inspires home builders and remodellers.  The practical ways explained in the book will help us achieve comfort and understanding about the design and simple green architecture improvements for our homes and offices.  

The book explains new and best ideas for modern building's design and construction.  Here are some of the things the author talks about

1. When working with contractors it is better for us to know the vocabulary, which will allow us to negotiate successfully.  When on construction site, he advises that if we wear safe hard hat and work boots we will be treated like an overseer and not an intruder by the builders.

2. CFL (Compact fluorescent lights) are not better that incandescent lights, when it is less than 60 degrees outdoors and are turned on/off a lot.  He suggests that we use luminous escape route trim by adding photoluminescent tape to our baseboards that doesn't use any energy.

3.  Don't be tempted by people who promote solar panels if there isn't enough sunshine on your roof because of trees, building etc.

4.  For those rare occasions when the power fails we don't need expensive generators rather a power-outage kit that includes a dozen candles with holders, flashlights with extra batteries, a bucket to fill water and canned food will be helpful.

5.  A fireplace insert that burns logs and paper trash that has an operable damper and glass doors is 50 to 75 percent efficient and easier to operate than conventional fireplaces.

6.  Locate a house on a convex terrain that has a ridge slope, which will descend 1/2" per foot for 10 feet.

7. Mold that appears on the exterior walls or sidings is caused by airtight vapour barriers that keep moisture laden air from migrating through the wood frame that rots the wood.  Stripping the siding and replacing the Tyvek with tarpaper and installing new siding would thicken the exterior and insulate more.

8.  Replace "fat" furniture with compact items so it takes less space.

9.  Make indoor space efficient by converting wasted spaces such as bottom of stairs into hallway library or shelving.

10.  Install smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire exit signs, fit a sink faucet on each floor with spigot thread so the hose can be screwed in.

There are black and white pictures and diagrams in the book, here is a link to the index of the book.  This is a good book for anyone thinking of renovating, building or buying a home or solving or eliminating architectural problems.  This book is available on amazon. 

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