Much of twentieth-century design was animated by the creative tension of its essential duality: is design an art or a science? In the postwar era, American architects sought to calibrate architectural practice to evolving scientific knowledge about humans and environments, thus elevating the discipline's stature and enmeshing their work in a progressive restructuring of society. This political and scientific effort was called "environmental design," a term expanded in the 1960s to include ecological and liberal ideas. In her expansive new study, Avigail Sachs examines the theoretical scaffolding and practical legacy of this professional effort. Inspired by Lewis Mumford's 1932 challenge enjoining architects to go beyond visual experimentation and create complete human environments, Environmental Design details the rise of modernist ideas in the architectural disciplines within the novel context of sociopolitical rather than aesthetic responsibilities. Unlike today's "starchitects," environmental designers saw themselves as orchestrators of decision making more than auteurs of form and style. Viewing architectural practice as rooted in Progressive Era politics and the democratic process rather than the European avant-garde, Sachs plots how these social concepts spread via influential architecture schools. This rich examination of pedagogy and practice is a map to both the history of environmental design and the contemporary consequences of architecture understood as a pressing social concern.

The Environmental Design Pocketbook 2nd ed places the information you need for sustainable, low energy building design at your fingertips. Packed with diagrams, tools and tips, it cuts through the complex mass of technical data and legislation that faces the designer, and distils all the key guidance into a single reference that is quick, easy to use and points to the facts, figures and performance data that are most important. This 2nd edition is now fully up-to-date with the latest Building Regulations Part L and F legislation (England and Wales), RIBA Plan of Work 2013, new information on the Green Deal and Zero Carbon and contains revised references and further reading sections throughout. Whether used in the classroom, office or on-site, the book guides the designer through the entire process; from the fundamentals to the building details. From future-proofing for a changing climate to rainwater harvesting, retrofit, and zero-carbon technologies - the Pocketbook has got it covered.

Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Design "Daniel Williams's Sustainable Design is . . . a thoroughly practical call for the design professions to take the next steps toward transformation of the human prospect toward a future that is sustainable and sustaining of the best in human life lived in partnership not domination." --From the Foreword by David W. Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College "In this pioneering book, Daniel Williams provides the sort of intelligent, thoughtful, experienced insights that--if followed--will ensure that we make the right choices. It should be on the desk of every architect in the world." --Denis Hayes, president and CEO of the Bullitt Foundation and coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970 Architects identify "sustainability" as the most important change in the future of their profession. Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, and Planning is a practical, comprehensive guide to design and plan a built environment compatible with the region's economic, social, and ecological patterns. In this book, Daniel Williams challenges professionals to rethink architecture and to see their projects not as objects but as critical, connected pieces of the whole, essential to human health as well as to regional economy and ecology. Comprehensive in scope, Sustainable Design answers key questions such as: * How do I begin thinking and designing ecologically? * What is the difference between "green design" and "sustainable design"? * What are some examples of effective change I can make that will have the most impact for the least cost? Written for architects, planners, landscape architects, engineers, public officials, and change agent professionals, this important resource defines the issues of sustainable design, illustrates conceptual and case studies, and provides support for continued learning in this increasingly central focus of architects' and urban planners' work. Williams's book features winning projects from the first decade of the AIA's Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten award program.

Environmental Psychology for Design, Third Edition, shows how rooms and buildings can affect an occupant's behavior and health by explaining psychosocial responses. Recipient of the American Society of Interior Designers Joel Polsky Prize, the book introduces you to the discipline of environmental psychology and encourages you to embrace its key concepts and use them in your practice. This new edition adds information about aging and vulnerable populations and has updated resources and research. Features -Cultural Connection and Sustainability Connection box features highlight the great diversity in the application of the subject ideas and concepts -Point of Views (POVs) highlight different professional opinions and practice beliefs to show that many esteemed scholars can hold differing or complementary views -All new Learning Objectives outline what you will learn in each chapter New to this Edition -New and updated examples, including neurobiological development and decline, basic understanding of the nervous system, and discussion of hypotheses and theories with an emphasis on the biophillia hypothesis -Increased emphasis on evidence-based design methods -New organization integrates ideas into concept-driven chapters Environmental Psychology for Design STUDIO -Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips -Review concepts with flashcards of terms and definitions

A manual for those involved in architectural design, space management and urban planning. The concepts presented explain the link between design and human behaviour, teaching both novices and experts in crime prevention how to use the environment to affect human behaviour in a positive manner.

There is a huge scarcity of good, practical resources for designers and students interested in minimizing the environmental impacts of products. Design + Environment has been specifically written to address this paucity. The book first provides background information to help the reader understand how and why design for environment (DfE) has become so critical to design, with reference to some of the most influential writers, designers and companies in the field. Next, Design + Environment provides a step-by-step approach on how to approach DfE: to design a product that meets requirements for quality, cost, manufacturability and consumer appeal, while at the same time minimising environmental impacts. The first step in the process is to undertake an assessment of environmental impacts, using life-cycle assessment (LCA) or one of the many simpler tools available to help the designer. From then on, DfE becomes an integral part of the normal design process, including the development of concepts, design of prototypes, final design and development of marketing strategies. Environmental assessment tools and strategies to reduce environmental impacts, such as the selection of appropriate materials, are then discussed. Next, some of the links between environmental problems, such as global warming, ozone depletion, water and air pollution and the everyday products we consume are considered. In order to design products with minimal environmental impact, we need to have a basic understanding of these impacts and the interactions between them. The four subsequent chapters provide more detailed strategies and case studies for particular product groups: packaging, textiles, furniture, and electrical and electronic products. Guidelines are provided for each of the critical stages of a product's life, from the selection of raw materials through to strategies for recovery and recycling. Finally, Design + Environment takes a look at some of the emerging trends in DfE that are offering us the opportunity to make a more significant reduction in environmental impacts. Both the development of more sustainable materials and technologies and the growing interest in leasing rather than selling products are examined. Design + Environment is organized as a workbook rather than an academic text. It should be read once, and then used as a key reference source. This clear and informative book will prove to be invaluable to practising designers, to course directors and their students in need of a core teaching and reference text and to all those interested in learning about the tools and trends influencing green product design. The authors have all been involved in an innovative demonstration programme called "EcoReDesign", which was developed by the Centre for Design at RMIT University with funding from the Australian government. The Centre successfully collaborated with Australian companies to improve the environmental performance of their products by following DfE principles.

Written and edited by a team of specialists at Max Fordham LLP, one of the UK's leading environmental and building services engineering consultancies, Environmental Design is the result of their extensive experience in designing environmentally-friendly buildings. The principles of their approach, which they have taught in numerous schools of architecture and engineering, are clearly presented here. The book starts with some basic scientific principles and environmental issues and then moves on to site planning, energy use, materials and building form. Natural ventilation systems, high-efficiency mechanical equipment and alternative energy sources are also covered. State-of-the-art buildings of exceptional quality are incorporated throughout the text and illustrate the authors' belief that environmentally responsible architecture can be visually exciting. They conclude with a selection of detailed case studies of award-winning projects - including, new for this third edition, Beaufort Court, King's Langley and the National Trust Headquarters, Swindon. This book is essential reading for architects, engineers, planners and students of these disciplines.