The themes of this "Arcjitecture Annual" focuses on how the materials, design, construction and running of a building can affect the environment.

The urban environment – buildings, cities and infrastructure – represents one of the most important contributors to climate change, while at the same time holding the key to a more sustainable way of living. The transformation from traditional to sustainable systems requires interdisciplinary knowledge of the re-design, construction, operation and maintenance of the built environment. Sustainable Urban Environments: An Ecosystem Approach presents fundamental knowledge of the built environment. Approaching the topic from an ecosystems perspective, it shows the reader how to combine diverse practical elements into sustainable solutions for future buildings and cities. You’ll learn to connect problems and solutions at different spatial scales, from urban ecology to material, water and energy use, from urban transport to livability and health. The authors introduce and explore a variety of governance tools that support the transformation process, and show how they can help overcome institutional barriers. The book concludes with an account of promising perspectives for achieving a sustainable built environment in industrialized countries. Offering a unique overview and understanding of the most pressing challenges in the built environment, Sustainable Urban Environments helps the reader grasp opportunities for integration of knowledge and technologies in the design, construction and management of the built environment. Students and practitioners who are eager to look beyond their own fields of interest will appreciate this book because of its depth and breadth of coverage.

The state of our planet continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. We have arrived at a situation where we need to determine urgent solutions before we reach a point of irreversible deterioration. Much has been written in different contexts about reaching sustainability but the concept itself needs to be defined in the framework of all different disciplines in order to arrive at optimal solutions. Hence this book is essentially trans-disciplinary in order to find appropriate sustainable solutions, involving, collaboration across a wide range of disciplines. Publishing papers from the First International Conference on Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards, the book features articles encompassing topic areas such as: Water Resources; Air; Soil; Ecology; Health Risk; Energy; Planning and Development; Political and Social Issues; The Re-Encounter; New Technologies; Learning from Nature; Safety.

The way in which our society exists, operates and develops is strongly influenced by the way in which energy is produced and consumed. No process in industry can be performed without a sufficient supply of energy, and without industry there can be no production of commodities, on which the existence of modern society depends. Energy systems have evolved over a long period and more rapidly over the last two centuries, as a response to the requirements of industry and society, starting with the combustion of fuels and building up to the exploitation of nuclear energy and renewable resources. It is clear that the evolution of energy systems is a continuous process, which involves constant technological developments and innovation.This book publishes papers presented at the First International Conference on Energy and Sustainability. Featured topics include: Energy Management; Energy and the Environment; Energy Markets and Policy; Energy Efficiency; Energy and External Costs; Computer Modelling; Energy Resources Management; Nuclear Fuels; Rational Use of Energy; Solid Fuel Energy; Energy and Built Environment; Exergy and Ecology; Energy and Life Cycle Analysis; Education and Training; Energy Systems and Pollution Control; Energy and Climate Change; Renewable Energy Technologies; Energy Storage and Transportation; Energy Analysis of Industrial Processes; Exergy and Economics; Regulations and Policies and Hydrocarbon Exploration and Recovery.

This book displays and dissects the career and design motives of graphic designer Joost Grootens. In a systematic fashion it charts the first 100 books designed by Grootens over the past ten years. In the first chapter, '10 years', Grootens uses timelines, lists and graphs to map the course of his career as a designer, the people he worked with and the places where the work took place. In '100 books', the designer dissects his book designs. He details the grids, formats, paper stocks, colours and typefaces, and charts the books' structures and compositions. '18,788 pages' shows at actual size a selection of spreads from books designed by Grootens, including the internationally acclaimed atlases. In the text 'I swear I use no art at all' Joost Grootens gives a personal account of making books and the ideas behind his designs.