This means that to reduce the energy consumption and GHG emissions generated by the use and maintenance of buildings over their life span, it is necessary to properly design, site, and shape buildings and incorporate natural heating, cooling, ventilation, and daylighting strategies. It would be nearly impossible to cover all building materials and construction techniques, but the information presented herein should be applicable to most residential and commercial construction situations encountered today. The best comprehensive reference book for residential construction data is THE VISUAL HANDBOOK OF BUILDING AND REMODELING, by Charlie Wing.

These regulations take into account existing land-use patterns and prescribe the acceptable uses and activities for a site as well as limit the size and shape of the building mass and where it may be located on the site. We should therefore carefully consider the contextual forces that a site presents in planning the design and construction of buildings. The choice of bridge type depends not only on the general parameters of the scheme (such as typical spans, overall deck area, clearance requirements, alignment and the overall aesthetic), but also on the particular and local parameters of the site, many of which are related to construction. The terms “green building” and “sustainable design” are often used interchangeably to describe any building designed in an environmentally sensitive manner.

A masterpiece of the genre, this book is the first that comes to mind when I'm asked which books I would recommend to aspiring students or anyone who wants to learn more about architecture and how a building actually goes together. In addition to the detail drawings, Ching includes a number of illustrated tutorials on various topics, such as structural forces, that are informative and well rendered.

For twenty-five years, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. When I first latched onto the idea of becoming a real estate developer, one of my mentors told me that there were two paths I could take that would ultimately get me where I wanted to be. I'll close by sharing a few screen shots from the book itself, just to give you an idea of what it has to offer. Increasing awareness of the environmental challenges presented by climate change and resource depletion has pushed sustainability into becoming a significant issue shaping how the building design industry operates.It is therefore important to always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation in the use of a material or product and to pay careful attention to the building code requirements in effect for the use and location of a planned building. Coarsegrained soils include gravel and sand, which consist of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye; fine-grained soils, such as silt and clay, consist of much smaller particles. K. Ching, taught at the School of Architecture at Ohio University and is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington. The fourth edition in 2008 introduced the LEED® Green Building Rating System™ in Chapter One and referenced specific LEED criteria wherever appropriate; updated section numbers to correspond to the 2004 edition of the CSI MasterFormat™ system; and complied with the requirements of the 2006 edition of the International Building Code®. K. Ching graduated cum laude with a five-year professional degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1966.

Now this Third Edition has been expertly revised and updated to address the latest advances in materials, building technology, and code requirements. The classic visual guide to the basics of building construction, now with the most current information For nearly three decades, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, "Come on, man… how can you learn construction from a book?Special features of this edition include integrated coverage of environmentally friendly materials, sustainable building construction strategies, and ADA requirements, as well as the inclusion of both metric and standard U.