Architectural Design for Tropical Regions [Paperback]

Cleveland Salmon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0471180203 | ISBN-13: 978-0471180203 | Edition: 1

An indispensable source of technical information and proven design solutions.

This book is essential reading for architects and other building professionals who work in tropical regions, as well as those who would like to expand their professional compass to include these areas. Written by an architect with extensive experience designing public and private buildings for the tropics, it offers a wealth of insights and information on a broad range of technical and nontechnical issues.

Taking into account energy efficiency, comfort, and sensitivity to both natural surroundings and local traditions, the author underpins discussions of technical elements, such as building performance and materials, with valuable personal insights and guidance on working with regional cultural differences. He describes proven design strategies applicable throughout the Tropical Zone, as well as specialized construction techniques used in different tropical regions. Throughout, the material is supplemented with invaluable climatic and geographical data, technical renderings, and more than 100 photographs illustrating specific building types.

Encompassing 30% of the Earth's surface, the Tropical Zone is currently the site of unprecedented population growth and development. While this boom offers architects many exciting opportunities, it also presents daunting challenges for those who design buildings for a region characterized by intense heat and humidity, torrential rainfall, cyclones, hurricanes, and other meteorological and geological extremes. Now this book equips architects with the knowledge and skills they need to meet those challenges.

Architectural Design for Tropical Regions is a complete guide to designing public and private buildings for tropical regions that are healthy, comfortable, and exist in harmony with both the natural environment and local traditions. In addition to proven design strategies, it brings together a wealth of detailed information on all of the technical and nontechnical issues that must be taken into consideration when designing for tropical environments. The book features:
* Practical coverage of climate and its influences and constraints.
* Technical specifications of materials and building performance.
* Tips on understanding and working with regional cultural differences.
* Step-by-step guidance on site selection, analysis, and planning.
* In-depth discussion of construction techniques used in various tropical regions.
* A wealth of climatic and geographical data, including temperature charts, rainfall indexes, hurricane classification tables, and more.
* Dozens of examples of site plans, floor plans, and elevations.
* More than 100 photographs illustrating specific building types.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Encompassing 30% of the Earth’s surface, the Tropical Zone is currently the site of unprecedented population growth and development. While this boom offers architects many exciting opportunities, it also presents daunting challenges for those who design buildings for a region characterized by intense heat and humidity, torrential rainfall, cyclones, hurricanes, and other meteorological and geological extremes. Now this book equips architects with the knowledge and skills they need to meet those challenges. Architectural Design for Tropical Regions is a complete guide to designing public and private buildings for tropical regions that are healthy, comfortable, and exist in harmony with both the natural environment and local traditions. In addition to proven design strategies, it brings together a wealth of detailed information on all of the technical and nontechnical issues that must be taken into consideration when designing for tropical environments. The book features:

• Practical coverage of climate and its influences and constraints
• Technical specifications of materials and building performance
• Tips on understanding and working with regional cultural differences
• Step-by-step guidance on site selection, analysis, and planning
• In-depth discussion of construction techniques used in various tropical regions
• A wealth of climatic and geographical data, including temperature charts, rainfall indexes, hurricane classification tables, and more
• Dozens of examples of site plans, floor plans, and elevations
• More than 100 photographs illustrating specific building types

From the Back Cover

An indispensable source of technical information and proven design solutions.

This book is essential reading for architects and other building professionals who work in tropical regions, as well as those who would like to expand their professional compass to include these areas. Written by an architect with extensive experience designing public and private buildings for the tropics, it offers a wealth of insights and information on a broad range of technical and nontechnical issues.

Taking into account energy efficiency, comfort, and sensitivity to both natural surroundings and local traditions, the author underpins discussions of technical elements, such as building performance and materials, with valuable personal insights and guidance on working with regional cultural differences. He describes proven design strategies applicable throughout the Tropical Zone, as well as specialized construction techniques used in different tropical regions. Throughout, the material is supplemented with invaluable climatic and geographical data, technical renderings, and more than 100 photographs illustrating specific building types.

Encompassing 30% of the Earth's surface, the Tropical Zone is currently the site of unprecedented population growth and development. While this boom offers architects many exciting opportunities, it also presents daunting challenges for those who design buildings for a region characterized by intense heat and humidity, torrential rainfall, cyclones, hurricanes, and other meteorological and geological extremes. Now this book equips architects with the knowledge and skills they need to meet those challenges.

Architectural Design for Tropical Regions is a complete guide to designing public and private buildings for tropical regions that are healthy, comfortable, and exist in harmony with both the natural environment and local traditions. In addition to proven design strategies, it brings together a wealth of detailed information on all of the technical and nontechnical issues that must be taken into consideration when designing for tropical environments. The book features:

• Practical coverage of climate and its influences and constraints.
• Technical specifications of materials and building performance.
• Tips on understanding and working with regional cultural differences.
• Step-by-step guidance on site selection, analysis, and planning.
• In-depth discussion of construction techniques used in various tropical regions.
• A wealth of climatic and geographical data, including temperature charts, rainfall indexes, hurricane classification tables, and more.
• Dozens of examples of site plans, floor plans, and elevations.
• More than 100 photographs illustrating specific building types.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471180203
• ISBN-13: 978-0471180203
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,699,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Another, much better, BooK:, January 3, 2002

By 

CRC (Richardson, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Architectural Design for Tropical Regions (Paperback)

COURTYARDS: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight; by John Reynolds, published November 2001.

Courtyards contains a huge amount of valuable information for building in hot humid and hot dry climates. Not only a "pretty picture book," Courtyards takes the reader through width to depth ratios; height and width proportions; comfort zone enhancement through thermal mass, ventilation, and shading; and much more. In fact, although Courtyards is similarly priced as the book above, I thought it contained 10 times as much valuable information - real information that I could put to immediate use for my projects in the Yucatan. Color and B&W photos and line drawings illustrate the many considerations for hot weather design, yet the book is not overly technical. Nor is it over-simplified, which is the main problem with Tropical Regions.

Tropical Regions remains the only book I've had to return to Amazon - even a year later - with dozens and dozens of books ordered.

GOOD books about tropical housing design are very hard to come by and I'd like to point searchers in the right direction. Since architecture books in general are usually so expensive, finding a useful selection is very important.

Also, I have to echo the writer below. Richard Hyde's book CLIMATE RESPONSIVE DESIGN...for Hot Humid Climates is also very helpful. I felt it was a little more technical and not as colorful as COURTYARDS. Either would be a good place to start your research for tropical housing construction.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for Architects!, November 30, 1999

By 

Rainer Mebus (Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Architectural Design for Tropical Regions (Paperback)

Having ordered (and returned) the book i have to say, that this book is not at all a helpful handbook for architects planning in hot and humid climates. The book shows a lot of black&white photographs of buildings all over the world that should not be taken as great contemporary examples for tropical architecture. the book shows briefly and only the very basic principles of designing with climate, that are found better and cheaper in other books. in the last years there has been great new architecture in hot and humid climate that uses basic architectural methods as well as high-tech-installations. there's not one single building in this book...

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Scanty Information, despite the Book Description's claims, June 22, 2000

By 

CRC (Richardson, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Architectural Design for Tropical Regions (Paperback)

I have to agree with Rainer Mebus. This book is going to be returned. It is not suited for architects or anyone with even basic concepts of building siting and construction. A hodge-podge of photographs, gathered from various places, do nothing to illustrate examples of the textual concepts. As far as being an "indispensible source," statements such as (p102) "A hat or cool shade is often useful when exposed to sun... as the sun can be very bright when the sky is clear and the sunlight is intense." or (p103) "Vegetation is luxuriant where rainfall is high." & (p105) "The effects of earthquakes are mainly economic, although poorly constructed buildings can result in loss of life." are hardly indispensible and belong more in an elementary school than a volume that claims to be "essential reading for architects and other building professionals."

Mebus is correct that all of the data here contained is readily found in other, better and cheaper books. I was hoping that the longer and first review was more correct, but was sadly disappointed that newer concepts, techniques and materials were not discussed in a book printed in 1999. Further, all the information contained can be found in basic architectural concepts courses or books and is only slightly tailored to fit the idea of "tropical construction." The author borrows diagrams and descriptions from many other texts.