Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Paperback)

by Clarke Snell (Author), Tim Callahan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This large, generously illustrated manual is an excellent primer on owner-designed and site-inspired building. Snell, who wrote the eco-friendly The Good House Book, and Callahan, a more conventional but highly experienced builder and contractor, take readers step-by-step through the creation of a charming little guesthouse, demonstrating a variety of "green" techniques along the way. They start with an introduction to building fundamentals and how alternative materials can provide the necessities of housing: structure, climate-control and separation from as well as connection to the outer world. Next comes a mini-course in design. But the bulk of the book is hands-on: the nuts-and-bolts of siting; foundations; flooring; living (plant-covered) roofs; and cob, cordwood, straw-bale and modified stick frame walls—although the book's minimal treatment of electricity and plumbing, and how to integrate them with unfamiliar materials like cob or straw-bale, disappoints. Snell's tendency to decry the sins of modern architectural practice can become exasperating, but doesn't diminish the value of his extensive experience-derived knowledge; and the grace and beauty of the authors' building project, featuring Callahan's fine finish work, is inspiring. The abundance of color photos detailing the construction process, supplemented by examples from indigenous buildings around the world, is particularly helpful. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Clarke Snell and Timothy L. Callahan, whose popular Good House Book helped environmentally-minded readers create an earth-friendly home, have returned with a photo-packed, amazingly complete, start-to-finish guide to "green" housebuilding.

This absolutely groundbreaking manual doesn't just talk about eco-friendly building techniques, but actually shows every step! More than 1,200 close-up photographs, along with in-depth descriptions, follow the real construction of an alternative house from site selection to the addition of final-touch interior details. Co-authors Clarke Snell and Timothy Callahan (a professional builder and contractor) provide thorough discussions of the fundamental concepts of construction, substitutes for conventional approaches, and planning a home that's not only comfortable and beautiful, but environmentally responsible. Then, they roll up their sleeves and get to work assembling a guest house that incorporates four different alternative building methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick frame. The images show every move: how the site is cleared, the basic structure put together, the cob wall sculpted, the bales and cordwood stacked, a living roof created, and more. Most important, the manual conveys real-world challenges and processes, and offers dozens of sidebars with invaluable advice. It's head and shoulders above all others in the field.

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Product Details Paperback: 616 pages Publisher: Lark Books (December 15, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 1579905323 ISBN-13: 978-1579905323 Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.6 x 1.6 inches Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,144 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #25 in  Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Energy Efficient Design

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	72% buy the item featured on this page: Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs 4.5 out of 5 stars (15) $19.77
	10% buy Green from the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy-Efficient Home Construction (Builder's Guide) 4.6 out of 5 stars (18) $16.47
	7% buy The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage: The Real Goods Solar Living Book 4.8 out of 5 stars (26) $23.10
	6% buy Building With Cob: A Step-by-step Guide 4.8 out of 5 stars (17) $29.70

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews 5 star:  (9) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 28 of 28 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Comprehensive Intro and Education., April 28, 2006 By  Pio (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews    I have been looking for a book that would educate me on exactly what green building is, whether it is actually practical and what it would take to achieve it. This book answered all those questions. I think it has filled a void in the information market. So many people are not satisfied with current building practices especially in the US yet finding one comprehensive source for reliable answers is extremely difficult. There is lots of experience bound up in the very well-written, easy flowing text. The mass of photos is extremely instructive and attractive. This book is not clouds-in-the-sky, blindly pro-environment babble. Neither is it full of the marketing lies that exploit the "green" movement. It is useful for normal people who are interesting in trying to build earth-friendly but practical, efficient and affordable homes. The writers are very honest in their educated opinions and recommendations. And they actually built a small green building in order to write this book. So you get the useful, hands-on advice that they learned themselves the hard way even with their past, extensive building experience in the US. I appreciate their effort and book very much, and can't recommend it highly enough as one every non-expert should read if they have a possible interest in green building in the future or even in just building a marginally more efficient home. 24 of 25 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars An essential natural/alternative building manual!, February 25, 2006 By  M. Oliver (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    At last - a comprehensive and attractive manual that clearly shows us how to employ 4 different natural building methods; cob, straw bale, cordwood and modified stick frame. The book is filled with full-color photos and clear explanations of the processes involved in constructing a small building from start to finish using all four techniques. That would be a worthy accomplishment in itself, but the authors go further, presenting vital information and concepts in a logical and engaging manner. The Building Fundamentals section discusses the workings of foundations and roofs as well as the effect of moisture and air quality on buildings (and their inhabitants) and more. The chapter on Design explains how to make the most of a particular site as well as how to properly orient your structure to account for climate, exposure, vegetation and terrain. The book does not attempt electrical or indoor plumbing instruction, subjects worthy of their own manual. The fact that one of the authors is a licensed building contractor lends more credibility to the entire process, not because the methods are not sound, but because owner-builders must often cope with restrictive building codes and uninitiated inspectors who also require some education in these techniques within a familiar context. It's worth noting that the diminutive size of the project (100 square feet) may exempt it from permitting requirements in many jurisdictions, if built as a potting shed or similar auxiliary structure. An extremely useful and enlightening read for novices and experts alike. 25 of 27 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Nicely presented intoduction to several green techniques, February 27, 2006 By  GormanStudio (New York, NY) - See all my reviews A very nicely presented 'survey' of several green building techniques with a practical and mainstream perspective. Less inspiring and holistic (in terms of presenting an overall philosophy of building AND living) than the likes of The Hand-Sculpted House (Evans, Smiley and Smith), etc. but the beautiful photography and clear writing is a powerful tool to use in convincing the skeptical that green building is a legitimate and aesthetically pleasing option in construction. Really more of a 'complete introduction' than a 'complete how-to guide' in my estimation- if you are really going to build you'll need to suppliment your knowledge with additional in depth books on the particular system(s) you choose to use, but this book will expose you to some of the options and provide you with an informational foundation to 'build' on (pun intended).		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods This is a great book for Alternative building, so many great ideas. Very helpful, easy to read and understand, lots of pictures and how too. Lots of reference info too. Read more Published 2 months ago by Lisa Branning 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 methods of building This book is excellent for 4 of the methods of green building , step by step instructions and great pictures. Worth the money for the needed information for DIY builder. Read more Published 5 months ago by Peg Mahaffy 3.0 out of 5 stars very informative Thank you for your valid information. We are looking for information for 'bale insulated' wallls. Very enlightening. Published 5 months ago by Elizabeth A. Dunlap 4.0 out of 5 stars the eco book book shows an idea how to build a eco friendy box like shed witch shows you how to build the footers ,floors,walls etc but doesn`t show u alot of other homes being built like if... Read more Published 8 months ago by Robert E. Bowser 5.0 out of 5 stars Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roo Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs I've been collecting books on... Read more Published 9 months ago by Pat 5.0 out of 5 stars Building Green My daughter and I purchased this wonderfully complete volume for a granddaughter who with her husband is moving to Oregon to build an eco-friendly home on a plot of land. Read more Published 14 months ago by Anita J. Wald-Tuttle 5.0 out of 5 stars building green What a wonderful book! I love the way it is set out in two sections... the theory and the practical. Read more Published 14 months ago by Ld Smit 4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic Green Building for the long haul This book is an excellent reference on how to build while taking the environment into consideration. Read more Published 17 months ago by Odd Bird 5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book that is useful Myself, being in the building industry, really appreciated that there was a believer and a skeptic to write this book and build the house using the thoughts they had. Read more Published 20 months ago by Gail A. Preset 5.0 out of 5 stars great service recieved product within one week great book thinking about building using all natural products Published 22 months ago by Margaret E. Bruninghaus Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 616 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (December 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579905323
• ISBN-13: 978-1579905323
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,144 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #25 in

  Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Energy Efficient Design

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Comprehensive Intro and Education., April 28, 2006

By	Pio (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

I have been looking for a book that would educate me on exactly what green building is, whether it is actually practical and what it would take to achieve it. This book answered all those questions. I think it has filled a void in the information market. So many people are not satisfied with current building practices especially in the US yet finding one comprehensive source for reliable answers is extremely difficult. There is lots of experience bound up in the very well-written, easy flowing text. The mass of photos is extremely instructive and attractive. This book is not clouds-in-the-sky, blindly pro-environment babble. Neither is it full of the marketing lies that exploit the "green" movement. It is useful for normal people who are interesting in trying to build earth-friendly but practical, efficient and affordable homes. The writers are very honest in their educated opinions and recommendations. And they actually built a small green building in order to write this book. So you get the useful, hands-on advice that they learned themselves the hard way even with their past, extensive building experience in the US. I appreciate their effort and book very much, and can't recommend it highly enough as one every non-expert should read if they have a possible interest in green building in the future or even in just building a marginally more efficient home.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential natural/alternative building manual!, February 25, 2006

By	M. Oliver (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At last - a comprehensive and attractive manual that clearly shows us how to employ 4 different natural building methods; cob, straw bale, cordwood and modified stick frame.

The book is filled with full-color photos and clear explanations of the processes involved in constructing a small building from start to finish using all four techniques. That would be a worthy accomplishment in itself, but the authors go further, presenting vital information and concepts in a logical and engaging manner. The Building Fundamentals section discusses the workings of foundations and roofs as well as the effect of moisture and air quality on buildings (and their inhabitants) and more. The chapter on Design explains how to make the most of a particular site as well as how to properly orient your structure to account for climate, exposure, vegetation and terrain. The book does not attempt electrical or indoor plumbing instruction, subjects worthy of their own manual.

The fact that one of the authors is a licensed building contractor lends more credibility to the entire process, not because the methods are not sound, but because owner-builders must often cope with restrictive building codes and uninitiated inspectors who also require some education in these techniques within a familiar context. It's worth noting that the diminutive size of the project (100 square feet) may exempt it from permitting requirements in many jurisdictions, if built as a potting shed or similar auxiliary structure. An extremely useful and enlightening read for novices and experts alike.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nicely presented intoduction to several green techniques, February 27, 2006

By	GormanStudio (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

A very nicely presented 'survey' of several green building techniques with a practical and mainstream perspective. Less inspiring and holistic (in terms of presenting an overall philosophy of building AND living) than the likes of The Hand-Sculpted House (Evans, Smiley and Smith), etc. but the beautiful photography and clear writing is a powerful tool to use in convincing the skeptical that green building is a legitimate and aesthetically pleasing option in construction. Really more of a 'complete introduction' than a 'complete how-to guide' in my estimation- if you are really going to build you'll need to suppliment your knowledge with additional in depth books on the particular system(s) you choose to use, but this book will expose you to some of the options and provide you with an informational foundation to 'build' on (pun intended).