Customer Reviews

Earth Architecture

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The world's first skyscrapers were built of mud brick and many famous Americans lived in earth houses at different points in their lives: this said, there have been few books on the contemporary architecture of earth houses, making EARTH ARCHITECTURE a real winner for any college-level arts collection. It surveys over forty projects and profiles the beauty of earth architecture, offering chapters covering new, creative uses of earth in buildings. Color photos throughout display projects and emphasize earth architecture achievement.

In this beautifully designed and written book, eartharchitecture.org founder and professor, Ronald Rael takes a close look at modern earth architecture and how it is a harmonious material in today's world. Earth Architecture exposes some of the most well-kept secrets in modern architecture, some historical references and beautiful photography of the most contemporary buildings in the world made of mud. In continuing my own research on mud architecture, I also found Rael to be a wonderful speaker on the topic in this live interview http://abc.net.au/rn/bydesign. Take a listen to the last 20% of this news broadcast to hear from Rael directly. He has a knack for making people say "wow...very interesting."

This book is an integral part of my growing alternative architecture library. The images and text are inspiring, to say the least. Among the most attractive books on the subject currently being offered. Well written and well designed.

I bought this book because I'm very interested in rammed earth construction, and I was fascinated because it also includes other methods of construction with earth. Very descriptive and with beautiful pictures. I would hope to see more plans and elevation drawings but still it is a great book.
Compre este libro mas que nada por que tengo interes en la construccion con tierra apisonada, pero este libro me sorprendio con informacion relevante de otros metodos de construccion con tierra. El libro es muy descriptivo y tiene excelentes fotografias. Me hubiera gustado que tuviera mas dibujos de plantas y fachadas, pero aun asi es un libro excelente.

I have given this book 1 star for the pictures. The content is extremely disappointing. For example on page 35 "A fireplace is embedded into one of the massive earth walls that enclose the outdoor terrace and frame views of the Santa Monica Mountains" The walls are so massive they block half of the views of the mountains. Also "So massive are the walls that their weight including the foundation, is estimated to be 500 tons". A house which weighs 500 tons, surely that is not efficient building. Page 24 "The Bowali Visitors Centre meanders through the bush like the creek after which it is named". If you can say a group of straight buildings running parallel to each other is meandering then I obviously misunderstood the meaning of the word.

These are only two examples I have picked out from the first 47 pages I have managed to read. I have since given up reading any more.

The Introduction was informative and interesting, but the rest of the book is a series of pictures with little or no technical content, which is what I was looking forward to reading. Instead the book is full of meaningless wafflings. Very sorry I bought this book and will be trying to sell it asap, but not through Amazon where a prospective buyer might read this review.