Currently Unavailable
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Building Inside Nature's Envelope: How New Construction and Land Preservation Can Work Together Hardcover – December 14, 2000
Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Try again.
Every year, many thousands of acres of woodlands, deserts, meadowlands, and coastal scrub are turned into home or commercial sites. Ironically, by the time these structures are complete, bulldozers have scraped the land clean of its natural vegetation and character, much of which attracted buyers in the first place. In Building Inside Nature's Envelope, Andy Wasowski introduces a new and exciting technique for salvaging the natural land upon which we build new homes, new offices, or even new shopping centers.
Wasowski argues that the unnatural landscapes so common in America literally exist on artificial life support. A natural landscape, on the other hand, is filled with native flora and can exist on rainfall alone. It is, as one builder said, akin to stepping lightly on the earth. To help builders and prospective home owners achieve this "light step," the author introduces the idea of the Envelope, an approach to construction that is cost effective, simple, and environmentally responsible. A structure built within nature's envelope looks as if it has been gently set down into a mature and established landscape--which is the easiest kind of landscape to maintain. He illustrates this new concept in construction through profiles of sites in California, Arizona, South Carolina, Minnesota, and other locales in North America. He also highlights useful techniques for revegetation, discusses the importance of soils, and argues for the preservation and maintenance of natural habitats.
Attractively illustrated with 88 pictures--including 41 full-color images--Building Inside Nature's Envelope offers a practical blueprint for creating a community where both wildlife and human life thrive in a harmonious relationship.
Wasowski argues that the unnatural landscapes so common in America literally exist on artificial life support. A natural landscape, on the other hand, is filled with native flora and can exist on rainfall alone. It is, as one builder said, akin to stepping lightly on the earth. To help builders and prospective home owners achieve this "light step," the author introduces the idea of the Envelope, an approach to construction that is cost effective, simple, and environmentally responsible. A structure built within nature's envelope looks as if it has been gently set down into a mature and established landscape--which is the easiest kind of landscape to maintain. He illustrates this new concept in construction through profiles of sites in California, Arizona, South Carolina, Minnesota, and other locales in North America. He also highlights useful techniques for revegetation, discusses the importance of soils, and argues for the preservation and maintenance of natural habitats.
Attractively illustrated with 88 pictures--including 41 full-color images--Building Inside Nature's Envelope offers a practical blueprint for creating a community where both wildlife and human life thrive in a harmonious relationship.
- Print length176 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication dateDecember 14, 2000
- Dimensions9.7 x 0.8 x 7.4 inches
- ISBN-100195131762
- ISBN-13978-0195131765
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Self-styled "botanical missionaries," the Wasowskis explain how to build a house without disturbing the indigenous landscape. Nationally recognized for their books, articles, and slide presentations, the authors are intent upon spreading the gospel of landscaping with native vegetation. In The Landscaping Revolution (LJ 2/1/00), the Wasowskis denounced the Levittown uniformity of the conventional suburban landscape. In its place, they advocated retaining or reestablishing the native ecosystem, the advantages of which include low maintenance, cost savings, and environmental sustainability. Nature's Envelope is a rewriting of that earlier work but with much greater emphasis on preserving existing native plant life during new construction. The "nature's envelope" philosophy is in tune with trends in rethinking urban and suburban development, articulated most notably in Andres Duany's Suburban Nation (LJ 3/15/00) and James Kunstler's Home from Nowhere (LJ 11/1/96). For offering workable alternatives in nontechnical terms to ecologically minded homeowners, contractors, and architects, the Wasowskis' book is highly recommended for all public libraries. David Solt sz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"When it comes to the global environment, architecture--and architects--face a choice: continue to be part of the problem, or learn to become part of the solution. And Wasowski demonstrates convincingly that the latter is not only possible, but feasible, exciting, and even inevitable. By building within nature's envelope we can avoid inflicting further wounds on the natural world, and so begin the process of restoration."--Don Falk, Society for Ecological Restoration"Andy Wasowski provides a thoughtful approach to achieving harmony between our natural environment and our built environment. The book contains numerous examples of dedicated builders that have successfully implemented many of the techniques described in this book. The need for continuing education at all levels of society to achieve this harmony is a persistent theme that is supported by the National Association of Homebuilders."--Chuck Stewart, President, Urban Forest Management, Inc.
Book Description
A revolutionary new concept in construction that helps to preserve natural landscapes, whether you are building in pristine woodland or on an undeveloped suburban lot
About the Author
Andy Wasowski was born in Poland in 1939 and came with his family to America in 1940. After pursuing a successful career in advertising for 35 years, he made a career change and has since written eight books on native landscaping with his wife, Sally. Sally Wasowski is a native Texan who is a nationally recognized expert on native landscaping.
Product details
- Publisher : Oxford University Press
- Publication date : December 14, 2000
- Language : English
- Print length : 176 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0195131762
- ISBN-13 : 978-0195131765
- Item Weight : 1.7 pounds
- Dimensions : 9.7 x 0.8 x 7.4 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,392,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,213 in Landscape Architecture (Books)
- #5,296 in Home Design & Construction (Books)
- #7,344 in Construction Engineering (Books)
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
