Biomimicry in architecture

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Deanna MacDonald

Japan is equally as well known for its ecologically-sensitive traditional homes as it is for cutting-edge, green technology. "Eco Living Japan" presents 19 contemporary Japanese houses which exemplify the most recent trends in sustainable design in Japan. This is wabi-sabi for the 21st century! With over 250 photos, drawings, plans and lively, informative text, this sustainable architecture book offers a picture of green living in contemporary Japan and provides inspiration and practical ideas for those creating homes in North America and other 4 season climates. Each project presents different aspects of Japan's current movement toward a more sustainable living environment as well as its focus on fine craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. The book's content is informative and enjoyable for both professional architects and forward-thinking homeowners. Anyone with an interest in Japanese design and trends in sustainable living will find fresh ideas for their own home projects. These homes work in harmony with their environments and with the people who inhabit them "green design" at its best!"

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Paul Lukez

"Both a work of theory and a practical tool for suburban community planning, Suburban Transformations introduces the Adaptive Design Process, a method that allows for the organic transformation of communities from suburbs and edge cities that lack a sense of place into communities with their own distinct identity and unique character. In order to stimulate the authentic and fluid evolution of a sustainable community, this process draws important information from a site's history, building upon it by projecting into the future with a series of transformations of buildings, programs, and infrastructure, to create a more habitable and memorable environment. Five case studies provide fully expressed examples of the process, beginning with a sophisticated system of mapping and culminating in computer projections of likely future outcomes, giving the designer the ability to envision changes in the community fabric and adding that knowledge to the designer's kit of place-making tools."--BOOK JACKET.

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James Adams

Pointing to the obvious irony that traditional warfare is a dying business, the author examines the new methods by which war will be waged in the future. Based on massive Pentagon spending, he forecasts information warfare becoming all-important.

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Brian Fagan

"In this book, leading scientists weave a compelling story out of the most up-to-date discoveries in different fields of Ice Age research." "As the glaciers melted 10,000 years ago, our ancestors faced a staggering sea-level rise of 120 metres, far in excess of the relatively modest rise predicted for the 21st century. The final chapter issues a stark warning about the future of our planet and the consequences of our profligate lifestyles." "Magnificently illustrated with dramatic landscape photography, fossil remains of our ancestors and Ice Age beasts, and specially commissioned explanatory diagrams, The Complete Ice Age shows both the fragility of our climate system and the power of humans to adapt to the most extreme environmental challenges."--BOOK JACKET.