Housing Ourselves: Creating Affordable, Sustainable Shelter - Hardcover

Burnham, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0070092362 ISBN 13: 9780070092365

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education, 1998

Synopsis

Rediscover the secrets of affordable housing that modern builders have all but forgotten in this book that advocatesÑand shows you how to achieveÑsustainable, environmentally sensitive, self-built housing that can be constructed at a fraction of today's housing costs! Architect and planner Richard Burnham offers professional builders and would-be homeowners alike practical guidance on utilizing local materials; building in harmony with the natural landscape; conserving precious resources; starting on a small, affordable scale and adding incrementally as finances permit; and much more.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Rediscover the secrets of affordable housing that modern builders have all but forgotten! Through centuries of human history, people in every part of the world have practiced the art of building their own homes--homes that turned out to be remarkably practical, sustainable,and affordable...Today, we have homes built by "professionals." And we also have homes built of synthetic materials, a coast-to-coast homogenization of style, prodigious, wastefulness of natural resources, and ever sky-rocketing prices--even for the most modest housing. This timely, much-needed book offers a practical and workable approach to building affordable, sustainable, environmentally sensitive housing BY HAVING PEOPLE BUILD IT THEMSELVES! Illuminating case studies show how such housing can be constructed for one-third the cost of custom-built housing. The author shows architects, contractors, planners, and would-be homeowners how to: CHOOSE MATERIALS that are locally available, cost-effective, and sustainable; DESIGN HOUSING that's suitable to an area's climate, topography, and other shelter requirements; LAUNCH THE PROJECT on a shoestring and add on incrementally as finances permit; CREATE HOMES that bring individuality and variety back to today's homogenized landscape...AND MUCH MORE!

About the Author:

Richard Burnham is the owner and principal architect of Richard Burnham Architect and Associates. He is certified nationally and is registered in several states, and he specializes in single- and multifamily housing. He holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Dartmouth and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, respectively, and has published a number of articles on housing design. He has also received several grants for his work on low-income housing.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0070092362
• ISBN 13: 9780070092365
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224