Building Ecology (PDF)

Buildings consume 40% of our planet's materials and 30% of
its energy. Their construction uses up to three million tonnes of
raw materials a year and generates 20% of the soild waste
stream. If we want to survive our urban future, there is no
option but to build in ways which improve the health of
ecosystems.

Understanding the concept of ecological sustainability and
translating it into practice as sustainable development is a key
challenge for today's built environment professionals. The
skill and vision of those who shape our cities and homes is vital
to achieving sustainable solutions to the many environmental,
economic and social problems we face on a local, national and
global scale.

Peter Graham offers here a holistic view of ecologically
sustainable building by drawing on established areas of knowledge,
demonstrating their relevance to the environmentally-conscious
building professional and putting the process, product and impact
of building into context.

Case studies illustrate how sustainable principles have been
applied successfully and discussion topics are offered to stimulate
thought. Building Ecology will help planners, surveyors,
designers and builders to incorporate sustainability into their
everyday practice by:

· showing which styles of building are ecologically
sustainable

· providing fundamental knowledge for making decisions
using the principles of ecologically sustainable building

· explaining a complex subject in a clear, balanced
way.

Building Ecology sets out the current scientific view of
how nature works and how buildings link with and affect nature. It
provides fundamental knowledge for building in harmony with nature
and keeping Earth's life-supporting ecosystems healthy.