Hot Dirt, Cool Straw

Rating:
Summary: Not just strawbale and rammed earth.
Review: A current topic, "green" architecture has a broad, reasonable definition in this book. One often thinks of green house books as full of solar and straw bale houses of middling design (whatever the sensitivity of the construction). The book categorizes several ways buildings can be green, and shows a variety of houses with designs as (or more) innovative as their green techniques. The photographs are well done, and of (for the most part) really good-looking houses. I think the "Lakeside Residence," "Howard House," and "Low Compound" are especially memorable. A good book for those interested in current, contemporary architecture as well as green architecture.