Design Primer for Hot Climates

This highly practical book has been written to encourage design solutions that are in harmony with local climates & conditions: a matter of economic as well as aesthetic importance. The initial chapters explain the fundamentals of climate & comfort. Subsequent sections set out environmental design techniques: methods of dealing with hazards such as earthquakes, lightning and termites; and guidance on the use of locally available materials & technology. The emphasis throughout is on illustrated and tabulated practical advice, with many drawn examplesof building form & construction, and lists of suitable plant species Design Primer for Hot Climates offers a discussion of architecture and planning for hot climates. The hot tropical and sub-tropical regions contain most of the world's population and, it is here that the majority of new buildings will be built. For this reason this book concentrates on these regions but serves only as a broad outline of the climatic, environmental, and technological conditions. The book begins with a discussion of climatic elements, climatic zones, and comfort. This is followed by separate chapters on climatic design; regional hazards (e.g., condensation, lightning, storms, earthquakes, etc.) that must be considered during the design stage; and factors such as site accessibility, materials selection, water and labor supply, and building regulations and standards. This book is meant not only for designers from temperate climatic areas but also for those who live in these regions, in the hope that they will be stimulated to re-examine conditions which may have become over-familiar to them. Content: Front Matter , Pages 2-3 Copyright , Page 4 Introduction , Page 7 Inside Front Cover , Page 8 Chapter 1 - Climate, zones and comfort , Pages 9-32 Chapter 2 - Design and climate , Pages 33-62 Chapter 3 - Regional hazards , Pages 63-86 Chapter 4 - Technology , Pages 87-109 Appendix 1 - Heat transfer—some basic calculations , Pages 110-112 Appendix 2 - Building research centres , Page 113 Appendix 3 - Plants for arid zones , Pages 114-120 Bibliography , Pages 121-128 Acknowledgements , Page 128 Index , Pages 129-132