Why Humans Build Up : The Rise of Towers, Temples and Skyscrapers

★**"This great STEAM offering has multiple applications and will be useful for report writers and aspiring architects alike."—Booklist, starred review** ★**"Finely detailed inside and outside...Broad in scope, perceptively organized, and enriched with fascinating entries."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review** **Why did they build it so high?** People have been constructing tall buildings for thousands of years, for many different reasons. Castle walls kept people safe. Utility towers transmit TV and cell-phone signals. Observatories give people a bird's-eye view of the world. Beautiful buildings stand out in the crowd. Skyscrapers provide housing for a lot of people. There are some good reasons for building up, and a few bad ones as well. With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, Why Humans Build Up asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet. ★ "This great STEAM offering has multiple applications and will be useful for report writers and aspiring architects alike."—Booklist, starred review ★ "Finely detailed inside and outside...Broad in scope, perceptively organized, and enriched with fascinating entries."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review Why did they build it so high? People have been constructing tall buildings for thousands of years, for many different reasons. Castle walls kept people safe. Utility towers transmit TV and cell-phone signals. Observatories give people a bird's-eye view of the world. Beautiful buildings stand out in the crowd. Skyscrapers provide housing for a lot of people. There are some good reasons for building up, and a few bad ones as well. With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, Why Humans Build Up asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet. Key Selling Points This book examines why humans build such tall buildings. For hundreds of years it was for security and spirituality, but now sustainability and efficiency are guiding principles. Tall buildings can be good for the planet if they're constructed well. They can be part of the answer to issues such as population growth, climate change, pollution and our environmental footprint. The author is an award-winning journalist with CBC Radio in Victoria. The illustrator has a background in architecture and urban design, with a bachelor of architecture studies from the University of Waterloo. Includes well-known examples, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building, but also lesser-known buildings, such as the Tallwood House residence at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (building sustainably with wood) and the Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe that uses biomimicry in its design. "People have been constructing tall buildings for thousands of years, for many different reasons. Castle walls kept people safe. Observatories give people a bird's-eye view. Beautiful buildings stand out in the crowd. With a growing global population, we need more space. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Tall buildings may be part of the answer to building a sustainable future." -- Back cover "Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series, with photographs and illustrations throughout. This book explores why and how people have constructed taller and taller buildings over the course of human history."-- Provided by publisher