Tiny House Living: Ideas for Building and Living Well in Less Than 400 Square Feet by Ryan Mitchell

$55.00 NZD

Category: Building

Tiny House, Large Lifestyle! Tiny homes are popping up across America, captivating people with their novel approach not only to housing, but to life. Once considered little more than a charming oddity, the tiny house movement continues to gain momentum among those who thirst for a simpler, "greener," mo re meaningful life in the face of society's "more is better" mindset. This book explores the philosophies behind the tiny house lifestyle, helps you determine whether it's a good fit for you, and guides you through the transition to a smaller space. For inspiration, you'll meet tiny house pioneers and hear how they built their dwellings (and their lives) in unconventional, creative and purposeful ways. They'll invite you in, show you around their cozy abodes, and share lessons they learned along the way. Inside you'll find everything you need to design a tiny home of your own: Worksheets and exercises to help you home in on your true needs, define personal goals, and develop a tiny house layout that's just right for you. Practical strategies for cutting through clutter and paring down your possessions. Guidance through the world of building codes and zoning laws. Design tricks for making the most of every square foot, including multi-function features and ways to maximize vertical space. Tours of 11 tiny houses and the unique story behind each. Tiny House Living is about distilling life down to that which you value most...freeing yourself from clutter, mortgages and home maintenance...and, in doing so, making more room in everyday life for the really important things, like relationships, passions and community. Whether you downsize to a 400-square-foot home or simply scale back the amount of stuff you have in your current home, this book shows you how to live well with less. ...Show more

Greening Your Home by Clayton Bennett

$49.99 NZD

Category: Building

"Go green" with cleaner, more energy-efficient homes. Armed with this timely resource, you can improve the quality of air, water, heating, lighting, and ventilation of your home by making energy-efficient, environmentally-sound choices. "Greening Your Home" covers the latest green building options and s hows how to select the ones that best match varied budgets and lifestyles. Inspirational and instructional content - including photos and other visual aids - gives you the tools you need to select the appropriate systems and materials as well as conserve resources for a cleaner, more energy-efficient home. ...Show more

Green Building Illustrated by Francis D. K. Ching

$79.99 NZD

Category: Building

Green Building Illustrated is a must-read for students and professionals in the building industry. The combination of incredibly expressive illustrations and accessible technical writing make concepts of green building on paper as intuitive as they would be if you toured a space with experts in sustaina ble building. Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council The authors of Green Building Illustrated deliver clear and intelligent text, augmented by straightforward but compelling illustrations describing green building basics. This comprehensive book covers everything from the definition of green building, to details of high performance design, to sensible applications of renewable energy. This is a book with appeal for all architects and designers, because it addresses general principles such as holistic and integrated design, along with practical realities like affordability and energy codes. Green Building Illustrated describes a pathway for reaching Architecture 2030 s carbon emission reduction targets for the built environment. Ed Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030 a neophyte will have a very good overview of all the factors involved in green building. I see some excellent pedagogy at work! Jim Gunshinan, Editor, Home Energy Magazine Francis D.K. Ching brings his signature graphic style to the topic of sustainable design In the tradition of the classic Building Construction Illustrated, Francis D.K. Ching and Ian M. Shapiro offer a graphical presentation to the theory, practices, and complexities of sustainable design using an approach that proceeds methodically. From the outside to the inside of a building, they cover all aspects of sustainability, providing a framework and detailed strategies to design buildings that are substantively green. The book begins with an explanation of why we need to build green, the theories behind it and current rating systems before moving on to a comprehensive discussion of vital topics. These topics include site selection, passive design using building shape, water conservation, ventilation and air quality, heating and cooling, minimum-impact materials, and much more. * Explains the fundamental issues of sustainable design and construction in a beautifully illustrated format * Illustrated by legendary author, architect, and draftsman Francis D.K. Ching, with text by recognized engineer and researcher Ian M. Shapiro * Ideal for architects, engineers, and builders, as well as students in these fields Sure to be the standard reference on the subject for students, professionals, and anyone interested in sustainable design and construction of buildings, Green Building Illustrated is an informative, practical, and graphically beautiful resource. ...Show more

Building with Straw by Gernot Minke

$110.00 NZD

Category: Building

Building with straw bales is a technique pioneered a century ago in the state of Nebraska, but in recent years there has been a renaissance in the use of straw as a building material. It is a renewable resource with excellent insulating properties, is a cheap and easy-to-use option for self-builders, an d even large-scale structures can be erected using timber framework filled with straw. This book is a practical, hands-on guide to building with straw, with information on fire safety, protection against moisture, damp, pests, and parasites as well as on-site photos to document the process of assembly and construction step by step. It includes 30 exemplary international projects, illustrating the wide spectrum of design possibilities with straw. ...Show more

Compact Houses: 50 Creative Floor Plans for Well-designed Small Homes by Gerald Rowan

$39.99 NZD

Category: Building

Discover the huge possibilities of a small house Whether you're building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1,400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan presents creative and efficient layouts that use eve ry inch of space, with tips on fully maximizing closets, porches, bathrooms, attics, and basements. From reorganizing a small storage area to building a brand-new home, you'll find a detailed design to fit your family's needs. ...Show more

Build Like a Pro - Building a Shed by Joseph Truini

$0.00 NZD

Category: Building

Joe Truini provides complete step-by-step instructions and plans for building four popular shed projects: A Saltbox Potting Shed, Garden Storage Shed, Storage Barn and Lean-To Tool Locker. You will learn how to design the right structure for you and build it from the ground up. Sound construction techni ques and time-saving tips will help you build your structure quickly and efficiently. With plenty of pro-level advice, you ...Show more

Homeowners' Guide to Renewable Energy : Achieving Energy Independence from Wind, Solar, Biomass & Hydropower by Daniel D. Chiras

$69.99 NZD

Category: Building | Series: Mother Earth News Wiser Living Ser.

The coming energy crisis caused by a peak in global oil and natural gas production will profoundly affect the lives of all North Americans. As the price of these vital fuels rises, homeowners will scramble to cut their fuel bills. Two options for meeting the upcoming challenge are dramatic improvements in home energy efficiency and efforts to tap into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources to heat and cool homes, to provide hot water and electricity, and even to cook. These measures can result in huge savings and a level of energy independence. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy tells you how. It starts by outlining the likely impacts of fossil fuel shortages and some basic facts about energy. It then discusses energy conservation to slash energy bills and prepare for renewable energy options. Focusing carefully on specific strategies needed to replace specific fuels, the book then examines each practical energy option available to homeowners. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy gives readers sufficient knowledge to hire and communicate effectively with contractors and, for those wanting do installations themselves, it recommends more detailed manuals. ...Show more

The Cob Builders Handbook by Becky Bee

$76.00 NZD

Category: Building

Becky Bee has built natural structures in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Central America, and Samoa. Her company Groundworks, has been at the forefront of the cob revival: building, teaching workshops, and hosting natural building symposiums.

House Plan Bible by Creative Homeowner Press

$40.00 NZD

$50.62 (20% off)

Category: Building

Featuring a wide variety of home styles, The House Plans Bible offers readers over 650 of the most popular, stylish, and creative home designs available. The variety of styles and sizes covers the full spectrum of house plans available in today’s market. The House Plans Bible provides a distinct combination of beautiful full-color photography and illustrations throughout. Practical tips supplement the designs, with advice on everything from hiring a contractor to adding finishing touches such as window treatments and landscaping. Full color throughout – 560 pages More than 350 full-color photographs, including homes actually built 650 designs provided by the nation’s top designers and architects Construction blueprints available for every home Planning and design advice and tips throughout “Real Homes for Real People” ...Show more

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for Your Home (2nd ed.) by Dan Ramsey & David Hughes

$45.00 NZD

Category: Building | Series: Complete Idiot's Guide to S.

The perfect source for solar power

Build Your Own Wood Fired Oven : From the Earth, Brick or New Materials by Alan Watt

$35.00 NZD

Category: Building

For 20 years, author Alan Watt was head of the Ceramics Department of the National Institute of Arts at the Australian National University. Since retiring, he has conducted numerous weekend workshops showing people how to build wood-fired ovens. And now, Watt has written this book - a treasure trove of guidance, based on years of practical and personal experience - to show how to build the "must have" accessory for the backyard chef. Illustrated with many excellent photographs and line drawings, the book explains the historical development of ovens, along with the physics and basic principles of oven design. It contains sections on oven bases and different types of ovens, ranging from low tech to high tech, as well as the traditional brick dome oven. The book also includes discussions on chimneys and dampers, casting a chimney, and doors and doorways. The appendixes illustrate how to cast an arch, forming a brick arch without traditional formwork, and casting a chimney base. Some wonderful recipes are also included. ...Show more

Circle Houses by David Pearson

$49.95 NZD

Category: Building

A charming, nicely designed, informative book featuring color photos and discussion of 18 structures located in far-flung areas of the world (e.g. Afghanistan, Oregon, Australia, among others). Also included are detailed instructions for building a yurt, a tipi, and a bent-pole house. Lists of resou