Search results for ""author john brock""

The modern southwestern cities of Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, and El Paso occupy lands that once supported rich desert ecosystems. Typical development activities often resulted in scraping these desert lands of an ancient living landscape, to be replaced with one that is human-made and dependent on a large consumption of energy and natural resources. Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development explores the natural and built environment of the American Southwest and introduces development tools for shaping the future of the region in a more sustainable way.Explore the Desert Landscape and EcologyThis transdisciplinary collaboration draws on insights from leading authorities in their fields, spanning science, ecology, planning, landscape development, architecture, and urban design. Organized into five parts, the book begins by introducing the physical aspects of the desert realm: the land, geology, water, and climate. The second part deals with the "living" and ecological aspects, from plants and animals to ecosystems. The third part, on planning in the desert, covers the ecological and social issues surrounding water, natural resource planning, and community development.Bring the Desert into the CityThe fourth part looks at how to bring nature into the built environment through the use of native plants, the creation of habitats for nature in urban settings, and the design of buildings, communities, and projects that create life. The final part of the book focuses on urban sustainability and how to design urban systems that provide a secure future for community development. Topics include water security, sustainable building practices, and bold architecture and community designs.Design Solutions That Work with the Local EnvironmentThis book will inspire discussion and contemplation for anyone interested in desert development, from developers and environmentalists to planners, community leaders, and those who live in desert regions. Throughout this volume, the contributors present solutions to help promote ecological balance between nature and the built environment in the American Southwest—and offer valuable insights for other ecologically fragile regions around the world.

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The only comprehensive SketchUp guide written for builders and contractors SketchUp is a 3D modeling application used in areas ranging from civil and mechanical engineering to motion picture and video game design. Three-dimensional modeling is of obvious value to the building industry—yet resources for transforming architectural designs into reality is surprisingly limited. SketchUp for Builders is the first comprehensive guide designed specifically for builders and contractors, providing step-by-step instructions on incorporating 3D modeling into all phases of the construction process. Author John Brock draws from his 30 years of experience as a custom home designer and builder to provide practical advice on how to understand what you are building before it is built. This valuable guide demonstrates how to eliminate cost overruns, construction delays, and design flaws by integrating SketchUp modeling into your workflow. Emphasizing real-world practicality, this book covers all of the essential components of modeling a 3D construction project, from SketchUp fundamentals and object basics to importing construction drawings and increasing project efficiency with extensions and plugins. All phases of construction are clearly explained, including foundations, walls and floor systems, roof and mechanical systems, and exterior and interior finishes. Supplies a constructability process for efficient and cost-effective build projects Offers step-by-step guidance for creating construction documents, renderings, animations, virtual reality tours, and more Integrates SketchUp into all stages of the construction process Provides access to resources such as web tutorials, blogs, and the online SketchUp community Demonstrates how to generate construction documents with accompanying Layout software SketchUp for Builders: A Comprehensive Guide for Creating 3D Building Models Using SketchUp in an indispensable source of information for contractors and builders, architects, interior designers, landscape architects, construction professionals, and anyone seeking to create 3D models of the design and construction process.

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