Search results for ""author tom woolley""

Natural materials are increasingly being valued for their use in a wide range of techniques and solutions, not just for building cabins in the countryside, but also for housing, schools and city structures. As the need to respond to climate change becomes a serious requirement for all building projects, so too does our understanding of how these bio-based and renewable materials can help to reduce carbon emissions. With convincing evidence that natural materials work as well as, if not better than, conventional materials, this helpful guide offers an outline of many of the materials, products and methods of construction that are available, equipping readers with confidence to create healthy, ecological homes. This comprehensive book will be of interest to self-builders, home owners, architects, housing developers and specifiers, as well as environmentalists, eco builders and campaigners who want to reduce the impact of construction on the planet.

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This guide to the designs, technologies and materials that really make green buildings work will help architects, specifiers and clients make informed choices, based on reliable technical information. Low Impact Building: Housing using Renewable Materials is about changing the way we build houses to reduce their ‘carbon’ footprint and to minimise environmental damage. One of the ways this can be done is by reducing the energy and environmental impact of the materials and resources used to construct buildings by choosing alternative products and systems. In particular, we need to recognise the potential for using natural and renewable construction materials as a way to reduce both carbon emissions but also build in a more benign and healthy way. This book is an account of some attempts to introduce this into mainstream house construction and the problems and obstacles that need to be overcome to gain wider acceptance of genuinely environmental construction methods. The book explores the nature of renewable materials in depth: where do they come from, what are they made of and how do they get into the construction supply chain? The difference between artisan and self-build materials like earth and straw, and more highly processed and manufactured products such as wood fibre insulation boards is explored. The author then gives an account of the Renewable House Programme in the UK explaining how it came about and how it was funded and managed by Government agencies. He analyses 12 case studies of projects from the Programme, setting out the design and methods of construction, buildability, environmental assessment tools used in the design, performance in terms of energy, air tightness, carbon footprint and post-occupancy issues. The policy context of energy and sustainability in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world is subjected to a critical examination to show how this affects the use of natural and renewable materials in the market for insulation and other construction materials. The debate over energy usage and embodied energy is discussed, as this is central to the reason why even many environmentally progressive people ignore the case for natural and renewable materials. The book offers a discussion of building physics and science, considering energy performance, moisture, durability, health and similar issues. A critical evaluation of assessment, accreditation and labelling of materials and green buildings is central to this as well as a review of some of the key research in the field.

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Discover what it’s like to grow up in Russia in this fascinating, nonfiction Level 2 Ready-to-Read, part of a series all about kids just like you in countries around the world!Zdravstvuyte! My name is Katia, and I’m a kid just like you living in Russia. Russia is a massive country, located in two continents—Europe and Asia. It’s known for its cool cities bursting with history and culture, awesome wildlife, and diverse climates. Have you ever wondered what Russia is like? Come along with me to find out! Each book in our Living in… series is narrated by a kid growing up in their home country and is filled with fresh, modern illustrations as well as loads of history, geography, and cultural goodies that fit perfectly into Common Core standards. Join kids from all over the world on a globe-trotting adventure with the Living in… series—sure to be a hit with children, parents, educators, and librarians alike!

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Discover what it’s like to grow up in Russia in this fascinating, nonfiction Level 2 Ready-to-Read, part of a series all about kids just like you in countries around the world!Zdravstvuyte! My name is Katia, and I’m a kid just like you living in Russia. Russia is a massive country, located in two continents—Europe and Asia. It’s known for its cool cities bursting with history and culture, awesome wildlife, and diverse climates. Have you ever wondered what Russia is like? Come along with me to find out! Each book in our Living in… series is narrated by a kid growing up in their home country and is filled with fresh, modern illustrations as well as loads of history, geography, and cultural goodies that fit perfectly into Common Core standards. Join kids from all over the world on a globe-trotting adventure with the Living in… series—sure to be a hit with children, parents, educators, and librarians alike!

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Modern day buildings are now expected to be low energy or near zero energy to reduce carbon emissions. A key step in making building low energy is to minimise heat transfer through the building fabric with insulation fabrics. However, how can a practitioner choose the most effective fabric for the job in hand? With so many thermal insulation materials on the market and each making claims associated with their performance, it is difficult for a specifier, contractor or an end user to select the insulation material most appropriate for a specific building project. Thermal Insulation Materials for Building Applications aims to address that problem. This book presents the variations, technical details and capabilities of state-of-the-art of thermal insulation materials for building applications. As a single source of information on all aspects of insulation materials, the reader can make an informed choice and select the necessary insulation accordingly. Thermal Insulation Materials for Building Applications includes discussions on various properties of thermal insulation materials such as thermal conductivity heat capacity moisture resistance moisture adsorption and absorption capacity role of thermal and hygric mass in dynamic hydrothermal boundary conditions sustainability with regards to insulation materials embodied and operational energy with regards to insulation materials bio-based and synthetic insulation materials durability of insulation materials acoustics and insulation materials and economics of insulation materials. It is an essential purchase for any practitioner looking to understand and select the right modern thermal insulation materials for their building project.

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