Get Sust! Issue 32

What are you reading? RIBA Bookshops best sellers

Sustainable construction is coming of age (as CIBSE’s forthcoming conference puts it — moving from ‘niche to norm’) and this means that publishers have now built up a substantial library of sustainable construction titles. Get Sust! asked RIBA Bookshops’ buyer — Sam Carpenter — to look at his sales statistics and tell us what the well-read are reading this season!

“This year’s undisputed winner, a hit with professionals and public alike, is the Green Building Bible 3rd edition in two volumes,” writes Sam.

“Volume one gives an introduction and overview of the whole subject and deals with such topics as building styles and systems, products and materials, sustainability in the outdoors and very handy listings of professionals and suppliers. Volume two addresses renewable energy, climate, light, heat, water and other technical specifics for low energy buildings. Published at the back end of last year, both were short-listed for the 2007 RIBA International Book Award (Construction) and must be regarded as essential reading for all who are concerned with green building. Green Building Press also publish the consistently excellent Green Building quarterly magazine.

“Freshly minted for the reading public, The ZEDBook, is co-authored by Bill Dunster, architect of the award winning BedZED and proponent of Zero Energy principles. Including case studies, the book is THE comprehensive guide to ZEDliving and ZEDstandards, as well as a manifesto for their use. It makes a terrific companion to Dunster's CD-ROM, From A To ZED.

“The biggest release of 2007 is probably the third edition of Ecohouse — reviewed in Get Sust no. 30. The authors — Roaf, Fuentes and Thomas — really know their green onions and this attractively designed and clearly laid out book should be filed on your most accessible shelf.

“Addressing itself to strategic considerations at the schematic level is

the purpose of the Green Studio Handbook. The authors make it clear that if specific energy-saving strategies are not deployed in the initial design phase of a project, they stand little chance of being realised. The book covers 40 varied strategies which, if chosen, need to be factored in from the very start, and offers information on their implementation, maintenance and optimum conditions for use. This clear and accessible book has proved to be hugely popular.

“From macro to micro, Small Eco-Houses, does exactly what it says on the cover, presenting case studies of 22 passive houses, solar houses, island houses and livingscapes from around the world. Germany leads the way with seven, the Netherlands and USA both have three, I wonder if you can guess how many examples are from Britain...

“The above titles are just a small selection of what we have on offer at RIBA Bookshops. There is also a sustainability booklist featuring a variety of titles - technical, vegetable and mineral. So there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to stocking fillers.!”

Learn more:

	•	All the titles mentioned are available viawww.ribabookshops.com
	•	Sam Carpenter is Bookseller/Book Buyer for RIBA Bookshops and Distribution. Click here to download his sustainable construction books list.