The Adaptable House : Designing Homes for Change - Hardcover

Friedman,Avi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0071377468 ISBN 13: 9780071377461

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2002

Synopsis

Author Avi Friedman believes that rather than being unchangeable, physical environments should be designed and constructed to easily adjust to the evolving lifestyle of their inhabitants. A home, he contends, should be structurally flexible enough to adapt to changes such as children "leaving the nest," elderly relatives moving in, or the need for home office space..

. Written by an internationally recognized flexible housing advocate, The Adaptable House provides specific design approaches and techniques that facilitate flexible design--both on the inside and outside--making it simple to alter a dwelling layout, demolish partitions or build new ones, upgrade heating systems, change the locations of stairs, etc..

. The book is divided into three logical sections: the first sets the stage for adaptability, the second outlines relevant principles, and the last shows their actual application. Packed with floor plans, drawings, photos, and charts to fully and clearly illustrate his suggestions, The Adaptable House includes detailed coverage of:.
* Interior layouts and room configurations.
* Exterior elements such as roofs and facades.
* New building materials and methods.
* Easy add-on and remodels.
* Single-family and multiple dwelling housing.

. The Adaptable House is a master blueprint for those interested in creating homes that can be quickly, easily, and inexpensively redesigned to meet the dynamic nature of the occupants' life.

About this title

About the Author

Avi Friedman received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, his master of Architecture degree from McGill University, and his Ph.D. from the Universite de Montreal. He cofounded the Affordable Homes Program at the McGill School of Architecture, where he is an Associate Professor..

. Avi Friedman is the author of the books The Grow Home and Planning the New Suburbia: Flexibility by Design. He has written extensively on subjects ranging from prefabrication and construction technology to suburban planning and space management..

. Dr. Friedman has worked as the head of design for a homebuilding firm in Montreal. He has designed housing prototypes that were constructed by homebuilders in the private sector. The Grow Home, a narrow-front rowhouse, received immense media attention and has since been built in communities across North America. The Next Home, also the subject of much media scrutiny, is a flexible and affordable housing type. Dr. Friedman's design work and projects have been covered extensively on TV shows such as ABC's Good Morning America, Dream Builders, and Stewart Brand's How Buildings Learn (British Broadcasting Corporation), in magazines such as Popular Science, Architecture, and Home, and in newspapers including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Examiner. Avi Friedman has been a speaker at meetings of government officials, development authorities, university faculties and students, homebuilders, architects, and planners. He has received numerous awards for his research, design, and teaching, including the American Institute of Architects Education Honors, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Creative Achievement Award, the Progressive Architecture Research Award, the Manning Award for Technological Innovation, and the United Nations World Habitat Award. He is also Wallpaper's designation as one of the 10 people who will change the way we live--an award shared by noted architect Rem Koolhaas, Ingvar Kamprad, founder of Ikea, and Sven Mattisson, co-developer of the Bluetooth microchip..

From the Back Cover

A MASTER BLUEPRINT FOR FLEXIBLE HOUSING FROM A PIONEER IN THE FIELD

Award-winning author Avi Friedman believes that the homes in which we live should not be regarded � or designed � as single purpose, unchangeable physical environments incapable of adapting to the occupant�s evolving needs. A home, he contends, should be constructed as a life cycle house where changes such as children being born or leaving the nest, elderly relatives moving in, or the need for home office space are all easily accommodated.

This powerful, eloquent resource provides a clear, systematic guide to the conception and construction of adaptable homes that can be quickly, easily, and inexpensively altered to reflect the new needs of owners. Packed with floor plans, drawings, photos, and charts to fully illustrate the author�s suggestions, The Adaptable House is more than a persuasive argument for designing and building flexible structures � it is an innovative blueprint for putting principles into practice.

�A conflict exists between the dynamic nature of occupants� lives and the homes in which they choose to reside. . . . The argument this book puts forward is that a fit between the evolving space needs of occupants and their homes needs to be simpler than it is at present.�--From the Preface

America�s rapidly changing demographics � people living longer, an increasing number working from home, fewer having children � demand a greater flexibility, creativity, and awareness in home design and construction. Clearly, the era of unchangeable homes, capable of accommodating just one life-style is drawing to a close, and there exists a clear need for new, imaginative strategies, tasks, and products.

The Adaptable House provides specific design approaches and techniques that facilitate flexible design � both on the inside and out. These principles make it simple to alter a dwelling�s layout, demolish partitions or build new ones, upgrade heating systems, and change the locations of staircases.

The Adaptable House is divided into three sections: the first sets the stage for adaptability, the second outlines relevant design principles, and the last shows their actual application in a variety of projects with detailed coverage of:
* Interior layouts and room configurations
* Exterior elements such as roofs and facades
* New building materials and methods
* Easy add-ons and remodels
* Single-family and multiple dwelling houses

This groundbreaking reference outlines both a vision and process that together will alter our concept of the structure we call home.

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0071377468
• ISBN 13: 9780071377461
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 271