Mitchell's Introduction to Building

Introduction to Building, written by Derek Osbourn and Roger Greeno, is essential reading for all students of construction and building related disciplines. It is a preliminary and complementary reader for the other books in the Mitchell's Building Series and is a standard reference for all those concerned with contemporary construction processes and procedures. This third edition has been revised, updated and extended to retain its authoritative overview of the many and varied aspects of creating buildings.

The new edition provides a wider perspective of construction, incorporating detailed interpretation of standard practice to current legislative measures. It analyses a building in terms of what is expected of it, the practical processes and typical methods used in its construction, the building team which implements the processes and the methods used for communicating information. Each section is written to stimulate interest in and to encourage further reading from the more advanced volumes in the Mitchell's Building Series and associated research papers.

Topics covered- the requirements of a building; appearance; durability; dimensional suitability; strength and stability; weather exclusion; sound control; thermal comfort; fire protection; lighting and ventilating, sanitation and drainage; security; cost; building processes; the building team; communication; construction method. As a course reader for students of architecture, building, construction management, quantity surveying and other related disciplines, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the various aspects of building and development from initial planning and design through to construction.

Derek Osbourn was Head of the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the Polytechnic of North London, and an examiner in design for the Royal Institute of British Architects. Roger Greeno is a consultant, examiner and established author of many construction papers and publications. He has extensive experience in further and higher education, lecturing in several colleges and at the University of Portsmouth.