Strategies for Sustainable Architecture

Filling a gap in existing literature on sustainable design, this new guide introduces and illustrates sustainable design principles through detailed case studies of sustainable buildings in Europe, North America and Australia. The guide will provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the design issues involved in delivering sustainable buildings, and giving detailed description of the process of integrating principles into practice.

Approximately one hundred case studies of sixty buildings, ranging from small dwellings to large commercial buildings, and drawn from a range of countries, demonstrate best current practice. The sections of the book are divided into design issues relating to sustainable development, including site and ecology, community and culture, health, materials, energy and water. With over 400 illustrations, this highly visual guide will be an invaluable reference to all those concerned with architecture and sustainability issues.

Paola Sassi is a practicing architect and partner of Sassi Chamberlain Architects and lecturer in design, technology and sustainability at the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University.

Her experience from two decades of architectural practice combined with her knowledge of sustainable design, gained from independent research, an M.Sc. in Advanced Environment and Energy Studies (1995-1997) and sustainable building practice, has provided her with a broad overview of the issues of sustainability and an in-depth knowledge and experience of implementing the theory into practice.

As part of her teaching activities, which include teaching environmental technologies and social and ecological sustainability, she has researched and compiled teaching material on a wide range of topics relating to sustainable architecture. Her current research topics include environmental building performance assessments, sustainable building materials, waste minimisation, design for dismantling, reuse and recycling, and ethics of sustainability.