The Whole House Book: Ecological Building Design and Materials

An encyclopedic guide for green building, this book takes a wholistic approach to design, combining social, economic and environmental objectives with an evaluation of buildings' local and global impact. Chapters range from creating a healthy house with good lighting and air quality to designing a home with minimum reliance on fossil fuels and maximum conservation of water. Helpful case studies highlight sustainable materials, solar roofs, ecological building in North America and France-and more!

Pat Borer is an architect in mid-Wales, and Cindy Harris is a builder specializing in the environmental impact of building materials. Both helped to pioneer the Centre for Alternative Technology's self-build approach.