HABITAT

The core of the book is arranged by climate zone, from desert to tropical, temperate to arctic. Within each section, buildings are presented regionally, showing how climatic conditions and vegetation affect the evolution of building styles. This central part is bookended by a range of essays exploring the economic and anthropological aspects, while the reference section offers information on materials science and engineering, including how buildings have been adapted to contend with natural disasters.

The traditions of vernacular architecture have much to teach us. Given our ecosystem’s increasing frailty, the architecture and building trade’s new role in a post-digital era, and the desperate need to record fading cultural traditions, the relevance of this book is greater than ever.

'Hefty, handsome … works best as evidence and inspiration, as the laying out of the amazingly multifarious forms that human dwellings can take, from which it might still be possible to learn'
Observer

'A landmark publication … a timely and urgent story of humanity’s capacity to create architecture without jeopardizing the equilibrium of the ecosystems upon which human life depends'
Aesthetica