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Featured Item
BUILDING A LOW IMPACT ROUNDHOUSE
Tony Wrench
Permanent Publications
Tony Wrench lives a low impact, sustainable way of life through the application of permaculture principles. This is the story of how he built himself a cordwood roundhouse in Pembrokeshire, both a witty and moving account of realising a lifetime’s dream, and a practical ‘how to’ manual for anyone wishing to follow his example.
"Well written with a great deal of wit and logical explanation"
Permaculture Magazine.
"A staggering amount of advice from an author who clearly knows his stuff"
Wave
"An excellent read, providing a moving and witty account of the building process"
Building
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Ecological Architecture 2
All Books Postage & Packing FREE
(UK only, £15 min. order)
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A HANDBOOK FOR ECO PAINTS & FINISHES
Lynn Edwards
Explores how paints are made, their environ-mental impact and the problems associated with conventional paints. It also looks in detail at the various eco paints and wood finishes available for both interior and exterior use, how they are made, which products work well with which surface and how to apply them for the best results, plus a list of suppliers. 110pp
HEP £9.95 add to cart
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HANDBOOK OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
An Environmental Preference Method For Selection Of Materials For Use In Construction & Refurbishment
David Anink, Vhiel Boonstra & John Mak
This handbook gives guidance to the selection of building materials from an environmentally conscious viewpoint. Covering both new building and refurbishment, it clearly and simply grades the options available at each stage of construction. 176pp
HSB £49.95 add to cart
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HOW TO BUILD ANIMAL HOUSING
60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds, Pens, Nest Boxes, Feeders, Stanchions & Much More
Carol Ekarius
This is a must have book for all smallholders. It covers everything from rabbit hutches and chicken coops to stables, barns and shade shelters. Packed with designs, useful information about understanding and designing with microclimates, and construction techniques. 262pp
HBA £14.99 add to cart
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THE INDIAN TIPI
Its History, Constuction & Use
Reginald & Gladys Laubin
The definitive classic about tipis which covers making, furnishing and decorations, its history, tipi living, the native kitchen, sweat lodges and much more. Fascinating details about tribal design variations and decoration, the authors write from their own living experience. A total must for tipi enthusiasts everywhere. 390pp
ITI £22.50 add to cart
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IN SEARCH OF NATURAL ARCHITECTURE
David Pearson
This beautiful exposition of natural architecture from ancient to modern demonstrates how it influences personal health and spiritual warmth. Stunning photographs, inspiring text. Hardback. 162pp
ISN £15.99 add to cart
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LIME IN BUILDING
A Practical Guide
Jane Schofield
Advice on how to use lime in basic building work and decorating, giving clear practical instructions about required tools, preparation, mixing and application. This is by no means a complicated guide and contains all the information you need to use this material. 32pp
LIB £6.00 add to cart
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LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT
Planning & People in a Sustainable Countryside
Simon Fairlie
In this updated second edition, Simon Fairlie offers an indepth and expansive look at the planning system - an absolute must read for anyone seeking to live and work on theirland. Part1 explores the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act, while Part2 examines developments since the first edition. 174pp
LID £15.00 add to cart
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MAKING BETTER CONCRETE
Guidelines To Using Fly Ash For Higher Quality, Eco-friendly Structures
Bruce King
Fly ash is an eco-friendly alternative to using Portland cement in concrete, but until now there has been no easy guide to how it makes superior concrete, or to how to use it. This isn’t just for people who want to ‘build green’, it’s is for people who want to build better concrete. 54pp
MBC £15.95 add to cart
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NATURAL BUILDING
A Guide To Materials & Techniques
Tom Woolley
A practical book aimed at architects, their clients, self-builders and environmental groups. Describes many natural materials and methods used by pioneers of natural building, explaining their advantages and disadvantages. Includes chapters on earth building, timber, strawbale, green roofs, lime, hemp, insulation materials and natural paints, plus a small section on planning regulations. 186pp
NB2 £19.95 add to cart
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NATURAL PAINT DECORATOR
Lyn Edwards & Julia Lawless
At last! The first good book on natural paint finishes since Paint went out of print. Easy to follow and beautifully illustrated, this comprehensive book offers practical instructions on how to prepare traditional finishes such as distempers, limewashes, oils, waxes, stains, together with clear instructions. Also included is a list of suppliers for any item that can’t be found in your own kitchen. 192pp
NPD £16.99 add to cart
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THE NATURAL PLASTER BOOK
Earth, Lime & Gypsum Plasters For Natural Homes
Cedar Rose Guelberth & Dan Chiras
The popularity of natural building methods has grown enormously in recent times and looking at the beauty, durability and safety of natural plasters it is easy to understand why. This well illustrated book teaches the principles of making and using plasters and points out many common mistakes and how to avoid them. 272pp
NPB1 £24.99 add to cart
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PAINT
The Earth Fired Book Of Natural Colour
Elizabeth Hilliard & Stafford Cliff
From the very outset, the ideology of this book is apparent – ‘forget paint think colour’. Offering wonderful photographs which are both striking and completely absorbing, there is also information given on paint techniques and achievable effects. 192pp
PFE £14.99 add to cart
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THE PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE
The Complete Guide to Heating & Cooling
James Kachadorian
Kick the oil habit & turn to the sun for heating and cooling, this book will show you how. The core appeal of this revised edition is its basis on the authors solar slab heat exchanger. Applicable to diverse budgets and styles of architecture Kachadorian's proven techniques bring solar design to todays eco-builders. Includes solar deign software on CD-ROM. 224pp
PSH £32.50 add to cart
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A PATTERN LANGUAGE
Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa,
Murray Silverstein
A pattern language describes a completely new methodology to building and planning. The 252 patterns described represent an infinate number of ways of designing and assembling 'whole' structures with reference to landscape, climate, local building materials, human scale, and how the space is used. An essential tool for anyone intending to plan, design or build. 1,172pp
APL £40.00 add to cart
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PLACES OF THE SOUL
Christopher Day
A new and revised edition of this classic book which reveals that sustainable design is not only about environmental issues and energy efficiency for new and renovated buildings. It is also about providing for the ‘soul’, making architecture and environmental design a healing art. A wonderful, ground-breaking book. 320pp
POS £16.99 add to cart
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PLASTICS ARE FANTASTIC
Richard Bennett and Paula Cowie
Another excellent manual from SCI in Scotland which shows you how to construct a plastic bottle greenhouse, two shelter walls and an array of toys out of waste materials. Both manuals are full of plans, diagrams, photos and step-by-step DIY instructions. Plastics is an ideal technology and waste education manual for schools. 32pp
PAF £12.00 add to cart
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THE RAMMED EARTH HOUSE
David Easton
A definitive guide to the subject, that combines traditional craft with modern innovation in design, detailing and build. From the equatorial tropics to the coldest northern climates these rammed earth structures make year-round comfortable homes that require minimal heating and cooling. The book has a useful appendix on how to identify and test soils for their construction suitability. Full of colour illustrations of both finished projects and construction techniques. 266pp
REH £25.00 add to cart
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READER'S DIGEST
ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME MANUAL
Ed. Alison Candlin
This handy book can save you money by reducing your household use of energy and water. From installing loft insulation to collecting rainwater, updating your central heating program-mer, stopping draughts and lagging pipes, its all here. Plus impartial advice on solar panels, wind turbines and water saving appliances. Includes details of Government grants available and directory of eco-friendly DIY materials suppliers.128pp
RDEE £9.99 add to cart
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RECIPROCAL FRAME ARCHITECTURE
Olga Popovic Larsen
Reciprocal frame structures are three dimensional assemblies of mutually supporting beams. By using this type of roof design breathtakingly beautiful and complex structures are at the heart of buildings both ancient and modern. This new book explores the principles of these apparently simple structures and demonstrates how they can be used in the context of a modern building. 208pp
RFA £29.99 add to cart
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RUSTIC RETREATS
A Build It Yourself Guide
David & Jeanie Stiles
Turn your dreams into reality with instructions for build-it-yourself hideaways on the ground, in the trees, and on water. Chapters cover materials and basic building techniques for construction of the different styles of shelter. Also included are ideas for special places: campfire circles and wind sculptures... delightful and practical. 150pp
RRS £14.99 add to cart
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THE SAUNA
Rob Roy
How to build a cordwood woodburner-heated sauna, and also how to build rectangular, oval, square and round cordwood buildings with turf roofs. Great detailing and lots of photos and diagrams. 198pp
TS1 £19.95 add to cart
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SHEDS
David Stiles
It’s hard to explain the joy of a well-built apex roof or the glories of tongue and groove, but this book has it all. There are detailed construction drawings as well as step-by-step instructions for a variety of projects. 192pp
SHE1 £18.00 add to cart
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SOLAR HOUSE
A Guide For The Solar Designer
Terry Galloway
A comprehensive guide to designing, planning and building a solar house, this manual includes specific design features, a review of current technologies, costings and maintenance for an integrated passive solar and photovoltaic house. Includes other renewable systems. Both for engineers, architects and the home owner. 218pp
SHG £35.99 add to cart
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THE SOLAR HOUSE
Passive Heating & Cooling
Dan Chiras
An approach known as natural conditioning provides comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Chiras explains state of the art ventilation and filtering techniques that compliment the ancient solar strategies of themal mass and daylighting. 218pp
TSH £25.00 add to cart
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SPIRIT & PLACE
Christopher Day
How to create places which are psycholog-ically and physically nourishing to the soul and spirit as well as the body. A landmark text about designing the built environment so that it is socially inclusive, ecologically sustainable and a delight to be in. Full of fascinating information. 258pp
SP3 £34.99 add to cart
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All Books Postage & Packing FREE
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Featured Items
ROUNDWOOD CONSTRUCTION
ROUNDWOOD TIMBER FRAMING
Building Naturally Using Local Resources
Ben Law
Foreword by Lloyd Kahn
Filled with detailed colour photographs and drawings, this unique and practical ‘how to’ book will unquestionably be a benchmark for sustainable building. It will encourage communication between woodsmen, planners, architects and builders and help close the loop between environmental conservation, use of renewable local resources and the regeneration and evolution of traditional skills to create durable, ecological and beautiful buildings. 160pp
“A new vernacular, one that he’s passing on to future builders”
Lloyd Kahn
“This is Ben Law at his best ...essential reading”
Mike Abbot
“Ben’s beautiful book shows that intelligently sourced wood is ultimately the best building material we have”
Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall
“The intelligence of Nature’s forests speak through Ben Law ... a beautiful manual”
Rachel Shiamh
“The sheer visual, sensual, even animal, pleasure in wood, from seedling to final giant ridge pole, comes through in every page”
Tony Wrench
RTF £19.95
add to cart
See also Ben Law's Roundwood Timber Framing DVD
BUILDING A LOW IMPACT ROUNDHOUSE
Second Edition With 10 Year Update
Tony Wrench
Tony shares his skills and techniques, from the process of visualising and designing the house to lifting the living roof, infilling the walls, laying out the rooms and adding renewable, autonomous technology. Fully illustrated throughout from cutting the timber to completion. 144pp
BLI2 £12.95
add to cart
CORDWOOD BUILDING
The State Of The Art
Rob Roy
A thorough, articulate and knowledgeable explanation of this unique and earth-friendly method of construction. From the first examples to the latest techniques, building codes to maintenance, each aspect is explained by one of 25 expert contributors to create a one-of-a-kind reference. 256pp
CBS £24.99
add to cart
LOW COST POLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
The Complete How To Book
Ralph Wolfe
Timber pole construction is a very cheap and easy method of building simple shelters, barns and houses. Whilst it contains a great deal of information, this guide is ideal for the inexperienced or even first time builder and is filled with very clear and precise diagrams which do a great job of bringing life to the text. There are also a range of plans in the back of the book to get you off to a flying start. 192pp
LCP £10.99
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ROUNDWOOD TIMBER FRAMING
See top of page
TIMBER POLE CONSTRUCTION
An Introduction
Lionel Jayanetti & Paul Follet
Covers the process of felling and preparing the timber, through to specific applications in the construction of buildings, bridges and retaining walls. This is not a how-to manual, but is instead intended as an introduction to what is possible with this technology. 58pp
TPC £11.99
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THE CLASSIC HEWN LOG HOUSE
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