(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best building architecture books

I am in process of buying land and working on a house design. I speak only for my local area (which is, funny enough, the same county the guy plopped his tiny house in from the "Tiny" documentary). IANAL ETC ETC YMMV.

> So are some areas tougher on building code than others or is it the same across the board in the same country or at least same state/province?

In general cities are much, much less forgiving. They also tend to have much more in terms of regulations and rules, as well as fees. Rural counties tend to err on the side of "leave me alone" and are more forgiving. However, the least populated county in Colorado (San Juan) is near Telluride which is full of rich people, and some of the most restrictive county wide regulations that I have seen. The population of San Juan is 690 which makes 2 people per square mile.

> The goal here is to minimize total expenditure.

Then you should read The Earthbag Building because this is literally clay, sand, bags and muscle. Now my county has specific regulations about thickness and such but is one of the few counties I researched which did not have a minimum size for any building and did allow such designs. To get a certificate of occupancy is pretty simple, you need to have sanitation, water, electric, insulation done. That's not very hard to get to cheaply, especially if your goal is to just get that COS.

> Are there legal requirements regarding what sort of professional background or professional designation that you must have to be able to design a building? For example, do you need to be a licensed architect or a professional civil engineer with a stamp to do this work? Would architectural plans need to be approved by a professional or can you approve your own design? Hiring an architect or a civil consulting firm costs money. Easily couple grand each or more.

In my experience you will probably need any unusual design stamped by a PE. However, if you present plans to a PE it will be relatively cheap to have them stamp it.

In some cases your county building department will be pretty good and help you a lot because you're doing something really interesting, and quite frankly their job is boring as shit otherwise. I am lucky that my county is more on this side, and I expect to have very few problems once I finish getting land and get serious about permits and building design.

> What about various aspects of the construction work? Are there certain aspects of the physical home construction process that must be done by a licensed professional as a matter of law? For example, electrical work etc? Again, hiring an electrician costs money. If you can buy parts and do it yourself it costs less.

It is extremely difficult (I can't say impossible, but it's damn close) for a county to force you to hire a licensed contractor. In fact it would be the exception. Generally if you do the work yourself you've probably tried to adhere to the code more than most contractors anyway, and often inspections will be easier on the owner-builder than on the contractor. Obviously there are always exceptions.

If you follow the code, and you follow permit procedures, they will have a hard time saying no. If you run in to this situation it is often cheaper to take your plans to a PE and get them stamped.

Also, don't be afraid of doing electrical or plumbing yourself. It isn't that hard, and with electrical you just need to make sure the power is off. Otherwise it's all easy.

> Suppose the area doesn't have water and sewage and a septic tank and water well needs to be build and drilled respectively. I suppose a septic system will have health and safety implications and so perhaps there are local authorities that oversee this and are extra stringent on approved methods of septic tank construction?

Counties will typically have to follow state law at the minimum. In my county it is possible to do a number of crazy sanitation things but they all come with restrictions. For instance if I wanted an outhouse I could not get a well permit. Well permitting is done at the state level, but the county will not allow a well to be drilled with an outhouse. My county will allow compost toilets, they will allow other interesting situations, but quite frankly a septic system is a lot easier to deal with than a lot of the other restrictions.

You do run in to offsets and concerns with neighbors when you put in a leech field and drill a well. This just is what it is and you can't do much to skirt it.

> What other info regarding doing-it-by-the-book can you add on the subject of design & construction?

Read all of the land use regulations and county building codes you can before buying land.

Read lots of different books about design, including design books that may make you uncomfortable.

Try to design solar heating and the power of the sun in to your house as much as you can. This will save you a ton in heating costs.

Okay so

I'll divide this into a few sections, assuming you can only speak English and want books in a somewhat reasonable price range.

Though if you're at uni or have access to a uni library: make the most of it.

Oh yeah before I forget, as a general rule, if you're reading an explanation or exploration of a culture's beliefs or stories, find something written by someone who comes from the actual culture if you can. It's always best as a foreigner to have your first insight being from someone who's grown up with it. Avoid people like Alan Watts like the fucking plague. Though of course actual academics on the mythology and religion generally write quite well about them.

First up, Shintoism.

The perfect primer for Japanese mythology is the oldest book extant in Japan's history: the Kojiki. In English, you really cannot go past the Philippi translation. It is incredibly comprehensive with cross referencing and explaining basically any term you could want to know. Philippi explains the history of the book, the intracies of the language involved, and competing theories regarding contentious points alongside with the translation. The one downside here is that it's rather pricey. The book is out of print due to copyright issues, so you can only really get it for around $100 at the lowest. Still, it's a pretty great resource. A word of warning though, there are a lot of boring chapters in the Kojiki if you're interested in myths. Part of the reason why the Kojiki and the Nihongi were commissioned at the time was to legitimise imperial rule, so you have a lot of chapters that just talk about lineage, connecting the Imperial family back to Amaterasu. "Emperor Steve was born in this year, had six kids with three wives and died. He was succeeded by Emperor Greg." Stuff like that.

If you want something that isn't a primary text and is a little more accessible, The Kami Way is supposed to be quite good. It's very cheap, written by two academics (one from Japan one from the West), and quite short, making it easy to dive into. The one downside is that it's a little old, so its scholarship might not be quite as current as some other books.

Next up, Hinduism.

Hinduism is fucking terrifying to tackle because there is just so much stuff on it. Keep in mind that Hinduism is more a collection of belief systems than one unified belief system, keep in mind that it has an incredibly well preserved written and oral history, keep in mind that it's an offshoot of one of the oldest attested religions on Earth... there's a lot here.

and then you have the five hundred books written by western people about the TRUE way to Awaken Your Chakras

Now two of the most important texts here are the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. The Rig Veda is one of the oldest religious texts in the world, a collection of religious hymns. Until recently, there was no good full translation into English. Sure you can find one on the Sacred Texts website but... it's crap from 19th century England. Scholarship was not the same then as it is now. However, in 2014, an absolutely fantastic resource was completed. It is the full Rig Veda, unabridged, with commentary on every single one of over a thousand hymns. The poetry sings, the commentary is insightful... and it costs 400 american dollars all up. I only got to read these through my university library.

There's a few good Upanishad translations for cheap though. A lot shorter too, normally clocking it at only around 500 pages. I picked one up from Oxford World's Classics. This is pretty essential if you want to understand what the Brahman concept from Digital Devil Saga actually is.

In terms of a general introduction though, probably this book is the best. It's a pretty thorough overview that covers the history of Hinduism from ancient times to today, the mythology of it, etc.

Next, Buddhism.

Buddhism has a similar problem to Hinduism in terms of scope, though somewhat less pronounced, as Buddhism is genuinely just one belief system, separated into sects that are much more comparable to Christianity's variations. You do probably get even more "Namaste Bro" type people with Buddism than you do Hinduism though.

My knowledge here isn't as much up to scratch though, as up til now I've read more about the practice and history of Buddhism as opposed to going in depth about the mythology and cosmology of it all, which I only really know on a very superficial level. I'm trying to change that right now though; it's super interesting to learn what Hindu gods became in the Buddhist belief system, and how they evolved further upon reaching Japan.

If you're looking more into the mythology side of things, don't read something like the Dhammpada, which is a sayings text. Of course it's interconnected, but you'll probably want something a bit more direct.

I'd recommend again going to an academic text rather than straight into the three baskets. And in this case, I'd recommend this book, which I picked up purely because of a certain coincidence and have found very interesting. By framing it around the cosmology of Buddhism, this book naturally leads into talking about Buddhist deities, and other things you're more likely to be interested in, without skimping on explanation about how this connects to the Buddhist belief system.

Finally, Taoism

all i can recommend you here is the tao te ching and the zhuangzi, get them with a good commentary, i don't know enough about other texts that explain taoism to recommend any

That's about what I'd recommend. If anyone wants to suggest any improvements to this list please do!

Id say get several good books. (I learned by experience so cant recommend specific titles sorry). Read up on it, timber framing is a way to go about it but probably easier is general '16'' on center' framing. Like I said, there area a lot of aspects to carpentry that seem really complicated but are generally easy to figure out. Books with good physical drawings would be the most helpful. It seems like you dont have a concrete plan as of yet so, to me, the best thing would be to really study up. Id also recommend Lloyd Kahn books as pretty cool inspiration, as far as unique/hippy type buildings go-- https://www.amazon.com/Shelter-Library-Building-Books/dp/0936070110 --they were and are one of the most inspirational building books Ive seen.

As an architecture student who asked himself this same question not so long ago I'd say:

• Modern Architecture: A Critical History by Kenneth Frampton.
  The most introductory, simple to understand, first book you should pick up when ready to jump into some actual architecture. This is the book that you need to read even before architecture school, for your entrance test and just because.
  
  
• Architecture of the City by Aldo Rossi.
  This one is also an easy read that will make you realise how important architecture is for us as human beings, as a society, as a city, as a community, as people... how architecture is not just a free standing building by some "starchitect" in a magazine but a part of something bigger. Great read and one of my favourites.
  
  
• Towards a new architecture by Le Corbusier.
  Love him or hate him Le Corbusier changed the world and studying and understanding how and why will greatly help you understand architecture today. This book might be a bit philosophical and theoretical but it's written for people to understand, not just architects. A must read I'd say.
  
  
• Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture by Christian Norberg-Schulz.
  I'd say this is a book you should read to complement and expand on Aldo Rossi's. Genius Loci is the spirit of a place, it's character and distinctive self. Great read.
  
  
• Architecture As Space by Bruno Zevi.
  Great book to understand how Architecture are not just façades and photos but designed spaces and experiences and how we experience them with our senses, the way they make us feel. This book will make you look at architecture from a different perspective, and you will since then experience the world differently.
  
  BONUS:
  
  
• 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Frederick. Simple and to the point, might not seem like much and honestly don't take it too seriously but it's nice to keep around and going through it will remind you of things that sometimes we tend to forget.
  
  Hope this helps and gets you started on a good path. :) Have a nice day.

Based on your follow up questions, it's pretty clear that all this is pretty new to you. I'm a huge believer in do-it-yourselfing it, but I'm not really sure this is a good place for you to start.

It might cost you, I dunno, a hundred bucks to have an electrician come in and do this. It will be done right AND you get to watch the entire process. (Don't get in his space, but let him know you are just interested in learning). I think it's money well spent.

All this stuff is relatively easy once you have some experience, but it's also pretty easy for a newbie to make a mess of it. Here, you have old wiring w/o a ground, combined with an outlet going next to a sink. Also, you have to cut a hole in your sheetrock (?) or plaster wall to sink the new box. Again, easy enough, but consider the money spent on getting it done tuition.

I salute your efforts to learn. I was fortunate to watch my dad do a lot of handyman type stuff as a kid. I've learned a lot on my own since then, but my early experience gave me the confidence to know that it was doable.

BTW, consider purchasing this book. It's out of print but still available. It's mainly geared towards building your home, but building and doing repair work are two sides of the same coin. Knowing how something is built helps you know how to tackle the repair. It's an EXCELLENT book, and I highly recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/Do-Yourself-Housebuilding-Complete-Handbook/dp/0806904240/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1480823080&sr=8-4&keywords=george+nash

The first thing to keep in mind that is that Shinto is not similar to the Western sense of a 'religion' at all. There is not good versus evil or right and wrong. It evolved from the patchwork of historic folk rituals of the local communities concerned with bringing about a good harvest or warding off natural disasters. There isn't a Shinto 'Bible' to refer to and there isn't much in the way of 'faith' in something, and certainly no concepts of salvation or a heaven.

The longstanding classic text for Westerners is Shinto: The Kami Way by Prof. Sokyo Ono. This book has been around a long time and is somewhat dry, but it goes through lots of basic definitions and concepts.

If you want to understand the mythology of the kami behind Shinto, find a summarized version of the first few chapters of the Kojiki. This is the Japanese creation myth which also sets up the primary high kami (Izanagi, Izanami, Ookuni-nushi, Susano'o, Amaterasu). Wikipedia has a pretty decent summary, but if you really want to bore yourself, the full original Basil Hall Chamberlain translation from 100+ years ago is online.

More than anything, I personally recommend A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine by Prof. John Nelson. It is an excellent balance of academic and readable, and he explains and frames Shinto in some great phrases. My copy has many earmarks where I've saved some of his fabulous quotes.

And of course, you can ask us here in r/Shinto if you have any specific questions. :)

I am going to suggest two things:

(1) You need to know how things work, and why they work the way they do. So you need a Bible for this house. I recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0806904240/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Do-It-Yourself Housebuilding: The Complete Handbook by George Nash. At 700 pages, it's a beast. Here is what one reviewer has to say:

It has chapters on everything, starting with selecting a site and house plan and ending with landscaping. There are plenty of drawings, charts and photographs to illustrate the topics. For example there are almost three pages of drawings of various types of electrical boxes and their installation. The dialog is clear and easy to understand. You can learn why you need to do something, not just how to do it.

The chapter about stairs describes rise and run and how to figure out how to build and place stairs. Again there are lots of diagrams showing things like how to measure angles on stringers accurately and how to get the tread level.

Each chapter covers various types of building practices and materials and isn't limited to any particular style. For instance the roofing chapter covers asphalt shingles, wood shingles and shakes, concrete and clay tiles, and even what I was interested in - tin.
Not only are there pictures of how to do things correctly, but there are occasional shots of owner-builder mistakes. It helps to know what not to do as well as what to do.
If it's not covered in this book, there's a bibliography in the back with a section for each chapter.

This is perfect for your new/old house.

(2) If you are concerned about taking something back apart later, use screws in just about every phase of renovation. They are your friend. They hold everything together, yet you can take it back apart with ease.

And this is just me. You are going to make mistakes, and you are going to waste money. That is the nature of home renovation. But as you get better at this, those will become fewer and fewer.

It's not a crime to mess up now and then. It is only a crime if you cannot learn from those mistakes. And trust me on this; your time, and your money, are great motivators to learn and remember all that you can.

Best of luck to you guys. Take lots of pictures. This is one hell of a journey you are on, and it deserves to be documented. One day you'll look on those pictures and laugh, telling each other "Remember when it looked like THAT?!".

A lurker here...

Might I recommend the book "Mongolian Cloud Houses" for ideas for this? It's about living in a Yurt, but you could take good lessons from it on how to live in a cabin.

http://www.amazon.com/Mongolian-Cloud-Houses-Make-Comfortably/dp/0936070390

I own a copy, and it put me pretty far into building a yurt, before I wound up with an apartment. By pretty far, I mean literally that I only had to finish the roof and wall materials, the compression ring, and cut out the poly-carbonate sheet, then I was done.

It's a good design for a cabin, too, if you can pull it off. A sun dome would provide perfect lighting in winter(Or, alternatively, an old fashioned dome that can be pushed up for a stovepipe to work, would work fine too). It also has good methods on jury rigging furniture, arranging furniture and belongings, and how to ensure you're going to stay warm.

There's an out-of-print book simply called "Passive Solar Energy." It's got lots of great information; I bet it will be just what you are looking for as far as the physics of solar energy and thermosiphoning (which is essentially "heated fluid rises because it's less dense than cooler fluid"). I'm an engineer and I really think that book gives you all you need to know to have a basic working knowledge of solar heat gain and how various systems of solar energy capture operate. Here's a list of books I have found helpful and/or interesting in regards to solar energy:

• Passive Solar Energy - The top link is a link to pdf's of the chapters of the book.
  
  
• The Passive Solar Energy Book - VERY in-depth on passive solar theory, design, and construction.
  
  
• Solar Air Heating Systems - Another design and construction book, specifically about solar air heating.
  
  
  
• The Solar Greenhouse Book - Name says it all. It's all about passive solar greenhouses.
  
  
• A Golden Thread - Really interesting book about how man has worked with the sun in building design through the history of civilization.
  
  
  For earthships/earth-sheltered homes, I recommend these books:
  
  
• Earth-Sheltered Housing Design - One of the most detailed and complete books on earth-sheltering available. Not earthships, but the same ideas apply.
  
  
• Earth-Sheltered Houses - Another essential book for earth-sheltering houses. Author has built several of his own and remains an authority in the subject as well as cordwood building, for which he has also written books.
  
  
• Earth-Sheltered Solar Greenhouses - Combines two subjects for a very Permaculture-appropriate building technique.
  
  
• Earthship Vol I and II - Needs no explaining.
  
  
  From my experience in university studying fluid dynamics, I recommend not going any deeper into the subject than what you would find in the solar energy books I listed above. The subject is math-heavy, and the academic study of the topic is not going to help you with what you are interested in with permaculture. It's kind of like studying the abstract physics/math of electromagnetism when all you want to do is wire a house.
  
  Hope this helps!

Are you still in school or working? Either way, I'd recommend talking to a professional about it. I had somewhat similar issues while I was at school and did a few sessions of therapy which I thought helped quite a bit.

I agree that taking some time away from the work is a good way to reinvigorate oneself. Take a long weekend trip somewhere, go for a hike or bicycle ride, see a movie. Put architecture completely out of your mind, take some time off, and then see what interests you as you get back into the swing of things. Good luck!

E: I like the idea of reading some architecture books that aren't heavy theory as a way to help reinvigorate your interest. Here's a couple I've enjoyed in the past:

http://www.amazon.com/Architecture-Essay-Landscapes-Buildings-Machines/dp/0262691663

http://www.amazon.com/Most-Beautiful-House-World/dp/0140105662/ref=la_B000AQ1U8A_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452268020&sr=1-7

Check out Bob Gurr's Google Talk, particularly at the 12 minute mark when he hears his interviewer use the word "Process." It's pretty funny. Watch the whole video. It's great. I'd also recommend any of the D23 panels that include the Imagineering Legends (Sklar, Gurr, Tony Baxter, Alice Davis, Rolly Crump, Joe Rohde, and others).

I was fortunate enough to hear Bob speak and meet him. Very, very nice gentleman.

In terms of books, in addition to those already mentioned:

The Imagineering Way is a fun book about the way they go about things.

The Imagineering Workout is a fun companion book.

John Hench's Designing Disney is a fun, visual look at his time with Disney.

Building a Better Mouse is a very specific story about the engineers who built The American Adventure show. This might be something you'd find interesting as an engineering student.

Project Future discusses the land acquisition in Florida. Very interesting book.

Three Years in Wonderland covers the construction and development of Disneyland in detail, more regarding the business side of things (leases, sponsors and partnerships).

*Walt and the Promise of Progress City is another fun book on the acquisition and the original EPCOT concept.

The main Walt Disney Imagineering Book is a great start, and Marty's two books are good as well.

I've also found Creativity, Inc to be inspirational. It goes back to the storytelling roots, but you'll find that most of the Imagineering books, articles, and posts are all about storytelling.

Actually, if built right, straw doesn't have a problem here: http://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/projects/straw-bale-code-supporting-documents

The thing about being off the grid and using rammed earth tires is you end up with off-gassing issues for years. The whole angle of sun, thermal walls and enclosed biome isn't a bad idea but you need sunshine and a good diurnal(sp?) swing. Meaning that the temp needs to swing a decent number of degrees every 24 hours for it to be really useful. Daytime sun warms up those thick earthen walls to be gradually radiated over a cool night. Wouldn't be helpful in our cloudy/rainy winters. You can design, by using lat/long, such that you maximize the sun you do get, and minimize in summer, but that is an important part of the earthship design philosophy.

And OP, you don't need to spend $7000 on plans. As far as code, typically as long as you aren't in a municipality, there isn't much inspection or code enforcement happening. Earthships were meant to be built and designed by you. The three originals will give you most if not all the info you need: amazon. If I had my copies I'd give them to you. The concept is solid, just saying the whole tire containment system is bogus, no need for it. To be honest, you'll have a hard time finding used tires suitable I'd bet.

But seriously, good luck on going off grid. Look into an all dc system with battery backup. AC (alternating current) is costly as it is VERY inefficient. There are DC fridges out there but aren't cheap. If done right the only other electrical you'll need is for lighting and possibly pumps. I don't know if they still do the solar composting toilets but that will probably take some getting used to.

Working on ceilings sucks, any time spent minimizing effort there is a bonus. Why do you think knockdown and stipple ceilings exist? It's less effort to do a quick, basic (read: half assed) job, and blast it later.

It's also easier to start drywalling your ceiling with as many full pieces as possible, butt your walls up tight to the ceiling, leaving your gaps at the bottom for baseboard to cover.

Some of my favourite books:

Ontario Code & Construction. Basically the Coles Notes version of the building code.

CMHC's guide to wood framed houses, the red one. Mostly the same as the Ontario book above, without code references, but a lot more "pro-tips"

Floyd Vogt's Carpentry, a good textbook my schooling was based on. Lots of extra stuff, many things that don't go into full detail, but still a book I read cover-to-cover.

Taunton's Build Like a Pro - Trim Carpentry. This book was the shit. I had a long plane ride and a pack of post-it tags, and by the time we landed, I was a better carpenter.

My school. The program was decent, the teachers were amazing. I did just as much, if not more learning hands-on though. I spent 3-4 years working on exterior stuff, siding, fences, decks etc, then worked my way inside, working with a drywaller/painter/finisher, finally moving on to flip houses as an independent contractor.

I just finished a 2500+ sq ft. house I plan on posting here next week, once I finish putting together all the pictures.

Walt Disney's Disneyland is an incredibly comprehensive history of the original park. While it includes plenty of concept art it features many historical photos, planning documents, construction photos etc as well as taking the most detailed approach to the story of the park's construction and updates I've seen.

Walt Disney Imagineering is a good companion with a stronger focus on World, but this is more specific ride histories and designs than the overall park.

The Art of Walt Disney is a fantastic top to bottom look at the history of the studios and company, with plenty of amazing illustrations but is obviously art driven.

DisneyWar (already mentioned) is the seminal account of the Eisner era specifically and takes the word "comprehensive" to new heights.

The Walt Disney Studios (releasing this Sept) promises to be an excellent account of the film studios themselves and movies developed there.

As others have touched on there is a little bit of a vacuum for works that are just written histories, most have to get wrapped around "art" in some capacity to justify all of these books being $60+ 300 page hardcovers.

For more great images and stories of the park origins, check out the recently published “Walt Disney’s Disneyland” book. It’s got lots of amazing retro photos and interesting stories about the park in every phase of development but the formative years are truly fascinating. I was able to check out a copy from my local library but the hardcover is also on Amazon if you want a version for your West Elm coffee table ;)

[](Walt Disney’s Disneyland https://www.amazon.com/dp/3836563487/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_92o1CbXWZZHBQ)

http://www.amazon.com/Function-Ornament-Farshid-Moussavi/dp/8496540502
Fantastic illustrations of a variety of building envelopes both structural and otherwise. Uses built examples for almost all types by my recollection. Great for inspiration and ideas for how details can work.

http://www.amazon.com/Pamphlet-Architecture-27-Benjamin-Aranda/dp/1568985479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269553049&sr=1-1
Great if you're interested in systematic or digital design. Outlines of few processes that convey a way of thinking about design based around a sort of formula or algorithm.

Plumbing and eletrical outlets are easily implemented within earthbags. I would recommend getting this book if you're really interested in the building process: http://www.amazon.com/Earthbag-Building-Tricks-Techniques-Natural/dp/0865715076


it covers everything.


Essentially, to connect plumbing, you'd come up through the floor like a normal household. If you'd like the plumbing to run flush with the wall, you create a strip anchor that attaches to the bags (the strip anchor is composed of a 10"x10" plywood sheet that has a 10"x2"x4" piece of wood. This 2x4 allows your to nail/secure utilies to the wall.

Strip anchors are also used to secure electrical conduits.

I would like to recommend this book as well

My boss lent it to me out of his personal library. According to the prologue (and I would like to note that I haven't confirmed this) it was the last and greatest work done on Japanese architecture (particularly homes) before Westernization. The author spent a long time traveling the country, talking to people and sketching/examining homes. Tons and tons of sketches and descriptions, as well as discussion of the living tradition that developed to create these homes.

When I was constructing my yurt, I found this book to be helpful. IIRC, that guy used a lot of free/harvested wood/parts -- so his was super cheap, but I wanted something more durable for being moved very frequently & stored compactly.

Changes I'd make in my next yurt:

• rivets instead of bolts on the lattice - my nuts keep falling off
  
• spend the extra for canvass, it looks way nicer than vinyl tarp
  
• lighter weight door, something in door-frame to "catch" the edges of lattice so they don't impinge on the door opening
  
• 2 doors - my roommates got a back door on their yurt & it's been useful more often than not
  
• build lighting into roof-ring, as we often set up just before dark - so it'd be nice to have lights up before we even finish pitching the yurt.
  
   
  
  What sort of yurt are you thinking? Is this where you're going to live? A temporary accommodation while building a more permanent house? Something for camping/events?
  
  How big do you want it?
  
  What's your budget? Experience with woodwork/sewing?

I don't know about making pre-fabs or building them like a contractor, but there is a guy who has an earth-sheltered home building school of some sort. I too am interested in efficient, environmentally friendly (or at least friendlier) homes and found this book by Rob Roy. He has made several types of earth sheltered homes, including one that was completely underground. I like his book because he goes through the entire process of building both homes he talks about as a learning experience; he writes about all the mistakes that he made and how to potentially avoid them, how to save money, and re-use old materials. For example, one thing that he mentioned, that I would NEVER have thought of, was how he designed his windows. Before he built the frames, he went to a window manufacturer and asked if they had any returns, which they would have to essentially eat the cost for and got those for a huge discount.

A Pattern Language and The Timeless Way of Building



The Designer Eye


How Buildings Learn


Thermal Delight In Architecture


These last ones may not exactly be what you are looking for but they go into the architectural aspects of specific types of architecture, japanese, malaysia and so I think are pretty interesting in that they show how specific types of houses work.

The Malay House


Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings


A Place of My Own

First of all, we don't say "y'all" here. That's a stereotypical Texas/Southern United States thing. We're hardy Northeasterners. If anything, you would use "youze" for the regional accent stereotype.

If you're an architecture student, you should pick up the American Institute of Architecture Guide to New York City to help you plan an itinerary of interesting buildings to look at.

Beyond that, you'll need to specify things like a budget (we can send you to Per Se for the restaurant you must go to, but that would perhaps be impractical) and your interests. New York is diverse and expansive, and you're basically asking us to tell you about "stuff" (i.e., someone is visiting Brazil and he's asking to be shown coisas, just coisas). That said, you can look at this thread for a prospective visitors very complete itinerary, along with helpful suggestions.

I drew mine by hand using graph paper. I also found this book to be a huge help.

The drafting company is expensive because they are full plans and may even be above and beyond what is required for a permit. Lowes and HD also have free deck building software which should suffice for a permit.

Some books to help with that, depending on what you need.

Architecture Reference - A good introduction that also goes into specifics.

Building Construction Illustrated - A broad overview of most parts of putting a building together (technical).

The Function of Ornament - A more theoretical view of architecture in a modern cultural context; you might find it interesting in regards to your job as a social scientist (not cheap, though).

Hope this helps!

As an entry level planner you'd probably be staffing the counter and helping process land use permits, so customer service skills and professionalism will likely be pretty important. I got a graduate degree in planning and we only opened a zoning code for one assignment, where we looked at a property to see if a proposed use could be built given the zoning, etc.

So my recommendation would be to maybe find a zoning textbook (or A Better Way to Zone), look at the zoning code and recent staff reports from the places you're thinking of applying, and see if you can reach out to a planner there for an informational interview through the local APA chapter or just a cold call.

The Most Beautiful House in the World

• Gives an interesting perspective on space, intention, and what makes a house a home (to me, your mileage may vary).
  
  Invisible Cities
  
  
• Can't really explain it other than pure imagination fuel.

Treated with acid, yes. Don't know about colours. Here is an early Medieval example. Some discussion of this sword can be seen here. There are also pre-Medieval (e.g., Celtic) examples that appear to have been etched.

I don't know of any stained examples. Some blades were made with steel/iron with varying phosphorus content, which would give enhanced contrast similar to that obtained with nickel alloys. The right choice of acid would stain as well as etch.

Medieval Islamic swords were often etched/stained. The process is described by al-Kindi. I don't know of any Medieval examples with the original surface intact.

I don't know what the bluish modern Pakistani/Indian 15N20 blades are stained with. Indonesian keris blades are traditionally stained with an arsenic compound.

I absolutely loved Building a Better Mouse! It's about the construction of Epcot and how they overcame the fact that pretty much everything was a complete disaster.

Does your county have a codebook document available? I am in the middle of a deck project and I downloaded a pdf off my count website. I was able to find it via a google search.

I would also recommend this book, it has a lot of great info

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Deck-Expert-Advice-Tauntons/dp/1561584797?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

As for your question your footing would have to be closer to the house then 5 ft in my county as code will not allow a cantilever out that far.

They also state to dig down to undisturbed soil in this case. If the house is 100 years old that might not be very deep. Again you should look up the code for footing depths.

This is the book! The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture It's huge, it's beautiful, every home library should have a large shelf built for it.

Buy this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Do-Yourself-Housebuilding-Complete-Handbook/dp/0806904240

I guarantee it will be the absolutely best $2.00 (plus shipping) that you'll ever spend.

My wife got me Medieval Islamic Swords and Sword Making for valentine's day a couple years back, and it is fantastic. It's mostly primary sources, with some historical and metallurgical commentary where appropriate

I highly recommend it

An Essential Reading List For Designers

Source: www.tomfaulkner.co.uk

All books have been linked to Amazon for review and possible purchase. Remember to support the authors by purchasing their books. If there are any issues with this listing let me know via comments or pm.

Architecture

• The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture by Phaidon
  
• The Architecture of the City by Aldo Rossi
  
• Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown & Steven Izenour
  
• Modern Architecture since 1900 by William J R Curtis
  
• Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Phaidon
  
  Communication Design
  
  
• Essentials of Visual Communication by Bo Bergström
  
• Visual Language for Designers by Connie Malamed
  
• Visual Communication: From Theory to Practice by Jonathan Baldwin & Lucienne Roberts
  
• This Means This, That Means That: A User's Guide to Semiotics by Sean Hall
  
• Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture by Marita Struken & Lisa Cartwright
  
  Fashion Design
  
  
• Fashion Design Course by Steven Faerm
  
• Fashion Today by Colin McDowell
  
• The Fashion Designer Survival Guide by Mary Gehlhar
  
• Deluxe: How Luxury Lost it Lustre by Dana Thomas
  
• The Fashion Book by Angela Buttolph Editors of Phaidon ?
  
  Furniture Design
  
  
• Furniture Design by Stuart Lawson
  
• Eames by Gloria Koenig
  
• Design of the 20th Century by Charlotte & Peter Fiell
  
• 1000 Chairs by Charlotte & Peter Fiell
  
• The Encyclopedia of Furniture by Joseph Aronson
  
  Game Design
  
  
• The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jess Schell
  
• Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster
  
• [Challenges for Game Designers](Challenges for Game Designers) by Brenda Brathwaite
  
• Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design by Scott Rogers
  
• Screenplay: The Foundation of Screenwriting by Syd Field
  
  Graphic Design
  
  
• Grid System in Graphic Design by Josef-Muller Brockmann
  
• The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher
  
• A Type Primer by John Kane
  
• The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst
  
• The New Typography by Jan Tschichold
  
  Information Design
  
  
• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte
  
• Show Me The Numbers:Desiginingg Tables and Graphs to Enlighten by Stephen Few
  
• Envisioning Information by Edward Tufte
  
• Information is Beautiful by David McCandless
  
• Information Graphic by Sandra Rendgen
  
  
  Industrial Design
  
  
• The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
  
• The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda
  
• Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals by Rob Thompson
  
• Process: 50 Product Design from Concept to Manufacture by Jennifer Hudson
  
• Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell
  
  (cont'd)
  
  

To be a guide, you have to take and pass the NYC sightseeing exam, which consists of 150 multiple choice questions, a handful of which are pictures. The passing score is 97; distinguished guides get a score of 120 or above. Tell your gf to get the AIA Guide to NYC and the Blue Guide New York, as the test contains questions about material in these books. I am actually working on writing a guide to the exam, as before I took it, I had compiled a list of questions I thought would be on the exam, and most of them indeed were. If your gf has any other questions, please feel free to PM me and ask away!

Plenty of really good books on the subject, like

https://www.amazon.com/Neufert-Architects-Data-Fourth-Ernst/dp/1405192534

You might find this site useful

Shinto Encyclopedia

A good introductory book which describes the basics of worship is

The Kami Way

Books:

How Cities Work: Suburbs, Sprawl, and the Roads Not Taken by Alex Marshall

A Better Way to Zone: Ten Principles to Create More Livable Cities by Donald L. Elliott

Anything by Leon Krier (Architecture: Choice or Fate being my favorite) or William H. Whyte (The Social Life Of Small Urban Spaces being my favorite)


Essays:

Jane Jacobs and the The Death and Life of American Planning by Thomas J. Campanella

Toward and Urban Design Manifesto by Allen Jacobs and Donald Appleyard.

You could search for Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings by Morse. Not many photos, as I recall, but good drawings. It was first published in 1886, Dover did a reprint of it and paperbacks of it are out there.

It's actually in North Carolina! It seems ~3.5 years is a fairly standard track for those without an undergrad in Arch.

Thanks for the advice!

Is this what you mean by Neufert?

> Hello! I was wondering where you found your information on the religion

The old fashioned way - BOOKS!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0804835578 This one should get you started. After that, meet us on /r/shinto and we'll help further.

I recommend this book all the time, I'm cool with sounding like a broken record though:

Neufert Architect's Data is the only book you'll ever need for designing anything

Lloyd Kahn (one of the creators of Domebook I and Domebook II) and a builder of many domes made this same revelation in 1973 and swore off domes forever with the publication of the book Shelter, where he advocates for simple usually rectangular homes using local materials. In his editorial/essay in the book he calls domes "smart but not wise", which pretty much sums up the issue.


More info here: https://www.shelterpub.com/domes/


His book Shelter is still in print and available on Amazon. Recommended and insightful reading: https://www.amazon.com/Shelter-Library-Building-Books/dp/0936070110

This should be ranked much higher.

Finish carpentry is hard. You need high quality sharp tools, know how to use them well, and know a few trick. And the materials are quite expensive. It is closer to furniture building than normal carpentry.

I recommend Taunton's "Finish carpentry and built-ins"

I've seen designs like that in this book which has a chapter on low energy housing:

http://www.amazon.com/Do-Yourself-Housebuilding-Complete-Handbook/dp/0806904240

An article about Ernst Neufert, an advocate of standardisation in building construction in Germany. His Architect's Data has been continuously in print since 1936.

The DIN 476 paper sizes were an influence on Neufert's modular construction ideas. His ideas were responsible for standardisation of components such as doors and window frames, and even bricks, all based on a 12.5 cm sized grid.

Dude, you live in NYC? Lucky bastard. Go explore manhattan!

Go here:
http://cfa.aiany.org/index.php?section=center-for-architecture

Buy this:
http://www.amazon.com/AIA-Guide-New-York-City/dp/0195383869

Watch this:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Fountainhead-Gary-Cooper/dp/B000HWZ4A2

Note: this movie shows the architect how he often likes to see himself. Not realistic, but reveals what often motivates architects.

I have found that the Tauton line of books to be well written:

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Deck-Expert-Advice-Tauntons/dp/1561584797

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0962676705/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00

If it involves New York City and architecture, it's in this book.

Call the Strand and see if they have this book

Start digging.

https://www.amazon.com/Earthbag-Building-Tricks-Techniques-Natural/dp/0865715076

AIA Guide to New York City

The Phaidon Atlas has exactly what you describe.

Not sure if you were aware that the link u provided was the French version but in any case [this] is the English variant. (https://www.amazon.ca/Walt-Disneys-Disneyland-Chris-Nichols/dp/3836563487/ref=pd_aw_sbs_14_1/147-9303567-5836730?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=3836563487&pd_rd_r=94cf94f6-a31a-11e9-bd3f-4b85b1506dc1&pd_rd_w=l81q0&pd_rd_wg=zplWv&pf_rd_p=3a308568-5ad4-46c5-8c89-03ade658cbda&pf_rd_r=M0CEGNGTER287FV384BE&psc=1&refRID=M0CEGNGTER287FV384BE)