Grow Your Own House: Simone Velez and Bamboo Architecture

Book Description

Bamboo, which has been used as building material for centuries and is widely available (35 million acres worldwide are covered in bamboo), is being rediscovered today. Its cost-effectiveness and ability to endure adverse environmental forces make it one of the preeminent construction materials on the planet. Bamboo's unique aesthetic appearance has been exploited in design and furniture building. The highly visual and engaging Grow Your Own House will open your eyes to the beauty and lightness of bamboo structures and designs. Bamboo--a widely available and renewable resource almost as strong as steel, yet very light--lends itself to architectural experiments. Buckminster Fuller, Frei Otto, Renzo Piano, Shoei Yoh, and Arata Isozaki are a few of the millions of people worldwide using bamboo to create space and structure around them. Author and architect Simón Vélez pioneered bamboo construction in his home country of Colombia. His most recent and spectacular project, which is prominently featured in Grow Your Own House, is the Expo 2000 pavilion for the ZERI Foundation. At over 120 feet in diameter and over 50 feet high, it is one of the largest bamboo structures in the world. Grow Your Own House includes all the latest trends of this cutting-edge revival. The integration of the seeming dichotomies of high-tech and sustainability, global thinking and regional traditions definitely makes the future look brighter. This lavishly and colorfully illustrated volume is published in dual languages (German and English). Contributors to this volume include Jean Dethier, Walter Liese, Eda Schaur, Frei Otto, and Mateo Kries.

Customer Reviews:

You Can't Grow Your Own House!.......2007-08-05

A deceiving, gimmicky title that doesn't measure up to the book's contents.

Lots of color pictures of absolutely huge bamboo community structures (NOT houses!) that basically all look the same. There's hardly any variety - just huge bamboo roofs suspended on bamboo stilts designed by the book's author.

I bought the book because it mentions "House" in the title but it hardly has any "houses" in it... maybe photo's of 3 bamboo houses in total.

The book is written in German text with an English translation printed alongside... so half of each text page is taken up with the German text.

The book shows a few pictures of bamboo joints made by filling the ends with concrete and embedded bolts secured to metal joints. It doesn't tell you where to buy those joints because they are custom made.

That was the most useful information found in the book from my perspective.

So... I'm still looking for a book about bamboo houses!

bamboo manifesto.......2001-04-07

There are many fantastic images of bamboo design and architecture, which is being taken to the next level by Velez and others. With population growth and environmental crises what they are, bamboo may emerge as a key building material worldwide. Velez's mushroom dome for the Hannover Expo 2000 was a gorgeous massive structure in bamboo that established bamboo use in large-scale architectural projects.

However magnificent it is, the pavilion-as-statement suffers from its own pagoda poetry. The main block to widespread adoption of bamboo is its low-tech image, in both the developing and developed worlds. This low-tech, low-status image is why Colombians continue to build inferior concrete buildings, even after such structures are decimated by earthquakes (while leaving the bamboo buildings standing). The pagoda image reinforces associations with the past and low-tech traditional construction.

To move bamboo forward as a workaday modern building material, it needs to be used in a more ordinary International Style residential or office high-rise that successfully embodies the myth of hi-tech modernity. Wrapped in a glass and metal skin, this bamboo wolf-in-sheep's clothing would bare its fangs when asking Buckminster Fuller's (and Velez's) key question: "Gentlemen, what do your buildings weigh?." Unfortunately, "modernism" is a filthy word for Velez. Mexico's Luis Barragan created a new architecture by successfully fusing colloquial Mexican style with International Style - it will be interesting to see if Velez or one of his students can do something similar for high-tech bamboo construction.

The book is surprisingly thin on detailed treatment of Velez's own work. Would like to have seen more on the Luis Salazar residence, because its smaller scale and middle-class prestige make it more relevant to implementing the bamboo manifesto than the showy ZERI pavilion.

Whole double-page spreads are dedicated to suggestive connections between the bamboo forms and the work of other architects. But the book is relatively thin on diagrams on the types of bamboo joints, integration of bamboo with CAD, data on load bearing (compared with reinforced concrete for example) and other information outlining more precisely how to bring bamboo into the arsenal of modern construction.

That said, it is the best recent book to state the bamboo mainfesto of strength, versatility and modular nature of bamboo. If you have any interest in environmentally sound design, this is THE coffeetable book to have, but

Book Description

The many uses of beautiful bamboo Besides feeding pandas and making a yummy addition to many Asian dishes, bamboo is also used as a building material, both functional and decorative. The dried stems are extremely sturdy and lend themselves to a multitude of uses. Shigeru Ban, for example, found a way to create lumber from laminated woven bamboo for a house he designed in Beijing. Other houses show off bamboo in more straightforward ways, lining the ceilings or floors with stems, or even forming walls. Bamboo is also used to construct furniture, lending a chair or a bed a warm, earthy feeling. This unique look book captures the many uses of bamboo in houses throughout China, Japan, and Indonesia.

Customer Reviews:

Bamboo Design Inspiration.......2007-07-25

I was given this book as gift by Joerg Stamm a famous bamboo builder. It is one of the most popular books in our library in our sales and design office. Shot mostly in Bali area (I think) it is a great photo essay of design possibilities using bamboo materials. Since it is what we do for a living we are always looking for ideas to help us create new tropical sanctuaries for our customers. I recommend it highly for design ideas, and a fine coffee table book filled with delicious images sure to inspire.

Average customer rating:

Lovely book, with lots of inspiration for using bamboo in your home
The future is bamboo
Bamboo is hot!
Offering simple projects that anyone can create

Bamboo Style, pb - OSI
Gale Beth Goldberg
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decoration & Ornament | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1586855395

Book Description

Bamboo Style creatively shows how every room of the house can be designed, decorated or accented with sensual bamboo furniture, flooring, wall covering, ceiling material and accessories. The book showcases examples of easy and innovative bamboo decorating techniques and do-it-yourself projects. Bamboo Style inspires creativity and craft making, and includes a detailed resource section that makes it easy to connect with designers, manufacturers, artists, suppliers, and organizations.

HARDCOVER PUBLISHED JULY 2002, HC ISBN: 1-58685-092-X

Gale Beth Goldberg received her masters degree in architecture from MIT and her undergraduate degree in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The recipient of a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in Fine Arts, she studied the bamboo architecture of Simon Velez and builder/artisan Marcelo Villegas in Bogotá, Columbia, in 1998. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Customer Reviews:

Lovely book, with lots of inspiration for using bamboo in your home.......2006-03-12

Bamboo is appealing because of its beauty and because it's a renewable resource. While it takes 25 years to grow an "old timber" forest before it can be harvested, it's only a few years before bamboo shoots grow into usable, er, timber.

This book provides a great overview of how you can decorate a home with bamboo, inside and out. You'll find plenty of beautiful pictures with everything from Balniese homes to all-bamboo living rooms, to furniture, flooring and fencing.

However, if you're looking for a how-to book, you may be disappointed. Bamboo Style's emphasis is definitely on _style_ rather than construction. It devotes quite a bit of (well written) text to the reasons to choose bamboo, and those many photographs do an excellent job of demonstrating the breadth of what the material is capable of, both physically and in a decorating sense (i.e. it can fit into a modern decor or an Arts & Crafts scheme). Plus, the book has an extensive resource section, in case you want to explore more.

There are indeed a few hands-on projects, but they're more illustrative of what you can accomplish than anything else. If you want to start building with bamboo, you should definitely get this book -- it's quite inspiring! -- but you'll want another book for the how-to.

The future is bamboo.......2003-01-06

It's true, bamboo is the future. With all the many ways bamboo can be used it will continure to grow in popularity. This book does a great job educating the reader about this unique plant. The photographs of the many ways bamboo is utilized in the home and garden are beautiful. This book makes a great gift for the plant lover.

Bamboo is hot!.......2002-08-31

Everywhere you look, you see bamboo -- advertising, catalogue goods, book lists. If you have noticed and are intrigued, if you have EVER considered bamboo, then you want Bamboo Style on your bookshelf and in your hands. The author is a well-traveled architect and her skills and experience are reflected in her offering. The publisher is well-known for beautiful "style" books, among others, but it is the author who determined the scope of this publication: Why Choose Bamboo, The Ways of Bamboo, Bamboo Inside, Bamboo Outside, On Your Own, and Afterword: Bamboo and Beyond. There are many ways to read this book and benefit -- hit only the photos and captions, read the chapter you already know you'll love, try the "how-to" projects or use the resource lists at the end. Any single approach would be sufficient to warrant the purchase of this book, but do yourself a favor, and go through the entire book! There is a wealth of information here. Enjoy every bit of it and welcome to BAMBOO.

Offering simple projects that anyone can create.......2002-08-09

Bamboo Style by architect Gale Beth Goldberg is an amazing and superbly presented guide to crafting works of beauty and wonder from bamboo for the purpose of adding either a functional or an elegant touch to home decoration and interior design. Enhanced with lavish color photographs throughout, Bamboo Style offers an informed and informative history of bamboo uses the world over, as well as offering simple projects that anyone can create, this unique reference and truly beautiful book is enthusiastically recommended for the professional as well as do-it-yourself interior decorator wanting to try something fresh and vibrant.

Silk and Bamboo" Music in Shanghai: The Jiangnan Sizhu Instrumental Ensemble Tradition (World Musics)

Average customer rating:

Welcome addition to scholarship and readable too

Silk and Bamboo" Music in Shanghai: The Jiangnan Sizhu Instrumental Ensemble Tradition (World Musics)
J. Lawrence Witzleben
Manufacturer: Kent State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0873384997

Customer Reviews:

Welcome addition to scholarship and readable too.......2001-04-25

The ensemble tradition of South China is too little known, both in the West and China. Prof. Witzleben's book is a highly readable introduction to this music and the people who make it. Although the music, complex heterophony, requires virtuoso technique, many of the musicians are gifted amateurs, factory workers as well as world famous conservatory professors. In this repect it is a uniquely Chinese endeavor. Prof Witzleben does an excellent job placing the music in its social context....

Book Description

Mirrors dating from Egypt's New Kingdom, circa 1300 B.C., through the Art Nouveau movement at the beginning of the twentieth century A.D. are arranged in chronological groups to demonstrate the gradual development of artistic styles. The rich history of glass production in Europe directly influenced interior design in general and mirror designs in particular. Here are European, English and American examples from common as well as Royal households. The author has included reproductions of period paintings of room interiors which display mirrors in their normal surroundings in taverns, bedrooms, dressing rooms and reception rooms alike. There are 16 color and 660 black and white photographs and many engraved drawings.

Mirror Book: English, American, and European

Average customer rating:

Mirror Book: English, American, and European
Herbert F. Schiffer
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NP2J7E

Book Description

This fascinating book is the first serious study of the place of photography in anthropology and the contribution it can make to an understanding of the ethnographic past. Focusing on still photography in British anthropology from about 1860 until 1920, it examines the content and contexts of over 150 photographs-many reproduced here for the first time-showing how to "read" the images and how they are used in conjunction with more traditional forms of anthropological information.

An Iowa Album : A Photographic History, 1860-1920

Average customer rating:

An Iowa Album : A Photographic History, 1860-1920
Mary Bennett , and Mary C Bennett
Manufacturer: University of Iowa Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photojournalism | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

An Iowa Album invites you to travel through sixty years of Iowa history and view the state in its turn-of-the-century glory. This engaging selection of more than 375 photographs, taken from the immense collection of the State Historical Society of Iowa, combined with the firsthand accounts that speak from the past, provides a portrait of Iowa from an era when small towns and rural communities dominated life in the state. The beauty and power of the historical images and the voices that continue to speak to us even today will be welcomed by all who are interested in Iowa history and the settlement of the Midwest and by those intrigued by Iowa's rich legacy of historical photographs.

Average customer rating:

Anthropology and Photography, 1860-1920
Elizabeth (Editor) Edwards
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSAAHG

Book Description

This beautiful example of Runemagic by Paragon's very own Chris "Midnight Express" Hockabout is printed in metallic ink, keeping players hypnotized and the HoF's Secrets a secret. The King's Men. The Builders. The Partnerships. What are these shadowy organizations and what are their goals? Can the Children of Paran, legendary Items of Power birthed by the Goddess of War herself, actually exist? What are the mysteries of the Ushonu? Why did the Fane emerge from the Ianer? What terrible pact have Mirkule and the Voivodh struck? All this and more is for the Hand of Fate to know... and the players to find out! The Hand of Fate Screen offers a beautiful, 3-fold game screen designed to block the player's view of the HoF's machinations with a 3-panel 33" x 8.5" folio. The exterior has a Runemagic design in metallic ink and the interior has a plethora of reference charts and tables for the HoF's convenience.

Book Description

Information Technology: The Breaking Wave is intended for the Introductory Computing course at community colleges, four year colleges, universities, and proprietary institutions. The market for shorter concepts books, like Curtin, is growing as faculty struggle to spend more time on applications without increased contact hours.

Customer Reviews:

soloarma.......2003-03-13

I wontyou to sent me a books about information technology.
iwont you to post it for me on this address

solomon Armah
box os 647
osu accra
west africa.

Takes the mystery out of IT.......1999-12-07

If you're looking for one easy-to-read book with lots of illustrations that will de-mystsefy the world of Information Technology - this is it! I needed to know the jargon, basic principles and key issues for my job, and this book covers the gamut without getting too complicated for us non-geeks. You'll still have questions, but they'll be much more intelligent after reading this book. It's designed with students in mind, but since I am fairly new at this subject, that's a good thing since it reviews what's important.

Best I've Ever Seen.......1998-06-04

This is the best overall book on computers and technology that I've ever seen. It covers the basics simply and with great down-to-earth examples. The CD that accompanies the text includes the textual information, but also animations to explain difficult concepts. Even though it has questions and answers at the end of each chapter like a classroom text book, anyone using a computer should buy this one!

Information Technology: The Breaking Wave with Pace CD-Rom

Average customer rating:

Information Technology: The Breaking Wave with Pace CD-Rom
Kim Foley
Manufacturer: Irwin/McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGV32O

Book Description

When it comes to buying and selling a home-- one of the most valuable investments most families have-- it is easy to see the potential for rip-offs. After all, there are numerous steps to a transaction, and someone at any stage may be one of the "bad apples" that give real estate a bad name.

With more than 20 years experience in the real estate business, Patricia Boyd and Lonny Coffey have seen plenty of consumer problems, as homebuyers and sellers alike have been taken advantage of by unethical agents or lenders. According to the authors, the answer lies in educating the consumer as well as training for the professionals who serve them.

Boyd and Coffey show consumers, step-by-step, what should happen in a real estate transaction, and offer detailed insights on putting together the most ethical, effective team to make the transaction happen without surprises. They explain the role of each participant in the process, and what consumers should watch out for at each step. They outline all-important details on how to avoid foreclosure, as well as the range of options available to finance a real estate deal. With their finance expertise, Boyd and Coffey are able to point out financing alternatives for marginally qualified buyers, and the ins and outs of refinancing, which can comprise up to one third of the mortgage market.

Here are some ways to make a real estate transaction as rip-off-proof as possible:

* Identifying the five major players on the real estate team, and the relevant expertise a consumer should look for
* What are appropriate fees--and which ones are red flags
* When and how to refinance--or not
* How to avoid foreclosure
* Why consumers need to take charge, and how they can do it

Customer Reviews:

a tutorial about buying and selling your home.......2004-01-19

a very tutorial about buying and selling your home. very well written in laymen's terms so that anyone can read it with interest

I LOVE THIS BOOK!.......2000-12-12

The mortgage maze can rapidly become confusing, especially if you are a first time buyer. This clearly written and informative book walks you through every step of the process, providing detailed information on the dizzying aray of loans that most lenders offer; more importantly, it tells you how to appraise each lender so that you reallly do get the best deal. In real estate and lending today, "caveat emptor"--let the buyer beware--is truer than ever, and books like this one are more needed than ever. Katherine Salant, Nationally syndicated real estate columnist for Inman News Features

Book Pioneers New Philosophy: Real Estate Consumer Advocacy.......2000-07-01

Books on buying and selling real estate abound, but it is truly rare to read a real estate book that breaks new ground -- or indeed, pioneers a new philosophy and launches a new movement: real estate as consumer advocacy. This seminal work, authored by real estate sales and financing experts Patricia Boyd and Lonny Coffey, sounds the clarion call to buyers and sellers -- as well as to real estate brokers, mortgage lenders and other service providers --for a new consumer orientation in real estate transactions. As the authors note, real estate transactions have heretofore been treated as the selling of a product, whether the product be the property itself or the mortgage loan that finances it. The historical focus has, therefore, been on salesmanship: getting the property sold or the loan made. Lacking in this focus has been the interests of the real estate consumer -- the buyer or the seller. This book introduces something new and something revoluntionary into the world of real estate transactions: a view of the buying or selling of real estate as a "consumer-driven" process, of buyers and sellers as informed consumers, and of real estate brokers and mortgage lenders as consumer advocates. The book serves as a road map for buyers and sellers who want to participate actively and intelligently in their realty transactions... and who want to stop getting "ripped off" by brokers, lenders and other service providers who put their own interests ahead of the consumer's interests. Just as importantly, the book shows real estate brokers and mortgage lenders how to work with this dawning new world of informed consumers -- not in the old way as salesmen, but rather as professional consumer advocates. It is the twin goal of the book, one it certainly attains, of educating real estate buyers and sellers how to be informed consumers and also training brokers, lenders and service providers as to how to be their advocates. Patricia Boyd brings vast experience as a top-producing real estate broker, real estate trainer and instructor and Certified Finance Specialist, to produce a practical, well-written and inspiring book that may well launch a new way of buying and selling real estate. As a former real estate broker with a number of professional Realtor designations (ABR, CIPS, CRB, CRS, and GRI), and now as a real estate attorney actively advocating the interests of buyer and seller clients, I applaud this book as the herald of a new real estate consumer revolution.

Literacy for Home Buying and Selling.......2000-05-26

A very easy to read and understand book full of knowledge and wisdom about the purchase that can and does create stress and confusion in most people's lives. Explains and demonstrates ways for consumers to save money that is generally "lost" in the process. I have bought and sold homes for a number of years and never knew some of the information that was explained in the book. The web site listings for the various subjects is an excellent resource. It is the best "how to" book for the largest purchase of most people's lives.

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