The Thin Red Line

Today’s architectural books are a far cry from my usual eye candy selections.  Both The Concrete House by Pieter A VanderWerf and The Rammed Earth House by David Easton are detailed and practical manuals for those interested in pursuing either of these very earth-friendly and efficient building types.   While the writing style of each book is a bit different with The Concrete House taking on a questions and answers style that definitely lends readability and provides answers to all sorts of questions.  

This "conversational" style works very effectively for VanderWerf who does a great job of selling "Insulating Concrete Forms" which are highly insulating foam bricks designed to have concrete pored into them, thus creating a highly energy efficient home which can be finished in almost any architectural style.  These homes are highly resistant to weather related disasters highly energy efficient.  The only drawback seems to be that it is somewhat more expensive than conventional building at this time  (though this may change if the construction method becomes more commonly used).    A useful and important book for anyone contemplating a new home building project.   Recommended.

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