Product Description

Comprehensive and up-to-date-

the classic visual guide to the basics of building construction

For twenty-five years, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. Now this Third Edition has been expertly revised and updated to address the latest advances in materials, building technology, and code requirements.

Complete with more than 1,000 illustrations, the book moves through each of the key stages of the design process, from site selection to building components, mechanical systems, and finishes. Topics within each chapter are organized according to the CSI MasterFormat(TM), making the book extremely easy to use.

Special features of this edition include integrated coverage of environmentally friendly materials, sustainable building construction strategies, and ADA requirements, as well as the inclusion of both metric and standard U.S. measurements throughout the book.

With its clear presentation of the basic concepts underlying building construction, Building Construction Illustrated, Third Edition equips students and professionals in all areas of architecture and construction with useful guidelines for approaching virtually any new materials or techniques they may encounter in building planning, design, and construction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58370 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
"...does exactly what it says on the cover...skilfully detailed illustrations, comprehensive definitions and general construction advice on practical matters".Building Engineer August 2008

From the Back Cover
Comprehensive and up-to-date–

the classic visual guide to the basics of building construction

For twenty-five years, Building Construction Illustrated has offered an outstanding introduction to the principles of building construction. Now this Third Edition has been expertly revised and updated to address the latest advances in materials, building technology, and code requirements.

Complete with more than 1,000 illustrations, the book moves through each of the key stages of the design process, from site selection to building components, mechanical systems, and finishes. Topics within each chapter are organized according to the CSI MasterFormat™, making the book extremely easy to use.

Special features of this edition include integrated coverage of environmentally friendly materials, sustainable building construction strategies, and ADA requirements, as well as the inclusion of both metric and standard U.S. measurements throughout the book.

With its clear presentation of the basic concepts underlying building construction, Building Construction Illustrated, Third Edition equips students and professionals in all areas of architecture and construction with useful guidelines for approaching virtually any new materials or techniques they may encounter in building planning, design, and construction.

About the Author
FRANCIS D.K. CHING is a registered architect and a professor at the University of Washington. He is the author of six highly successful architecture books, including Design Drawing and Architectural Graphics, all published by Wiley. CASSANDRA ADAMS is an architect and consultant in construction management and ecological design. She has taught architecture, construction, and environmental courses at the University of Washington and the University of California—Berkeley.

Customer Reviews

easy to understand for constuction novices
I teach construction technology to future General contractors and Interior Designers...and this is the best reference book I have found for beginners. When they ask me the size of a door or height of a kitchen cabinet I tell them to look it up...and I have the utmost confidence that it is both in this book and so well illustrated that the students can easily understand it. I call this book the Beginners Graphic STandards. And at about 1/3 the cost. I also reccomend KaffeeKang' book called Graphic Guide to Frame Construction for residential framing.

Just enough to make you dangerous
As an architect I worked for noted, this book gives you just enough information to make you dangerous. Ching provides a beautifully illustrated guide to basic concepts of building construction. It is a great introductory book filled with much useful information, but one can't necessarily build from this book. I use it mostly to explain construction ideas, especially when it comes to wood-frame buildings, than I do as a set of graphic standards. Ching does offer some specific information, such as thermal resistance of building materials and a general span guide for roof and floor trusses, but much of this information is general and should be verified with more precise data books. However, Ching didn't set out to create another "Standard Architectural Graphics" book, but rather an affordable guide to building construction which would provide some useful information to the design student and home builder alike.

Pretty but Light on Detail
While I agree with others that this book is comprehensive in scope, and while it is beautifully illustrated, it is lacking in the details. Our Building Construction class used it as a primary text, and nowhere does it tell you basics. For example, the drawings have few if any dimensions, which are pretty critical to one's understanding of basic construction (e.g., studs spaced 16" on center). Like all of Ching's books, they at first appear chock full of helpful information, but more often than not, I find them beautifully illustrated and light on content.