Product Description

This is the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference available on building and urban climatology. The book takes a far-reaching look at the variety of climatic influences and their effects on individuals, buildings, and communities. Filled with lists, tables, and graphs for easy cross-referencing, as well as hundreds of visuals, Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design offers readers the ability to perform a quick check of a proposed scheme against authoritative criteria.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1207681 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 480 pages

From the Publisher
Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design is the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference available on building and urban climatology. Written in clear, common-sense language by Baruch Givoni, the leading authority in the field, this book is a far-reaching look at a variety of climatic influences and their effects on individuals, buildings, and communities. The book offers real-life solutions to climatological site planning and design issues, helping to settle disputes about site orientation, site organization, and the assembly of building materials.

From the Back Cover
Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design Baruch Givoni Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design is the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference available on building and urban climatology. Written in clear, common-sense language by Baruch Givoni, the leading authority in the field, this book is a far-reaching look at a variety of climatic influences and their effects on individuals, buildings, and communities. Aimed at architecture and urban planning professionals and students alike, Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design offers real-life solutions to climatological site planning and design issues, helping to settle disputes about site orientation, site organization, and the assembly of building materials. Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design is organized into three parts. The first, Building Climatology, analyzes human thermal comfort and the effect of architectural and structural design features including layout, window orientation, and shading, and ventilation conditions on the indoor climate. Then, Urban Climatology explores the ways in which the climate in densely built areas can differ from surrounding regional climactic conditions, for example, in temperature, wind speed, and humidity. This part further explores the effects of urban design elements, such as urban density and building height, on a city’s outdoor climate. Finally, Building and Urban Design Guidelines applies the body of available research on building climatology and the effects of physical planning on the urban and indoor climates to suggest design guidelines for different regions—for example, hot-dry and hot-humid climates. Filled with lists, tables, and graphs for easy cross-referencing, as well as hundreds of visuals, Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design offers readers the ability to perform a quick check of a proposed scheme against authoritative criteria. Mr. Givoni’s latest volume is a unique, indispensable guide to the relationship between building design, urban planning, and climate.

About the Author
About the Author Baruch Givoni is Professor Emeritus of Architecture in the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning at UCLA, and was associated for many years with the Technion in Haifa, and with Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheba, both in Israel. Mr. Givoni’s classic text Man, Climate, and Architecture (1976) is considered the most authoritative volume in the field of building climatology. His career also includes teaching assignments at nearly a dozen universities, as well as hundreds of papers and contributions to scholarly works, lectures, and symposia. Mr. Givoni has assisted the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the Israel Ministry of Housing, and numerous governments around the world on passive and solar energy design of structures in hot climates.

Customer Reviews

A climate-responsive buildings "Great Work" ...
..that will complement Givoni's Passive Low Energy Cooling of Buildings; the MIT Solar Heat Technologies Series; Brown and DeKay's Sun, Wind & Light; Hyde and Woods' Climate Responsive Design; and Lechner's Heating, Cooling, Lighting on the sustainable design bookshelf. I rate the book four stars rather than five because of its less than careful editing: absolute temperature = F + 459.67 (no mention of Rankine, p. 113), absolute temperature = 492 + F (no reference to the freezing point of water, p. 112), 1" = 5 cm (p. 162-165), dt = finite temperature difference (p. 90), dT = finite temperature difference = "heat island intensity" (p. 281), superscripts written as multipliers (p. 281), to list just a few potential stumbling blocks for students.

clear reference with good figures and brief explanation
In "Climate Considerations in Building and Urban Design" based on the natural factors and environmental capacities, there are very useful techniques in terms of thermal comfort achievement and energy saving. Passive solar systems including greenhouse, solar chimney, thermal roofs and wall, with simple and clear explanation are presented in this book. This is recommended basic book and perfect reference for all students that they are studying in thermal comfort and passive solar systems in architecture.
Finally for those that like to know how to use the natural possibilities to achieve thermal comfort in building, Givoni presents a clear reference with good figures and brief explanation.