Barefoot Architect

Clear and comprehensive, The Barefoot Architect explains every aspect of green architecture, including design (siting, orientation, climate consideration), materials (sisal, cactus, bamboo, earth), and implementation (foundations, walls, partitions, floors, doors, and windows). Special attention is paid to ecotechniques, with an emphasis on inexpensive and sustainable solutions for three distinct regions: humid, temperate, and desert climates.

The book discusses small-scale energy production through the use of water and windmills, solar heating, and wood stoves and ovens. A final section shows how to obtain and store clean drinking water, and how to deal with septic waste safely. Hundreds of explanatory drawings by author Johan van Lengen allow even novice builders to get started.