Manual of Biogenic House Sections - by Paul Lewis & Marc Tsurumaki & David J Lewis Paperback

Book Synopsis

Organized by those materials (wood, bamboo, straw, hemp, cork, earth, brick, stone and re-use), and incorporating life cycle diagrams demonstrating how the raw material is processed into building components, the book shows how the unique properties of each material can transform the ways architects conceive the sections of houses.

The house was selected as the vehicle for these investigations due to its scale, its role as a site of architectural experimentation, and its ubiquity. Building on the techniques of the Manual of Section, the book is comprised of newly generated cross-sectional drawings of fifty-five recent, modestly sized houses from around the world, making legible the tectonics and materials used in their construction. Each house is also shown through exploded axonometric, construction photographs and color photographs of the exterior and interior. Introductory essays set up the importance of embodied carbon, the role of vernacular plant-based construction and the problems of contemporary house construction. Drawing connections between the architecture of the house, environmental systems and material economies, the book seeks to change how we build now and for the future.

Review Quotes

"The 352-page book provides a deep insight to the use of low carbon emitting materials or plant-based materials in the substantial building components of buildings: such as sections.

Published by ORO Editions, the book allows architects to rethink architectural cross-sections while using the raw materials of cross-sections that represent the lifeblood of buildings in their design." --World Architecture Community Top 10 Architecture Books Of 2022