Prefabulous small houses

Sheri Koones, 1949-

Book - 2016

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Subjects
Published
Newtown, CT : The Taunton Press, Inc [2016]
Language
English
Main Author
Sheri Koones, 1949- (author)
Physical Description
233 pages : color illustrations, plans ; 29 cm
ISBN
9781631864049
9781631864414
Contents unavailable.
Review by Library Journal Review

Koones, author of numerous books on prefabricated houses, examines 32 such homes, from a small 352-square-foot house to one measuring 2,500 square feet. She shows how these dwellings can be attractive and accommodate contemporary lifestyles as well as maintain energy efficiency and allow for effectual recycling of materials from demolition to construction. The residents' plans are explained for homes located throughout the United States and in British Columbia that primarily feature an attractive modern, sleek style. For each, Koones provides numerous color photographs, floor plans, and sidebar explanations of ecofriendly features. The book contains a foreword by Robert Redford. VERDICT Lack of an index might hamper the use of this volume, but a multitude of cost-effective, energy-efficient ideas can be found here. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Over the last 30 years, I've been engaged in trying to raise awareness on the issue of climate change. I never imagined decades later, I would be fighting the same battle. After years of talk and political paraylsis, we have reached a tipping point, climate change is no longer a problem of the future, we are experiencing the results of a warming planet all around us, rising seas, widening deserts and deadly wildfires. We are losing control of our future. Our civilization is threatened today by changes that have been taking place over decades. Climate change affects everyone, in every country. Climate change is in everybody's backyard. Only by acting now and standing together can we tip the scales and achieve the results necessary to make the planet a healthy and safe place to live--for now and for the future. At one time energy conversation was only about oil, coal and gas. Now people are talking about renewable energy--how it can result in cheaper and plentiful energy, and the positive role this can play on the environment. Climate change presents us with a huge challenge, how to move a society that has been dependent on fossil fuels to a future that is cleaner and more sustainable. While it is easy to become discouraged there is reason for optimism. There is a groundswell occurring and it's rising from the ground up. Leadership is coming from people themselves. We have the opportunity to re-think how we live in this world now and for future generations. I have great faith in the power of innovation and the ingenuity of people from all walks of life to solve this problem. Technological advances are well under way--renewable energy, increased efficiency and innovation in building practices are gaining momentum. One way to reduce the need and desire for fossil fuel is to design houses that require less fuel to build, operate, and to heat and cool. When houses are thoughtfully built this way, the energy requirement is vastly reduced. Renewable energy that uses solar thermal panels, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems--combined with good design--creates houses that require no fossil fuel. We know that 38 to 40 percent of the energy in this country is used to heat and cool our buildings-residential and commercial. This old way is expensive, dirty, and a proven danger to life. Yet it's a problem with a solution. But we must decide to apply that solution now. This book advocates for smaller houses, which is a strong trend in this country. Smaller houses reduce wasted space that most people don't need or use. Smaller, better-built houses teach us to curb our appetite for energy, and lessen our need to build, heat, cool, and maintain that extra space we don't need or even want. Building smaller, along with building houses prefabricated--in the process using less time, fewer materials, and using both more efficiently--is the sanest and wisest recipe for home construction, for now and for the future. Excerpted from Prefabulous Small Houses by Sheri Koones All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.