A shelter sketchbook

the long version

"Through pen-and-ink sketches John Taylor depicts and explains more than 600 elegantly simple and practical structures created by centuries of anonymous builders. Examples include: thousand-year-old earth-sheltered houses in China, hay-bale-walled barns from turn-of-the-century Nebraska, Middle Eastern air conditioning systems from the 13th century, and modular building techniques used in Japan five hundred years ago."--BOOK JACKET. "The traditions of indigenous folk architecture are distinguished by wise use of resources, responsiveness to environmental forces, and a very economical accommodation of human needs. Fortunately, in recent years there has been - for ecological, ethical, and simply pragmatic reasons - a resurgence of interest in buildings that are more respectful of these factors."--BOOK JACKET. "A Shelter Sketchbook is a book for builders, students, and anyone seeking stimulation for the imagination. The author's exacting drawings take us on a tour through the world of human shelter, and are reminders that observation, even more than technology, can be the best source of innovation."--BOOK JACKET.