Author and journalist Laura Sanchez previously ran a drafting business specializing in adobe houses. She called it quits sometime after the 250th set of plans but maintains an abiding interest in designing the very best, most cost-effective houses possible. Alex Sanchez, who grew up building houses, has taught courses in adobe construction and solar energy. He heads the renowned computer-aided drafting program at the University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus.
Most library users are interested in homes using traditional construction methods, but comprehensive collections should offer information about alternative technologies. These three titles offer good options. Pearson offers instructions to build yurts, tipis, and benders all dwellings that consist of a collapsible, lightweight frame covered with cloth. Examples range from simple, temporary designs to much sturdier structures appropriate for year-round use. The examples are from all over the world, but brief instructions allow anyone to build a rather exotic structure inexpensively. The Sanchezes provide a wealth of information about the history and techniques associated with the use of adobe, an ancient material common in the Southwest. Twelve plans for both traditional and modern homes are included some of which look surprisingly conventional to the casual observer. This title will be of particular interest to readers in the more arid regions of North America. Mackie, a well-known author and educator of log home-building techniques, shows how to construct a log home in a low-impact, environmentally friendly manner. The homes shown are beautiful, with a great deal of exposed joinery; Mackie's step-by-step instructions and excellent illustrations show how everything is done (the author, who is in his mid-seventies, is still building homes a feat that many half his age would find taxing). These titles are recommended for comprehensive collections or for those with a regional interest in the particular technology covered. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
"...a wealth of information about the history and techniques associated with the use of adobe." -Library Journal "...a fascinating wealth of information and lore." -The Bookwatch "Helpful for anyone buying, building, or remodeling an adobe house as well as for contractors, drafters, and real estate brokers." -Book News "...argues by example that adobe construction need not be a costly luxury reserved only for the wealthy." -Su Casa "...at last, a book written by authors who understand solar and thermal mass!" -Adobe Builder
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