Glorious mud! : ancient and contemporary earthen design and construction in North Africa, Western Europe, the Near East, and Southwest Asia / Gus W. Van Beek ; with Ora Van Beek
Overview of mud construction. Advantages of mud construction ; Factors in building design ; A sampling of Near Eastern and southwest Asian building designs -- Preparing to build. Layout and foundation ; Soils and mud -- Methods of earthen wall construction. Wattle-and-daub ; Layered mud ; Rammed earth ; Mud brick -- Roof construction. Flat and raised-framed roofs ; Curved roofs : domes, arches, and vaults -- Finishing details and solutions. Walls, columns, and stairways ; Floors, windows, doors, ceilings, and utilities ; Problems and solutions
Summary:
This book addresses many audiences. It will inform everyone interested in architecture--professional architects and laypersons alike--especially those intrigued with the possibilities of using materials and concepts for dwellings that will conserve the environment and its resources while meeting the burgeoning demand for efficient, low-cost shelter. It will also be a value to historians and anthropologists, who attempt to understand the development of architectural and vernacular structures and their political, economic, and cultural roles in societies through time.