Stormwater management as art? Absolutely. Rain is a resource that should be valued and celebrated; not merely treated as an urban design problemmdash;and yet; traditional stormwater treatment methods often range from ugly to forgettable. Artful Rainwater Design shows that its possible to effectively manage runoff while also creating inviting; attractive landscapes. This beautifully illustrated; comprehensive guide explains how to design creative; yet practical; landscapes that treat on-site stormwater management as an opportunity to enhance site design. Artful Rainwater Design has three main parts: first; the book outlines five amenity-focused goals that might be highlighted in a project: education; recreation; safety; public relations; and aesthetic appeal. Next; it focuses on techniques for ecologically sustainable stormwater management that complement the amenity goals. Finally; it features diverse case studies that show how designers around the country are implementing principles of artful rainwater design. Artful Rainwater Design is a must-have resource for landscape architects; urban designers; civil engineers; and architects who wont let stormwater regulations cramp their style; and who understand that for a design to truly be sustainable; people must appreciate and love it. It is a tool for creating landscapes that celebrate rain for the life-giving resource it ismdash;and contribute to more sustainable; healthy; and even fun; built environments.
#1578086 in eBooks 2015-05-22 2015-05-22File Name: B00YCJIFI4
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Irreverent and amusingBy Prithvi KarthikeyanThis is the most informative book on art Ive read since Gombrichs Story of Art apart from being the most amusing book Ive read in ages! Kimball is scathing in his treatment of art history academics who malign the enjoyment of art with their obtuse intellectual self-gratification. Gombrich wrote there is no such thing as art only artists and Kimball clearly embraces this sensible perspective as he jumps in to rescue great art from the academics who use and abuse it as a springboard for their own political and psychological pre-occupations where beauty is outreacute; and biography simplistic. For all his evisceration of opaque academic jargon; Kimball can lose us in the mists of his own rarefied vocabulary which made me chuckle - "prolegomenon" - why not preface? "minatory" why not menacing? But why quibble about a few trips or clicks to the thesaurus when finally there is a critic ready to dismantle the tower of Babel that Derrida built!5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Informative and amusing. Great insightBy vlot49Informative; intelligent and amusing.The provocative title of the book lives up to expectations.For the novice in the field of academic art; the atrocities described and ridiculed in the book may seem too insignificant to someone cares to expose them giving the job of writing a book. However; if you believe what he says; that is; that the spirit and substance of a mediocre art criticism has extended to a significant portion of the cultural world; the book is relevant as a denunciation. Beyond the obvious fun; the author is on to something greater; encouraging a return to simple and effective analysis; based on the facts; reality and free from imposition of political correctness or foolish ambitions.Highly recommended.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Rape of The MastersBy Todd RichardsonAs a student of Art History; I have to say that anyone remotely interested in art or the history of art should read this book; especially if you intend to delve into the academic field of art or art history. For its relatively short length; you will see how far academic art history has fallen. Suffice to say; quite a bit. If you are the kind of person who is uncertain of how to appreciate art or how to evaluate it and are afraid of being duped by the lofty; but meaningless descriptions given by curators and academics; this book is also very helpful. It will show you which approaches to art makes no sense whatsoever and which interpretations are sound; and it does so without taking up too much of your time by only focusing on the most outrageous examples. Some of the language Kimball uses may go over the heads of some; but it is not anything that is impossible to overcome. In short; this is one of THE BOOKS to study when trying to understand the study of art and; in particular; what type of interpretations are sound and which ones are not.
