Through 12 case studies from Australia; Bangladesh; Haiti; Sri Lanka; Vietnam and the USA; this book focuses on the housing reconstruction process after an earthquake; tsunami; cyclone; flood or fire. Design of post-disaster housing is not simply replacing the destroyed house but; as these case studies highlight; a means to not only build a safer house but also a more resilient community; not to simply return to the same condition as before the disaster; but an opportunity for building back better.The book explores two main themes:Housing reconstruction is most successful when involving the users in the design and construction processHousing reconstruction is most effective when it is integrated with community infrastructure; services and the means to create real livelihoods.The case studies included in this book highlight work completed by different agencies and built environment professionals in diverse disaster-affected contexts. With a global acceleration of natural disasters; often linked to accelerating climate change; there is a critical demand for robust housing solutions for vulnerable communities.This book provides professionals; policy makers and community stakeholders working in the international development and disaster risk management sectors; with an evidence-based exploration of how to add real value through the design process in housing reconstruction. Herein then; the knowledge we need to build; an approach to improve our processes; a window to understanding the complex domain of post-disaster housing reconstruction.
2015-05-28 2015-05-28File Name: B00YRUNR36
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. HopperBy foxxThe quality of the illustrations were excellent;however what was infuriating was that some paintings were "split" between two pages making it impossible to view them in their entirety.On the iPad version;the endings of most sentences were missing;another irritant.The prose was generally pedestrian; almost like diary entrants;giving very little insight to the relationship between Hopper and his paintings; and his wife.What information was given could be gleaned from observation of the works themselves;which on there own give worth to this rather disappointing book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. In the Eye of the BeholderBy Richard C. GeschkeThe prolific author and expert on the life and times of Edward Hopper are well described in this book of Edward Hopper by Gerry Souter. Once again he goes into the depths and desires of a man who was seeking meaning in his works of art. In fact Hopper leads the life of a rather starving artist seeking the raison drsquo;etre of being an artist of standing. Souter goes into depth as to how Hopper develops his oeuvre over a long struggle of being a student of Henri to being a commercial artist to put bread on the table. At the start being a student of Henri in the Ash Can School of Art; Hopper struggled in seeking a niche in the world of art. In fact Hopper traveled to France and in seeing his works one detected the works of an impressionist. Throughout the early 1900rsquo;s Hopperrsquo;s works vacillated between impressionism and realism. As the worm turns; Hopper became the essence of realism. Not the realism of photographic depiction but that of everyday scenes that use light and darkness and shadows to show simplistic scenes which are decluttered. Souter shows how Hopper struggled to get his work recognized by the art world. During this time he was prolific in his depictions of realism which was not immersed in detail. For example on many paintings one sees telephone poles but no presence of wires. His use of light and his observations of depicting scenes of looking from the outside to the inside take an artist impression which no other artist that I know of can convey. Hopper finally gains the recognition and fame he deserves by the 1930rsquo;s as he takes a wife in which Josephine and Edward would begin a stormy marriage in which Hopper conveys is 19th century attitudes in his dominance of Josephine. It was a well-kept secret that Hopper physically abused Josephine. Whatever the circumstances they never divorced and Jo kept a record in his journal of all the paintings and sales thereof. This book goes into great detail as to Hopperrsquo;s great works and what they stood for and how Hopper viewed them in his philosophy of what he considered to be his art. In fact as Souter points out; Hopper took great delight in having art critics analyzing his works as psychological ploys. Hopper was simplistic in his realism which contained minimalism along with the realization that a depiction of art is to be what the viewer realizes in his own mind. This is what Hopper brings as joy to us all. Art is in the eye of the beholder.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. HopperBy Martin PTheres something haunting about Hoppers domestic scenes that begs a revisit; as if well find the missing puzzle piece if only we look hard enough. Its this enigmatic quality of his work that led me to this book; both to have something to allow me to revisit these paintings and to try and get a look behind the curtain; so to speak.Painting-wise the reproductions are fantastic and the book contains a great representation of his entire works. The format is large enough to display his paintings adequately and the layout makes the most of the space on the page. I thought in spite of Hoppers inclination towards privacy (which surely makes the biographical process a lot harder) the text contained enough insight and analysis of his works that its rewarding in itself.All in all I thought the book contained plenty of Hoppers best works (both known and lesser known) and if anything; only heightened my longing to get into the heads of his lonesome subjects. Great book.
