[.ca] Architectural Design for Tropical Regions (ISBN 0471180203)

here you get a better book::
a few months later i would like to add a recomendation for all those searching for information about tropical architecture: Richard Hyde, Climate Responsive Design , A study of buildings in moderate and hot humid climates, E & FN Spon, London 2000, ISBN 0-419-20970-0 good examples, up to date research data, good value

Tropical Architecture in a Nut Shell:
Cleveland Salmon has thought of everything! When dealing with tropical architecture, there is a lot to think about. Salmon energetically lists almost every possible condition found in the built tropics from desert dryness to humid jungle conditions. This book serves the tropical architect like a shopping list or as a reminder of what conditions must not be overlooked when planning to build in the tropics, wherever that may be. My only negative comment would be that the chapters are way too brief. Nevertheless, this book is worth its weight in gold for all the topics and subtopics it includes. Once seeing this compendium as an overview, anyone can deepen an interest or concern with other sources. This book on tropical architecture, however, is where you want to start.

Scanty Information, despite the Book Description's claims:
I have to agree with Rainer Mebus. This book is going to be returned. It is not suited for architects or anyone with even basic concepts of building siting and construction. A hodge-podge of photographs, gathered from various places, do nothing to illustrate examples of the textual concepts. As far as being an "indispensible source," statements such as (p102) "A hat or cool shade is often useful when exposed to sun... as the sun can be very bright when the sky is clear and the sunlight is intense." or (p103) "Vegetation is luxuriant where rainfall is high." & (p105) "The effects of earthquakes are mainly economic, although poorly constructed buildings can result in loss of life." are hardly indispensible and belong more in an elementary school than a volume that claims to be "essential reading for architects and other building professionals." Mebus is correct that all of the data here contained is readily found in other, better and cheaper books. I was hoping that the longer and first review was more correct, but was sadly disappointed that newer concepts, techniques and materials were not discussed in a book printed in 1999. Further, all the information contained can be found in basic architectural concepts courses or books and is only slightly tailored to fit the idea of "tropical construction." The author borrows diagrams and descriptions from many other texts.

Not for Architects!:
Having ordered (and returned) the book i have to say, that this book is not at all a helpful handbook for architects planning in hot and humid climates. The book shows a lot of black & white photographs of buildings all over the world that should not be taken as great contemporary examples for tropical architecture. the book shows briefly and only the very basic principles of designing with climate, that are found better and cheaper in other books. in the last years there has been great new architecture in hot and humid climate that uses basic architectural methods as well as high-tech-installations. there's not one single building in this book...

Another, much better, BooK::
COURTYARDS: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight; by John Reynolds, published November 2001. Courtyards contains a huge amount of valuable information for building in hot humid and hot dry climates. Not only a "pretty picture book," Courtyards takes the reader through width to depth ratios; height and width proportions; comfort zone enhancement through thermal mass, ventilation, and shading; and much more. In fact, although Courtyards is similarly priced as the book above, I thought it contained 10 times as much valuable information - real information that I could put to immediate use for my projects in the Yucatan. Color and B & W photos and line drawings illustrate the many considerations for hot weather design, yet the book is not overly technical. Nor is it over-simplified, which is the main problem with Tropical Regions. Tropical Regions remains the only book I've had to return to Amazon - even a year later - with dozens and dozens of books ordered. GOOD books about tropical housing design are very hard to come by and I'd like to point searchers in the right direction. Since architecture books in general are usually so expensive, finding a useful selection is very important. Also, I have to echo the writer below. Richard Hyde's book CLIMATE RESPONSIVE DESIGN...for Hot Humid Climates is also very helpful. I felt it was a little more technical and not as colorful as COURTYARDS. Either would be a good place to start your research for tropical housing construction.