Publisher's Synopsis
Architects, building officials, contractors and other practitioners in fields related to the built environment often engage in their particular tasks as if they existed in splendid isolation from larger contexts. Seemingly discrete tasks, such as the design and construction of a shopping centre, are easy to deal with: there is a beginning and an end, there are codes and guidelines to follow, and when the task is over they can move on to the next one. However, it is increasingly evident that every aspect of the built environment is indeed part of a larger context. No action or element exists in isolation from a larger web of activity.
The challenge for educators in this field is to nurture in students an awareness of the range and interconnectedness of elements and processes that contribute to the built environment. This book aims to order the issues involved.
Within the context of this general study, there are two issues whose importance deserves to be given special emphasis. The first of these is information technology, the effects of which on the operations of business, government and society have yet to be properly understood. The second issue is that of the protection of our natural heritage. The impact of the world′s six billion inhabitants on the environment is clearly critical but by and large does not inform the actions of most design professionals.
This textbook is a tool for better work in the built environment. It points to the experiences of others from which we can learn. Its objective is to introduce the range of issues involved in the analysis, design and production of the built environment, emphasizing the interaction between these issues.
