Architecture and the sun: an international survey of sun protection methods

Architecture and the Sun is the first book to treat this important architectural problem and its aesthetic, structural, and economic considerations. It suggests a variety of solutions to questions of shading and cooling and will be an invaluable source of ideas for architects. The introduction deals with the comparative costs of various systems, the heat absorptive and retentive qualities of different materials, the construction and service of mechanical devices, and the possible combinations of systems. Individual chapters present every means of regulating sunlight from a well-placed shady tree to mechanically controlled louvres. Among the methods discussed are cantilevered roofs, balconies and loggias, structural framing, shutters and blinds awnings and marquees, and tinted glass. Each chapter begins with an explanatory text and diagrams, describing the advantages, drawbacks, and possible applications of the system under discussion. Numerous photographs and drawings of details illustrate practical examples from an international selection of buildings including works by such architects as Marcel Breuer, Paul Rudolph, and Richard Neutra