With the growing awareness of environmental issues, there is a renewed interest in climate and its relationship to architecture. This text focuses on tropical climate but much of the theory can be applied to other climates; the difference in application is clearly delineated. The broader topic of technology as a generator in design should be of interest to all those involved in design and building.

This book provides a modern and basic introduction to a branch of international law constantly gaining in importance in international life, namely international humanitarian law (IHL), the law of armed conflict. It is constructed in a way that is suitable for self-study. Subject matters are discussed in self-contained chapters, allowing each to be studied independently of the others. Among the subjects discussed are, inter alia: the relationship between jus ad bellum / jus in bello . the historical evolution of IHL . the basic principles and sources of IHL . Martens Clause . international and...

Despite recent improvements in energy efficiency being made in new build, it is important that the existing commercial building sector also take action to meet emission reduction targets. The objectives and challenges of such action will reduce the risk of the sector becoming obsolete due to high energy use and poor environmental performance. This book presents a theory-based, practice-support methodology to deal with sustainable retrofitting opportunities for existing commercial buildings in warm climates using bioclimatic design as the basis. The book has four main parts, focusing on...

When faced with tackling food-borne illnesses, regulators have a number of competing goals. First, they must investigate in order to discover the source of the illness. Once the source is identified, they must take action to prevent further cases of illness occurring. Finally, once the illness is under control, they may wish to take enforcement action against those responsible. Regulating Food-Borne Illness uses interviews and documentary analysis to examine the actions of regulators and considers how they balance these three tasks. Central to the regulators' role is the collection of...

In the search for sustainable architecture, there is growing interest in the relationship between nature and design. In this vital new book, the term �bioclimatic�, relating to the dynamic between climate and living organisms, is applied by the authors in focusing on countries where housing requires cooling for a significant part of the year. In this context, Bioclimatic Housing covers creative, vernacular architecture to present both the theory and practice of innovative, low-energy architecture. The book interweaves the themes of social progress, technological fixes and...