Sim Van der Ryn Bücher

You can give back to nature those raw materials we now regard as "waste." This book, written by a leading authority on appropriate technology, offers homeowner plans for several types of dry toilets, compost privys and greywater systems. Van der Ryn also discusses the history and philosophy of turning organic wastes into a rich humus, linking us to the fertility of the soil and ensuring our ultimate well-being. --- from book's back cover

The Integral Urban House: Self Reliant Living in the City is a comprehensive guide to achieving a completely sustainable urban lifestyle by creating a mini-ecosystem where residents grow their own fruits and vegetables, raise chickens, rabbits, and fish, recycle 90% of their waste, solar heat their hot water, and use a variety of other alternative technologies, all on a 1/8-acre city lot. Long considered the bible of urban homesteading, this book is the result of four years of living with and refining the systems of the Integral Urban House in Berkeley, California, a collaborative project which combined the collective skills of the members of the Farallones Institute to develop a center for creating and testing experimental, ecologically stable and resource-conserving living systems. With its vision of an intimate connection between the urban habitat and ecological principles The Integral Urban House will inspire and empower people to act within their own communities to create places where they can live more sustainably.

Design for The Architecture of Sim Van der Ryn surveys the work and principles of a leader in sustainable architecture. Drawing from years of teaching and his building designs, the author emphasizes that buildings are organisms and cities are complex ecosystems. It illustrates Van der Ryn's insights into nature's shifting patterns and their impact on how people live and work in constructed environments. He critiques how architecture has created barriers that disconnect us from the natural world and advocates for a reconnection with our surroundings. As California State Architect, appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, Van der Ryn pioneered the nation's first energy-efficient government projects, ushering in a Golden Age of ecologically sensitive design and leading to strict energy and disability access standards for state buildings and parks. His work inspires architects to integrate physical and social ecology into their designs. Van der Ryn, president of a renowned northern California firm, taught at the University of California, Berkeley for over thirty years, encouraging a new generation to create buildings and communities attuned to place, climate, and human interactions. He has authored six influential books on planning and design, including Sustainable Communities and Ecological Design, and resides in the San Francisco Bay area.