The brochure provides suggestions for adapting or building approaches and entrances to the home to provide full accessibility to persons with mobility limitations due to disability or age. Briefly described are modifications for ramps, landings at the top and bottom of a ramp, and door openers and locks. This publication lists 13 sources for…

Presented is a list of books and reports intended to serve as technical sources of information for the building professional interested in energy conservation. These publications are grouped under these headings: (1) energy-conserving building design; (2) passive systems/design; (3) passive systems/performance; and (4) proceedings (of the American…

This guide is intended to assist people with physical disabilities who are wheelchair users and their families in the construction of a barrier-free home. Introductory information notes the importance of specific planning for individual needs and full participation by the homeowner as well as the architect and contractor. Briefly addressed are:…

Incorporating the principles and practices of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) in the design and remodeling of schools can contribute to the safety of the school while reducing the target-hardening and fortressing effects of a bunker mentality. The basic CPTED premise is that through the effective use and design of the built…

This paper outlines housing modification issues for both the housing consumer with visual impairments and the builder/remodeler, with emphasis on single-family housing. Suggested modifications are listed for the exterior, entrance, elevator, doors, floors, lighting and the electrical system, windows, room layout and shape, kitchen, and stairs and…

The manual describes, for people with physical disabilities, a building standard of accessibility and the policy for its application. Policies address both new construction and renovation work based on principles of building accessibility to a broad range of users, public service accessibility, and equality of access to employment opportunities.…

The United States Capitol building fashions an historical awe that includes images of the founding fathers, legislative branch, executive branch, and the American people. Even though it was built for elected officials to take care of governmental business, it serves to represent the democratic republic from which the United States was created.…

Developed as part of a larger project to integrate youth with disabilities into regular recreational and leisure activities, this survey was developed for use in the assessment of public accommodations according to the minimum standards set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The instrument utilizes a yes/no response format, with a…

This book presents findings of a 1993 study of how design in the curriculum helps students achieve national educational objectives. It also explores opportunities for expanding the role design can play in students' academic lives. Results of the 1993 study reveal how the use of design experiences in classrooms provides teachers and students with a…

This step-by-step guide helps communities think and talk about school renewal through innovative planning and design, and high quality construction. It begins with an overview of need and available funding, then describes potential members of a school-improvement team. These include: architects, state school agents, community groups, local elected…

Design education includes those projects or activities where children are actively engaged in a process of making and doing with architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and/or city planning as a context for the learning activity. The goal of such experiences is to sensitize children to their surroundings and better inform them about…

This manual, developed by the Agency for International Development and used by the Peace Corps, explains how to build homes made of earth. Information came from reports, books, and articles from many countries, coupled with research by soil engineers at Texas A & M University. It is presented in the most nontechnical format possible. The…

This report presents the final recommendations, in the form of a new set of guidelines, of a federal advisory committee concerning revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). The guidelines provide scoping and technical requirements for the design, construction, and alteration of sites, facilities, buildings,…

This manual, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Point Four program, presents critical features and principles of using bamboo as a building material. Information provided in the manual includes the following: parts of a house for which bamboos are suitable, bamboo reinforcement of concrete, geographical distribution of…

This manual is designed to assist Peace Corps field workers who have little or no construction experience in helping communities or families to construct one-story buildings. Discussed in a chapter on basic planning and design are site and position; size, shape, and floor plan; and construction materials. The next chapter is a detailed examination…