Book Review: The Skyscraper Bioclimatically Considered

The Skyscraper Bioclimatically Considered by Ken Yeang, published by Wiley, 1996. Paperback, 269 pages. (Amazon)



Billed as a design primer, Yeang touches on each step in the process to design a skyscraper with an emphasis on the bioclimatic aspects of this building type. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a different component of a skyscraper, from vertical circulation to mechanical and electrical services and everything in-between. Graphically the vertically-oriented book uses a tripartite structure across each page to loosely break up the main text from additional information, such as charts, graphs, sketches, and case studies from the author's practice in Malaysia. Layering of images, text and color helps to liven the overall tone of the book, which otherwise would resemble a quarterly report with its profusion of bullet points and charts & graphs. Definitely required reading, though, for anyone pursuing a sustainable approach to skyscraper design.

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