Book review
Handbook on Good Building Design and Construction: Aceh and Nias Islands
Published by the UNDP Regional Center in Bangkok and The Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction available at TAO Resource Center or download at UNISDR
This handbook is a simple guide on proper design and construction of houses that provides basic but important information on how to make a disaster resilient house. The best thing about this handbook is that photos were given as examples of good and bad building design and construction methods. All the photographs that were used for this handbook were taken during the reconstruction of Aceh and Nias Islands. These islands were greatly devastated by the great tsunami and earthquake of December 2006.
The content of the handbook can easily be understood by home owners, designers, and builders. It is divided into two parts namely, the design principles and construction and materials principles. This handbook is short and contains more photos than text so readers will not get bored reading it. It even has a house building checklist that the readers can use to assess their house. Over-all, this handbook is very useful to people with no technical background but would like to know more about good building design and construction which they can apply at their own houses.
Book Review, Disaster Risk Management | rp | 12 September 2008 |
