{"title":"Stefan Al","description":"\u003cp\u003eStefan Al’s works explore the intricate relationships between human development and the natural world, addressing critical themes such as environmental change and urban adaptation. His books blend insightful analysis with a keen understanding of history and contemporary challenges, inviting readers to consider how cities and societies evolve in response to rising sea levels and shifting landscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBridging science, culture, and architecture, Stefan Al's writing offers a thoughtful perspective on the forces shaping our environments. Readers can expect richly detailed narratives that illuminate the intersections of nature, design, and human resilience.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"supertall-by-stefan-al-9781324006411","title":"Supertall","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are living in a new urban age, and its most tangible expression is the \u003cem\u003esupertall\u003c\/em\u003e: megastructures that are dramatically bigger, higher, and more ambitious than any in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCities around the world are racing to build the first mile-high building, stretching the limits of engineering and design as never before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating work of urban history and design, TED resident Stefan Al—himself an experienced architect—explores the factors that have led to this worldwide boom. He reveals the marvellous and underappreciated feats of engineering that make today's supertalls a reality, from double-decker elevators that silently move up to 50 miles per hour to the sophisticated blend of polymers and steel fibres that enables concrete to withstand 8,000 tons of pressure per square metre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTaking readers behind the scenes of the building and design of remarkable megastructures, both from the past (the Empire State Building, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower) and the present (Dubai's Burj Khalifa, London's Shard, Shanghai Tower), Al demonstrates the impact of these innovations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet while the supertall is undoubtedly a testament to great technological victories, it can come at an environmental and social cost. Focusing on four global cities—London, New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore—Al examines the risks of wealth inequality, carbon emissions, and contagion that stem from supertalls. And he uncovers the latest innovations in sustainable building, from skyscrapers made of wood to tree-covered buildings, that promise to yield a better urban future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing more than thirty architectural drawings, \u003cem\u003eSupertall\u003c\/em\u003e is both a fascinating exploration of our greatest accomplishments and a powerful argument for a more equitable way forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46833507107052,"sku":"9781324006411","price":56.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10748503482659.jpg?v=1758464175"},{"product_id":"supertall-by-stefan-al-9781324052098","title":"Supertall","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are living in a new urban age, and its most tangible expression is the \u003cem\u003esupertall\u003c\/em\u003e: megastructures that are dramatically bigger, higher, and more ambitious than any in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCities around the world are racing to build the first mile-high building, stretching the limits of engineering and design as never before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating work of urban history and design, TED resident Stefan Al—himself an experienced architect—explores the factors that have led to this worldwide boom. He reveals the marvellous and underappreciated feats of engineering that make today's supertalls a reality, from double-decker elevators that silently move up to 50 miles per hour to the sophisticated blend of polymers and steel fibres that enables concrete to withstand 8,000 tons of pressure per square metre. Taking readers behind the scenes of the building and design of remarkable megastructures, both from the past (the Empire State Building, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower) and the present (Dubai's Burj Khalifa, London's Shard, Shanghai Tower), Al demonstrates the impact of these innovations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet while the supertall is undoubtedly a testament to great technological victories, it can come at an environmental and social cost. Focusing on four global cities—London, New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore—Al examines the risks of wealth inequality, carbon emissions, and contagion that stem from supertalls. And he uncovers the latest innovations in sustainable building, from skyscrapers made of wood to tree-covered buildings, that promise to yield a better urban future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing more than thirty architectural drawings, \u003cem\u003eSupertall\u003c\/em\u003e is both a fascinating exploration of our greatest accomplishments and a powerful argument for a more equitable way forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47363004367084,"sku":"9781324052098","price":33.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/11205373482659.jpg?v=1772911076"},{"product_id":"dwelling-on-earth-by-stefan-al-9781324065722","title":"Dwelling on Earth","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmericans spend, on average, 90 percent of their lives indoors, with two-thirds of that time spent in their homes. Globally, the construction and maintenance of residential buildings accounts for a staggering portion of carbon emissions. In this timely and fascinating work, architect and urban-planning scholar Stefan Al deftly weaves together archaeology, engineering, social history, and environmental science to explain how our homes have developed through the ages and in turn shaped civilization and the planet itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom tiny pit-houses in the Levant and Mesoamerica thousands of years ago to soaring skyscrapers in Dubai, New York, and Shanghai today, \u003cem\u003eDwelling on Earth\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers on a swift and absorbing tour of the evolution of human habitation. Whisking readers from ancient Pompeii to contemporary Hong Kong, industrial-age Liverpool to postwar Levittown, Al shows how our choices in housing have both reflected and affected ideas about gender roles, privacy, and comfort. Discover how seemingly mundane elements—like door-knockers and corridors—have altered everyday interactions, and how material choices have remade the planet's surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe also confronts the darker side of domesticity, exposing the unintended consequences of our architectural choices across millennia, including smoke-filled Neolithic dwellings, deadly fires in crowded Roman apartment buildings, and worsening social isolation in car-dependent suburbs. Finally, he examines the myths and reality of future housing, including 3D-printed homes and space architecture built by robots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing from personal experiences across global cities and professional insights, Al illuminates how our choices in housing continue to influence everything from social relationships to climate change, ultimately arguing that understanding this rich history is crucial for building a more sustainable future. With billions more people needing housing in the coming decades, \u003cem\u003eDwelling on Earth\u003c\/em\u003e reveals how we might transform humanity's defining challenge into our greatest opportunity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47562831429868,"sku":"9781324065722","price":60.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781324065722-dwelling-on-earth.jpg?v=1776987677"},{"product_id":"adapting-cities-to-sea-level-rise-by-stefan-al-9781610919074","title":"Adapting Cities to Sea Level Rise","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2012, Hurricane Sandy floods devastated coastal areas in New York and New Jersey. In 2017, Harvey flooded Houston. Today in Miami, even on sunny days, king tides bring fish swimming through the streets in low-lying areas. These types of events are typically called \u003cem\u003enatural\u003c\/em\u003e disasters. However, overwhelming scientific consensus says they are actually the result of \u003cem\u003ehuman\u003c\/em\u003e-induced climate change and irresponsible construction inside floodplains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs cities build more flood-management infrastructure to adapt to the effects of a changing climate, they must go beyond short-term flood protection and consider the long-term effects on the community, its environment, economy, and relationship with the water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdapting Cities to Sea Level Rise\u003c\/em\u003e, by infrastructure expert Stefan Al, introduces design responses to sea-level rise, drawing from examples around the globe. Going against standard engineering solutions, Al argues for approaches that are integrated with the public realm, nature-based, and sensitive to local conditions and the community. He features design responses to building resilience that create new civic assets for cities. For the first time, the possible infrastructure solutions are brought together in a clear and easy-to-read format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first part of the book looks at the challenges for cities that have historically faced sea-level rise and flooding issues, and their response in resiliency through urban design. He presents diverse case studies from New Orleans to Ho Chi Minh to Rotterdam, and draws best practices and urban design typologies for the second part of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePart two is a graphic catalogue of best-practices or resilience strategies. These strategies are organised into four categories: hard protect, soft protect, store, and retreat. The benefits and challenges of each strategy are outlined and highlighted by a case study showing where that strategy has been applied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAny professional or policymaker in coastal areas seeking to protect their communities from the effects of climate change should start with this book. With the right solutions, Al shows, sea-level rise can become an \u003cem\u003eopportunity\u003c\/em\u003e to improve our urban areas and landscapes, rather than a \u003cem\u003ethreat\u003c\/em\u003e to our communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47995346551020,"sku":"9781610919074","price":114.15,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781610919074-adapting-cities-to-sea-level-rise.jpg?v=1784894509"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/stefan-al.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}