Book “Open Architecture. Nachhaltiger Holzbau mit System”
Author: Hans Drexler
Release date: January 2021
Published by: Jovis, Berlin
ISBN: 978-3-86859-681-6
Price: 352 pages, numerous illustrations for 38€
Sustainability, the author argues, is an integral part of architectural design and construction. For its realization, he has developed a holistic approach: a flexible timber building system that centers design on the interaction of the users of the building. The system achieves sustainable construction not only through its material, wood, but also through the flexiblity and adaptability of the residential buildings where it is applied. The book presents, analyses, and compares twelve architectural projects that demonstrate the far-reaching potential of this building system.
Book Publications
Book “Bezahlbar. Gut. Wohnen. Strategien für erschwinglichen Wohnraum”
Authors: Klaus Dömer, Hans Drexler, Joachim Schultz-Granberg
Release date: October 2016
Published by: Jovis, Berlin
ISBN: 978-3-86859-432-4
Price: 296 pages, ca. 240 illustrations for 25€
“Bezahlbar. Gut. Wohnen. – Strategien für erschwinglichen Wohnraum” is a second, extended German edition of the book “Affordable Living”. Different strategies and methods for creating affordable housing were collected, elaborated and compared in a summary. In addition, the consideration has been extended to two levels, placing the question of affordable housing in a social context. This expansion requires the resolution of the strict limitation to architects and urban planning. The question of housing is also presented as a social phenomenon in causes and effects. Against this background, not only theoretical approaches are presented in the book, but also strategies for the creation of affordable housing by the example of outstanding residential buildings. It is precisely through the analysis of projects in the economic, social and urban context that these strategies are comparable.
The book won the International DAM Architectural Book Award 2017, which is the highest award from the Frankfurt Book Fair and the German Architecture Museum (DAM) for the ninth time in 2017. The book was also short-listed for the Award “the most beautiful German books” and is a nominee for the German design award 2018.
Book "Holistic Housing. Concepts, Design Strategies and Processes"
Authors: Hans Drexler, Sebastian El Khouli
Release date: June 2012
Published by: Edition Detail, Munich
Support: VELUX group, Knauf Gips KG
ISBN: 978-3-920034-78-2
Price: 288 pages with illustrations, graphics and photos for 49€; English
“Holistic Housing. Concepts, Design Strategies and Processes” is a fundamental reference work on housing construction. The book deals with the issue of sustainability in a planning context but also analyses a building’s usage and ageing over its “life cycle”. A system of criteria specially developed in an accompanying research project can be used to compare and evaluate buildings. It can also be used as a tool for optimising the sustainability of buildings in development during the planning process. By contrast, most existing sustainability systems are conceived not as design and planning tools, but as instruments for evaluating finished buildings and completed planning.
Book "Affordable Living. Housing for everyone"
Authors: Klaus Dömer, Hans Drexler, Joachim Schultz-Granberg
Release date: December 2014
Published by: Jovis, Berlin
Support: Robert Bosch Foundation, Wüstenrot Foundation
ISBN: 978-3-86859-324-2
Price: 272 pages, English, for 19,80€
Housing is a basic need that, for many all over the world, remains unmet or inadequate. To ensure the availability of quality living space for everyone, architecture and urban development can contribute significantly to finding new solutions. The challenge of affordable housing lies in achieving an optimum relationship between costs and the “home quality” value, which is dependent on many local parameters and cultural preferences.
In light of this and based on examples of exceptional residential buildings, this book presents not only theoretical approaches but also strategies for creating affordable living spaces. These strategies can be compared by analysing projects in their economic, social, and urban development contexts. The central question is: how can different approaches for creating affordable residential space be applied and translated to other contexts?
Book "Wohnkonzept"
Authors: Hans Drexler, Marc Guinand, Daniel Jauslin
Release date: Januar 2017
Published by: DGJDasGehtJa
Affordable living is not only about building cost-efficiently. It is easy to reduce costs at the expense of quality and the residents’ well-being. The challenge is about having adequate costs in addition to high quality, thus the ideal cost-benefit ratio. The answer to the question of how we want to live is intrinsically linked to the respective context. Therefore we develop new concepts of living which focus on peoples’ wishes and needs without losing sight of individual and social capacities. This offers the possibility of dealing with ressources, land, material and energy in a sustainable and future-compliant way.
Book "Basics Materialität"
Authors: Manfred Hegger, Hans Drexler, Martin Zeumer
Series: Birkhäuser Basics
Release date: October 2006
Published by: Birkhäuser Verlag AG, Basel, Berlin
ISBN: 978-3764376840
Price: 88 pages for 14,95€ (eBook)
In the book “Materialität” of the series “Basics”, the foundations for the choice of materials in architecture are explained and materials frequently used in construction are presented.: wood, concrete, natural stone, metals, and various plastics. The production, properties, possible applications and recyclability of the materials are explained. In addition, design strategies are presented in which the use of materials can play a role in terms of their general conditions, effect and detailing.
Book "Home Not Shelter!"
Authors: Ralf Pasel, Alexander Hagner, Hans Drexler, Ralph Boch
Release date: August 2016
Published by: Jovis, Berlin
Support: Hans Sauer Foundation
ISBN: 978-3-86859-447-8
Price: 144 pages, ca. 125 illustrations for 22€
Living space is not just a matter of accommodation, but is fundamental to the social process of participation and integration. The challenge is to develop ideas and strategies on how people can be integrated into the lives of cities, municipalities and neighbourhoods. Places and visions have to be created that open up opportunities for people beyond physical arrivals. The initiative, Home Not Shelter has approached this question from the perspective of architecture and city planning and has developed concepts that meet the complex requirements of an increasingly diverse society.
Book "Building the Future - Maßstäbe des nachhaltigen Bauens"
Editors: Hans Drexler, Adeline Seidel
Texts by: Dr. Nadir Abdessemed, Matthias Böttger, Dr. Vanessa Miriam Carlow, Hans Drexler, Sebastian El khouli, Ludwig Engel, Jesko Fezer, Dominique Gauzin-Müller, Martin Haas , Hans-Dieter Hegner, Annette Hillebrandt, Gerhard Kalhöfer, Edward T H Liu, Søren Nielsen, Günter Pfeifer, Dr. Martin Prominski, Philippe Rahm, Jürgen Reichardt, Eike Roswag, Joachim Schultz-Granberg, Dr.-Ing. Hermann-Josef Wagner
Release date: September 2012
Published by: Jovis, Berlin
Funding: MSA Münster School of Architecture
ISBN: 978-3-86859-166-8
Price: 316 pages for 28€
Sustainable planning and construction has become one of the central questions in architecture. Climate change, scarcity of resources and economic crises are increasingly forcing architects and planners to critically question traditional methods and solutions. Research institutes and universities, as well as architectural and engineering firms, have long begun to look for new concepts for the implementation of sustainable architecture and urban development. In the summer of 2011, the Münster School of Architecture held six symposia to discuss controversial issues with international experts. “Building the Future” summarises the different levels and positions of current concepts: The aim is to present the coherences and attitudes of sustainable building in a holistic way. Well-known authors and their contributions represent the current state of research on this topic and show innovative approaches and solutions for the architecture of the future.
Book "Minimum Impact House - Prototyp für nachhaltiges Bauen"
Release date: April 2010
Authors: Hans Drexler, Daniel Jauslin, Marc Guinand, Department of energy-efficient building design, TU Darmstadt, Prof. M. Hegger
Publisher: Müller + Busmann KG Verlag, Wuppertal
In the book to Minihaus the results of the research project and the development of the prototype are summarised.
The DGJ-Book 2005
Release date: March 2005
Editors: Hans Drexler, Marc Guinand, Daniel Jauslin
Authors: Walter Bieler, Elisabeth Blum, Mayo Bucher, Rudolf Manz, Adolf Muschg, Felix Schwarz, Philip Ursprung
Publisher: DGJ! DasGehtJa
Excerpt: “In architectural design, determining your own position is essential. Positions are for us neither closed theories nor doctrines. We want to use it as a tool in an undogmatic way. The extensive field of work of the architects demands an open and flexible way of thinking. Positions are therefore current assumptions and to be integrated into the respective context.”