Written and edited by a team of specialists at Max Fordhams, one of the leading UK environmental engineering consultancies, Environmental Design is the result of their extensive experience in designing environmentally friendly buildings. The principles of their approach, which they have taught in numerous schools of architecture and engineering, are clearly presented here. This book will be essential reading for architects, engineers, planners and students of these disciplines and for all those who are concerned with our built environment. The book starts with some basic scientific principles and issues of air quality, noise and the greenhouse effect and then moves on to site planning, energy use, materials and building form. Natural ventilation systems, high efficiency mechanical equipment and alternative sources of energy are covered. State-of-the-art buildings of exceptional quality are incorporated throughout the text and illustrate the authors' belief that environmentally responsible architecture can be visually exciting. The book concludes with a selection of detailed case studies of award winning projects - including the De Montfort University Queens Building, winner of a Green Building of the Year Award.