Francois Garde Book order

Net Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEBs) have garnered significant attention as countries aim for this performance level in their energy policies. This study examines 30 NZEBs that have been built and monitored for at least 12 months, stemming from an international collaboration initiated by the International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC). It is the first comprehensive evaluation of effective building strategies across houses, educational facilities, and offices. The book explores how design challenges related to climate and building type have been tackled and assesses the success of various design approaches. It provides compelling evidence that re-evaluating conventional design norms can yield substantial performance improvements. The text identifies "solution sets" that are effective at both the whole building level and for specific design challenges based on climate and building type. Additionally, it offers guidance on enhancing design by learning from these case studies. Notably, it includes examples from both "hot" and "cold" climates. A straightforward process is proposed for readers to analyze their own climate, evaluating not just temperature and humidity but also its potential to support other NZEB solutions like Daylight, Natural Ventilation, or comfort-based climate conditioning.

Some time in the 1840s, Narcisse, a young French sailor is abandoned on the coast of Australia and given up for dead by his shipmates. Seventeen years later he is found living among aboriginal peoples, having apparently forgotten everything of his original identity, including his native French language. Octave de Vallombrun, a well-meaning geographer, takes him under his wing and sets out to bring Narcisse, now known as the "white savage" back to civilisation and to find out what happened during those seventeen years.Observing Narcisse's struggle to adjust to the ways of the white man, Octave too begins to question his assumptions about what it means to be civilised, and to see in a new light the man known as the "white savage".