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5 comments about Ritual House: Drawing on Nature's Rhythms for Architecture and Urban Design.

1. Ralph Knowles book has been a great help to my husband and me, as we plan a home for our empty nest. We are nearly 80 years old and wanting a house that is environmentally responsible. We also are deeply interested in integrating our lives, mentally-spiritually-physically-emotionally. A good home in rhythm with the world we live in has become a real focus, thanks to this book. We read it to each other in the early morning and become more awake and aware because of the ideas in Ritual House. So, we are including nature and the rituals we treasure in our house design. Thanks for a book with ideas and depth of soul.
   
   Marjorie R. Barlow, Ph.D.



2. This book is an uplifting invitation to explore architecture's 4th dimension. The rituals described here are those associated with the sun, and the seasons that result from earth's rotation around it. From migrating Paiute Indians within the Owens Valley to the seasonal changes in the nave of cathedrals [and diurnal changes in the transept] this book illustrates how users of buildings celebrate change over time. With so many detailed examples, the designer is invited to create settings where nature can inspire people to use their buildings and outdoor spaces in ways that enrich daily life. The invitation is made even more appealing by the many sketches that capture the essence of each topic.
   In separate chapters on migration, transformation, and metabolism, the focus is on people: their movement of within buildings, their manipulation of building elements, and the extent of their awareness of fuel consumption. While there is well-deserved criticism of modern buildings' exclusion of nature, there is far more to excite designers to find ways to help nature to lure our buildings' occupants into patterns of self-expression and acts of creativity.



3. Ritual House: Drawing On Nature's Rhythms For Architecture And Urban Design is an eclectic and innovative introduction and study of urban planning and architectural design drawing upon the years of experience and expertise of academician, researcher, architectural policy and design consultant Ralph Knowles. Ritual House is presented to the reader in a easy and engaging manner, with Professor Knowles depicting several particular housing developments and major historical projects, including their architectural significance and architectural design. Ritual House is very strongly recommended to students of Architectural Studies and Urban Development interested in the process of architectural design, students of architecture, as well as the non-specialist general reader wanting a better understanding of the esthetic and mechanical particulars of architecture.



4. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in architecture and the urban environment. This thought-provoking work is the result of more than 40 years of careful university research by one of the most important figures in solar access design.



5. RITUAL HOUSE is the latest book by Professor Ralph Knowles of the University of Southern California. Based on more than 40 years of research, the book describes how so much of the modern built environment has missed opportunities to reinforce powerful connections that people have with nature. Prof. Knowles provides examples of how designers and planners can and do improve the quality of peoples' lives by making direct connections to between the rhythms of nature and the rituals of human life. He talks about the importance of access to sunlight and natural ventilation in buildings, and provides specific design strategies to help . Ralph Knowles is internationally recognized for his important contributions to research in solar access and natural forces in architecture. Every architecture student knows of his work, and now he has written a book that the rest of us can understand. The text is easy to follow and does not require a degree in architecture. If you don't know if it is raining or sunny outside right now, you need this book. Think about how important this is the next time you are in your office breathing recycled air while you don't have any idea what the weather is like it is because you don't have a window and can't see the sun.
   
   Read this book. You'll feel better. You might even be able to make small adjustments to adapt your own home or apartment to improve your quality of life. If you are planning to build, give this book to your architect.

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