By Jeffrey Head
Buy new: $16.47
Customer tags: architecture(2), wallace neff(2), sustainability(2), green homes(2), bubble houses, airforms, bubble house
Review & Description
Imagine a house more resistant to fire, earthquakes and hurricanes than a traditionally built house, constructed without lumber, virtually no nails and completed in less than forty eight hours. This may sound like the latest development in prefabricated housing or green architecture but the design dates back to 1941 when the architect, Wallace Neff, F.A.I.A., (1895 1982), created Airform construction, also called bubble houses, a solution to the ever increasing need for low-cost housing. Today, Neff s design is even more critical as housing needs intensify and natural resources continue to dry up. With growing concerns about the environment, the Airform continues to offer a smart and friendly method of construction that is responsible and timely. Airforms: The Bubble Houses of Wallace Neff is an international survey of the architect s Airform buildings. It is certain to become the most meaningful book on the subject providing a comprehensive perspective on this extremely overlooked component of Neff s career. For Neff, the Airform was not fully exploited although he considered the bubble houses the most significant aspect his career and his greatest contribution to the field of architecture. Ironically it is the least known facet of his life, until now. This is a richly illustrated book with new and vintage photographs (previously unpublished), featuring international locations, archival materials, ephemera and other imagery to show the breadth and beauty of the form, technology and versatility of Neff s design. This will impact the history of low cost housing, alternative building techniques and solutions for affordable housing separate from the known architects whose work is already recognized in the field. No doubt this will lead to re-contextualizing Neff s legacy. Another tangible result of the book is the discourse among scholars and architects that can revitalize the importance of the Airform and impact housing now and in the future. Perhaps the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) may consider introducing bubble houses in developing nations. Read more
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