5.9.Japan-2-detail-b Canvas Print

Japan 2: Detail (b) Highlights Relevant to Sustainable Design:

Look for component modularity and longevity.

This sketch illustrates a diagonal carpentry detail used to connect the lower part of the post to the one above. This detail is used so that about twenty years after construction, when the lower post rots and decays from weather, the bottom two-foot piece can be removed and replaced. In modern construction, we typically choose to save time by not cutting such a joint for the future and instead use pressure-treated lumber to combat the problem. Of course, we have had to regulate and invent a way to keep the chemical by-products of the pressure-treated process from killing river fish and contaminating groundwater.

The component modularity and long twenty-year cycle of replacement reminds me of the long twenty-year life of the LED lights. The initial LED investment is higher than a fluorescent tube or compact fluorescent lights (CFL), and the equivalent...

I am pleased to share these graphics as well as the drawings from my travels around the world over the past three decades. The ink sketches are all from field observations drawn on fold-out sketch books, most of which are about seven feet long. Given that there are thousands of images in the numerous drawing books, I hope that you enjoy the work that I have included here from Asia, Eastern Europe, North America, Central America, and many other places. In many cases, the drawings document design and innovation that are not landmarks. Overall, I enjoy seeing and celebrating the extraordinary in the ordinary. About the illustrator and author: Charlie Szoradi is an architect, inventor, and sustainability professional. He is passionate...