It's rare to find an architect who can explain things in such a conversational way. The underlying principles are always laid out, first for a small building and then for a large one, to show the effects of changing scale. For example as the surface area to volume ratio changes, so do heating and cooling demands. And for me it was educational to see the British way of building houses: floor joists over concrete slabs, or brick basements. I learned the dew point drops gradually toward the exterior inside porous materials, and 15 deg east of south is the optimum solar orientation in the Northern hemisphere. And the slogan of the man who invented the revolving door ("It's always closed.")
The second half of the book covers building services--heating, plumbing etc.--concisely, and it becomes apparent the author has plenty of real world experience and is no mere academic. Lighting, acoustics and fire safety finish the book. Even at 20 years old, still educational.

Mr. Reid presents each aspect of building development and construction simply and clearly while constantly highlighting their significance in the overall project development and construction process.

The manner and tone of the material presented, as well as the text and illustrations make this book a valuable reference for people needing to grasp any or all aspects of building projects large, intermediate or small in scope and size.