Buildings are the biggest polluters on the planet, responsible for a far greater proportion of the carbon dioxide emissions that get pumped into the atmosphere every year than cars, planes or factories. Just as we are urged to change our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint and consumption of water, there is a great deal we can do to convert our existing homes into greener, healthier places to live. Most homes, even those built relatively recently, are not decorated, designed, constructed or serviced with eco-friendliness in mind. But you don't have to start from scratch to make a huge difference to the way your home impacts on the environment. From relatively small and economic changes to more dramatic overhauls, there has never been a better time to turn your home green. Environmental issues should be part of every decision you make on the home front - from selecting fabric for soft furnishings to designing and siting a home extension. Including tips, advice on material choices and design directions, Eco House Book provides all the information you need to reduce your home's carbon footprint and in the process directly improve the quality of your life.

Author Biography

Terence Conran is one of the world's leading designers, furniture-makers, restaurateurs, retailers and founder of the Habitat group of stores, which revolutionized home furnishings in the 1960s. He is Chairman of Conran Holdings, the parent company of his retail and restaurant businesses, and Chairman of Conran & Partners, his architecture and design practice. His other books include Inspiration, The Essential House Book and the recently published Essential series, with titles on Kitchens, Bathrooms, Small Spaces, Storage, Children's Rooms and Colour. His career will be the subject of a four-month exhibition at the Design Museum in autumn 2011. Conran & Partners is responsible for a wide range of residential and commercial buildings around the world, including airport terminals in London and New York, the Roppongi Hills project in Tokyo, Butlers Wharf in London, housing for City Lofts across the UK, and hotels such as My Hotel in London, The Fitzwilliam in Dublin, Trieste in Vienna, The Park in Bangalore and Delhi, and Niki Club in Japan. There are Conran Shops in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Marunouchi, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Terence Conran also designs furniture for Content and Benchmark. In 1989 he founded the Design Museum, the first of its kind in the world, and he is the Provost of the Royal College of Art. Terence Conran's books include The Essential House Book, The Essential Garden Book (co-written with Dan Pearson), Easy Living, Small Spaces, Terence Conran on Design, Terence Conran on London, Alcazar to Zinc, Kitchens, The Ultimate House Book, Bathrooms, Storage, How to Live in Small Spaces, Design: Intelligence Made Visible (co-written with Stephen Bayley) and Outdoors (co-written with Diarmuid Gavin)all published by Conran Octopus.