This authoritative guide to design of sustainable domestic and low-rise buildings presents BRE's expertise in the performance of building materials and fabric in a single compact volume. It gives the busy building professional the starting points for selection and specification and will equip the designer to talk to specialists with a sound understanding of key principles. The book is based on key sustainable design requirements, in particular, how to: Achieve a long life; Limit maintenance requirements and defects; Provide guidance on designing for the future while respecting the environment and social requirements. It has been written by a multi-disciplinary team of authors from BRE, the UK's leading centre of excellence on buildings and the built environment. It is fully up-to-date with UK regulations and standards and is as a 'one-stop-shop' for understanding the key principles of building behaviour. It is highly illustrated with diagrams and with photographs illustrating actual building performance.