Bare Poles: Building Design for High Latitudes

James A. Love is an associate professor of environmental design at the
University of

Calgary.

Of particular interest to architects, engineers, planners, builders,
community managers, and building program administrators, this book
examines the social and technical issues associated with building in
northern communities. The author shows that environmental design, from
the location and form of a community to the design of a wall or window,
is simultaneously a cultural and technical process, and that northern
building conditions differ drastically from those most professionals are
trained to deal with. Topics include building elements such as
foundations, floors, walls, and roofs; control of wind and snow; the
northern building industry; and the problems of cross-cultural
communication.

Bare Poles is highly critical in its assessment of past efforts at
building and community design. The book’s biggest strength is its
pragmatic treatment of its subject. The bibliography provides further
direction for readers with interests in particular issues, but the
perfunctory index reduces the work’s usefulness as a reference. More
extensive use of illustrations to communicate building concepts would
have made the text more accessible to laypersons. Nevertheless, general
readers with an interest in the Canadian North should find this book
engrossing.