The desire for protection and sustenance has driven humans since ancient times to shape their environment. In doing so, they sometimes demonstrate remarkable adaptability to climate or environmental conditions. In all regions of the world, people have found ways to create livable conditions and pass these down through generations using tried-and-true building methods. This book offers an impressive collection of many nearly forgotten knowledge and techniques for adapting to the local climate and available resources, rather than ignoring them. Perhaps the key to building the future lies in traditional building methods, and the secret to successful globalization is found in the analysis of proven systems. Impressive projects document the relationship between the environment and the built environment across the five climate zones of the Earth.