The following text is taken from the book cover.

"In 1975, Brenda & Robert Vale published The Autonomous House, a manifesto offering down-to-earth suggestions for building homes that do not pollute the earth or squander it's resources. The book received tremendous praise from all over the world and was seen as a significant move towards green architecture. Nearly twenty years on, in the early 1990's, the Vales decided to turn their groundbreaking ideas into reality.

"The New Autonomous House records the building of a house based on the principles of sustainable resources in the small town of Southwell in the British Midlands. As specialists in green architecture, the aim of the Vales was to create an environmentally friendly four-bedroom residence which was neither exotic in appearance or difficult to maintain. They document the philosophy, design and construction of a building without mains water or sewerage, but with the means to produce power from the sun, and the facilities to collect drinking water from the rain.

"The New Autonomous House has a simple but revolutionary message - that it is possible to live in a home which is inexpensive, kind to the planet, and which liberates its owner from utility bills. Robert & Brenda Vale provide a thought provoking, practical solution to the environmental problems caused by the houses in which we live, a blueprint of green architecture for future generations."

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