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If you believe the prophets of our urban future, we could all be living and
working in towering skyscrapers come the middle of next century. It’s just as
well, then, that somebody is trying to make them pleasant places to be. The
Skyscraper Bioclimatically Considered by Ken Yeang (Academy Group, £29.95,
ISBN 1 85490 431 0) is really a design guide for architects of the highest
risers, but contains visions of new communities in the sky that boggle the
brains of lay readers. Everything from the effects of wind and sunshine to the
number of car parks and elevators is covered in an accessible fashion, and
beautifully illustrated—although the technical diagrams may puzzle
some.