NOVEL CONCEPTS IN SCHOOL DESIGN—AND SCHOOL FINANCING

Over the Labor Day weekend, a novel educational experiment will be unveiled in Niagara Falls, New York. The community's new high school may well become known as one of the premiere public schools in the United States. The building has been designed by The Hillier Group with inspiration from the power and natural beauty of the famous nearby falls. The technology built into the school promises to make it a world-class educational facility. And a unique partnership with The Honeywell Corporation has given the economically challenged city a new school without a tax increase.

THE BAUHAUS MANIFESTO AS MANIFESTED IN CONCRETE

In the early 20th century, a debate about the impact of technology on architecture was expressed in the Bauhaus School Buildings at Weimar and Dessau. The underlying issue was whether the creative process or the inherent logic of technology should determine the design result. ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Darlene Brady has recently visited these two famous buildings and offers her observations on the debate, its role in shaping the buildings, and its relevance to today's debate about technology in architecture.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE HIGH RISES

If you wanted to target a single building type to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable design and construction, commercial buildings would be a good (if not the best) place to start. Commercial buildings today have become the preeminent workplace in the U.S., and their load on energy consumption is substantial. ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Michael Crosbie reports on two "high-performance" commercial buildings. They are energy efficient, have low short-term and long-term life-cycle costs, are healthy for their occupants, and have a relatively low impact on the environment.