COMMERCIAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS

If you wanted to target a single building type in the United States 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, and their load on our energy consumption is substantial. There is a growing interest today on the part of building owners, facilities managers, architects, engineers, and others in the construction industry to design and construct commercial structures to get the most out of the least.

THE CHANGING SHAPES OF THE AXE

Editor's Note:  The vernacular houses at the foundation of an American concept of "home" have their origins in simple constructions, where tools and materials coexisted in seemingly rustic harmony. To grasp the spirit of those archetypical structures, it helps to understand the tools that shaped them.

For early Americans who built log houses, the axe was indispensable. The axe is one of the most fundamental woodworking tools, and in skilled hands, one of the most versatile.

IS GOOD DESIGN GOOD BUSINESS?

In today's competitive business environment, corporate cultures tend to focus on improving product quality while minimizing costs and managing risks. Too often, the workplace is regarded not as a design opportunity but as a "real estate asset" and a "cost-center."

And yet human productivity, and therefore business profitability, can be greatly enhanced by a well designed, user-responsive office environment. Natural light, comfortable temperatures, and a quiet ambience are not just desirable working conditions: they make good business sense.

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