DESIGN LAB SHEDS LIGHT ON ENERGY CONSERVATION

By the time a building is constructed—and its lighting found wanting—it us usually to late to go "back to the drawing board." Some architects solve this problem by simulating light in space through computer visualizations or physical models. In Seattle's Lighting Design Lab, designers and building operators can mock up an architectural space in its full size. These realistic mockups lead to qualitatively better lighting design and quantitatively superior energy conservation.

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.

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