PASSIVE HEATING IN EUROPE

CEPHEUS (Cost Efficient Passive Houses as EUropean Standards) is a demonstration project that is examining the viability of passive solar construction in Europe. Fourteen inexpensive passive houses with a total of 221 residential units have been built and are being evaluated through a standardized measurement program. One of the Austrian projects is a multifamily house in Wolfurt, Vorarlberg. Architect Gerhard Zweier provided each family with its own large garden, dividable floor plans, and ample daylight, as well as passive heating. Next week we'll learn more about this project and the CEPHEUS program.

HOUSES FROM CLAY IN UZBEKISTAN

From ancient times, clay has been used for building walls all over the world, including Central Asia. Clay is ecologically clean, durable, and inexpensive, and traditional construction techniques benefit from centuries of accumulated building skills. But clay walls have limited strength during earthquakes, so construction researchers Ikrom Khadjiev and Kodir Rosiev, at the Tashkent Architectural Building Institute, are looking for ways to improve clay's ability to withstand seismic forces. Next week they will share their discoveries.

DETROIT’S NEW AIRLINE TERMINAL

The new Edward H. McNamara Terminal/Northwest Gateway opened in February in Detroit, Michigan. In contrast with the parallel concourse configuration more common in major American airports, this is a single linear building, nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) long. An interior tram runs along its length, 21 feet (6.4 meters) above the pedestrian walkway. Carefully considered wayfinding features demonstrate the emphasis on passenger-focused design by the Detroit-based architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup. Next week we'll take a look at this new airport terminal for "Motor City."