COOL AND GREEN

"Green" buildings can be built in any climate. They can be kept within a reasonable budget, and they don't have to sacrifice architectural grace in favor of functional, environmental, and sustainable factors.

Proving these claims is the recently completed Computer Science Building on the suburban campus of York University, Toronto. It is believed to be the most comprehensively green building in Ontario.

MULTIFAMILY SOLAR

CEPHEUS (Cost-Efficient Passive Houses as EUropean Standards) is a demonstration project that is examining the viability of solar and low-energy construction in Europe. Fourteen inexpensive buildings with a total of 221 residential units have been built and are being evaluated through a standardized measurement program. The results of the Austrian projects have been published in a book that proposes to demonstrate that reducing the consumption of conventional fuels is both possible and recommended in this climate. This is the story of Wolfurt, Vorarlberg, low-cost, compact multifamily terraced housing on the slopes of the Bregenz Forest. Architect Gerhard Zweier has provided eight families with dividable floor plans, ample daylight, and large gardens. Although the energy conservation results are not perfect, the example is instructive. — Editor

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