AN AUSTRIAN TOWER IN NEW YORK

To much fanfare and critical acclaim, the Austrian Cultural Forum tower in midtown Manhattan opened in April 2002 with a crush of visitors and curious onlookers. The narrow structure designed by Cooper Union professor Raimund Abraham recalls the "sliver building" craze of the 1980s and 90s, when developers raced to raise emaciated towers on sites formerly occupied by lower structures not much wider than a townhouse. Next week ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Michael J. Crosbie will explain how the ACF exhibits both the "thrills and spills" of buildings on narrow sites.

ELEVATORS IN HIGHRISES

The success and efficiency of a service core in a highrise building depends on establishing the layout correctly early in design. Even before an elevator consultant is called in, it's important to understand the implications of design decisions. What are the options for centralizing or decentralizing the core? How does its location affect the functioning of the building spaces? How do the elevators optimally fit into it? Next week renowned highrise designer Ken Yeang will describe some of the basic parameters to consider when laying out cores and elevators.

SUSTAINABILITY PAYOFF FOR EMORY UNIVERSITY

Architects have long held that the best way to formally "green" a project is to integrate sustainable thinking into the design process from the beginning. But it's not the only way to design a sustainable building. The Whitehead Research Building at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, was well into construction before the HOK-led design team decided to aim for a LEED certification. Next week Michael Miller, AIA will describe how, with the addition of enthalpy wheels (pictured), the firm's normal design standards were a short leap to certifiable sustainability.