AIA ANNOUNCES TOP HONORS

The American Institute of Architects has announced their annual award winners in the areas of architecture, interiors, and urban design, from all over the United States. One of the selected interiors projects is the Kate and Laurance Eustis Chapel in New Orleans, designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, for the Ochsner Clinic Foundation. (Photo by Tim Hursley/ The Arkansas Office.) Next week, we'll take a look at a few more of the selected projects.

WEB TOOL FOR LIGHTING DESIGN

To help architects, engineers, and lighting designers meet the increasingly stringent requirements of Title 24 (California’s building energy-efficiency standard), utility companies have been developing tools for the Savings by Design program. One of these is the Web-based Virtual Lighting Simulator that allows designers to visually evaluate choices in window size and orientation, luminaire types and layout, and other factors. Next week, researcher Konstantinos Papamichael, of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will describe the system.

BRINGING CANCER TREATMENTS TO LIGHT

Cancer care has come a long way. The disease is no longer a death sentence, and the cure is no longer a journey into an underworld of new technologies tucked into hospital basements, walls doubled up to contain radiation. With its new home, the Swedish Cancer Institute of Seattle has taken the next step, lifting cancer care into a new realm of sensitivity and respect. Next week, ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Clair Enlow will show us the center's new home in the Arnold Pavilion of the Swedish Hospital in Seattle.