PASSIVE STRATEGIES FOR SENIOR LIVING

The new Caritas House, an eldercare center in Moenchengladbach-Neuwerk, Germany, combines a modern group-living concept with advanced environmental technology. Not only does the passively conditioned building require very little conventional heating energy, it also provides unusually high air quality, which improves the quality of life for its residents. Next week we’ll see how the building and its systems work.

IRON-INSPIRED DESIGN

When the director of the Penland School of Arts & Crafts asked Frank Harmon to design a blacksmith studio, the Raleigh, North Carolina architect took a crash course in ironworks. He engaged in a hands-on workshop to learn all he could about iron making in order to design a facility that met the needs and budget of the school. Next week writer Jennifer LeClaire will show how the Penland School (photo by Jim West) accommodates students who design, fabricate, and finish iron objects ranging from delicate iron teaspoons to five-ton sculptures.