DESIGN FOR A BETTER WORKPLACE

Flexible and open plans have been standard in corporate offices for several decades. During this time, architects have tried to design open spaces that still provide private, supportive environments for the workers. Now, new materials are available to help meet this challenge. Next week Colleen Lyman will explain how shapely ceilings, sound masking, "green" building principles, and daylighting are improving commercial offices.

HEALTH, COMFORT, AND PRODUCTIVITY

In all its design work, Interface Engineering strives to create comfortable, healthy, and productive building environments. But for the new building for Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, the firm went a step farther to meet aggressive criteria for resource conservation while paying special attention to the thermal comfort of medically fragile occupants. Next week Jerry Yudelson and Brian Libby will explain how concern for air quality informed the mechanical design of River Campus Building One.