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BUILDING A SCHOOL IN INDIA
It may overlap the highest inhabited plateau in the world, but the Indian State of Ladakh, at the foot of the Himalayas, has some projects underway that could provide the Western world with important lessons in sustainable construction.
The area is considered to be one of the last remaining strongholds of Tibetan Buddhist culture and community values. Twenty years ago the Dalai Lama designated land here for the education of local children. — Published 2002.0724
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WORKING STEEL
Much effort in the design of building structures is focused on economy combined with safety, in terms of both the quantity of material used and the amount of fabrication needed to assemble the structure. The appropriate use of structure can often be seen in the "fine tuning" of the balance of material used and fabrication undertaken. — Published 2002.0717
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PHYSICAL SPIRITUAL CONCRETE
When the United Indian Health Services (UIHS) prepared to build a new health center in the coastal town of Arcata in Northern California, they knew they wanted a structure that would respect Native American architectural traditions. But the traditional building material for the "People of the Redwood" was in scant supply. — Published 2002.0626
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HIGHRISE ELEVATOR CORES
This article was written by Malaysian architect Ken Yeang, best known internationally for his work throughout South Asia on environmentally friendly design strategies for "green" highrise buildings. His book "Bioclimatic Skyscrapers" was published in 1994. In awarding him the 1999 Auguste Perret Prize, the International Union of Architects said, "Ken Yeang pioneered the application of bioclimatic principles to the highrise building as a new genre of the skyscraper typology. In a world increasingly assailed by pollution and scarcity of natural resources, Yeang has set a much needed example." — Editor — Published 2002.0612
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REWARDS OF UNBUILDING
There is a rich and increasingly available source of building materials that can't be found in manufacturers' catalogs or in the advertisements of glossy magazines. Embedded in buildings that were crafted in earlier centuries is a wealth of structural and finish materials. And when these buildings are beyond refurbishing, they can be deconstructed and their materials made available to architects for new projects. — Published 2002.0529
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GARAGE TURNS TO SCIENCE
For 68 years, the industrially functional, but aesthetically minimal one-story brick Clark & Sorrell Garage in downtown Durham, North Carolina served the automotive repair needs of drivers of Fords and other American cars. Before it closed in 2000, the garage was the city's oldest automotive repair shop.
Just as Durham has changed over those decades, becoming known as the "City of Medicine," so has this building at 323 Foster Street, now on the National Register of Historic Places. — Published 2002.0515
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CLINIC STRUCTURES
The U.S. system of healthcare delivery is under enormous pressure to change — to reduce costs to society and to provide greater convenience in a manner more responsive to its consumers. Seldom has an industry that serves all Americans been under such compulsion to reinvent itself and, in doing so, redefine the roles of its components — institutions, caregivers, and the physical environment. — Published 2002.0501
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FRAME-AND-PANEL CABINETRY
Frame-and-panel construction is one of the most important elements of furniture design. It allows for seasonal wood movement, yet it can usually be adapted to suit most any style or period of furniture. The most common use of frame-and-panel construction is in doors. But it's also used for lids and even for the sides of casework. — Published 2002.0417
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ABCS OF VIDEOCONFERENCE ROOMS
The technology of videoconferencing — two or more people at different locations communicating through video and audio — places new demands on traditional conference rooms. Each meeting location becomes, in effect, a broadcast studio, so once-simple conference rooms have become more complicated to design.
Videoconferencing can involve two people at different locations communicating one to one, or an individual broadcasting to numerous locations, or many people at many locations talking and interacting with each other in a multipoint conference. — Published 2002.0403
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IMPROVING TRADITIONAL BRICK
An analysis of major earthquakes over the last 50 years reveals the preponderance of structural damage, building collapse, and fatalities to have occurred in the residential sector. This highlights a serious problem in the rural districts of Central Asia, where more than 65 percent of residential construction uses clay-based materials and methods. — Published 2002.0313
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