 |
POWER TOOLS — THE ROUTER
The router is an undisputed king of power-tool versatility. It can shape, joint, plane, trim, carve, drill, and slice wood. It's tops for cutting joinery ranging from simple to fanciful. Want to shape an edge or make a molding? With even a small selection of shapely router bits, you can create nearly an infinite number of variations. — Published 2002.0227
 |
 |
TREE SCULPTURE ENGINEERING
Contemporary interpretations of themes from Native American culture grace the recently expanded Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. These architectural elements include free-standing sculptural "trees" that spread their branches to create a variety of overhead canopies.
Although these trees, designed by the interior architecture firm The Rockwell Group, do not support any of the building's structure, their fabrication posed significant challenges to consulting engineers at M.G. McLaren, P.C. — Published 2002.0213
|
 |
REBUILDING A STONE HERITAGE
"[ I worked with the mason]... until my fingers had the art to make stone love stone." — from "Tor House" by poet Robinson Jeffers
For the past two years, students from the United States have gathered in a small village in northern Italy to participate in an unusual experience — the preservation of a built environment that has changed little since medieval times. — Published 2002.0130
|
 |
NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM IMAX
The new Simons IMAX Theatre at the New England Aquarium presented more than a few construction challenges: Build a highly visible addition to a landmark iconic institution in the middle of downtown Boston's waterfront. Place 60-70 percent of the footprint over water. Create the infrastructure for state-of-the-art 3D theater technology on an extremely constrictive site. Protect neighboring residents from construction noise. Build it fast, on budget ($12.5 million). And, of course, build it well. — Published 2002.0116
|
 |
DESIGN FOR ACOUSTICS
From the theaters of ancient Greece to those of the 21st century, architectural acoustics has been a key consideration in design. Only within the past century, however, have we been able to scientifically understand and predict the behavior of sound both indoors and outdoors. It is through this understanding that acoustics has evolved from a black art into an established field of engineering. — Published 2002.0102
|
 |
NEW ADDITIONS
Homeowners get the urge to change their houses for many reasons: families grow and shrink, old structures decay, and architectural fashions change. Sometimes the first impulse is to destroy all traces of the old and replace them with something entirely new. The authors have found examples of architects who have rejected that impulse, and demonstrated ingenuity through additions and renovations. — Editor — Published 2001.1219
|
 |
ANALYZING FIRE SAFETY
Many people believe the building they are in is safe from fire if it is equipped with code-required fire-protection systems. Unfortunately, while compliance with the building code does ensure a certain level of fire and life safety, code compliance is not a safety guarantee. Some conditions, like large atria or historic restorations, require fire protection schemes that are custom engineered. — Published 2001.1212
|
 |
RENEWING AMERICAN GOTHIC
First occupied in 1897, Blair & Buyers Hall was the first residence hall of the collegiate Gothic style at Princeton University. Designed by the firm of Cope and Stewardson Architects, it is considered to be one of Princeton's most architecturally significant buildings. Now, a major renovation has brought it up to 21st-century standards without harming its historic charm. — Published 2001.1128
|
 |
EARLY DAYS AT THE DISASTER
Like hundreds of other volunteers, I spent most of the week of September 11 at the site of the former World Trade Center, helping with rescue efforts as best I could. My particular background lent insight to some of the problems we faced. — Published 2001.1107
|
 |
OFFICE INFILL TREADS LIGHTLY
The BP Amoco Research Center posed several challenges to its architects. The client wanted the 40-building campus to have a new corporate identity expressed in a high-profile marker at its entrance. Three existing buildings needed to be connected through a central circulation space. And to keep costs down, the addition needed to impose minimum disruption on the existing structure. — Published 2001.1024
|
Building Articles page: [
