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MASS CUSTOMIZATION
In the world of manufacturing products, whether architectural, consumer, or industrial, there are two very different approaches. Individually crafting a one-off artifact allows the most attention to specific needs of the consumer, but sometimes at great expense. Mass-producing a commodity product can realize economies of scale, but with little regard to variation in individual preferences. New technologies may promise the best of both worlds. — Editor — Published 2005.0223
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BEHNISCH IN BOSTON
With ever-rising energy prices, commercial tenants in office buildings have begun to consider the increasing cost of heating, cooling, and lighting their spaces as a "second rent." Savvy developers and architects are responding to their concern by making new buildings far more energy efficient than in the recent past. — Published 2005.0209
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TIMELY WATCHWORKS
If "Swiss clock maker" conjures an image of quaint craftsmanship conducted in gingerbread workshops, think again. The oldest active watch making firm in the world, Vacheron Constantin, recently celebrated the opening of a new headquarters building that looks as sleek and trim as any 21st-century timekeeping technology. — Published 2005.0209
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LOGISTICAL METAMORPHOSIS
A collection of old industrial sheds and warehouses in Krems, Austria has experienced a metamorphosis into a high-tech research center for Eybl International, a leading supplier of textiles to the automotive industry. By means of glazed roofing and careful spatial zoning, the architects have brought daylight deep into the large buildings. — Published 2004.1208
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NATURAL LIGHT IN THE LIBRARY
The use of natural light in libraries has traditionally been understood as a desirable building feature and a hallmark of good library design. When skillfully introduced, daylight creates an ambience of quiet contemplation and visual comfort, and links the modern library user psychologically with the pretechnological past. — Published 2004.1201
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RECOVERING KINGSDALE
The refurbishment of a dilapidated 50-year-old secondary school in a London suburb has set a number of significant benchmarks for school design in the United Kingdom. The project has lifted concepts of roof design to new heights with what may be the first "variable membrane" roof in the world. — Published 2004.1103
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NEW LIGHT ON THE GYM
Providing good lighting for gymnasiums would seem to be a simple task, but designing energy-efficient, versatile systems that provide high-quality light can become rather complicated. With the advent of new light sources and fixture types, the old tools and rules of thumb become less viable. — Published 2004.1027
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LEEDING GREEN IN INDIA
A new building in Hyderabad, India is the first structure outside the United States to receive the prestigious "platinum" LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The building is special also because its construction combined ancient practices with modern architecture, reaffirming the applicability of traditional architectural knowledge to today's notions of sustainability. — Published 2004.0922
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SUSTAINING SYDNEY SPACES
A group of office workers in Sydney, Australia comes face to face with history every day. When entering their new building, they pass by an extraordinary four-story-high raw sandstone wall. It is the remains of a trench that convict laborers dug by hand for the installation of a 19th-century gasworks. Now that the site has been redeveloped, the wall is preserved as a major feature in an eight-story atrium. — Published 2004.0714
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AIA TOP TEN GREEN BUILDINGS 2004
In recognition of Earth Day 2004, The American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment selected ten exemplary "green" buildings that — through their construction and operation — minimize damage to the environment. Together, they showcase environmentally responsible design through brownfield redevelopment, alternative heating and cooling systems, and/or creative use of daylighting. — Published 2004.0602
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