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CURVACEOUS WORKPLACE
When the economy is booming and unemployment is low, it is difficult to attract and retain workers in the stressful, round-the-clock business of call centers. For the British telecommunications company Cellular Operations, this problem has been solved through a dramatic new work environment designed by the young architect Richard Hywel Evans. — Published 2001.0307
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ELEGANT EFFICIENCY AT ZION CANYON
Out in the beautiful Utah desert, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) is elegantly demonstrating how bringing the outside in and the inside out can enhance our appreciation of the built and natural environment.
The 7,600-square-foot (706-square meter) Zion Canyon Visitor and Transportation Center, in Springdale, Utah, is a showcase of efficiency and sustainability for the NPS. — Published 2001.0103
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HOW ROWHOUSES SHAPED OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
In North America, rowhouses go back to the days of the earliest European colonies. By the 1630s, English settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, and probably elsewhere, were putting up small groups of attached houses closely modeled on familiar English forms that had been built since medieval times. — Published 2001.0103
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HIGH-TECH WINDOWS COULD SAVE ENERGY
A window is one of the most complex components in a building. It gives us light, views, fresh air, and the sun's warmth. Yet at times trying to balance these benefits works against the goals of comfort and energy savings. Having too few windows deprives workers of psychologically important vistas and increases the need for electric lighting. But too much direct sunlight can cause glare and increase the cooling load. And the delicate balance among all these factors changes throughout the day and year. — Published 2000.1004
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NEW JUSTICE IN THE OLD WEST
Even if justice in the "wild west" of American history was rough and haphazard, we can look back to the 19th century with nostalgia for the direct, practical style of wood and masonry construction. Working within that context, the Denver firm of Fentress Bradburn Architects has sought a balance between historic forms and modern amenities. — Published 2000.0927
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DESIGN LAB SHEDS LIGHT ON ENERGY CONSERVATION
By the time a building is constructed—and its lighting found wanting—it us usually to late to go "back to the drawing board." Some architects solve this problem by simulating light in space through computer visualizations or physical models. In Seattle's Lighting Design Lab, designers and building operators can mock up an architectural space in its full size. These realistic mockups lead to qualitatively better lighting design and quantitatively superior energy conservation. — Published 2000.0906
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COMMERCIAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS
If you wanted to target a single building type in the United States to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable design and construction, commercial buildings would be a good (if not the best) place to start. Commercial buildings today have become the preeminent workplace, and their load on our energy consumption is substantial. There is a growing interest today on the part of building owners, facilities managers, architects, engineers, and others in the construction industry to design and construct commercial structures to get the most out of the least. — Published 2000.0830
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"GREENING" A PROFESSION
The architecture profession is experiencing tremendous pressure to change the ways it perceives and shapes the built environment. A growing awareness of environmental issues by both architects and owners is fueling this change. In five years, I predict, today's perception of "best practice" will be a source of amusement. — Published 2000.0816
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BUILDING FOR "HARMONY WITH NATURE"
The Shaklee Corporation, a major manufacturer of natural health products, has built a new corporate headquarters to reflect in architecture the company philosophy of "Products in Harmony with Nature." — Published 2000.0621
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