As we move toward designing more open offices, clients are faced with having to adapt to unfamiliar types of aural environments. Along with the advantages of open offices also comes the issues of noise disturbance and speech privacy from adjacent workstations, which are often addressed by the introduction of a sound masking system. The question remains, how well... Read more »
Lean ideas have been used in the business world for some time. Lean advocates have been adapting these principles to different industries, including construction. The main principles of lean processes include value added to the customer and elimination of waste. It is very important for the owner to get the project completed on time, but that is a... Read more »
The growing pressure to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings requires designers to balance functionality and cost objectives with environmental impact. With a significantly lower carbon footprint than concrete or steel structures and many other environmental and human health benefits, wood has reemerged as a desirable and viable structural material for taller buildings.Forestry Innovation Investment and the Binational... Read more »
Epidural analgesia is the most popular method of controlling pain in labor in the United States today, but it has serious side effects and risks for both mothers and babies. Though most laboring American women choose epidural analgesia, it is important not to confuse a hospital’s failure to provide options with patient preference. Few large... Read more »
Nature has been recycling water within the Earth’s closed ecosystem since the very beginning of time. Humans, although a part of the ecosystem, have misappropriated this precious reserve, severely imperiling the availability of freshwater for future use for all life on Earth. Civilizations have thrived or collapsed because of water. The restructuring of our established... Read more »
In late 2009, the University of Virginia Foundation consulted with Perkins+Will to help develop a program brief for a different kind of research facility: a hybrid of laboratory and factory that would offer a new model of collaboration between universities and industry that would be called the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, or CCAM. The... Read more »
Will online education render the traditional university campus irrelevant? Is there a “there” there when it comes to online education? What makes the flesh and blood, bricks and mortar material realm still relevant – even essential – to education? While online education has brought with it radical transformations to higher education, bringing people together in... Read more »
New technologies have increasingly moved to the center of 21st century learning inspiring innovative learning concepts and potentially influencing our conception of educational space. This article looks at the connection between game-changing ideas in education and school design. It looks at the benefits and challenges that new technologies bring to the K-12 environment. It describes their connection to... Read more »
This article focuses on the design of the University Crossing atrium at University of Massachusetts (UMASS) in Lowell, where an innovative way to bring daylight deep into the building’s north facing, four story atrium was the primary objective of the study. Using a number of physical and digital tools including Diva-for-Rhino, the design team has explored the invention... Read more »
This research focused on the use of lighting control systems in an office environment by studying the role of smart lighting strategies and their effects on the office. By sequentially testing these strategies for twelve consecutive weeks, this study worked to determine the ability of each approach to reduce the overall energy consumption, while incurring minimal consequences on... Read more »
Residence Halls provide a unique educational opportunity for students, since they can learn about and experience a lifestyle that embodies sustainable practices and engages them as active participants in reducing energy use for the building. The Massachusetts State College Building Authority (MSCBA) and Bridgewater State University (BSU) took advantage of a Zero Net Energy Building... Read more »
