June 26, 2009
  Evidence-Based Design: The Deeper Meaning to Sustainability, Building Performance, and Everything Else
It’s prosaically common now to hear grand proclamations on how the design emphasis on sustainability is drastically reshaping architecture from the ground up and that this is one of the most important shifts in the profession’s modern history. What’s not as widely acknowledged is that there’s a deeper shift in practice that’s driving architects’ ability to design sustainable buildings and will recast the face of the profession even more intensely. Evidence-based design means basing design decisions on empirical, replicable scientific research and data. This concept is what allows designers to monitor and model energy use, building performance, and client use patterns over time and continually compare and refine these factors so buildings lessen their impact on the environment and perform better.

kiplinger connection
The Economy • Selling • Stimulus Timing
The Economy: Will inflation strike in 2010? Watch the July 31 GDP report.
Selling: E-mail marketing is getting more sophisticated … and popular.
Stimulus Timing: The trickle will become a stream by Labor Day.

Copyright or Copy Wrong?
You may know (or think you know) your basic rights and obligations under copyright law. But what misconceptions are commonly held by people you work with, your boss or employees, your clients, or your consultants? You might be surprised. This is the third in a series of articles exploring various aspects of copyright that are frequently misunderstood. In this installment, we note that copyright notice isn’t what it used to be.

 

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Welcome to the Business Zone
This is the place for our monthly Work-on-the-Boards survey report, quarterly Housing Trends survey report, and biannual Consensus Forecast, all by AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. You’ll also find tips for managing the business side of your practice, as well as the weekly Kiplinger Connection.