Wood is one of the most common building materials. But you probably don’t think much about how it’s produced when they go to a nearby store and purchase a bit of lumber (sawn wood).

 

Whether lighting has been carefully designed or merely used for its basic functionality, it can be a very crucial factor in how the quality of a space is perceived. The very way in which the user inhabits the space and feels about it can sometimes be a function of light. Most of the time, lighting is considered to be independent of other architectural elements. However, it is part of the way we interpret such things as floors, walls, and ceilings. In a way, it is both there and not there at th...

Color and the perception of color are responsible for a variety of psychological stimuli and affect how we experience the spaces around us. The fact is, color is everywhere. It is one of the few constants of our world. And yet you might have wondered just what its role in architecture is. For starters, color is one of the constructive elements that go into design. But it’s more than just a minor component. It also has a profound effect on our experience and perception of a space....

There are spaces where we don’t do anything worth much. We just wait or try to, while we waste away the time between important activities. These are the waiting rooms at doctor’s offices, government offices, airports, and company offices. Here it seems architecture dissolves. These are the places where we do virtually nothing. We have to create personal cocoons for ourselves, either through meditation or the use of technology. And in those cocoons, all boundaries seem to disappear....

Whenever an architect sets out to do a so-called "green project," particularly when it pertains to building a home, they have before them a wide array of options to choose from as far as laws, rating systems, and programs are concerned. Sometimes, having so many options can bring some confusion to both the architect and their client. Perhaps it would help if some principles were set out for the process and some basic definitions, so the forest isn't lost for the sake of the trees....