Among the interesting articles in the ASID Icon magazine is the Iconic Spaces feature.  The new issue features the dining room at Saarinen House on the Cranbrook campus.  Comments by Harrell Scarcello.

Contemporary offices feature lots of interior glass walls and doors.  Is this always a good thing?  This Wall Street Journal article looks at some of the reasons to design carefully with these clear sight lines.

Compliance with these standards is required by March 15, 2012.

The goal was to integrate all the accessibility requirements into one standard and sync it with building codes.  If it actually works, it will make construction and renovation easier for design professionals, landlords, developers and facility managers.

A business consortium funded by the Carbon War Room plans to fund upgrades to existing buildings to cut energy consumption.  Could these techniques help lead us to a cleaner, more secure future?

Older buildings are huge energy wasters.  The iconic Empire State Building which just received LEED Gold certification in Sseptember 2011 will reduce energy consumption by 38%. The Merchandise Mart in Chicago is the world’s largest commercial building encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet. The Mart spans two city blocks and rises 25 stories.  The Merchandise Mart became LEED-EB certified in November 2007.

If they can do it, then so can others.