Author Description

The best of the new office buildings are more practical and convenient to work in than ever before because of sophisticated interior space programming and planning techniques. They are also more comfortable because of improvements in their heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and their control of heat loss and gain through better types of thermal insulation, and solar heat-reducing glass. There have been other technological advances as well. Architects and engineers continue to improve the design and detailing of glass curtain walls and a report on their progress is included in the high-rise office building technology section of this book. This section also contains a discussion of the thermal insulation for the exterior members of the John Hancock building and a report on new developments in advanced rigid-frame design.