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The article discusses the improvements in stucco-based exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS) in the U.S. Buck Buchanan of Sto Corp. defines the growth of EIFS as occurring in two phases, namely energy conservation and Postmodernism. The Exterior Insulation Manufacturers Association (EIMA) promotes EIFS and works to ensure the model code agencies that theirs are safe, viable products.

The article presents information on several larger-scale commercial buildings that were pioneers in the use of energy-conservation techniques in the U.S. The Lovins House at the Rocky Mountain Institute Research Center in Old Snowmass, Colorado uses air-to-air heat exchangers, air locks for exterior doors, and efficient fluorescent lamps. Meanwhile, the Mississippi County Community College in Blytheville, Arkansas employs photovoltaics (PV) as a source of electrical energy for its new building complex.

The article focuses on the issue regarding the laws relating to the construction of buildings in the U.S. It outlines the major concerns in response to building fire disasters including fire resistance. According to the author, the building codes of today do not seem to be the target of the complaints but rather the situation of architects working in more than one jurisdiction. She explains that microcomputers will likely influence the future relationship of designers to building codes.

The article discusses the role of architect professionals in the approval of shop drawings in the U.S. Shop drawings, by nature more detailed than drawings in the contract documents, serve several purposes. Overall, they explain how the contractor intends to construct a portion of the work. Specifically, shop drawings indicate a component of the work.

The article provides information on the solutions to problems related to building rehabilitation in the U.S. It is stated that building rehabilitation involves assessing structural soundness, reconfiguring interior space to meet the needs and upgrading mechanical and electrical systems. It has been noted that access for people with disabilities is another concern with respect to historic rehabilitation projects.

The article considers the role of the U.S. National Institute of Standards & Technology's Center for Building Technology (CBT) as an investigator of building failures. Combining laboratory work with field observations and measurements, CBT is able to draw on a number of experts to investigate the cause of building failures. Details of the CBT investigations on the Hyatt Regency Hotel and L'Ambiance Plaza are provided.

The article focuses on strict testing policies for radon, a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless gas that some experts suspect causes as many as 20,000 deaths from lung cancer each year, recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The government proposed that all detached houses as well as apartments on a second floor or lower be inspected for the gas. Also cited are procedures for reducing radon levels in a dwelling unit, including traditional methods for sealing cracks in basements.

The article provides tips on how to select the best glazing type for a specific building design in a particular location in the U.S. Choices for architects include tinted, coated, tempered and heat-strengthened. Defining the design criteria that the selected glass type must satisfy is also important. Design criteria include energy conservation, appearance and cost.

The article focuses on various rules established by standard-setting organizations for stair design safety purposes in the U.S. The standards clarify design details like proper sizing of risers and treads, shapes of nosings and dimensions of handrails. Codes cited include those from organizations like the National Fire Protection Association, the American National Standards Institute and the Department of Housing Urban Development.

The article focuses on the Building Officials and Code Administrators Inc.'s (BOCA) proposal of allowing architects direct participation in the final vote of the BOCA model codes change process. The proposal allows the architects to form local chapters, sending voting representatives to the final code hearings. The American Institute of Architects' (AIA's) building codes and regulations committee sponsored a multidisciplinary roundtable in 1986 on voting rights for design professionals.

The article offers information concerning the performance parameters for rehabilitation by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings in the U.S. The author asserts that they asked four practicing architects with field experience in material restoration to delineate major points of advice they would pass on to practitioners beginning rehabilitation work.