Editorial

This issue of Facilities includes a diversity of topics ranging from post-occupancy evaluation, comparisons of UK versus Australian space density,enabling a company with mobile technology and the use of "wind-chime technology" among others.

In the paper by Warren some revealing differences are exposed when analysing space densities in Australia with those in the UK. Australian organisations appear to offer consistently more space per employee. One possible explanation put forward is that Australian organisations pay less attention to the efficiency of space use, with only 69 per cent in the study's sample collecting data on the cost of office operation.

In contrast to the paper by Warren, the paper by Shabha takes a case study approach, looking at the opportunities for extending the life of high-rise flats through refurbishment. The optimisation of current techniques, careful construction detailing, and emphasis on the mix of the surrounding landscape and infrastructure are identified as being key to the success of such refurbishments. The author ends with a positive vision of high-rise flats regaining prominence in the skyline of UK cities.

Continuing on the theme of low energy design, the paper by Elmualim and Awbi describes an exciting combination of light pipe and windcatcher technology. These two technologies provide a passive solution to many ventilation and lighting problems currently encountered in many commercial and non-commercial buildings. Light pipes offer the possibility of funnelling light via a duct to an aperture in the ceiling, providing copious natural light. The same duct also facilitates natural ventilation when used in conjunction with a roof-based wind catching device. The encouraging findings from the study provide further evidence that energy-intensive air conditioning is not the only solution to our overheating problems.

The theoretical paper by Rheingantz describes a building evaluation tool derived from fuzzy logic. The Cosenza hierarchical analysis model can be used to model the demand for space and the corresponding supply pattern. It will be interesting to see how this modelling approach will be seen to compare with the more widely recognised building evaluation models.

The final paper by Watson and Lightfoot describes the efforts of an organisation to transform itself with the introduction of mobile working. The use of notebook technology combined with mobile phone technology and Bluetooth connectivity have enabled a UK careers service to change its working practices. But, as always, it is the people issues and not the technology issues that have presented the greatest challenge.

Edward Finch