7.1 ENERGY CONSERVATION: One of the unseen areas of design that is very important to the comfort level and operating costs of a building is energy conservation.  A well insulated building is more than a design with high R-values.  The kind and type of insulation and the quality of installation can make a tremendous difference in a building.  The library we did in Rainsville has gypsum board installed on the underside of the trusses and R-30 in the attic.  All the ductwork runs under that layer and very little penetration is allowed through that barrier layer.  For this reason the utility bills are unusually better than could be expected.  Attic areas seldom understood when it comes to the thermal load on inhabited space.  Attics build up a lot of heat that is usually trapped and "presses" down.  Venting this area well and in some cases even insulating under the roof as well as at the ceiling can decrease this load drastically.

7.2 ACOUSTICS AND BIOACOUSTICS:  Sound and reverberation of sound is difficult to work with since it too is unseen and often ignored until there is a problem.  The Taj Mahal is reported to have "perfect" acoustics and was designed for such.  The shapes and arrangement of spaces allow the chants of the guards to resonate warmly for an extended length of time.  "Inside" and "Inside II" by flutist, Paul Horn has numerous lyrical songs recorded live inside the Taj.  The beauty of his sounds and the spontaneous songs of the guards melts both time, distance, and cultural barriers.   Paul was dismayed when "New Age" people began lauding his record and sounds as a religion rather than just a religious or spiritual experience.  Good acoustics must be planned and seldom happens randomly.

Bioacoustics is the study of acoustics on living organisms.  There is growing research that links well-being with pleasing environment.  Sound and sound absorption are critical here.  I've grown an interest in dolphins and am reading as much as I have time about them as well as visiting them when possible.  Their acoustic sensibilities are far advanced from ours, and I believe our lesser sensitivity allows us to build dolphin facilities that stress these creatures unnecessarily.  I'm working with ideas and communicating over the internet with a few very learned persons on the subject in efforts to improve this understanding.