'Livable Buildings Awards' salute comfort and conservation

To recognize commercial buildings that do much more than provide the space and tools for workers to toil away, UC Berkeley's Center for the Built Environment has issued its first-ever "Livable Buildings Awards."The center's kudos for building resource efficiency, architectural design and occupant satisfaction are unique in the building industry because they consider the building users' feelings about features such as lighting, acoustics and thermal comfort, said Edward Arens, the center's director and a UC Berkeley professor of architecture.