A Tragic Start to The New Year
It is difficult
to find meaning and purpose in one's work in the wake of a terrible
human disaster like the recent tsunami that has claimed, by the
latest count, close to 150,000 lives and ravaged the homes and
livelihoods of so many more in the South Asian countries bordering
the Indian Ocean. The majority of us can do little more than contribute
monetarily to the relief efforts that are underway in the region,
mourn the passing away of so many of our fellow human beings,
and be thankful to still be alive in the company of our loved
ones. AECbytes extends its deepest sympathies to all those who
have been affected by this tragedy.
While the
search for meaning and purpose can often draw a blank in times
like this, those working in the building industry, and those supporting
this work with products and technology, can at least draw some
consolation from the fact that their work is critical to providing
shelter to humanity and rebuilding the homes, neighborhoods, villages,
and cities that have been devastated by the disaster.
So AECbytes humbly begins another year of reporting, researching, analyzing,
and reviewing technogical events, trends, and products in the
building industry. The line-up for this month includes two newsletters
capturing the conference highlights and product annoucements of
two key trade shows being held this January: Macworld
2005 in San Francisco from Jan 11 to Jan 15, and Technology
for Construction 2005 in Las Vegas from Jan 17 to Jan
21. This will be followed by a Viewpoint
article by Dominic Gallello, President and CEO of Graphisoft,
who emphasizes the growing importance of sustainable design and
urges architects to use the tools already available at their disposal
to take on the energy challenge. Look out also for a review of
Adobe's next version
of Acrobat, release 7, which includes several new features
and enhancements specifically for the engineering and architecture
fields.
Thank you for your continued interest in this publication.
Lachmi Khemlani
Editorials > January 2005 |
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