Dear Colleagues

As some of you may know, about a year ago, I was asked to become the editor of the Architectural Science Review. ASR is the leading international journal on the science of architecture and the built environment.  Founded by Professor Henry J (Jack) Cowan 50 years ago, it has had a long and distinguished tradition in the architectural and building sciences. 

I think one of the main reasons Jack Cowan may have invited me to be the new editor was the shift in interesting research questions from the physical sciences of architecture to the social sciences of architecture and the built environment.  When ASR was founded in 1958, the majority pf papers dealt with architectural structures and materials.  Later came a phase of energy conservation, then facilities management, and so on.  As some questions were solved, new areas of research emerged.  While ASR continues to publish papers on these topics, more and more work has been conducted on the social science aspects of architecture, or what we know as EBS, environmental psychology, environmental sociology, environmental design research and so on. 

Since I have assumed the editorship, we have continued to receive an increasing number of papers on the social sciences of architecture and the built environment.  Some examples of recently published papers include the following:

• Gifford, The consequences of living in high-rise buildings: A critical review paper.  Vol 50(1), March 2007. 
• AlShboul & Al-Tahat, Modelling public building evacuation processes.  50(1), March 2007. 
• Hauge, Identity and place: A critical comparison of three identity theories.  50(1), March 2007. 
• Abu-Obeid, Effects of consistency between building type and style on semantic responses.  50(1), March 2007. 
• Hui, Mui & Wong, Indoor air quality in air-conditioned office buildings.  49(4), December 2006.   
• Cheng & Ng, Thermal comfort in urban open spaces.  49(3), September 2006. 
• Hassanain & Saif, Fire safety audits in health-care facilities.  49(2), June 2006.
• Mui & Wong, Acceptable illumination levels for office occupants.  49(2), June 2006.
• Cheng & Ng, Comfort temperatures for naturally ventilated buildings.  49(2), June 2006.
• Nassar & Elnahas, Occupant dynamics: A new design performance measure.  (in press for June, 2007).
• Spokane et al., Identifying streetscape features significant to well-being.  (in press for September, 2007).

We currently have a number of other EP/EBS under review, including on acoustical responses in mosques, event simulation in building corridors, thermal comfort, visual comfort, environmental perception, semantic meaning, and so on.  

I mention this for three reasons: (1) when you are doing background research on a topic, you may wish to include the Architectural Science Review in your search, but please also (2) consider submitting to ASR and, never to be overlooked, (3) make sure your library subscribes to ASR. 

For additional information, I attach a short flyer.  Please also visit our web-site at http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/asr.

With kind regards,

Gary Moore

Editor-in-Chief

Architectural Science Review (ASR)

Professor of Environment-Behaviour Studies
The University of Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia

Telephone: (61 2) 9351 8071 or 9351 2801
Fax: (61 2) 9351 3031

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WWW: http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/asr/