Most of us have been hating the scorching weather for the past few months. But the sun isn't totally all that bad if we really think about it. For one, it gives life to virtually all organisms on this planet. And with the advent of new technology, the sun's energy is giving life to buildings as well. We have with us Tom Peebles, CEO of Solenergy Systems, Inc. to talk about the basics of solar power.

Roberto "Bobby" Chabet, born March 29, 1937, was an artist from the Philippines and widely acknowledged as the father of Philippine conceptual art. He died of cardiac arrest yesterday at the UERM Hospital in Sta. Mesa, Manila. He was single, had no children, and is survived by an elder sister, Carmen Mesina, and a younger sister Milagros Garcia. He was 76.

Chabet studied architecture at the University of Santo Tomas where he graduated in 1961.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals that have a high vapour pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapour pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and enter the surrounding air.

Now on its 5th year, the editors are once again calling all prospective authors, writers and contributors for this year's edition of Espasyo: Journal of Philippine Architecture & Allied Arts.  Interested writers should notify the Espasyo Editor thru email and send their proposed article title and abstract on or before July 14, 2013 to espasyojournal@gmail.com.

Luis Araneta designed the Times Theater (1941) on Quezon Boulevard. To grace its opening with American presence, it was no less than Gen. Douglas MacArthur who inaugurated the theater. Times Theater was the first to utilize neon backlighting as a decorative effect to its façade. It features an undulating wall broken in the middle by a flat concrete surface. Vertical window strips on the undulations are capped by small curving eaves. It was also the first theater to install permanent equipment with ozone to cleanse and deodorize the air inside.

Photo courtesy of John Tewell

Did you know that the Philamlife Building was designed by Welton Becket, one of the architects who designed the now demolished Jai-alai Building in Manila? It is not widely known that the project was first offered to National Artist Pablo Antonio who declined it, because he would merely become a "dummy", or to be more politically correct, an "architect-of-record". According to his daughter, Malu Antonio-Velo, Antonio was quite insulted by the offer.

Come and visit the Philippines' Largest Building and Construction Expo from April 18-20, 2013 with more than 10,000 architects and allied professionals in attendance.

Banking on the theme of the World Day of Architecture 'Architects are city changers' this year, the United Architects of the Philippines aims to highlight the concept of a sustainable city in its Annual National Exhibition dubbed as "CONEX".