1. E-mail interviews. (Names have been changed).

....Dennis (Seattle)

....Ellen (Boston)

....James (New York)

These interviews provide some idea of what happens in the daily life of an average employee, describing what they find pleasant or unpleasant about their workspace. Often, these details may be so small as to be taken for granted, yet they do have an impact on the way in which the employee works.

2. Web resources.

Joel on Software:
....Article 127
....Article 75

These articles provide some insight into what should or should not happen in the design of an internet company's offices. Of interest is the way in which they talk about what an employee wants, why it is vital that the best manpower be hired, and how the office design is often the final item which may attract or repel a potential employee: After a certain income level is passed, the actual amount of money becomes secondary to the amenities provided in the workspace.

3. Bibliography of books read or currently being read. (incomplete)

Alexander, Christopher. The Timeless Way of Building. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.

....Christopher Alexander's text concerning the natural relationship between man and the built environment has greatly shaped my outlook on this project. He talks about how spaces are "alive" or "dead" depending on the subconscious reaction to those spaces, the reactions being based on how comfortable or natural it is to use that space. Some things last because they continue to feel like a natural part of human life long after their styles have gone out of fashion, and this is what I aim for in my design: to produce something that has nothing to do with the fashion of the day or the reaction of the moment, but which will last simply because it quietly invites people to continue using it.

Bruns, James H.. Great American Post Offices. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.

....As a form of written communication, the postal service might be said to be a predecessor of modern e-mail. I picked this book up because I was hoping to see how people in the 1800s dealt with what was then a form of communication only just being formed into a centralised organisation. I found it interesting to note that, for the most part, many of the early post offices were built in a fashion similar to mansions or large houses. It was mainly the offices highest in the hierarchy which looked most like government buildings. I'm not sure, as yet, what to make of this.

Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Vintage Books, 1992.

....Jane Jacobs concerns herself mostly with the exterior of buildings, talking more about the relationship between man and the street, and the role that buildings play in this relationship. She emphasises the importance of a sensitive, practical approach, suggesting that the needs of the public are best served through secondary measures -- the side-effects of other, primary objectives. The way in which a building relates to the street greatly affects the way in which people relate to both the building and the street: a good relationship, where there is harmony between both (by which I mean that there is a natural flow from street to building and back) will make people feel more at ease, and therefore more comfortable with being in the area. She also suggests methods by which spaces and streets can be made attractive to users, thus turning them into the "living" spaces that Christopher Alexander writes about.

Klein, Judy. The Office Book. London: Frederick Muller, 1982.

....This book is more of a practical approach to office design, looking at things which must be done and ways in which they have been or can be done. It contains numerous examples, suggestions, ideas and approaches, ranging from the modern to the traditional.

Mackenzie, Dorothy. Design for the Environment. New York: Rizzoli, 1991.

....Dorothy MacKenzie brings up various design issues, relating to the environment, which may prove worthwhile in a design. While this does not have any direct bearing on my thesis, I believe that it is important to consider some environmental issues when designing, particularly in the Canadian climate where it becomes important to adapt easily to the changing seasons, without too much expensive energy loss. Since my site slopes downwards to the south, I think it would be a good idea to capitalise on the potential solar gain, and this book is my first step towards investigating the possibilities.

Madsen, Stephan. Sources of Art Nouveau. New York: Da Capo Press, 1975.

....The Godin Building is one of the very few examples of Art Nouveau architecture in North America. Any building that shares a site with it must therefore be sensitive to it and its design. By studying the aspects of Art Nouveau design, I hope to gain some further understanding that would allow me to design something that blends harmoniously with the building beside it, though my design itself may not necessarily be Art Nouveau in style.

Rasmussen, Steen Eiler. Experiencing Architecture. London: Chapman & Hall, 1959.

....Rasmussen is concerned with the experience of different aspects of architecture, from materials to colour. In particular, it is discussed how certain aspects may produce certain associations in the subconscious mind, and these associations in turn produce either positive or negative feelings in the ordinary person experiencing the architecture.

Rudofsky, Bernard. Streets for People. New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1969.

....Rudofsky talks about the relationship with a street, providing an overview of a large number of streets around the world, focussing on the ways in which they are used.

Newman, Oscar. Defensible Space. New York: Collier Books, 1973.

....As with Jacobs, Newman is concerned with urban designs that would help prevent crime. Whereas Jacobs focusses more on the people's relationship with their environment, Newman's approach is more clinical, employing a variety of statistics to back up his arguments.