Going Underground Duke Institute for Brain Sciences When the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) was founded in 2007, its directors had a vision to create a multi-disciplinary, cross-school think tank to support innovation and collaboration in brain research. The challenge: from its inception, DIBS departments were scattered across the Duke campus in disparate locations. Without shared workspaces, the program

Finding the X Factor AvidXchange CEO Mike Praeger had a full afternoon planned. In addition to the day-to-day responsibilities of running a rapidly-growing payment automation software company, he was scheduled to meet with the team designing his new headquarters, and he still needed to leave on time to pick up his son. When pick-up time rolled around, however, he changed

Every Drop Counts Renewable Water Resources Laboratory & Environmental Education Center Most of us start our days with water. We drink it, shower in it, and use it to boil our eggs, or make our coffee. Most of us, at least in most cities in America, are fortunate enough to be able to turn on a tap and access plentiful,

Cup of Joy Bitty and Beaus What makes us happy? In the short term, our answers may vary - a new car, a big trip, your team winning the championship, an ice cream cone on a summer day - all of which bring momentary delight. In the long term, however, what makes us happy is surprisingly universal. The ancient Greeks defined

Contemporary Design Thinking in Action Laurel Ridge Renovation Imagine, for a moment, you’re back in high school. It’s prom night. You’re putting the final touches on your outfit. Maybe you’re adjusting the wide lapels of your powder blue tux, or snapping on the enormous bow on your pink satin dress with the puffed sleeves. You may be using your second

Brawl Proof Two Keys Public House A good barroom brawl is the stuff of legend, whether it’s captured in song or on film. Consider the lyric “And then a hush fell over the pool room,” just before an epic showdown between a New York pool hustler and the country boy who comes to get his money back in “You Don’t

Best Foot Forward The Spectator Back in the Roaring Twenties, a young man wishing to express a certain brand of bold elegance- moxie, if you will- would have but one choice in footwear: the Spectator shoe. A high-fashion, two-toned, brogued leather wingtip, the Spectator sauntered about on the edges of reputable society on the feet of gangsters, jazz musicians, and

A Penny Well Spent Memminger Elementary School Turns out it’s worth a lot, if it comes in the form of the One Cent Sales Tax implemented by Charleston County in 2010. Those pennies have added up to a $450 million, 5-year building program funding a number of public projects, starting with the recapitalization of 4 historic Charleston school campuses. Historic

All Are Welcome Wesley Commons Continuing Care Retirement Community The city of Greenwood, South Carolina, has a lot to recommend it. Between the mild climate, the annual Festival of Flowers, the charming Uptown district, the golf courses, and the southern charm, it’s little wonder that Greenwood is increasingly popular with a growing demographic: retirees. These seniors have diverse interests, backgrounds,

When Opportunity Knocks The Center for Advanced Studies at Wando High School When Charleston County School District built Wando High School in Mt. Pleasant, SC in 2001, the campus was created for a 3,000 student population filled with high achievers. College-bound students, mostly upper middle class, were filling the school’s Advanced Placement courses, participating in extracurricular activities, and enjoying the