A chorus of 12 ungoverned engines mixed with rich exhaust fumes as drivers paced the balcony of the track in anticipation of the Tocci Holiday Party 2010: Kart Karnage. In a celebrated break from stuffy dinner receptions and overly enthusiastic DJs, Tocci’s field and office staff channeled months of pent up aggression into seconds of furiously competitive kart racing at F1 Boston.

After several qualifying races, one final race containing the top 12 racers was held. Few survived to tell the tale. “When you’re in that tunnel, the refs can’t see the other karts trying to take you out,” said John Tocci referring to his infamous plunge into the track guardrail just moments after advancing several positions.

The accident caused a stoppage in the race—although the immediacy of that stoppage wasn’t realized by all. Jack Short, who employed a fogged visor to avoid eye contact with flags, referees, and seemingly anything that would impede his advancement on the caution laps, managed to finish second. In front of him was Laborer Daniel O’neil who coasted two caution laps to victory despite accusations of doping from the master of ceremonies, Joe Ferolito, who finished third.

Ferolito presided over the awards ceremony where certificates were inscribed with superlatives like “most likely to receive a one finger wave.” The event prompted ebullient responses such as: “we should do this every year,” and “this was way better than my wife’s Christmas party.”

On Friday December 17th Tocci volunteered at Cradles to Crayons (C2C) for the second year in a row to celebrate the holiday season by giving back to the community. During the afternoon over twenty volunteers from Tocci sorted children’s clothing for homeless and in-need children. Staff at C2C estimated that our efforts helped provide clothing for over 180 children.

Cradles to Crayons has been recognized by Root Cause as a social innovator. Root Cause describes their impact:

Through grass-roots civic engagement and meaningful volunteer opportunities, C2C reaches tens of thousands of needy children annually, enables social service agencies to work more effectively, and mobilizes thousands of youth and adults to learn about the problem of poverty and become part of the solution.

Continuing the legacy from the Georgia Street Children Project with World Vision, Tocci aims to partner with organizations restoring the quality of life for children in need.

The term “eco-conscious performance” seemed to be a paradox until recent transportation designers began to ask if green vehicles really needed to be slow and ugly. With volatile fuel prices, oil spills, and political tensions pushing alternative energy for transport, a few notable concepts have emerged utilizing aerodynamic forms, lightweight materials, and regenerative braking to achieve greater ranges. Three of our favorites are listed below with a recap on how these innovative technologies apply to the building industry.

Audi e-tron concept

First unveiled at IAA 2009, the e-tron boasts over 300 hp from four segregated electric motors. While not quite as impressive as the numbers from Tesla’s Roadster, the combined 3,300 lb-ft of torque accelerate the e-tron to over 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Efficiency is also improved by the dynamic air intakes that close when not in use to minimize drag.

Mission One PLE

Designed by Yves Behar of Fuseproject, the Mission One Premier Limited Edition superbike provides 102 ft-lbs of torque with the 136 hp AC induction motor. It is also the only bike of its class capable of a power wheelie at 70 mph. The fully electronic system empowers riders to customize their ride settings with a laptop.

Smart E-bike

From the makers of the less-than-successful Smart Car (sales plunged 41% in 2009), comes a slightly more intelligent concept for a hybrid electric and human powered bicycle. Constructed from aluminum and weighing in at almost 50 lbs, the Smart Ebike assists the rider’s efforts with four levels of boost. The bike also has a mount for smartphones to assist in controlling and navigating the bike.

All of these concepts exhibit technological developments that may be seen as seeds for cross pollination in the AEC industry. Specifically, opportunities exist to design and construct intelligent building systems that minimize waste and improve end user feedback without sacrificing aesthetics.

In case you missed the email, here is our e-card this year. Enjoy!

CNN recently featured a story highlighting a growing trend for homeowners in Tokyo: building ultra small homes. Although the practice itself is not new, it has becoming increasingly popular during these tough economic times. The video focuses on one homeowner and the house that he built on a plot of land which used to be a parking space and is only 30 square meters.

The interesting part of the story is not only the design itself, which incorporates techniques to save space and give the illusion of having more room, but also the mindset of the homeowner and others like him. His goal was to own property, regardless of the downsides this tiny house demands, such as little privacy and ultra tight accommodations.

While this story relates to the housing industry in Tokyo, another recent story on NPR focused on “Tiny Houses” in the US. These houses also demonstrate good design and quality building on a miniscule scale. And while the reason for building a tiny home in the US is more apt to be a mobile living style or an in-law apartment or home office, the concept remains the same: good design, quality materials and efficient building = good home no matter the size.