Mosque Is Too Much

As a Muslim reader, I am shocked to read the article on the construction of the UAE Mosque (ENR 3/15 p.34). Islam discourages worldly showoffs, especially in respect to the place of worship. For a Muslim to pray, all he needs is a piece of clean land, nothing more. A bare roof and four walls are needed for the protection from rain and sun. The ruler of the UAE would be better prepared for his journey to the next world if he had spent these hundreds of millions of dollars to improve the living conditions of millions of neglected, disadvantaged people around the world, both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Masud Hasan
Potomac, Md.


Contribution Deserves More

Could you please explain why ENR consistently abbreviates Watt with a lower case “w” (ENR 3/15 p. 9, 10). The Watt, like many other units, is named after a person, James Watt, a Scottish engineer credited with making major improvements to the steam engine. When a unit is named after a person, it is usual to use an upper case letter to start the abbreviation, e.g. “F” for Farad (named after Faraday), “Hz”, for Hertz, “N” for Newton, “F” for Fahrenheit, “V” for Volt (named for Volta), etc. James Watt earned his recognition as an engineer that made a significant contribution to our industry and the unit named for him deserves an upper case “W”.

Eric A. Scotson
San Francisco, Calif.


Editor’s Note: Henceforth, the abbreviation will always be “W”.

Scramble for Technology

After going on the Construction Writers Association tour of the Gehry pavilion at Millennium Park, it was fascinating to read your cover story (ENR 2/9 p. 29). One of the landmark issues there is the scramble for technology and construction to catch up with Gehry’s design, and your coverage of that was wonderful.

Alexandra Spencer
Los Angeles, Calif.