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Office buildings with important administrative functions can produce high energy demands for lighting, cooling and heating. However, appropriate architectural design decisions can achieve significant energy savings and improve environmental conditions, without sacrificing architectural quality. Intense solar radiation and high temperature swings in dry continental climates favour deep plan offices, though natural daylight requires limited depth. This paper presents a case study of a large administrative complex project for the Justice Palace, Neuquen Province, in the cold windy semi-desert climate in the Northern Patagonia Region of Argentina, demonstrating the relevance of specialized advisory services in the architectural field. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.