The fundamental nature of a city is revealed – intentionally or otherwise – through its institutions and its commerce, and how these manifest themselves in the public realm. Institutional and commercial buildings not only reflect, but actively construct the manifold character of the city. In responding to their program requirements, individual buildings both express particular values and project an attitude or understanding of their role in the city as a whole. In this way, even the most ordinary of institutional and commercial projects both serve and participate in the public life of the community.