World in Brief

NYC apartment house seeks to show how modular design stacks up in the quest for cool

NEW YORK (AP) -- In a city piled high with ambitious architecture, a seven-floor structure off the beaten path boasts a distinction of its own: Its billed as the first multistory, modular-built apartment building to open in the nations apartment capital.

Called the Stack, the building near Manhattans northern tip aims to show that while stackable apartments can save builders time and money, modular doesnt have to mean monotonous. Its chunky front embraces its building-block roots, but the apartments interiors defy their boxy components with varied floor plans and stylish fixtures and finishes.

Modular construction -- assembling a building from prefabricated sections instead of building from scratch on-site -- has been around for decades, but interest has grown recently around the country and in its biggest city. The worlds tallest modular building, a 32-story apartment tower, is rising in Brooklyn.

Advocates say modular building can trim costs and timetables -- module factories dont have to worry about bad weather -- and make construction more consistent. Still, the technique presents special challenges (say, driving a 750-square-foot box over the George Washington Bridge), and not all projects have proven speedy. Some have faced pushback from labor interests, not to mention an image problem: The method is sometimes perceived as cheap and, well, cookie-cutter.

"Pre-fab and modular have somewhat of a stigma associated with it, in some peoples minds, whether its appropriate or not," developer Jeffrey M. Brown said. But "this approach can really produce cool buildings."

Poll shows few Americans check doctors vitals before letting them check theirs

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans consider insurance and a good bedside manner in choosing a doctor, but will that doctor provide high-quality care? A new poll shows that people dont know how to determine that.

Being licensed and likable doesnt necessarily mean a doctor is up to date on best practices. But consumers arent sure how to uncover much more. Just 22 percent of those questioned are confident they can find information to compare the quality of local doctors, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Today, 6 in 10 people say they trust doctor recommendations from friends or family, and nearly half value referrals from their regular physician. The poll found far fewer trust quality information from online patient reviews, health insurers, ratings web sites, the media, even the government.

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World in Brief