Architecture

PRARIE STYLE:

No other architect in history has influenced how we live compared to Frank Lloyd Wright. His dream was to have buildings blend naturally into their surroundings. He designed a lot of single family houses in the Chicago suburbs. Wright was very determined that they should reflect their time and landscape. Chicago was a flat prairie at the time and houses reflected that. It was a layering of horizontals that Wright felt grew out of the land. He wanted homes to be natural. His main contributions was to rethink the organization of the house. He opened up spaces so they link one to another. The ceiling level in his homes were short because he wanted to emphasize the horizontalness of the house. He planned the house to follow the sun around through out the day. He reorganized plans of house, changed how the outside looked and lifted the living room off of the ground. This video is so closely related to the text because architects of certain time periods designed buildings or structures related to the style of the era. Domes were created, places of worship with great architectural features about them were created, all reflecting that certain time period. Just as these were a representation of the time, so were Wrights homes. His homes reflected the land more so then the time period. But feeling and emotion can be seen when looking at each design. I loved this film. I studied architecture my first semester of college and there were to many intricate details to be known; it was amazing. Every design was a reflection or something, emotion or something physical, and to see such great work coming from one person is great!

ARCHITECTURE: THE SCIENCE OF DESIGN

A skyscraper consists of a super structure and the underground substructure. It is built so far into the ground until it reaches a form of rock that is supportive enough. One of the main problems with constructing high rises is the wind. In high winds, buildings over 100 stories high can sway over 100 meters. This motion is absorbed by the building joints. However if not supported correctly, it can damage the building. Before skyscrapers are built, they undergo certain tests to make sure the building can undergo the elements weather poses. Wind tunnel testing can help predict now accumulation on roofs. Smart apartments are a very intense idea, somewhat hard to follow. But it is such a high cost technology. I see it more as laziness more then anything. Everything is controlled by a computer; the shower heats and towels are warmed once the alarm clock goes off, coffee is made once you’re done with your shower, etc. All of these are tasks that can easily be done on a daily basis. The video mentions that this is helpful for the elderly, but the high cost makes it hard to have. Concrete is another material discussed in the video and tells us that it has been used since ancient times. Unlike the first video, this one focuses more on the science behind buildings. Their structure and materials used are so major in the life of a building. 

CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE:

For thousands of years, nations have used the architectural style that was developed in the ancient world. Classical architecture has been adapted to reflect the needs and value of that time. The ancient world was the ideal and recreated buildings reflecting on that. Roman architecture was applied to surfaces of new building types. Many buildings reflecting Renaissance architecture can be seen in England. This video is so much related to the text. The only difference is it shows works in video format and explains their meaning as opposed to reading it. Concepts are expanded on and structures are talked about more in depth. Classical architecture for housing is very popular in Britain. 

LAST CALL FOR PLANET EARTH

In today’s world, we need to worry about resources available, especially our energy consumption. Companies are now seeing that having a sustainability agenda is needed. A committed architect is worried about ecology in today’s world. Becoming green is important however a challenge. All possibilities need to be considered when being an architect, making use of current systems in buildings is also important. Old buildings have solid structures that can be used in many ways. High ceilings allow more natural light and transmission of light through the interior. 10 gardens located all in one building in Germany are accessible to the crew working there, ensuring fresh air and stale air removal. Natural light is also an important factor in new infrastructure. Architects can really do a lot for environmental awareness. 50% of energy used in a country, such as Germany or France, is used by buildings. We need to find a way that will enable us to stop destroying the environment. We need to consider geography, climate, and local resources. Wood, a non-renewable resource, requires less energy than other materials. We should also use water that is free and recycle water so it’s clean and safe for us. Energy involves making sure we used as little of it as possible. So buildings need to be high performance so that hey require less heating and air conditioning. Solar energy is pure magic. We should take advantage of existing buildings so that we don’t lose our memory of the site. Existing industrial buildings in Finland were used to create new office buildings. New windows were put in; making singles into doubles. Great changes can be made if we conceptualize a city. Many changes have been made in Brazil that shows that such improvements can be done easily and still make a difference. We need to understand that city areas have multiple uses. Changes must come from policy. In China, a residential building was created based on the environment. Efficient wind and light utilize the building so less energy is used. New technologies in Canada go after sun directly which provide heat and energy. When creating a new building, it should not burden the environment too much. We need to re-establish out habitat. If cities continue to grow, we will think about their structure. Air, water, and earth are the 3 strong points. WAter is the basic fabric of a human; it makes up 70% of us. Air is the environment in which we live; it is like freedom. We have to respect the earth because what earth produces is what we live on. Structures need to be created that will enable to us live differently. We just can’t simply change because others are. We need a sort of inspiration. This is the job of architects in the future. To enable a sufficient structure that will cause us to change because it is for the better of us.

I chose this last film because it sounded so eye-opening, and that it was. Although it was long, there was so much information and inspiration that needed to be included to show how much of a change is needed and how much of a change we can make. I enjoyed every minute of this video. It was so moving yet so direct with issues regarding architecture in our world today.