TED Talks

The Top 10 Most Inspirational TED Talks for Architects

By: Colleen O’Malley

As a architecture student I often find myself listening to TED talks for inspiration. Inspiration is a funny thing: 

when you need it is nowhere to be seen, and just when you’re not expecting it, it can blindside you in the least convenient of places. Here are ten inspirational TED talks for architects (in no particular order) from people with broad and unique views on architecture. Some might enlighten, educate or even enrage you – at the very least they should get those creative juices flowing a little better.

1. Thomas Heatherwick: Building the Seed Cathedral

There’s usually an obvious answer to most problems, and then there’s Thomas Heatherwick’s solution. Heatherwick is an architect who refuses to take the conventional path, instead dreaming up new ways to do things. Here he demonstrates his prowess: showing a folding bridge that curls up and ‘kisses itself’, taking seeds out of small paper packets and constructing a light-filled cathedral for them, or turning apartment buildings upside down and creating a rain-forest between them.

2. Bjarke Ingels: 3 Warp-Speed Architecture Tales

With buildings, it is usually the finished product which grabs the most attention, however, for Bjarke Ingels the story behind the design is more interesting and useful than whatever the final product happens to be. In this vein, he races through his ’3 warp-speed architectural tales’ detailing how his design process mirrors Darwin’s theories, adapting and improvising, cross-breeding and creating mutant off-spring – like a ‘Cambodian-style ruin’ next to his apartment in Copenhagen. Ingels argues that instead of architects creating buildings that revolt against traditions, they can adapt and use their designs to embrace them.

3. Joshua Prince-Ramus: Seattle’s Library and Other Projects

How does a graph become a building? Hyper-rationality, that’s how. In the eyes of REX and OMA New York founder Joshua Prince-Ramus, Hyper-rationality means taking cold, hard, rational thinking and taking it to extreme, almost absurd levels, a process which they used in Seattle’s Central Library, Museum Plaza in Louisville and the Charles Wyly Theater in Dallas. 

4. Cameron Sinclair: A Call For Open-Source Architecture

Architecture can tend to be a hierarchy where lead designers develop ideas which gradually trickle down through the ranks. Cameron Sinclair has a different idea. Sinclair is co-founder and CEO (Chief Eternal Optimist) of Architecture for Humanity, a non-profit organization which wants to tap the world’s supply of socially responsible designers to aid in humanitarian situations. Starting with only a laptop and $700, Sinclair is now working towards creating a globally accessible network of collaborative, open-source design, where thousands of people from thousands of specialities can all contribute, creating fast and free innovation to help the lives of those who really need it.

5. Magnus Larsson: Turning Sand-Dunes Into Architecture

Desertification is gobbling up agricultural land in Africa at a rate of 600m a year, and while it might not seem like the most sane or practical idea to build a 6,000 km long wall stretching across the continent, Larsson thinks he can do it with nothing more than bacteria and sand. His vision is to create a wall which would be supplied, designed and built mostly by nature itself, creating green spaces and providing a place for people to live.

6. Julian Treasure: Why Architects Need To Use Their Ears 

Julian Treasure wants to know: ‘Do architects have ears?’ Most of us communicate primarily through sound, which is hugely dependent on our environment, yet architects tend to exclusively fetishize the visible, almost entirely neglecting the other senses. Treasure explains why architects need to find a pair of ears and use them – in some cases it could be a matter of life and death. 

7. Liz Diller: A Giant Bubble For Debate 

The National Mall is possibly the most significant public space in the U.S. The famous stretch has long played host to huge demonstrations of public discourse and dissent. Despite this, the space is hemmed in on either side by a string of stony cold buildings, none so hulking and introverted than the Hirshhorn.  A concrete doughnut,  it has been unflatteringly described as corporate, arrogant, and ‘neo-penitentiary modern’.  Diller Scofidio + Renfro plan on transforming this introverted hulk into a bright open public forum to reflect the spirit of the mall. How do they intend on doing this? An air-bubble. Liz Diller of DS+R explains…

8. Frank Gehry as a Young Rebel

For many, when they think of Frank Gehry, they think of the typical Starchitect. When this talk was recorded back in 1990, the Walt Disney Concert Hall was just a series of haphazard models and the Guggenheim Bilbao was just a twinkle in his eye. Modest, witty and surprisingly honest, Gehry wants to prove that he does straight-stuff, logical and relating to what’s going on. A man who views architecture as a pure form of sculpture, he tells surreal stories about smutty-comic books, accidentally winning a competition via a drunk napkin-sketch of a fish, and dressing up as a postmodernist skyscraper.

9. Daniel Libeskind: 17 Words of Architectural Inspiration

It is fair to say that Daniel Libeskind is one of the most prolific and controversial architects currently practicing. His firm wins some of the globe’s biggest commissions; his style is loved by some and frequently lambasted by critics. Here Libeskind lets us into his unusual world, excitedly racing thorough seventeen words which form the basis of his mantra on architecture. He explains why he has shunned ‘the well-mannered box’, instead playing fast and loose with the established rules of architecture, to create something which he sees as emotive, human and heartfelt.

10. David Byrne: How Architecture Helped Music Evolve 

And finally, for a bit of a reprieve from architects talking about architecture, we have a musician talking about architecture. If anyone was ever in doubt about the transformative power of architecture upon all things great and small, here is Talking Head’s front man, David Byrne describing the intermeshed history of architecture and music. 
He travels all the way from Gothic Cathedrals and Wagner-designed music theaters, to 20th century grunge clubs and discotheques, and finally the advent of gargantuan in-car speakers and the mighty mp3 player. Byrne describes how architecture has continually shaped and tweaked the evolution of music.
For more information: http://www.archdaily.com/364725/the-10-most-inspirational-ted-talks-for-architects/

MetroLink

St. Louis, Missouri and MetroLink
By Chris Harpstrite

St. Louis and Metro have had a great relationship since its conception began in the 1960’s. Although it wasn’t known as Metro then, they completed several projects in the St. Louis region including: overtaking of fifteen individual privatized transit firms to make one cohesive transit agency, the purchase of Parks Metropolitan Airport in Cahokia, Illinois as a satellite airport for Lambert Airport, and lastly, Metro developed the tram system to carry visitors to the top of the Gateway Arch. (Metro Transit, 2010)

In the 1980’s the world-wide energy crisis helped to grow Metro’s bus ridership, however, because Metro was not prepared for such a dramatic increase in such a short amount of time it tended to strain the organization rather than bring in large profits.  Despite the financial burden Metro was under they were still able to introduce the Call-A-Ride service, this service ensured travel for customers with accessibility and disability issues. (Metro Transit, 2010)

In 1987, Metro and the East-West Gateway council, a metropolitan planning organization, discussed new options for transit improvements, including a light-rail transit system that would complement the bus system. By 1990, planning was complete and construction of the St. Louis MetroLink system was under construction. One thing that helped St. Louis and Metro get this public transportation system up so quickly was the reuse of unused rail beds and railroad right-of-ways. (Metro Transit, 2010) After three years of construction, in July of 1993, MetroLink debuted and in just one month had its one-millionth passenger board the light-rail system.

The fourteen mile, sixteen station rail line connected St. Louis County to St. Claire county, Illinois. Averaging 40,000 daily riders within its first two years of opening, which was twice what Metro had projected and even exceeding that 2010 forecast of 35,000 daily riders, MetroLink was deemed a success story. (Cervero, 1998, p. 431)

Since then Metro has expanded the MetroLink to reach out to Lambert Airport to the west, and South Western Illinois College in Belleville, Illinois to the east. In 1999, the federal government stopped providing funding for transit operations and MetroLink had to implement some cost-saving initiatives. (Metro Transit, 2010) Despite the economic downturn, Metro and MetroLink continue to thrive. It took ten years to implement a new tax initiative to help out the cash strapped Metro organization.

Today, Metro has invested over $1.5 billion in a 46-mile light rail system that connects from Lambert Airport in Missouri to Scot Air Force Base in Illinois. “Metro connects commuters to 97% of work location in the service area, and employers rely on public transit to widen their reach for talented workers eager to make a contribution.” (Metro Report, 2012, p. 03)

Despite the success the Metro has had, little economic development has occurred around these stations. For the most part, commuters will drive their cars to the closest station and then ride MetroLink or Metro Bus into downtown St. Louis. However, there are a few examples of TOD in the area:

Final Blog

Final Blog

By Brad Hoepfner

This graduate program is flying by and it’s starting to become very scary with everyone trying to finish their thesis, update your portfolio and resume, and even start applying for jobs that could start really at any time. For my floating home thesis though, it seems to be going right on track and at a pace that I can handle. Over the past few months I have been playing around with the making of floor plans, sections, elevations, ect. that I really love and would want to live in myself, but attempting to keep it as light weight, affordable, and size effective is always proving to be a fun and challenging task.  The development of shading device that can also function as a high-wind shield for the glass facades is currently on the top of my list of things to complete. But soon, final decisions for the rest of the home will be set into place and trying to build the detailed full scale wall section. This will be an interesting task as well as creating a unique and fulfilling set of printed boards and putting long hours into rewriting the thesis paper itself. I starting to expect that free time will be part of my summer agenda. So please, wish our graduate students and I luck as we go into our final 3 months of school and prepare to enter the working world. 

Green Roofs

California Academy of Sciences

By: Andrew Ewing

ENVIRONMENTAL: The undulating roofline will draw cool air into the open piazza at the center of the building, naturally ventilating the surrounding exhibit spaces.  Because the living roof absorbs rain water, it prevents up to 3.6 million gallons of runoff from draining into the ecosystem.  This roof also has been planted with 9 native plant species which make up the 1.7 million plants that make up the roof.  These native plants will form a natural habitat and a large number of native species to form a mini-ecosystem.  “The planted 2.5 acres; it is now the largest swath of native vegetation in San Francisco.

·        AESTHETIC: The green roof connects two old buildings with a new structure, which forms a new structure. It connects visually with the Golden Park.  “Renzo Piano’s masterstroke of design lies in making the park’s environment such a visible part of the building itself.  The rooftop’s seven undulating green hillocks pay homage to the iconic topography of San Francisco and blur the boundary between building and parkland.”

·        FUNCTIONAL: There is an open-air observation terrace which enables visitors to get a close-up look at the roof’s lush canopy of plants.  The plants seen from this view are some of the densest concentrations of native wildflowers in San Francisco.  It also allows the public close access to several types of birds and insects.  Skylights are placed on the roof.  These open and close throughout the day, which allows sunlight to reach exhibit spaces below.

·        SOCIAL: The green roof connects a planetarium, museum, aquarium, research departments, indoor rainforest, and coral reef exhibit.  The roof serves as a structure that connects all these into one building.  It also has an observation deck on the roof that allows a space up top to be used.

·        EDUCATIONAL: The biodegradable modular green roof system was developed specifically for this project.  Research over 3 years was studied on green roof systems that helped progress this sustainable practice not only for this project but green roofs in general.  The whole roof is an educational piece to everyone.  This structure teaches the visitors about native plantings as well as about native birds and insects.

·        ECONOMICAL: There was a 3 year research period where a series of different types of living roofs were constructed to test how indigenous plants, as well as soil retention and drainage techniques were chosen.  The green roof will provide a thermal insulating layer for the building, reducing standard levels of heat absorption and decreasing the cooling load.  “Surrounding the Living Roof is a large glass canopy with a decorative band of 60,000 photovoltaic cells. These solar panels will generate approximately 213,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year and provide up to 10% of the Academy’s electricity need.  The use of solar power will prevent the release of 405,000 pounds of gas emission into the air.  The green roof also keeps the building’s interior an average of 10 degrees cooler than a standard roof would.

·        PSYCHOLOGICAL: The whole roof is created to eliminate the hard space typically created by roofs.  When the user is looking out from the rooftop viewing area the green roof blends in with the surrounding landscape.

IMAGES:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: “BioTray” created 50,000 porous, biodegradable trays made from tree sap and coconut husks as containers for the vegetation.  These trays line the rooftop like tile, yet enable the roots to grow and interlock, binding the trays together like patchwork.

EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT: I really like this project.  I think it is a very creative and successful design that blends architectural design with sustainable practices.  From everything I found it seems to be well received in the community and is producing as expected.  This project is an excellent case study of the potential of roof gardens.

The Journey

The Journey of Refinement

By Adulsak "Otto Chanyakorn]

The end of Spring Semester 2013 is coming soon, which will bring some release to a lot of students. They will be able to have time to rest and take a summer break from school. Some of them may find the place to do internships or part- time jobs to gain more experience in their own field before they come back for the next year of school. For graduate students at the school of architecture at Southern Illinois University, the end of our study is not far either. We are going to have our final thesis defense in the second and third week of July. It is going to be an important day for all of us to present our thesis to the committee and show that we are ready to face the realities of the architectural profession. We will demonstrate that we have learned and improved our knowledge from them, and are ready to contribute our knowledge to our society, to present what we believe in. It is going to be a crucial time for us from now until then. Luckily, we finished work from other classes that distracted us from focusing on our thesis. Now, it is a good time for us to be able to stay focused on the most important work of our graduate school, and to keep working consistently and carefully on our thesis. The ultimate goal of this process is to present our work nicely, and demonstrate that we have mastered and harvested the wisdom from our kind professors, who have observed us from the beginning to the end.

            

For me, coming to the architectural graduate school is the journey of refinement. It is an important part of my life and architectural profession. I remember the time that I decided to apply for school of architecture at Southern Illinois University. I carefully wrote my statement of purpose because I knew that this one page of paper represents the entire journey of my architectural profession, what I believe in and what I am looking for. In addition, I spent time to carefully create my portfolio to demonstrate my architectural abilities and ensure that the committee believed I would be able to comprehend the complexity of architectural study at school of architecture at Southern Illinois University like other American students.

           

I remember how happy I was on the day I knew that the school accepted me into its program. Since then, I promised myself that I would work and study hard to improve my knowledge and to complete this complicated level of study. It has been a great experience for me to study at Southern Illinois University. I have had an opportunity to meet and share my architectural experience with wonderful classmates and kind professors. The wonderful experience has been shaped by sharing and helping each other to refine our work rather than competing against each other. The reward of this experience is seeing each other strive towards our dreams in this profession.

            

Thesis is our final work for our school time at School of Architecture at Southern Illinois University. When I see my studio mates building models, creating drawings, having discussions with each other about their thesis, it bring me great happiness. Our work has slowly manifested with profound care. Hopefully on the final presentation, all of us will have good work to share with the committee. For me, the journey of refinement has started since I stepped into the school in June 2012. I wish we will be able to retain the atmosphere of our studio to be a place to share, a place that we improve each other, a place that contains the full spirit of people who have strong passion and believe in the beauty of architecture and pass it on to the incoming students.

           

The Flip Side to Solar

The Flip Side to Solar

By: Van Dwinnells

Electric Utility companies rely on selling power to those of us on the grid.  As the green movement has swept the nation, independence and interdependence have become new possibilities for many consumers especially so as the push for photovoltaic solar panels has generated consistently more affordable and highly efficiency models.  This effectively allows an individual(s) the opportunity to offset their usage from the grid.  By this I refer to their ability to minimize their overall consumption even to the point that the individuals could sell back energy to the utility company.  In some cases, with the use of storage batteries and generators, some may even be able to survive completely off the grid. 

It is important to understand this process monetarily in order to grasp how solar energy may negatively impact us in the recent future. 

"Solar power peaks at midday, which means it is strongest close to the point of highest electricity use — “peak load.” Problem is, providing power to meet peak load is where utilities make a huge chunk of their money. Peak power is the most expensive power. So when solar panels provide peak power, they aren’t just reducing demand, they’re reducing demand for the utilities’ most valuable product."

This is great for those that can sell back, as they are in essence buying power on the low and selling high.  Basically, as solar power becomes more prevalent, peak power rates the utility companies charge will increasingly become more volatile to the market.  In  the past they have had very steady business models.  In essence, the more that solar power is utilized throughout the nation, the greater the peak power rates will be.  For those individuals that solely rely on the grid, this will mean a dramatic increases in their rates in order for the utility companies to remain profitable.  Until we can almost completely offset the rather still high costs of photovoltaic systems, many citizens with average to low annual incomes will be forced to pay much higher rates to heat and cool their homes.  As David Roberts puts it,

"As ratepayers opt for solar panels (and other distributed energy resources like micro-turbines, batteries, smart appliances, etc.), it raises costs on other ratepayers and hurts the utility’s credit rating. As rates rise on other ratepayers, the attractiveness of solar increases, so more opt for it. Thus costs on remaining ratepayers are even further increased, the utility’s credit even further damaged. It’s a vicious, self-reinforcing cycle:"

This will either lead to some dramatic changes in the Utility companies methods for profit generation or manufacturers and technology must soon meet the challenge to provide low cost and available solar systems.  More information can be found in the following.

The Edison Electric Institute released their Disruptive Challenges: Financial Implications and Strategic Responses to a Changing Retail Electric Business article bringing light to such implications.  It can be found here.  http://www.eei.org/ourissues/finance/Documents/disruptivechallenges.pdf

Quotes and more emphasis can be found here:

http://grist.org/article/solar-panels-could-destroy-u-s-utilities-according-to-u-s-utilities/

Sufi Farm

Sufi Farm Trip

By: Sam Harshman

Last Thursday, my history class went to Dayempur Farm in Southern Illinois.  Dayempur Farm is a "...land-based project of the Dayemi Tariqat, a non-for-profit, religiious and educational organization based upon the principles of Sufism."  At the farm, they build sustainable homes and buildings for sustainable living.  The first building that we were shown was a timber frame home built with little to no nails at all.  It is a north-south facing building with most of the glass on the south side.  Also on the south side is a overhang that blocks out the sunlight during the summer months and allows sunlight in the building for warmth during the winter months.  The roof of the home also collects rain water and directs it to an underground rain water collection. 

Here is a picture of the interior of the home, showing the timber frame.

 The next building we looked at was my favorite.  It was a one room building out in the middle of the woods, built out of square straw bales and a type of natural plaster.  To form the walls, the straw bales are stacked on each other, sort of like Lego's.  After the straw bale walls are up a plaster like substance is literally thrown onto the bales and later were smoothed out.  This creates an eighteen inch wall so the room is insulated very nicely.  There is no electricity to this building so it has to be livable in the summer and the winter months. 

Here is a picture of the exterior showing the smooth plastered straw bales.

This picture is for all you who do not believe me about the straw bale walls.

This last picture is one of my favorites.  During the construction of the building the builders put empty San Pellegrino bottles in the wall to create some opaque windows.