Relationships and Architecture….

By Alan Kirkwood

            It is often said that Architecture school and maintaining a dating relationship can not coexist with each other… If you are in one, it will be hard and eventually it will be ruined by the Arch monster!!! From my observations, I have seen many architects and former architects who have had failed dating relationships, marriages as well as even friendships due to the demands of the major. Personally, I have lost a few friendships as well as a relationship because of my workload and at the time, it really bothered me, but I was in school and had to do what I had to do in order to be successful.

Well, as I have been in the program for a while now and would consider myself a pretty decent student, I have grown to realize that it is possible to not only maintain friendships but also dating relationship at the same time. YOU CAN ALSO HAVE A PERSONAL LIFE!!!!! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?!?!?! I have learned to manage my time better, which mentioned in an earlier blog of mine, is the key to much happiness in architecture. Balancing your priorities is another. There are times where you have to separate yourself from your peers in order to get work done, but there should also be "You" time. This time is what helps you maintain your sanity. I guess it's an all around responsibility thing, responsibility to your work in making sure you allot the proper time needed to accomplish tasks and stick to that schedule, responsibility to yourself by taking out time to do the little things: exercise, read, write, go out to eat, shop, watch some television, and a thing we neglect often, just sit back quietly and think... Another responsibility is that to others. This includes friends, families, significant others. While in school, your number one priority is your studies; I mean, you're paying for it which is reason enough to put effort into it. But your relationships are important and those people can be the ones that help you get through many trying times, so don't blow them off. Just regulate the time you give to them and find that balance with your work.

                I spoke with a couple of my fellow classmates, some in close proximity relationships as well as some with very long distance relationships like myself. I have also observed other students in their relationships, whether married or not, and see that it is very possible to not only sustain those relationships, but also grow in them. My relationship has been very blissful even at 4,000 miles between us partially because she is in medical school so she understands heavy workloads, but also just a general understanding of what the two of us have to do and how my success or failure in school will impact our future life together. One of the people I spoke too mentioned that they have had their struggles in their relationship, but they made up their mind that they wanted to be together and they worked through their issues. They are actually engaged now. Once again, I think it's a balance and an understanding of your priorities in life. If you understand that school is important but also understand the importance of the people in your life as well as yourself, you can find that many things in your life can be blissful.

Fiber Optic and Tubular Lighting

By Nick Mosher

               Today our society is becoming more aware of just how important daylight is and its effects it has on people.  Tubular lighting has brought another way of allowing daylight to enter into an interior space.  It acts like an extended vertical skylight that carries light through a roof and even a floor and then diffuses it into a space.  The diffuser looks just like any ceiling light and can be made to look like a standard industrial light or a more elegant one.  Fiber optic lighting has recently developed and acts very similar to how tubular lighting does.  It collects direct sunlight and redirects it into a space where it then diffuses it.  Both are efficient and use natural free lighting compared to the use of artificial lights that require electricity consumption. 

                One tubular lighting unit is made out of a singular hollow tube with the internal lining covered in a highly reflective coating, usually aluminum, and like mentioned before a diffuser at the end where the light enters into a space.  At the beginning of the tube there is a half-sphere magnifying lens that collects the sunlight and redirects it into the tube. The tube sizes can vary from 8” up to 22” diameter and a 13” diameter tube provides the same amount of light as 7 100 watt light bulbs on a sunny day.  This system is very efficient in allowing a space with no windows to receive sunlight.  Up to 12 feet of straight tubing can provide 95% of the light that it captures from the outdoors.  Angles can be applied to the travel of the light but it will reduce the amount of light that reaches a room.  The light reduces also when the length of a tube system increases.  The system can reach lengths over 20’ but it is not as common².  Compared to the fiber optic system tubular lighting is cheaper and it has been around for a longer time which makes it the more common choice today.

                 Fiber optic lighting may be more expensive but it does have advantages over tubular systems.  Fiber optic systems can be very flexible and bend around corners as well as travel a longer length than tubular systems.  This is because the system is made out of not one large hollow tube, but several small glass or plastic solid tubes that carry the light. At the beginning of the tubes there is one Fresnel lens for each tube. The lenses can rotate in several directions and are programmed to follow the sun’s path to optimize on maximum light collection.  This allows more light to be directed into a room and the length of travel to be longer but it still does not allow 100% of light into a space.  At 33’ only 64% of light is provided and at 65’ only 40% of light reaches a space¹.  But those distances are much greater than tubular lighting.  Because the tubes are solid, there wouldn’t be a problem of critters entering into the tube and causing problems.  Overall for shorter distances up to 20 feet the tubular system is a better choice but for longer distances that need flexibility, the fiber optic system is the way to go. 

Notes:

1.            Alex Wilson. (May 11, 2010) Fiber Optics for Daylighting. GreenBuildingAdvisor.com http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/energy-solutions/fiber-optics-daylighting

2.            Alex Wilson. (May 4, 2010) Tubular Skylights Introduce Daylight to Dark Homes. GreenBuildingAdvisor.com http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/energy-solutions/fiber-optics-daylighting

THAT HOUSE

By Timothy Shotts

On Saturday after Halloween, the Varsity Center for the Arts hosted an art exhibition of paintings, sculpture, and photographs of buildings and the objects inside of them.  The artists “explore the odd, unknown, and mysterious aspects of old homes in a uniquely personal way” (https://www.facebook.com/events/426998690743844/).  The theme of the show, so near to Halloween, seems appropriate, but it was interesting to see how people relate to the buildings in their town and the houses they grew up in.  We learn in architecture classes about the phenomenology of architecture – the experience of a place.  Like art, everyone’s experience of a place is dependent on every fiber of your being – personal history, morals, background knowledge of the artist / architect, emotional state, etc.  The feeling of place is what makes a house a home.  It is what makes a place memorable and unique.  It is the spirit of the place and what it means. 

Just prior to the That House show, The Carbondale Times ran a story of an abandoned building owned by SIU being razed.  Building 207, Jackson County Poor Farm, old insane asylum, or Sunset Haven has [probably] been abandoned since 1957 when the university purchased the land for agriculture use (http://www.carbondaletimes.com/110813haven).  Since then, the building has been vandalized and become unsafe (Ritter).  Prior to SIU owning the building, it has been used as a home for the poor, mentally ill, and in need of nursing care (Ritter).  There are also at least 87 graves dating back as far as the Civil War (Ritter) which probably lead to the legend that the place is haunted.  I would have loved to experience this old building before it was torn down.  At the very least documented it.  There’s a lot of history that was just leveled.  What was the feeling of the place, and how was it experienced by its previous residents?  Someone knows, but I’m not sure who.         

Stephen Holl, the architect of the Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo is a modern example of an architect concerned with phenomenology.  The inside – experienced during the day – allows you periodic views to the outside through “lenses”.  The outside – experienced best during the night – glows due to the structural channel glass with lights embedded between the outside and inside walls.  The glass walls not only change the whole way we think about buildings and their materiality, but also the typology of museums – who have traditionally restricted the amount of natural light for concerns about damage from UV wavelengths, and also about how we should view art.

Watch how people use buildings and space.  Watch how you use the space.  Experience it during the day and during the night.  Try to look at architecture not as a place for an single activity, or a machine, but as a creator of history, a creator of activity, and a creator of feelings.

Image by Scott Doody

Image by Sarah Fiola

What is an Author?

By Michelle Harris

The concept of writing a blog this week directed me to consider Foucault’s ’ What is an Author?’. The requirement of blogging directs the writer to produce. Production changes the operandi to a function. The function is but an objective frame. Foucault analyses this evolution of losing the subject in the process of creation as a type of death. He says, “Writing has become linked to sacrifice, even to the sacrifice of life. It is now a voluntary effacement which does not need to be represented in books, since it is brought about in the writer’s very existence.’ This critique of individual existence is founded on Foucault’s consensus with Nietzsche that God and man have a common death. This death is a metaphor in ‘What is an Author’ for the abolishment of individuality.

This manifestation of individuality in design has been seen in the super star architect. However, when considering the architectonic and internal analysis the role of the subjects experiencing the space outweighs the significance of the author. Foucault’s point on authorship is essentially what difference does it make who is speaking? Embracing this viewpoint in total, would lead to blatant plagiarism. In design, this objectivity manifests in Motel 6’s. In a blog it might be a copy/paste from a less circulated source. The objective is achieved and the sacrifice minimal in the writer’s existence. I must conclude that authorship is produced by evolution. Evolution from a previous perspective results in a unique perspective. For example, Quigley Hall Gallery has a magnificently tiled rendition of Picasso’s “Guernica,” which was done in 1938. Referring to Picasso, he is famous for the quote ‘The bad artists imitate, the great artists steal.’ The door of authorship swings back and forth with originality and the question of where has this been used before? Leaving me with the question of the evolution in authorship, ‘What is it to imitate and what is it to steal?’ Is it just a matter of time?

In this generation another type of authorship has arisen in art that is stolen. Banksy, is a European phenomenon who has transformed the concept of individuality through evolution. He is anonymous as a person and yet renowned for his graffiti and non-conformist viewpoints. I see his use of existing settings as stealing the context for his art. Banksy, I see as someone whose authorship is dead. He is a figure of a movement and absent as an individual. Ironically, Banksy creates works for museums. Creating in the mainstream to propagate the anarchist movement I would argue is to imitate other artists. What is now the question is, ‘Who is really speaking?’. Banksy or an idea of Banksy? Banksy, as an individual creates in a context that defies the medium that caused him to reach this fame.

As a graduate architecture student my ambition is to become a licensed architect. This thought of achieving a Master in Architecture, also comes with recognition that architects are generally jacks of all, master of none. My education thus far has been aimed at preparing me to imitate a practicing architect. In a recent conversation I had with local craftsmen, the hierarchy of design roles were discussed. The authorship of the architect was brought into question. I concluded that our relationship to craftsmen is one of a maestro. Architects direct a composition.  The intention from the get-go is one of an individual figure head. Yet the role of an architect is one of subjectivity to create places where there is room for the subjects. Ultimately, there should be space for all individuals in creation to function so that the mode of existence is not a means of production but experience.

References: https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/download/attachments/74858352/FoucaultWhatIsAnAuthor.pdf

http://artislimited.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/picasso-no-banksy.gif

Buildings That Teach

By Phil Mevert

THESIS

This design thesis project proposes a deeper look into learning environments in elementary education and what can be done to create an environment that children will want to go to and learn, as well as an environment that will inspire great teaching in the future.

What can be done with the current configurations of the classrooms that will allow for a better learning environment? How can the advancements in technology and building materials be used together to create fun yet orderly learning environments? Are there any significant psychological effects of building materials, exterior views and natural lighting that have an effect on learning ability? How can an open free learning environment be created while also providing a safe and secure environment?

By researching various material effects on human behavior as well as colors and space sizes, the learning environment can start to become a welcoming space for learning and teaching. Controlling the amount and intensity of natural light into learning and activity spaces can allow for better mood, resulting in better attention and academic performance.

The layout of the building will be very important in the effort to keep a safe and secure environment. Along with creating a safe feeling, the proper selection of materials and controlling of daylight can better mood and behavior of the students and should increase the desire to teach which can then boost the student’s desire to learn.

INTRO

The way children learn is beginning to change with the advancements in technology and teaching methods.  Many objects and situations can have an effect on student’s learning abilities.  Everything with a building from wall and floor color to the material selected for the building will affect the learning environment and how the students are learning and teachers are teaching.  Feeling safe while at school also has an effect on the learning environment.  Feeling safe from possible outside threats as well as from bullies at school is a very crucial aspect of the learning environment.

The layout of the classroom is also in a state of change. The traditional classroom with rows of desk facing the front of the classroom where the teacher stands and lectures is being replaced with more interactive spaces. [1]  With the interactive spaces, students are able to work together in groups and with a more hands on approach. By eliminating the rows of desk it is less likely for a student to get lost in the back of the classroom.  With a major problem in school being bullying, it is necessary to consider ways to design the building to reduce bullying behavior.

By utilizing different building materials and colors within the building and classrooms, can it affect the moods of those occupying the building?  By designing a building without blind spots for kids to hide behind the bullying should be reduced, creating an environment that will feel more welcoming to all the students. With the effected moods and the feeling of being safe in spaces designed to allow students to learn freely, will create a learning environment that will help teach the students.

METHODS

The research will look at the correlation of the built environment and its effects on the learning environment. Changes in the way children are learning and teachers are teaching and how the learning environment is changing spatially because of the new teaching methods. Sitting in on various classrooms and watching how the students and teachers are interacting first hand will be beneficial to understanding what the needs of the learning spaces are and what can begin to be done differently. Interviewing teachers of different grade levels will on what they would like to see in a classroom to assist them in educating the students. The research will include an in depth look at previous solutions to education and capture the relevant information from those case studies.  Crow Island Elementary near Chicago showed that even going back as far as 50 plus years will be necessary to fully understand the importance of school design.

[1] Anne P. Taylor. “Buildings That Teach: Design and Learning Go Hand in Hand.” www.edutopia.org    

What does it really mean?

By Randy Thoms

            Recently there have been debates and questions on the meaning of: what is tall?  Is it really “all relative?”  Within our own surroundings there are big buildings and tall buildings.  Which have a local context and value and adhere to the local vernacular?

For one town to say “we have the tallest building” seems meaningless.  Does it add economic value and social value to its surroundings?  Maybe, but for those whom experience their local building typology on a daily basis, have its own intrinsic value and purpose.

            What I am discussing is the announcement of 1WTC in New York, NY being labeled as the tallest building in the United States at 1,776 ft, overtaking the 1,450 ft Willis Tower¹ (like Prince, formerly known as Sears Tower) in Chicago, IL.  It will be the third tallest in the world behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 2,717 ft and the Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Saudi Arabia at 1,972 ft.²  Now let us take a closer look, 1WTC is reaching that height with a 400 ft tall spire on the top of the building, which is then holding a light beacon affixed to its top.  Really?  If the purpose of buildings is to house, shelter and support humans, then should not any given portion of a tall building be accessible by said humans? The Willis Tower has higher, occupiable floors unlike 1WTC.  So as to be experienced by the general public and workers therein?

            Here locally, on Southern Illinois University campus in Carbondale, there are three building the house Freshman and Sophomore students, “The Towers”, as they have become known by the students.  These are the tallest buildings in town, and some would say a local landmark, not just in design, but also as a beacon to where campus is upon entering town.  These towers hold great significance to the local population, student or otherwise.  These buildings are just as important, if not more, that some title of “tallest building” in the US or World.

            This is where architecture comes into play, into focus in the aspect of defining space and social usefulness.  A building does not have to be the biggest or tallest to hold together a community or family unit.  A good design, attention to details and client dreams and aspirations all working in concert bring about a sense of space down to the human scale. As an owner of a Renovation business, I would explain to my clients that my job may only last a few months, or even weeks, but you, the client, have to live with the final product everyday for much, much longer.  So with a little direction, manipulation and design, I was there to realize their vision and ideas.  That is what Architecture is all about, really.

1.      http://www.willistower.com/building-information/history-and-facts

2.      http://www.archdaily.com/447772/ctbuh-crowns-one-world-trade-as-tallest-building-in-us/

Architecture for a Change, Mamelodi, Pretoria, South Africa

By Kristopher Teubel

Throughout undergraduate studies, as well as graduate studies thus far, my classmates and I have been taught about a great number of design parameters and techniques.  As important as these subjects are, one must understand the reason and motivation for their design.  Without a clear identity and purpose, any project is in danger of failure when implemented.  Architecture often has the ability to make great strides toward the betterment of humanity.

            One example of such altruistic design can be found in Pretoria, South Africa in an informal settlement known as Mamelodi.  According to archdaily.com, the architects in charge, Anton Bouwer, Dirk Coester, and John Saaiman, worked together to bridge the gap between the local informal and formal housing.  Many inhabitants of Mamelodi and similar settlements lack proper water supply, electrical connection, and storm water drainage.

            The housing units reference the local informal housing materiality with a zinc exterior sheathing.  This also acts as resilient coverage from the outside elements.  The unit's wall condition also includes thermal insulation.  This feature that many people from more affluent regions take for granted is not often found in the other preexisting units of the settlement.  Each edge and corner of the unit are sealed with rubber for air and water tightness.  The units are prefabricated in order to better meet the high housing demand of Mamelodi.  The unit is elevated off grade to aid in drainage below it.  This elevation also allows for a simple front stoop to also become seating for the local citizens.

                 Beyond the composition of the structure, the unit also addresses energy needs for its inhabitants by providing a photovoltaic panel on the roof.  The panel charges a battery that powers four internal lights, a 12V charger, and two exterior lights.  During the day, the unit can be lit by an included skylight that employs a double skin system to improve its thermal qualities.  Due in part to local water scarcity, the unit also employs a one-thousand liter water tank to collect water run-off.  This supplemental water storage could alleviate a large amount of daily work for the settlement's inhabitants.  It is intended to be used for general washing and even small-scale farming.  The unit has already been erected in the settlement.  With only a team of three, the units could be erected within a day.

            With very little effort, one can find various similar examples of how architecture can be the means for great improvement in the world.  Just as the citizens of Mamelodi have been aided by architecture, many other regions of the world still have a great need for such help.  To begin the job, one must be cognizant of the needs of others and what they can do about it. Most importantly, it also requires the understanding of the purpose and potential architecture has for the world.

References

"Mamelodi POD / Architecture for a Change" 22 Aug 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed 12 Nov 2013. <http://www.archdaily.com/?p=418486>

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