2012 New trends in architecture

Architecture is on fast track of change in present time due to the great increase in land values. Demand of style accelerated the change. Space creation with aesthetic value is going to be limited with the passage of time. Architecture is the most useful form of art. Great changes in the field of architecture revolutionized due to various technological advances. Creativity in architecture is in danger due to commercialism. In past, the purpose of architecture was to create space of comfort, protection and rest. This has now changed due to globalization. Architects are taking designs and visions of past and then recreating these in new from which are more comfortable.

Owing to the fact that people are getting richer due to more income now-a-days, various urban products are booming up in the market. In homes kitchen and bathroom architecture created revolution in the market. Healthy designs provide the occupants with more daylight, making the environment healthier and more comfortable. New architectural trends are focusing on the enhancement of air ventilation. New trends now also focus on the minimum habitat disruption, more efficient use of energy and land, take advantage of native landscaping to ensure a look style, usage of building material which has less impact on environment. Depending upon the demands, indoor pools, fitness areas, garages all are provided in new architectural styles.

Along with buildings and houses, new trends in school architecture have become popular now-a-days. Along with classrooms architects place, other places such as gym, central courtyards, art departments, parking facility below the courtyard creates an open feelings. Use of natural light in effective way is also a good trend in architecture. In new architectural styles, use of glass with appropriate glazes in buildings is also increasing in order to use energy more efficiently. Use of solar energy in buildings will reduce load on other energy sources.

Computer aided designs drafts in the form of CAD or CADD are used now a days. This new technology is very helpful to create three dimensional designs. With the new softwares the world of architecture has completely changed compared to the past. HSB turning Torso, Weismen Art Museum, Shanghai world financial centre, Transamerica Pyramid, Valencia opera house, Torre Marenostrum and many more are examples of modern architecture.

Now a day, many clients and builders are focusing on the maximum utilization of natural resources due to increase in energy costs. The main objectives of new trends are how to effectively use solar energy in modern houses and buildings and the aesthetic beauty. Real essence of architecture is not only designing a building but it should include its surrounding environment. Architecture has a power to change the lifestyle of people. Huge massive structures with aesthetic sense have impacts on individual’s life.

Today green living and green for future generations are popular terms. Green designs started from 1920s by an architect named Rudolf Schindler. Regional climate and environmental sensitivity are the key objectives of this new trend. Schindler’s designs were based on elements like concrete and wood. Fluidity of outer environment in to interior of building was the main target of this trend. Many modern architects are using this trend. Currently green architecture is a new revolution which is focusing on utilization of space, site, and energy more efficiently. Reduction of wastes and protection of environment are new visions. Protection of occupants’ health is the main focus of new designs. Due to the trend of green architecture, there is now reduced use of chemicals which have adverse effects on human health, minimizing environmental hazards. Also waste materials are less toxic to the environment. Architecture is such type of art that is changing with the passage of time.

The True Beauty of Architecture

There are some fields in the world which students are hesitant to study. Architecture is one of them. People basically do not understand this field properly, hence they assume wrong. Just like any other field, if you have strong desire in you to become an architect only then should you opt for it. This field is so much time consuming that you would have to give up all of your social life. If you are interested in this field then such a compromise would start to eat you up and you would not be able to concentrate on work. People who love the study of architecture take it to be an art and devote their time to it. Some people just think that there isn’t enough scope for such a profession. Well such thoughts are laughable since people are not going to quit making homes and building or renovating them.

All in all architecture is a very important field and needs to be studied by determined and interested students. You can also say that this field is the oldest among all that you might know. Design of any structure, which has a purpose, comes under this field. It might seem easy but giving every aspect of a structure, a purpose, is not an easy thing. Not even a creative mind can do it. For this reason people are getting education in this field, which allows them to harness a great level of skills regarding architecture. People who are familiar with this field take it to be an implemented art. Art is basically anything which you draw over a paper. Implementing that art would mean to recreate the drawing. This is not as easy as it might sound. Implementation of a good piece of art would make you feel proud. However, there is so much room for error that every now and then an architect leaves a dent in the art. Basically the key role of an architect is to make something look beautiful and ensure that the design has purpose and meaning to it as well.

When you look at the tallest building in the world, Burj Dubai, you find its design quite attractive. However, you would not know the reason for its design to be like that. As the building is tall, it has to face quite some high winds in the upper altitude. If the design would not have been such then the building would have rocked from here to there and eventually the structure would have broken. Taipai in Taiwan is also a tall building which faces extremely high winds. Same goes for the shanghai world finance center. These building are the greatest examples of seeing a design support a vital function and the true art of an architect.

Apart from the design, an architect must also involve themselves with the construction material. People usually think that a civil engineer looks over such things. However, the conclusion is reached with the help of an architect. In simpler terms, an architect knows the design; he or she knows which material would best uphold the purpose and glory of the building and give it strength alongside as well. Using masonry to build tall buildings might seem to be a good idea since they end up producing the strongest of structures. If you consider the weight of the building and the flexibility required in a building, you would come to know that the strongest material is not always the best solution.

Architecture is a field worthy of admiration rather than hesitation. The study of this field allows a structure to fulfill its purpose throughout its life.

Learn Architecture is Science Not Drawing

The work of an architect requires creativity of extreme levels. However, creativity is not the only thing required for becoming an architect. Proper education and a certain level of experience is required if you want to become and architect. Many people give examples of great architecture being built without any accredited degree. They point towards the wonders of the world to establish their claims. You need to remember that the times have changed. And even in the older days not everyone could be an architect. There is certain level of knowledge of science required to design structures. Observe the pyramids in Egypt carefully and look at the precision with which they are made. You need to have some certification to prove to companies that you are worthy of designing for them. Though you might have knowledge of CAD and other up to date technology regarding the field, you still would not be a licensed architect. In order to do that, every country has put up certain requirements. There are ways of becoming an architect without getting enrolled in any bachelors programs. However, these methods are not available for people living everywhere.

If you think that you can start designing projects without education, then you are wrong. There are certain steps to avoid the bachelors though. First of all you need to check with the accreditation body of your respective state. Keep in mind that rules and regulations usually vary between the states. The alternative of not doing bachelors would require you to have quite some years of experience. Not to mention you would have to undergo a bothersome number of diplomas. In short there is no way that you can skip education in the process of becoming an architect. After that you would need to apply as an architect to your state.

This all is bothersome work. Take the simple road and you would end up with quality of knowledge and a decent experience as well. The only drawback of doing bachelors and masters is that you would have to cut up with your social life. Usually universities offer 5 years of bachelors and 2 or 3 years of masters programs. There are certain things which you need to know about architecture. It is true that it requires creativity and determination to make a design. However, it involves usage and manipulation of numbers as well. So if you are weak or hate mathematics then choose another line of work. Apart from that there is nothing else that you should be worried about. Pass your senior high school with a B grade as the average and apply to a collage well before your senior high is over. Do not forget to check the accreditation of the collage you are applying to. You can do bachelors in architecture or you could do bachelors in related or not related field and then do masters in architecture.

Do not just apply to one institution. Send your admission to as many accredited institutions as possible. CAD and other new technology to aid and guide you professionally would be taught in the semesters. Do not waste your summers by doing nothing. Apply for internships or a part time job so that you might have experience before you get the degrees. Keep in mind that you need to apply everywhere well within the due date. Also ensure that all your paper work is properly compiled and completed while you are sending it. Any missing document might delay the procedure and you might miss the deadline. Check in with the accredited body of your state for the requirements of becoming a licensed architect for further information.

Architecture Is Only Bounded by the Human Mind

Certain things cannot be traced back to their origins. People find it easy to label their origins of such fields to exist as “since man came into existence”. Architecture is one such field which falls under such a label. There is no definition to it, nor can its discovery or invention can be dated. This is such a creative field that one can only grow it and make as vaster as they want. You cannot say that architecture only came into existence after certain level of civilization. People living in caves and in the wilderness also designed their habitat in such a way that they were comfortable in it. You can relate an igloo to architecture as well.

While such structures are just for mere survival, there are some which are made out of competition or luxury. One of the most famous competitions among buildings is not about their beauty but their height. The reason behind it can be the fact that beauty cannot be calibrated and height can be. Man continues to show the marvels of architecture and builds sky scrapers taller and taller. There was once a time when Empire States building used to be a definition of sky scrapers. However, these days, its height (1,250 ft), is not that much of a competition when you compare it with other tall buildings. With a height of over 2,000 ft, Burj Dubai, also known as Burj Khalifa, is the tallest building standing today.

Thanks to the design and creativity of architects, building such tall structures became possible. It seems that the creative mind of an architect can manipulate a building according to the dreams of a person. However, just like everything else in this world, the art of architecture is not always perfect. To construct such tall buildings their lifespan had to suffer. This is exactly what is happening to structures these days. In older times, the structures used to be made out of masonry. To reach the skies, architects had to let go of the stone and find a lighter alternative. This does not mean that these tall buildings are not safe. These building would just not be able to share the glorious and long life of old structures like The Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Pyramids of Egypt, Coliseum (also known as colosseum) and etc. The secret of such extra ordinary lifespan of these amazing structures lie in their architectural design.

It is up to an architect to design a suitable structure and select the best possible material to build that structure. This also includes the method of preparation of the structure as well. Masonry is the art which gives these old buildings such extra ordinary life. It is the oldest method of making any structure, even an igloo is made by using this method. Masonry involves usage of large blocks made of brick or concrete as the building blocks of a structure. In case of an igloo the same principles are applied but the blocks are made of ice. The skill of masonry is quite expensive these days because of its scarcity. The skill is also rare as there is much less demand for it. People prefer taller buildings to the stronger ones these days. However, in places where earthquakes are frequent, masonry is much needed.

If you think that masonry does not go under the heading of architecture then you are wrong. People usually think that such a building would not be beautiful hence it would not require any aid from the architect. Taj Mahal is the most beautiful example of masonry, so think before labeling masonry as non-architectural.

The Most Endangered Places of America

Every year, The National Trust for Historic Preservation creates a list of the most endangered places in America. This is done with the objective of making something in order to change these facts. This way we can keep historic places from falling into pieces. We are responsible of keeping every piece of culture there is intact in order to save our history. This 2012’s places include a mountain, a Chinatown, a house from a famous jazz artist and other surprising places. The National Trust never came with such a list before. So it is interesting to know what they have to say about these places.

This year, The Trust also introduced a new concept. This is a “watch list”. What they mean by this is some kind of observation list in which they include those places that seem to be in danger of being endangered. This way it is easier to keep track of places and prevent them from being on the endangered list.

The president of the Trust, Stephanie Meeks, commented that the objective of creating such a list is encouraging people from around these places to take care of their landmarks and historic places. It is also meant to impulse people to look for a solution for the place as well, even if they don’t live near it. So basically this list’s objective is to make people aware of the places and the important pieces of history that are about to end unless we do something about it.

This Year’s most endangered historic places are:

Bear Butte Meade County, S.D. – This is a very tall mountain measuring more than 4,400 feet tall. In the Black Hills of South Dakota, people tend to call this mountain the Mato Paha. The Trust reports that this mountain is actually a sacred place for about 17 tribes, and this is the main reason why it has to be respected and kept from being destroyed.

John Coltrane House, Dix Hills, NY – This house belonged to John Coltrane. He was one of the most known jazz artists of history. He lived in this house with his family for a long time until he died in 1967. A group in that time took ownership of the place. However, this group is today going through a difficult economical moment and counts with no funds to hold the house.

Isaac Manchester Farm, Avella, Pa. – A 400 acre farm in which eight generations of a family lived is something to really take care of. This is actually considered a time capsule of the whole farming process there was through the years and its evolution. Sadly, it is threaten by cal mining in the area.

Greater Chaco Landscape, N.M. – There is a wide variety of historical, native places in north New Mexico. However, oil and gas exploitation in the area are really representing a strong thread for this exceptional piece of American history in New Mexico.

National Soldiers Home Historic District, Milwaukee, Wis. – this campus has hosted thousands of veteran soldiers. This is why the place is considered a real piece of the bravest soldiers in the United States. This is a place in which thousands of incredible heroes have laid their heads to rest after serving their country. Today, it suffers from deferred maintenance.

China Alley, Hanford, Calif. – Chinese immigrants came to American land, in California, about 130 years ago. They actually plant their roots in the San Joaquin Valley and built themselves what we know today as the china town. These days, people consider this area to be a touristic place, which is almost entirely truth. However, people that work and leave there have caused strong damages in the installations, and the authorities are not moving a finger to stop so.

Ideas To Improve Home Air Quality

Here some ideas to improve you home air quality and save energy:

- Ensure your thermostat is located in an area that's not too cold or hot.

- Install an automatic timer to maintain the thermostat at 68 degrees in the daytime and 55 degrees during the nighttime.

- Use storm or thermal windows in colder areas. The layer of air between the windows acts as insulation and helps keep the heat inside where you are interested.

- If you haven't already, insulate your attic and all outside walls.

- Insulate floors over unheated spaces for example your basement, any crawl spaces and your garage.

- Close off the attic, garage, basement, spare bedrooms and storage areas. Heat just those rooms that you use.

- Seal gaps around any pipes, wires, vents or other openings that could transfer your heat to areas that are not heated.

- Dust is an excellent insulator and tends to build up on radiators and baseboard heat vents.

Most people have no idea that common indoor air quality practices reduce home air heating costs too:

- Rain and moist may bring moisture indoors, creating dampness, mold and mildew -- big problems for healthy indoor air. Check your roof, foundation and basement or crawlspace once a year to catch leaks or moisture problems and route water away from your home's foundation.

- Help to keep asthma triggers away from your home by fixing leaks and drips when they start. Standing water and high humidity encourage the growth of dust mites, mold and mildew -- probably the most common triggers that can worsen asthma. Make use of a dehumidifier or ac unit when needed, and clean both regularly.

- High levels of moisture in your house increase dampness and the growth of mold, which not only damage your home but threaten health. Install and run exhaust fans in bathrooms to remove unhealthy moisture and odors out of your home.

- Ventilate your kitchen stove directly outside or open a kitchen window when you cook. Keeping exhaust -- including cooking odors and particles -- outside of your home prevents dangerous fumes and particles from harming you or your family.

The World’s New Tallest Skyscraper

Skyscrapers have been being built for about 50 years now. Since the United States started building them, other countries also wanted to create them in their lands. The truth is that skyscrapers are on of engineering’s best innovations. Before skyscrapers were built, buildings’ sizes were limited to the size of the terrain in which they were built. However, today it is possible to create hundreds of stories over a single area of land. This is exactly the same as multiplying the efficiency of a building. Of course, building a skyscraper is a lot more expensive than building a normal structure. However, it is still a lot cheaper than buying a whole bunch of terrains and filling them all with 2 stories buildings.

Skyscrapers are higher every decade. Until now, the highest skyscraper is the well-know Burj Al-Khalifa in Dubai. This building was designed by Adrian Smith and it is more than 2,500 feet tall. That is about 820 meters. Imagine a building that is almost one kilometer high! It is taller than we can imagine. People that have visited skyscrapers mention their uniqueness as it is something totally new for everyone. This year, it has been announced that the world will see a new skyscraper. Not just any skyscraper, but the tallest one that has ever been built. It will be located in Saudi Arabia under the name of Kingdom Tower. This name was chosen because the building will host many different concepts inside its walls. This won’t be a tall hotel, or a tall condo complex. This will actually be some kind of vertical kingdom. It will tower hotels, five stars apartments, condos, an observatory, offices, stores and much more. The idea of this huge complex is to offer its visitors and residents all that they need inside its 4 walls. This way they would be changing the current concept of skyscraper that the world.

This huge tower will be significantly taller than the current tallest building in Dubai. Its designer, who is also Adrian Smith, states that it will be 568 feet (173 meters) taller than the Burj Al-Khalifa. This means that the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia will be actually 1 km high! For those that know about the past, and have had some kind of experience knowing about technology in the decade of the 50’s it is easy to know that in that time, buildings like this one were not even dreamed. No one thought that it was possible to tower one kilometer of material over such a limited terrain. Maybe they didn’t think it was impossible to do, but it was definitely way too expensive to even think about it.

Today, technology allows us to create awesome concepts that were thought impossible some time ago. Of course, they are not cheap at all. The current skyscraper will cost 1.2 billion dollars to be built. This is only the price for the building itself. The total price for the Kingdom Tower, including its final details is 20 billion dollars.

Behind this mind blowing project we have its designers; Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill. They both are from Chicago and have professionalized their careers in the creation of structures. Now, this project is no longer just a plan. The building process is scheduled to start soon, and there seem to be no problems in the way. In fact, the best thing about this skyscraper is its location. The Middle East has remained very strong and wealthy during this critical economic period. This is a great advantage as it practically ensures the project’s success as a commercial element in the area. We should be seeing a great engineering miracle again very soon!