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.

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!

Net Zero Buildings

The fact that the world is facing regarding global warming is something we should really be aware of, and act about. This is why architects and engineers have really got their heads into creating green system that keep the environment from being damages when building houses. There are two main aspects that can damage the environment in a house. First of all, the construction process and the materials it might need. Normally, these materials damage the environment in the moment they are built. The other way a house can cause damages to nature is by the gas emissions, the electrical energy usage and the water waste there might be in it. These are the most important areas to cover. A house that keeps these three things controlled is considered to be a green house.

These systems are not only available to be used and applied in houses, but also in any kind of building. The newest system is called Net-Zero energy generation. This system basically manages the spaces, materials and electrical installation to make the building self-supplied when it comes to energy. This means that it will have no external energy source like any other house or building there is. People normally think that this is made by only using a solar panel. However, solar panels have a great disadvantage. They only work if they are supplied by the sun. During the winter, when people see no sun for entire weeks, it is important to have side systems.

Net zero buildings have special floors for example. These floors generate energy out of the friction caused by shoes of people walking over it. This is ideal for buildings that have a lot of people movement. Of course, net zero buildings use solar panels as well, and they also have hidden mills that generate energy from wind. This leaves us with the fact that these buildings are almost a 100% auto sustainable when it comes to energy. The nice thing about NetZero is that companies are interested in adding these systems to their buildings because they would save money on energy as they wouldn’t have to pay for it anymore. This invites people to adopt the new technology. There are some green systems out there that really don’t offer any kind of benefit for the buyer. A very low percentage of people are interested in investing money for the world sadly. So if a system is not attractive to companies, there is no way it will help the environment ever.

Today, architects and engineers are joining this idea with the “green” buildings. These buildings are created with materials that cause minimal damage to the world in their creation and existence. Some of them are more expensive than traditional ones, and some are cheaper. However, specialists are working very hard in making them 100% efficient so that people will be more interested in getting them. In the moment they actually achieve this, there will be Net Zero buildings that will also be green. This way, houses and other buildings will no longer damage the earth as they do today. It will take a long time until a good number of constructions start using this systems. However, it is totally necessary take care of the environment, or what’s left of it, now that we still can do it.

There is definitely no doubt that there will be hundreds of more ideas on this niche. More architects are adding to teams that research about these things every day. A green-building era is approaching to us and it is something to really adopt and take advantage of.

Interior Design Grows more Expensive

When it comes to prices in architecture, there are various aspects that can come to affect the cost of a final construction. As time goes by, architects and material providers have looked for the way to reduce the costs of their services and products respectively. This is done in order to, obviously, get more clients. Today, it is impressive how people are so worried about finding low-cost designers and low-cost materials more than finding quality on their projects. So, this has brought companies to try to find the way to provide low cost services and products that offer good quality as well. This way people would see both of their needs totally satisfied; quality and price.

Now there is a third aspect that has come to stage in the last years. This is the care that architects and material providers have started to have about the environment. Green and friendly materials are all over the stores. Architects are also applying new techniques to build houses powered by the sun and other systems that somehow take care of the environment.

Now architects have to find the way to not lose their clients due to this. The problem is that environmentally friendly products are not always the best or most efficient ones at the moment of constructing. They are also not the cheapest ones most of the times. This forces architects to spend more material and more time in making the construction safe enough using these materials. People that are into building a green house are not always aware of the price difference there is between one of those and a normal house.

Architects that deal directly with material providers in order to make things simpler for their clients have started to have some issues when it comes to interiors. Interiors were not affected by the aspects described above. This was exactly were architects balanced their spending to generate a good price. They looked for a way to lower the spending inside the house even if the outside was impossible to lower. However, for some reason, interior materials have come to increase their prices strongly. Lamps, furniture, floors, ceiling, all there is in an interior has come to be more expensive. This was something that had not happened for dozens of years. However, recently, designers have had to start charging more for their services as it is more expensive for them to materialize what they design.

This notable price increasing has been studied, and it has been proven that Europe is suffering it more than America. This is due to a simple fact. Thousands of interior material producers are installed in the United States and other parts of America. In America, generally, it is cheaper to produce materials than in Europe. Handcrafting is a lot more expensive in Europe in fact. Also, America doesn’t really have to worry about shipping costs. In the other hand, Europe does have to pay shipping costs in order to get products from America.

Why is this something to be worried about? Well, a very characteristic thing about inflation of prices is that once a price increases, it never decreases again. This makes us understand that prices will stay as high as they are now, or simply increase more. This will force interior designers to pay more for their materials and charge more for their services, which lowers the amount of clients they will have. This way an economical crisis is clearly starting to hit the interior designing niche. The only thing that there is to do is finding the best materials at the best prices in order to lower the total construction cost. Even if you are the client or the architect, look for the way to lower your prices without living quality aside.

Building Wood Houses

The usage of wood in house building started differently in every country. When researching about the history of architecture from various places, it is easy to see that every region started using wood in different moments. However, thanks to globalization and communication facilities, modernized systems of using good in construction have been added to the market. We have come to the point in which artisanal wood treating has been almost taken out of the picture due to the introduction of industrial wood. Huge factories with automated machines are the ones in charge of providing wood for constructions today. There are certain things that have to be taken into consideration when building a house with wood. These are purely the builder’s responsibility.

Preparing and cleaning the field: in order to start tracing the house in a piece of land, it is important to clean the field in the following way:

Removing the trees inside the property that can get in the way of the project. It is important to remove the roots.

1. Remove rocks if necessary.
2. If the terrain was used before, all past cementations should be removed as well.
3. Remove all brushes that can make the construction more difficult.

Leveling the area: Making sure that the field is as even as it is needed for the construction to be successful is the first thing to do. Remember that this is something you will be able to do until the final planning and design of the house is completed. A slight uneven area on the field is enough to make a house deteriorate a lot easier with years. Architects are very aware of how to do this. This is probably one of the most basic processes that have to take place before building a house, especially if it will be built with mostly wood. Remember that wood behaves very differently from concrete. It is normal to hear about concrete houses that have no problems with rain for example. However, wood can be affected easily with rain. Each material in construction is different, and there are plenty of procedures that are recommended for each.

Now, the size, density and type of wood will vary depending on the size of the building and its shape. Some designs will require stronger supports, which need thicker, denser wood. However, thicker wood will always be expensive, and prices are certainly something to take special care of. So, the real challenge is to find the balance between quality and efficiency, at the best price.

Wood is a material that can be used to build only in some regions. A very wet area where rain is too strong is not the ideal place to build a wooden house. However, if someone in this region really likes wooden houses and the way they look, it is always a good option to opt for a wooden façade. Wooden facades are normally what people choose to use, and they work just fine. This is because wooden facades are normally not 100% wood. This allows producers to make the material a lot more water-resistant, even if it becomes weaker. Therefore, as the wood will not have to hold the house, but only decorate it, it can be weak.

The interior can also be covered with an interior wooden façade. Today it is possible to build a normal, concrete house and make it look like a wooden one. This way, we can avoid all the processes and spending that a wooden house’s construction requires. Of course, fifty years ago, all houses that looked wooden were actually wooden. Technology has advanced very quickly in the last years, and this allows us to make just about any design we want and bring it to life.

Department of Architecture’s Hilton Pattaya Reviews

 Located in the Pattaya beach, the Hilton Hotel offers one of the freshest and most luxury concepts available in the region. The Department Of Architecture’s architects are the responsible of creating outstanding design in the most important parts of the building. These parts are the First Floor lobby, the Main lobby, the bar and various recreational areas. The building has been effectively rated as outstanding thanks to the great designing skills of these architects. The team spent a lot of time on creating the plans and designing brand new concepts of interior designing. It is for sure that most of the things that are available in the Hilton hotel are not available in any other place in the world. This is because the architects on the team set the objective of creating unique styles that would be never seen before by people. The building has a great view to the beach in front of it. This was a reason for the architects to create an interior design that had something to do with ocean and tropical climates. The team started from scratch with a clear concept in mind. This is what they have managed to create; a top quality building that offers great luxuries to people visiting it. Of course, the hotel is more expensive than a common Hilton hotel in a normal city.

For example, the lobby and the bar are both a combination of waves and sandy colors. The walls and roof give a very soft sensation, which gives a great effect to the bar, especially during the night time. The place is perfect for those moments of music and crowd. However, while the pace is almost empty, It gives a very calmed sensation that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. The lobby, which is the first thing people, sees when entering the hotel has to be one of the most sensational things inside the building. Let’s remember that the first impression is always very important when it comes to hotels. People never expect any good experiences from an hotel that looks mediocre from the first step inside. So, the lobby was a very important place to design. However the Department of Architecture is extremely good at its job. The lobby is considered to be one of the most thematic and attractive places in the area.

When designing an interior, it is very important to consider several things. Some architects are only worried about the way colors are combined, and whether they match or not. However, there are other things to carry about. For example, it is very important for an interior to be inviting and personal. If an interior feels somehow indifferent, it will be very hard to make people feel comfortable inside. A combination of colors, textures and appreciation angles is what makes an interior a nice place to be in. The team has managed to accomplish all those goals and design the best lobby of all Hilton’s history.

Other linking parts in the hotel, which are usually nothing more than hallways, are very well decorated as well. There are ceiling arrangements that include very unusual light patterns all over the place. This gives it a very wavy, ocean like style. This is what makes the place very thematic, as it is located in front of the beach. The place has been designed to be both simple and complex at the same time. This way the concept is kept fresh, but also very luxury.

The Hilton Pattaya is definitely a place to visit sometime in the next couple of years.

Architecture vs. Engineering

 As human beings, our instinctive need forces us to find safe ways to live and shelter. Psychological studies unveil that this is caused by a survival method. Our number one priority as living things is to remain safe and far away from any significant danger. In very early times, we had to deal with rain, snow, extreme heat and other climate conditions. We had no access to any solid shelter or a way to completely be protected from all these things. However, our response to this situation was to create stronger houses. Houses were made out of wood, leaves, and mostly plants. Thousands of years later, we started a period known as the stone era. In this period of time we were able to build structures with stone. It was easy to see how stone was a lot stronger than wood when it came to rain and wind. Also, rocks remained fresh during very hot climates. Wood, in the other hand, tended to start fires when it was too hot. Little by little we started discovering different new technologies that were helpful for our ways of living. A long time later, we started using various mixtures that worked as a pasting material between rocks more efficiently. This was the principle of cement. As our chemical technology became more advanced, so did our architecture.

About 100 years ago, buildings were already all over cities. Also, it was easy to see that they were many stories in each building. No one was creating single story projects anymore. People was able to see that our technology and knowledge allowed us then to finally make bigger things and take more advantage of the space we used.

The truth is that we have never been independent from our contexts and what surrounds us. Of course, we lived as nomads for some time, and that was the reason why a strong existential instability came to us in that time. However, the more we accept our need for shelter, the better we can start using our knowledge to improve our way of living.

Today, structures are mostly built by two groups of professionals; engineers and architects. There are a lot of persons that are not clear about the difference between these two. Some say that architects only take care of the design; others say that engineers only revise designs and approve them. However, they are both very necessary, especially when it comes to today’s modern structures.

Architects are directly specialized in creating a functional, efficient area that not only looks well, but also accomplishes al its objectives. So they are not just about designing layouts, but also taking care of every little aspect that makes a structure actually work. What do engineers do then?

Well, in most of all countries, engineers take care of the pure scientific aspect of a project. By this I mean all the calculations, measurements and safety measurements that building a structure can require. Most of all engineers are also able to design very competitive layouts and complete several architecture jobs. However, architects are normally not 100% capable of creating designs as exact as n engineer would. Obviously, engineers receive several courses that an architect never gets to learn such as physics, more math and others.

What advantages does architecture has over engineering? Well architecture is a lot more artistic, and the career itself is oriented to an artistic direction. Architects also take management courses that make them capable of completing several managing jobs as well. Architects can be hired as graphic designers or other artistic jobs differently from engineers whose labor is purely scientific.