Monday Night Lecture

That lecture was a little weird. Not exactly what I was expecting for the architecture lecture. He was going on about paintings and sculpture. Maybe I did not go into the lecture with an open mind on what it could be. I should start going in there with no preconceived ideas.

Painting from: http://www.playingbythebook.net/2010/06/07/an-australian-alphabet/

Case Study's

On friday everyone presented their case studies they did on different libraries. It helped a lot learning about the different stats for every library. It was interesting that in some libraries stack space is a lot bigger than others. Meeting places and exhibit spaces are becoming a lot more important in newer libraries. At the top is a picture of one of our partis that we are working on. We plan to keep the curves in the original building for we feel like it is a strong design idea.

It's Almost Presentation Time

I have been finding some really good information over the library I am doing research for. It is incredible seeing how design changes just within a few years. The library I am researching has been designed by one of my favorite firms and I think they have done a great job. The circulation however has a lot more space in this new library; a lot more open areas. Seating is included in the circulation area so it is interesting how they are combining the two into one area.

Library Walk Through

Yesterday we did our walk through at the library that we are doing a addition too. It helped a lot going to the site and seeing what  the librarians need when they are working. When designing the addition I am going to try to find a new way to do the help desk and also look at designing some furniture for the space.

Congradulations

CONGRATULATIONS to all of my fellow Aggies for getting there rings yesterday. I can't wait to get mine and join the family. The ring represents all of the hard work someone has to put in to attend Texas A&M University. What a great day it will be when I get mine.

Picture from: https://clearlakemoms.aggienetwork.com/aggiering

Master Builders

              The book Refabricating Architecture says, "The master builder was a person who combined the roles of architect, builder, engineer, and scientist. Most buildings, both modest and aspiring, were designed and erected by master builders until only a few hundred years ago." As the book says hundreds of years ago there were master builders that designed and built most buildings, however today we have different professions that specialize in different areas.

            Master builders were very common several years ago; they men who did it all. They designed, engineered and built buildings way before their own time. This brings a very interesting question up; are their any master builders today? Specifically, should an architect be a master builder? I believe this question can be answered either yes or no depending on the way you view an architects role. An architect is a master builder in the sense that they are the project leader; they are in charge of the whole team working on it. The architect is in charge of so many elements of a structure that is never even seen by a spectator. How would this space make someone feel? Where can I run the electrical and plumbing of a building? What materials would look best on this building? These don’t even touch the surface as to how many questions an architect has to answer everyday. An architect is a master of his or her own trade. Their trade is under a massive spectrum and they are in charge of so much.

            Another way of looking at the question, Is an architect a master builder? Today more and more people are getting college educations and specializing in different building areas. With people specializing in more detailed positions such as engineering, architecture, and construction science it is not as essential to be a “master builder”. A “master builder” now consists of a whole team that comes together to work on a project. With big projects, architects, engineers, and contractors have started meeting early in the design process to work together from the beginning instead of meeting till the end. The architect however is still the leader of all of these professionals. “Architect”= Master builder. An architect has to be in charge of the overview of the project because it is his vision on what the space should be. An architect can still be a master builder if he has a team working under him or her.

          Refabricating Architecture says, “By allowing architecture to become reduced to the current degree and by relinquishing responsibility for assembly, product development, and materials science to specialists, the architect has allowed the means and methods of building to move outside the sphere of architecture.” An architect can now work on how people function in a structure because he has a team helping him work on other smaller details. An architect can now pass some of the detail process to his team such as the engineering and construction. An architect is a master builder and artist and a leader, whether he is working by himself or a team. 

Picture From: http://www.mbhomeinspection.com/

New Central Library

I am doing a case study over the New Central Library in Austin, Tx designed by Lake Flato. They started construction on the building in 2013 and should be done in the spring of 2016. I choose this library because it is designed by one of my favorite firms of all time. The way they combine natural light it the interior spaces is incredible and I also love the materials they use.


Picture from: http://library.austintexas.gov/new-central-library

Midnight Rider

We finished!!!! Today was an awesome day to see all of the projects come together. Every team did a great job at solving joint issues that arose during the design process. We will be hanging Midnight on sunday and I can't wait to see it suspended from the ceiling. It's going to be awesome.

It's Almost Done!

Today has been a great day! We assembled our project and it all fit together. While assembling on the ground our main structure of the dinosaur cracked but we were able to fix it really quickly. Tomorrow we have to do some highlighting with the paint and finish all of the tension cables. I'm really excited to see it suspended in the air when it is finished.

Monday Madness

Today has been just another manic monday. We went to buy the wood for our project and it fell out of the truck while we were driving down North gate. We had to run through the street to get the wood while traffic was coming toward us. Also, on top of that my computer crashed this morning so its been a great start to the week. Can't wait to see what else can go wrong!!!!

Its Finally Friday

Its finally the weekend and you know what that means........ Aggie Football happens tomorrow. Not only is this the first game at A&M but it is also the first game in the new stadium. Thousands of people are going to show up tomorrow to support their team and I can't wait to be in that crowd. Also, I can't wait to get rested of this weekend and regather for next week.

Photo found at- http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/5/1/4291104/texas-am-football-stadium-expansion-kyle-field

What is Architecture

What is Architecture? What defines good Architecture? Is there something specific that makes it Architecture? Does Architecture change throughout the years and if so, was it better in the past or present? These are a couple of questions that have been asked for years and will continue to be asked. Our world is growing fast with technology and it will continue for years to come. As our technology advances we are able to change the way we look at architecture and how we design today. Many more opportunities for architects will come in the future because we have more advances with technology to support ideas.

            With all of the technology and education these days all buildings don’t have to have an architect design them; contractors, engineers, etc. can design what they want. This whole idea of someone other than an architect designing a building brings up interesting ideas. What is the difference between Architecture and architecture? Is every building Architecture? If we define Architecture as a well designed building; then I would argue that every building is not Architecture. The difference between Architecture and architecture to me is that one is designed to help better someone’s everyday being. Architecture integrates structure and support into the design, while architecture just uses the structure to hold up the building. Architecture is not just about appearance but it is about function. A building can be the most beautiful structure on this earth but if the function is terrible then that is architecture and not Architecture. To be Architecture, I do not think it has to be designed by an architect; I just think whoever is going to design the building needs to consider every detail as an architect would.

            With everyone with busy schedules these days, everyone now has a time crunch……. design and construction are not necessarily on the same pace as the rest of production. With design, it is a longer process because people like things to be custom made for their houses and buildings. Designers and contractors are trying to come up with new solutions to speed up the building process. One solution that they have come up with is modular building. Modular building can happen away from the construction site and be massed produced and then brought to the site. One of the new dorms on A&Ms campus used modular design for their bathrooms and it worked really well. This method can be used on structures such as hotels, office buildings, dorms, and even some houses. Using this method saves a lot of time and money; the bathrooms or inserts can be customized to the likeness of what the client desires for their residence.

            The definition of Architecture is changing everyday. What it is defined as today might change tomorrow. A few things will always be associated with Architecture and that is function, structure, and esthetics. Technology will continue to take us into a new age and new wonders that have yet to have been imagined.  The question that will always be asked; “What is Architecture?”

           

*Picture found on- http://www.wallpaper786.com/download-beautiful-architecture-wallpapers-for-desktop-2/ 

First Studio Class

First day of studio Junior year was interesting. I did not expect to be build a wooden dinosaur in class but it was awesome. It should be a great semester and I can't wait to see what it holds. Kelsie Kaatz and I will be working together on our first dog house project. I have a couple of ideas but I don't know if any of them are going to work yet.