All Things Must Come to an End

This, I believe, is my final post after going through a new and very interesting adventure. I call this all of this time that I have been blogging and adventure because it is something I would have never thought of doing on my own. In my bucket-list, blogging was definitely in the same section as 'swimming with a shark' or 'riding an elephant'. It was one of those things that I certainly wanted to try out eventually, but wasn't really looking forward to it in a near future. Nevertheless here I am. Over a dozen posts later trying to think what my real thoughts on blogging are. And to be honest, it was a surprisingly good experience. I believe that I have learned a whole lot researching and reading other bloggers. I have found valuable information that normal research would have not allowed me to find, such as being able to personally interact with architects who periodically blog.

With this said, I do not think that I will be blogging in the near future. I  have learned that blogging takes time. Time which I do not have plenty of. In my case, college combined with work, plus extracurricular activities did not leave me with a sufficient amount of time to do an extensive amount of research and write fully edited posts. I will, however, reconsider the idea of blogging later on in the future. After college, and possibly after my career is stable. It will be until then that I will resume my blogging career, but for now I must say good bye.

One World Trade Center: Revised

There have been numerous events in U.S. history that have become unforgettable. The most recent, and one of the most known, are the attacks of September 11, 2001. Almost 13 years have passed by and this event still seems as it happened yesterday, but this does not mean that the country as a whole has not began to move forward. The greatest example of how we as a country are overcoming this tragic event can be seen through the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York. This major project is not just an architectural marvel throughout its 7 different buildings and the 9/11 memorial, but, it is also a symbol of strength and revival to the entire country.

Out of these 7 buildings, the main building is known as the One World Trade Center which I will focus on today. 

The One World Trade Center, previously known as The Freedom Tower, is the center point of the World Trade Center renovation project. The tower was designed to measure 1,776 feet from the ground up to its highest point, the spire, as an allusion to the year in which the Declaration of Independence was signed. This makes it the tallest tower in the country, overtaking the Empire State Building by 526 feet, and the existing Twin Towers by 408 feet. The One World Trade Center also has 104 stories, all covered with over 2,000 pieces of glass. The building also has an unique design compared to the rest of the buildings in New York, allowing it to stand out as a beautiful new addition to the view of the city. The head architect, David Childs, designed two buildings in the World Trade Center project; the 1WTC along with the 7 WTC, which opened back in 2006. His design included the square base of the building, which then divides in to a hexagon-like shape as the structure goes up with slanted glass walls.
This design, although beautiful at sight, has been criticized and has shown certain flaws. On Wednesday, February 19, after one of the very common snow storms in the Northeastern part of the United States in 2013, large amounts of ice began sliding off the building, potentially harming pedestrians. This obviously frightening incident could have been caused by the irregular shape of the building. A reporter from the website Popular Mechanics points out something very interesting in one of his posts. In it he says that architects and engineers could design buildings in a way that would prevent ice from forming at the top of buildings, which then break off and fall dangerously to the ground. Other places where snow is much more common have solved this dilemma with designs that that prevent the break and fall of ice, one example is Russia and its onion shaped roofs. This is a very typical architectural trait from Russia and be seen in many important buildings from that country, but is purpose is not just to look good. The rounded shape prevents ice from forming on top it, any snow or water that falls on top of the roof would simply slide down before being able to freeze in to large chunks. Designers of modern skyscrapers have opted to not include the onion shape roofs, but use a either a type of snow guard that keeps the snow from falling from the sides or inward slanted roofs that contain the snow or ice. Unfortunately, the One World Trade Center does not seem to incorporate any of these additions to it's design. Perhaps the architects and engineers missed a small, little details.

In any case, the building is yet to be completed, but expected to be completed this year. Apart from being a beautiful sight to look at, once it is completed it will encourage many who are still devastated from the attacks of 9/11 on to overcoming such horrible events, and move forward. 

Top Most Beautiful College Campuses, according to Forbes

There are thousands of colleges and universities throughout the United States. As college-bound students, we tend to pick one from this long list of choices based on four main key points; career in mind, academic excellence of the university, price, and the look of the campus. They are all very important, but in this post I would like to focus on the architectural part, the look of the campus. 

Forbes, one of the most known US magazines, created an article in which it gave a list of 'America's most Beautiful College Campuses'. The list contains 15 different campuses from all around the United States. I picked my two top campuses which I would love to be part of, or at least visit. 

1. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA-

     This is certainly one of the most beautiful campuses in my opinion. The main attraction and the center point of UVA is certainly the Rotunda, which was designed by none other then Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800's. His design was influenced by the Pantheon in Rome, which was a symbol of power and wealth to the Romans. 

2. Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Fla-

    I personally like this campus a lot due to the fact that it was designed by one of the greatest architects of all times, Frank Lloyd Wright. In fact, The American Institute of Architects awarded him the title of 'The greatest American Architect of All Time' in 1991. One of the buildings that he designed in this campus was the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. This is a one of a kind chapel completed in 1941 with a completely irregular design that is strange and incredible even by today's standards. 

Apple's Future Headquarter

The vast majority of people, whether they are constantly involved in technology or just a modest smartphone user, are familiar with the brand of Apple. It is quite simply one of the best tech companies in the world, which has created revolutionary products one after the other. From the MacBooks, to iPods, to the iPhone, it has constantly set a high standard of quality and performance that rival companies model themselves after. But, I do not intend to advertise these products, since first of all I am an android user and second this is not a tech blog. What I do wish to highlight is the incredible new headquarters that the company is proposing on building that, similarly to their tech products, redefines design. 


I must point out this building has not even began the initial construction phase, but the plans has all been approved the council of Cupertino, where Apple's headquarter is currently at, and all the necessary paperwork has been filled out. What sets this building apart from any other is the design. It is more then just futuristic; it is out of this world. The entire structure rounded with a large open space in the middle for trees and plants to grow. Many sites refer to it as the 'spaceship' or the 'mothership' due to its almost alien like appearance. The design proposed was a collaboration of many people, but most notably by the former CEO of Apple Steve Jobs. In one of the many interviews that he had he described the design through these simple words "It's a pretty amazing building, It's a little like a spaceship landed. It's got this gorgeous courtyard in the middle. It's a circle". The fact that this building is a circle means that there is a great deal of work for architects and engineers. Since most buildings are squares or rectangles, most materials are designed for square or rectangles. Building a rounded structure means that everything must be redesign from the ground up in order for every piece to fit perfectly together in a circle. 


At the present time there is not much known about this building, and considering that construction will not be finished until 2016, but there is a great deal of speculation pertaining to it. Nonetheless, once finished it will be one of the most incredible structures ever made, and perhaps revolutionary design. 

Discover: Manassas Park Elementary School

One of the main oppositions that architects must face in each project they work comes due to conflict with the environment. The building of a new structure almost always means that one way or another the environment will be affected. Sometimes hundreds of square miles of trees and plants must be cut down to make way for a new construction. Many people strongly oppose such actions arguing that the deforestation caused by large constructions affect the environment, eventually bringing long term problems such as global warming. Statements as such, in my opinion, can not be held as false or inaccurate since it is quite evident that large constructions affect the environment one way or another, whether it is by cutting down trees to create open spaces for buildings or to provide the large amounts of wood needed for the construction. But, here is where architects can merge creativity with environmental friendly designs. In my opinion, the construction of new buildings is inevitable due to the rapid growth that the country is experiencing as a whole, especially in Northern Virginia, but new designs and ideas will help maintain a balance between construction and the environment. One great example is the Manassas Park Elementary School, in Manassas Park, Virginia.

In 2009, the City of Manassas Park expanded an existing elementary known as Cougar Elementary School to accommodate the growing number of students that attend Manassas Park City Schools. The expansion, although, brought a small obstacle with it; was a small forest located behind the existing school. In order to build the two proposed buildings, the small forest, known as Camp Carondelet, had to be removed. But, the architects of the project decided to merge both the buildings and the camp to create an environmentally friendly building with a nature theme.

The buildings feature large open spaces outside where kids can not only enjoy an relax but also take part in nature by plating trees. The proximity to the forest also creates a rich environment that changes of color based on the seasons. This change of scenery is brought inside the building by the use of large window walls that allows the natural light to come and allows the people inside to have an almost-outside feeling. The large windows also helps stay illuminated with out the need of electrical lighting. The also helps educate the students, grade k-5, on how to help the environment. In each rooms there are indicators that tell the students when they can open the windows in order to allow natural ventilation. When these windows are opened, the mechanical system in the room is turned off and natural convection currents circulate fresh throughout the room.

There are many other features that this building has incorporated that truly shows how new ideas and designs are being developed to help aid the negative effects of new constructions. This shows that innovation and progression in architecture is the key to a better future both for the urban world and the environment.

Sources:
http://www.vmdo.com/docs/Manassas_Park_case_study_1.pdf

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Over any building, and work of architecture there is one particular type of building that grabs my attention the most. These buildings not only bring out of me great interest in design and modeling but also my love and passion for music. These are also the types of buildings that I hope to be able to focus on in my career; concert halls and auditoriums. I have been a musician for almost nine years. I play various instruments but above all I consider myself a pianist. Over the years, I have learned to truly appreciate music for its musical and artistic value. I feel that the combination of both my musical and architectural sides could push me towards a more specific field called architectural acoustics.
Any person who attends a concert, whether it is of classical, rock, or pop music, can testify of a certain feeling of euphoria that took over them while listening to the musicians playing live. This, of course, is primarily due the ability of the musicians, but, even a great musician playing in a poorly built auditorium or concert hall will sound as an amateur. This is why architectural acoustics is a very important part of architecture.
One perfect example of great architectural acoustics can be seen in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. This acoustical work of art was opened in October, 2003. The project began as a request from Walt Disney's wife to build a new concert hall that would honor her late husband. She donated $50 million for the project as a way to reflect how Disney's love for music through out his entire life and career. The head architect, Frank Henry, "envisioned a place in which people would come together and feel comfortable" and in many ways he certainly did achieve this. The incredible outside view definitely grabs the attention of any body who happens to glance at the building. Its look is composed of various irregularly shaped steel boxes. These boxes have the resemblance of silver sails, which look more like a extravagant memorial then a concert hall. But, as incredible as the outside is, its the inside that makes this building unique. Architect Frank Henry along with a group of acoustics engineers and music directors worked hard to design an almost acoustically perfect room. The 2,265 seats that the concert hall has are arranged in what the Walt Disney Concert Hall website calls a "Vineyard Style". This way of arranging the seats consist of steeply raked seats that surround the stage. The level of steepness allows even the farthest listener to be much closer to the main stage then a regular seating arrangement. This, of course, allows the listener to enjoy a much better and refined sound.
This is simply one example of great architectural acoustics, there are many more that range from school auditoriums, to churches, to national concert halls. I just wish to someday be part of the team designing such marvels.

Source:
Walt Disney Concert Hall Main Website
http://www.laphil.com/wdch10/index.html

Best Schools for Architecture

Each year a website that greatly in architecture and is very influential in the field releases a list of the top best schools for architecture. This website, named DesignedIntelligence, gathers a massive amount of date from all over the country in order to categorize and list the top schools in the country. Of course, the list may not be one hundred percent accurate due to the vast amount of opinions that exist, but, it gives students a good idea of what to expect from a school and how the architecture community is evolving.

The list is based on the opinions gathered from hundreds of design educators and professionals who participated in the 2014. The idea was to find out which schools better equipped students with the tools and knowledge that architecture firms want. The results showed that 4 main areas were essential for a school a school to cover:

• Design Quality: The survey showed that 48.5% of the firms value this as their primary concern

Followed by:

• Integrated Design
• Sustainability/climate change
• Technological Change

Based on these areas the following schools came out on top: 

Best Undergraduate Schools: 

1. Calif. Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
2. Cornell University
3. Rice University
4. University of Texas at Austin
5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Best Graduate Schools:

1. Harvard University
2. Yale University
3. Columbia University
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5. Cornell University/Rice University

Sources:

http://www.di.net/articles/america-s-best-architecture-schools-2014/

Tallest Building in The World

One of the best example of how modern architecture and 

engineering has pushed the boundaries of

what is possible and what is impossible is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The construction of the Burj Khalifa began on 2004 in the city of Dubai of the United Arab Emirates and completed in 2010. This massive 163 story building is estimated to have cost $1.5 billion to construct in just 6 years. The official height is of 2,717 feet, overtaking its competition by almost 800 feet. This project attracted numerous designers from around the world to a design competition. The winner of which was the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP architecture firm, one of the top firms in the entire world. This is also the same company that designed the One World Trade Center in New York. The consulting design partner from this company is Adrian Smith, who was the primary designer. His designed was based of a flower common to the Middle East called Hymenocallis. Just like the flower's petals, the building begins with a solid base and breaks off sections around a central core as the height of the building increases, until leaving a narrow tip. The building also required a massive amount of work. According to the Burj Khalifa's main website it took 1,325 days since the day construction began in January, 2004 to to become the tallest free staring structure in the world. The job required over 30 different contracting companies from around the world and at peak of the construction, over 12,000 workers were on the site everyday. 

This building has received numerous awards and holds many current world records including:

• The tallest building in the world
• Tallest free-standing structure in the world
• Highest number of stories in the world
• Highest occupied floors in the world
• Highest outdoor observation deck on the world
• Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
• Tallest service elevator in the world.

References: 

http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/

Potential Sources

One possible source for my final analysis paper is the blog titled a Daily Dose of Architecture. Here the writer only focuses on architecture from the state of New York but he does not only cover buildings. One post that I found very interesting is about a book titled Book of the Movement: The Working Drawing. This is a very well recognized book in the architecture community and a must have for an inspiring architect. Another possible source is a website called treehugger.com. The name of the website does exactly sound incredibly appealing, but architecture does have to incorporate the idea of protecting the environment so I guess the title goes well. Nonetheless, the information provided in this website is great. It comments on innovative designs and critiques poor ones. It also allows me to see architecture not only as buildings but more as a part of a community and as something of public interest.

One World Trade Center

There have been numerous events in U.S. history that have become unforgettable. The most recent, and most known, is the attacks of September 11, 2001. Almost 13 years have passed by and this event still seems as it happened yesterday, but this does not mean that the country as a whole has not began to move forward. The greatest example of how we as a country are overcoming this tragic event is the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York. This major project is not just an architectural marvel throughout its 7 different buildings and the 9/11 memorial, but, it is also a symbol of strength and revival to the entire country.

Out of these 7 buildings, the main building is known as the One World Trade Center which I will focus on today. 

The One World Trade Center, previously known as The Freedom Tower, is the center point of the World Trade Center renovation project. The tower was designed to measure 1,776 feet from the ground up to its highest point, the spire, as an allusion to the year in which the Declaration of Independence was signed. This makes it the tallest tower in the country, overtaking the Empire State Building by 526 feet, and the existing Twin Towers by 408 feet. The One World Trade Center also has 104 stories, all covered with over 2,000 pieces of glass. The building also has an unique design compared to the rest of the buildings in New York, allowing it to stand out as a beautiful new addition to the view of the city. The head architect, David Childs, designed two buildings in the World Trade Center project; the 1WTC along with the 7 WTC, which opened back in 2006. His design included the square base of the building, which then divides in to a hexagon-like shape as the structure goes up with slanted glass walls. This design, although beautiful at sight, has been criticized and believed to be the reason why ice slides from the sides, falling on to the floor potentially injuring visitors. 

The building is yet to be completed, but expected to be completed this year. Apart from being a beautiful sight to look at, once it is completed it will encourage many who are still devastated from the attacks of 9/11 on to overcoming such horrible events, and move forward. 

Brazil 2014: The Final

Undoubtedly, the most important stadium of the 2014 Brazil World Cup will be the one in which the final game will be played. Four years of preparation and planning will culminate in that last stadium. This year the chosen one is the Estadio do Maracana, in Rio de Janeiro.

This stadium was built for the 1950 World Cup that was to take place in Brazil as well. The full name is Estadio Jornalista Mario Fihno, but it is better known as Maracana. Construction for this stadium began in 1948, with a work force of well over 10,000 laborers, and finishing the entire project within two years. Originally the maximum capacity of the stadium was of 220,000 and by that time it was the biggest stadium in the world. The final of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil also took place in this stadium, in front of an official crowd of 174,000 people, in a match between Uruguay and Brazil. This stadium is not only a magnificent piece of architecture but it is also considered a historic monument in soccer history. Some of the greatest matches have taken place here, with many of the greatest soccer players in history. Over the years, original capacity has been diminished to a much safer but unfortunately low number. After the renovations for the 2014 World Cup, the capacity is of 76,804. It is still a very impressive number, but it falls short to the original 220,000 capacity, which, quite frankly seems very scary number of fans. I sure wish to visit any of these during the tournament, but I know I will not. If any of you will, please comment.

Pictures: 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Maracanã_Stadium_in_Rio_de_Janeiro.jpg

http://www.la-razon.com/marcas/Brasil-empata-Inglaterra-final_0_1844215577.html

Brazil 2014

The year that millions of people have waited for is here; 2014. Many readers will know right away what is so special about this year, others have no idea. But, nonetheless, an event that attracts more people throughout the entire world then any other is about to happen. This event, of course, is the Fifa World Cup 2014. Hate it or love it, soccer is known to be the most popular sport in the world and attracts fans from the smallest country there is to the biggest. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, has a soccer tournament every four years in which the best countries go against each other to be crowned the best soccer team in the world. This tournament is very important for architects and engineers around the world. In order to accommodate such a large number of fans, FIFA spends millions of dollars building new stadiums and improving old ones. This year, the matches of the world cup will take place in 12 different stadiums, 6 of which are completely new and built solely for the purpose of the tournament and 6 others that have been renovated. 

In this post and in the next, I intend to show my readers the two stadiums which I considered to be the most incredible.

                                                              Arena Amazonia

Almost every big stadium can be described in word; breathtaking. This is mainly due to the incredible size and enormous look of big stadiums. It is simply intimidating. Specially when this is combined with elegant designs and the latest technology. The newly built Arena Amazonia has all three, enormous size, elegance, and technology. This is a brand new 42,377 seat stadium located in Manaus, Brazil, in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest (Arena). The inspiration for the design is a straw basket, which is a product which the region is famous for (Arena). The stadium will be enclosed by a metal structure which will give it a straw-like appearance. The stadium will also help preserve its environment by collecting rainwater and using it for its toilets or for to water the pitch (Arena). The massive amount of energy typically consumed by stadiums this size will also be reduced by using the region's abundant supply of sunshine, which will be harnessed and used to generate clean and renewable energy (Arena). 

September, 2011

April, 2012

 February, 2013

June, 2013 

November, 2013

December, 2013

January, 2014

Sources: 

"Arena Amazonia: The Stadiums for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - FIFA.com."FIFA.com. FIFA, 

                     n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

Pictures: 

http://arenadaamazonia.com.br/galeria/andamento-da-obra/

What's in Washington D.C.?

As residents from Virginia, we have the luck and privilege of living right next door to what a lot call the capital of the world, D.C.. Of course, after living here many years, and anybody from Northern Virginia could agree with me one way or another, the excitement of living so close to the nation's capital slowly wears away. It simply becomes  normal, and even frustrating at times because of the ridiculous traffic, but still D.C. is home to some of the most widely known architectural wonders of the world. The first of which I suggest that anybody who truly appreciates works of art should visit is The Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, better known as the Kogod Courtyard. This is not one of the most known attractions and monuments from the capital, but it is certainly worth of being include in them.


The Courtyard is a "part of two building houses: the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum" (The National). The renovation of the building began in 2001, at first only few improvements were proposed and minor changes, but in 2002 the original project was greatly expanded and new ideas were brought (The National). The biggest change was the enclosing of a simple outdoor courtyard. The challenge for the architects and engineers was to create a closed courtyard that had the same outdoor feel and look of an open courtyard (The National). The challenge was met, and in my opinion exceeded, by a group of London based architects who came up with the design for the new courtyard (The National).

The finished product is a beautiful courtyard, with small trees, bushes, and plants around its perimeter and small pools in the center, overlooked by a breath-taking ceiling unlike any other. This ceiling is the main attraction, of course, and it is a an "elegant glass canopy" which was designed to make it look as if it is floating in the air (The National). The 28,000 square feet of glass also allows daylight and nightlight to enter without any problem creating a natural look and feel allowing for many types of plants to grow freely (The National).

If you have never visited this incredible place,  then I suggest you do. I guarantee anybody will love it, and if not, there is free Wi-Fi, so no room to complain (The National). If this does motivate you to go, please comment.






















Works Cited
"The National Portrait Gallery/Museum Information/Kogod Courtyard." The National Portrait 
                 Gallery/Museum Information/Kogod Courtyard. Smithsonian, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

The Beginnings...The Cairn de Barnenez

Maybe not every person finds Greek and Roman architecture as incredible as I find it to be. Also, Western Civilization may not be very interesting for most, and some even hated having to take that class in college, therefore I will not attempt to teach it. Instead I will simply provide a few examples of the most influential designs and buildings from the past, and explain a few things that make them unique. Here is the first.

The Cairn de Barnenez:

http://barnenez.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/

This structure is perhaps one of the earliest in the history of human kind. It dates back to around 4,000 and 3,500 B.C. during the time that is now know as the Neolithic era. To put it in perspective, that is around the time when humans had just begun to farm and was no longer nomadic. This structure is believed to be tomb and was cleverly constructed using flat and rounded stones. In my opinion it is amazing how humans, even when there was no writing system, language or identified math, were able to construct a structure so well that even 6,000 years later is still visible and standing. What do you think? 

Nature vs. Man-Made

In Earth, there two indisputable wonders that cover its surface with unprecedented beauty and complete amazement. Yet these two constantly go against each other since both can not be in the same place, at the same time. Unfortunately, one or the other has to emerge victorious, taking the losers place entirely. These two foes are nature and man made objects. For centuries, architects and engineers have fought in the minds for solutions to this great problem. Although it seems as if nature is fighting a losing battle, there are many great examples of how the human mind creates new ways for nature and man made objects to exist together in harmony. 

As humans, we have a certain universal ambition. Some more then others, of course, but in one way or another we constantly aspire to be better, to be bigger, and to have more. Even the person who says that he or she is humble still has ambition, to be even more humble perhaps. But, no matter how, that certain trait of humanity can still be seen in that person. It is this ambition that has caused the rise of many cities, empires, kingdoms, and countries, along with their technology and architecture. Sadly, this same ambition has caused many of those once great group of people to decline and fall. But, even after their fall, these empires, cities, and kingdoms remain alive through what they left behind. 

Architecture, in my opinion, is the mean through which human beings display their capacity and, in many ways, their greatness. When a person stands at the foot of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, it is almost certain that a level of amazement will flow through their body, arousing millions of questions. The first, probably, of all is: How? It is is for these reasons, and many more, that I have chosen to pick and highlight certain architectural wonders, and, allow my readers to see what I see every time I stare at a work of architecture. I wish to inspire in others perhaps not necessarily the desire to become an architect, as how I wish to be, but to plant a seed of self belief. I wish to inspire others, with visual evidence, to believe in themselves, because the human mind is capable of wonders.