        Gadala-Maria, Ana Lucia : AssignmentsEdit Gadala-Maria, Ana Lucia : Assignments here.Fifth Street: Cudda, Wudda, Shudda. After just a couple of years since its completion, it is already clear to see how much of an impact the renovation of fifth street has had on the Georgia Tech community, as well as how successful it has been in achieving what it was set out to do. In the year 2000, Fifth Street was nothing like it is today. It was merely seen as a back road to our campus. The Fifth Street Bridge was an ugly, unremarkable, noisy bridge across the interstate I-75 that connected Georgia Tech to the rest of Atlanta. Two years and about $149 million later however, this street was completely transformed into what one can almost say is now the heart of Georgia Tech. The reconstruction of Fifth Street and making of Tech Square was ignited by the need for a smooth connector between the Georgia Tech campus, and the surrounding neighborhoods as well as change the dynamics of the street by making it more of a location rather than just a way of getting from one place to another. With the remaking of the bridge, designers strived to create “a park-like setting that blocks out views and dampens the noise of the interstate below.” Additionally, the development of Tech Square allowed for a new environment of mixed social, commercial, educational, and business activity. The project included a new building for the College of Management at the end of Fifth Street to further integrate Tech Square with the campus, ensuring that students would have to walk through this street to get to classes. The biggest change, and the one with the most impact, done on Fifth Street was the renovation of the bridge. I don’t think many people enjoyed their walk across the bridge before the renovation. Seeing pictures of its original state, I know that there is no way I would’ve felt comfortable walking across it by myself at any point, much less at night. I would’ve probably avoided it, and it would’ve made me think twice about going to Tech Square. The change was definitely for the better and was successful in blocking out the noise coming from the I-75/85 connector (which I hadn’t even realized ran underneath the bridge until it was talked about in 1060). It was also successful in serving as a pleasant walk between campus and Tech Square. With the bridge, designers and engineers hoped to make a place for people to hang out and relax. However, I don’t think that this has been accomplished yet. First of all, I didn’t even know that we could sit on the grass on the bridge. I always thought it was just for decoration. Additionally, now that I know that people are allowed to make use of that space, I don’t think I ever would. I would feel like I’m on display or something because there’s never anyone else there, and this green space is on a platform, making it more visible to the public. Although for me it’s not serving the purpose the designers hoped it would, I don’t think it is a failure yet. There are still things that can be done to encourage people to stop and relax there for a while. I think that if there a couple of benches on that lawn, or a few steps to go up the platform it would feel more inviting to go sit there than it is now. As for the street itself, it is a very inviting place for everyone. The ten inch sidewalks allow for social and commercial interactions on the street. Different materials were used on the sidewalk itself to kind of mark the various uses intended for this space. There is the white-bricked part right outside the stores and restaurants which is more of a private space for these businesses. Then there’s the large concrete part, which is what’s intended for pedestrians, and lastly there is the red-bricked chunk, which is where the amenities are located so to speak. It is on the red-bricked area that one finds the benches and trees that allow for a social environment. Additionally, parking spaces along the street and Tech Trolley stops make it more accessible for everyone, and the fact that there are classrooms at the end of the street, in the new College of Management building, makes it all more integrated to the Georgia Tech campus. Fifth Street serves as a multifunctional space. It acts as an entrance to the Georgia Tech campus, it serves as a transportation route, it’s a hot spot for Tech students to hang out at, it allows easy access to Greek housing, it’s soothing to the viewer because of it’s abundant green spaces and aesthetically pleasing design, it’s one of the main tailgating locations, it ties the campus to the urban city that is Atlanta, it allows for a smooth transition between Midtown and Georgia Tech, and it encourages interaction between Georgia Tech and the rest of Atlanta. I know that I personally love going to Tech Square; either for a Starbucks, or to grab lunch with friends at Tin Drum, or to go buy a new outfit for game day at American Apparel, or just on my way to Publix. There is so much activity all the time there, and I love being part of it. I also love the fact that it is not only for Tech students. I often forget that I am indeed in Atlanta, one of the biggest cities in the U.S., and going to Tech Square and enjoying its innovative designs as well as seeing non-Tech people snap me back to this reality that I like. At Starbucks I usually see older people in their business attire working over a cup of coffee. This reminds me that Tech Square is not only for students and that there are actually business buildings located there too. I think that overall, Fifth Street is a successful street seeing as it accommodates a dynamic living, learning, working, and playing community. There are still a couple of things that can be improved, but seeing as it has only been a couple of years since its reconstruction, one cannot expect it to be perfect from the beginning. I am sure that as the years go by, it will be more visible what needs to be changed, and I have no doubt that the Midtown Alliance, Tech Square developers, the Department of Transportation, and the campus planners and architects will be making the necessary adjustments, so that the street becomes more and more what they had hoped to achieve in the first place. OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT Building Great Streets, Building Great Cities In this lecture, the speaker talked about the planning of streets. He explained how some are more commercial and have wider, decorated sidewalks while others are packed with lanes. He talked about the planning of it, and how room is intentionally left for a future expansion of the roads. "Build to line"- vertical enclosure- livable transportation- Why are there still so many streets that are not being improved? Doesn't improving streets and making them more pedestrian friendly improve businesses around? I thought this lecture was really good. It's amazing to see how much a street can change with the right adjustments made. I think that in the future many more cities are going to start improving their streets; adding larger sidewalks with amenities for pedestrians because it'll definitely improve the economy. Even non commercial streets have to be improved so that traffic congestions lessen. Campus In this lecture, the two speakers talked about how much the Georgia Tech campus has expanded since 1996 and about the improvements being done on the streets on campus. They explained to us what is currently being done on Ferst street and the future plans in locations such as the Burger Bowl, the library, the innovative resource center, and North Avenue apartments. This was one of the most interesting lectures so far, mainly because it is so relevant to my life seeing as I live on campus and will be here for the next three years. It's exciting to see that the campus is still growing and that even though we already have an amazing campus, still more is being done to improve it. Universities, Neighborhood Change and Emerging Landscapes of the Knowledge Economy In his lecture, Mr. Etienne talked about improving the neighborhoods in order to improve the economy of a community. He specifically exemplified this by talking about the changes in a neighborhood in Philadelphia (near UPenn) and how after a lot of research and interviewing, they were able to change it so that it is now a 'friendlier' and safer place. 10.28 assignment LECTURE 1: ARCHITECURE The most important concepts that Dunham- Jones talked about, she introduced by asking these questions; “how should we build here and why?” and “What kind of world are we shaping?” She stated that the degree to which these questions were answered in a certain building are what distinguish an ordinary building from “architecture.” Church of the Water: A church in Japan where it is semi-open and has a view into a lake where there is a cross. Sustainability: the ability to build for today and tomorrow without depleting future resources. An example of this is the Solar Decathlon Nested Hierarchies: a way of classification. In this lecture, it applied to the way UVA’s buildings are organized; with the library in the middle and classes on the sides. I think that with architecture it is important to be aware of the environments you are designing for. I think Georgia Tech’s program does a good job in educating us about this by offering classes such as Sustainability and Ecological Literacy. LECTURE 2: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION In his lecture, Dr. Kanbari talked about building construction and all the stages creating a building requires and the types of buildings that exist. He also talked about the typical business process of integrated A/E/C projects, as well as about the relations beween contractors, owners, engineers, etc. General Contractor: Supervises construction as a whole and hires subcontractors HVAC: Controlling the climate of a building, this is especially important in larger buildings due to health issues Decommissioning: the last step in the life cycle of BC and it refers to the planned demolition of a building. Dr. Kanbari mentioned that really what they taught here at tech for the BC program was how to manage people. I think this is the fundamental idea for BC in general because it is what they do; it’s not so much about actually building the construct rather than knowing how to manage the people who are going to do it. LECTURE 3: INDUSTRIAL DESIGN Abir Mullick talked about the industrial design program at Tech. He defined the word “design” as something that includes functionality, and aesthetics. In addition, he talked about the different purposes of objects and how that affects the design of the product. Iterative adjustments: improving things step by step Environment design: designing the environment so that it is pleasing to the audience as well as fits in with the place. There is so much to take into consideration when designing a product or environment. The ID program at Tech focuses on problem solving, is process driven, people centered, and most importantly asks for creativity from the students. All these things are important to be successful in making a good design. Good designs are what shape our culture because all the innovative products being made fuel our consuming-based society and facilitate our lives. Library 101 LEXISNEXIS 1. Alpert, Bruce. “Dozens of Hurricane-Related Bills on Tap; Storm Reform is Popular in Congress.” Times-Picayune 30 Jan. 2007: 2. Georgia Tech Lib., Atlanta, GA. 10 Oct. 2007 2. “Bankruptcy Law Called Too Tough; Move Under Way to Exempt Katrina Victims From Latest Changes.” The San Francisco Chronicle 8 Sept. 2005: C1. Georgia Tech Lib., Atlanta, GA. 10 Oct. 2007 3. Eaton, Leslie. "Katrina Victims Find a Solution: Modular House." The New York Times 06 Jan. 2007, Late ed., sec. A: 1. Academic Search Complete. LexisNexis Academic. GA Tech Architecture Library, Atlanta, GA. 11 Oct. 2007. 4. Fellows, Matt, Nigel Holmes, and Bruce Katz. “The State of New Orleans.” The New York Times 7 Dec. 2005. Georgia Tech Lib., Atlanta, GA. 10 Oct. 2007 5. Herman, Kate. "Make New Orleans better than it was, city leaders urge: Anniversary of Katrina brings calls to tackle poverty and racism." (2006): National Post. 2006. 11, Oct. 2007 6. Kuttner, Robert. "An Economic Storm Surge; The Fed, hiking rates, underplays the economic cost of Katrina." Business Week 17 October 2005: 126. 7. Padalka, Alex. Construction Costs; Project Budgets Likely to Rise in Wake of Gulf Hurricanes. New York Construction (Dec 1, 2005). http://www.lexisnexis.com.www.library.gatech.edu:2048/us/lnacademic/returnTo.do?returnToKey=20_T2244388899. 11, Oct. 2007 GIL 8. Blueprint for Gulf renewal: the Katrina crisis and a community agenda for action / Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, Institute for Southern Studies, Southern exposure. Durham, NC: Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, Institute for Southern Studies, 2007. 9. Giroux, Henry A. "Reading Hurricane Katrina: Rave, Class, and the Biopolitics of Disposability." College Literature, no. 33 (2007): 171-196. 11, Oct. 2007 10. Olasky, Marvin N. “The politics of disaster: Katrina, big government, and a new strategy for future crisis.” GIL Universal Catalog. https://giluc.usg.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=2&ti=1,2&Search%5FArg=%2Bpolitics%2C%20%2BKatrina%2C%20%2BNew%20%2BOrleans&SL=None&Search%5FCode=FT%2A&CNT=25&PID=skI3CW8wBPyTW8Niuj-7yhhMEJ2H&SEQ=20071011192408&SID=1 11,Oct. 2007. 11. Ratard, Raoult, “Public health after Katrina’s rule”, in the GIL University Catalog, https://giluc.usg.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?SC=Subject&SA=Hurricane%20Katrina%2C%202005%2E&PID=FUJw50P1GfEA9eS_7UAeUImcxUpX&BROWSE=10&HC=1&SID=6. 11, Oct. 2007 12. United States et al., Hurricane Katrina : stopping the flood of fraud, waste, and abuse (Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2007). 11, Oct. 2007 13. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hurricane Katrina [microform] : recommendations for reform : hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, second session, March 8, 2006. Washington : U.S. G.P.O. , 2007. PROQUEST 14. Bergeron, Pat. "Coast Counties on Most-Endangered List: Group Hopes to Inspire Saving Icons." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. 27 Apr. 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=7&did=1261643091&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1192155613&clientId=30287. 11, Oct. 2007 15. Cutter, Susan L., Christopher T. Emrich, Jerry T. Mitchell, and Bryan J. Boruff. "The Long Road Home: Race, Class, and Recovery From Hurricane Katrina." Environment 48 (2006): 8-22. Academic Search Complete. ProQuest. GA Tech Architecture Library, Atlanta, GA. 12 Oct. 2007. 16. Tebo, Cecile. "Post-Katrina, there's a new storm drill." Times - Picayune 29 July 2007: 7. 17. Viuker, Steve. “Rebuilding New Orleans.” Multi-Housing News 42.9 (2007): 16-17.Research Library. Georgia Tech Lib., Atlanta, GA. 10 Oct. 2007 18. Zahourek, Rothlyn. "Finding Holism in Disaster: a Story of Katrina's Aftermath." Journal of Holistic Nursing 25 (2007): 52. ProQuest. 12 Oct. 2007. EBSCO 19. De Monchaux, Thomas. "Easy Being Green: Post-Katrina, a Resource Center Teaches Eco-Friendly Buiding on a Budget." ID: Magazine of International Design 54 (2007): 30. 11 Oct. 2007. 20. Lukensmeyer, Carolyn J. “Large-scale citizen engagement and the rebuilding of New Orleans: A case study.” Avery Index to Architecture Periodicals. http://web.ebscohost.com.www.library.gatech.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=12&hid=101&sid=330fbcb4-141a-4c05-9df4-492a8dab3ea1%40sessionmgr102 (accessed October 11, 2007). 21. Mann, Eric. “Race and the High Ground in New Orleans.” MasterFILE Premier.http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=2&sid=1814e016-c450-4915-ad24-c2b7164b266b%40sessionmgr104 (accessed October 11, 2007). 22. Lubell, Sam, Alex Ulam, Diana Lind, Allen Freeman, Kira Gould, Hugh Hardy, Steve Dumez, Terrance Brown, Ernest Hutton, Margaret Helfand, Skipper Post, Lance Brown, Robert Yaro, Allen Eskew, Errol Barron, Alan Brake, Angelle Bergeron, and John Pastier. "Special Report: Hurricane Katrina." Architectural Record 193 (2005): 42+. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. EBSCO. GA Tech Architecture Library, Atlanta, GA. 11 Oct. 2007. 23. Nusbaum, Neil J. "The Katrina Public Health Debacle: Lessons Learned and Lessons Ignored." Southern Medical Journal 99 (2006): 911-912. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. GA Tech Architecture Library, Atlanta, GA. 11 Oct. 2007. 24. Sokol, David, “New architecture for Katrina-ravaged town”, in the Avery Index database, http://web.ebscohost.com.www.library.gatech.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=104&sid=12a58b9d-ef81-4d32-92be-30e29440b054%40sessionmgr103. 11, Oct. 2007 GALILEO 25. Potter, Hillary, editor. Racing the Storm: Racial Implications and Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2007. 26. Wilson, Matthew, and Brad Gomez. "The Blame Game and Hurricane Katrina: Assessing Governmental Response to a Tragedy." Conference Papers – Southern Political Science Association (2007): 1. GALILEO. 11 Oct. 2007. AVERY 28. Kennedy, Shawn, and James Murdock. "Remaking New Orleans, without losing its past." Architectural Record 195(2007): 85-88, 226. 11, Oct. 2007 29. Martin, Colin. "After the flood: the US pavilion at the 2006 Venice Biennale addressed the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina." Landscape Architecture Australia (2007): 29-30. 11, Oct. 2007. 30. McKee, Bradford. "New Orleans recovery plan released." Architect (Washington, D.C.) 96(2007): 20. 11, Oct. 2007. 31. Sokol, David. "New architecture for Katrina-ravaged town." Architectural Record 194(2006): 29. 11, Oct, 2007. 09.17- ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE, AND BEHAVIOR Part One: In his lecture, Dr. Zimring discussed how the design of buildings and environments affects our culture and everyday life. He did this by talking about different aspects of our lives, such as our health and safety that are impacted by our usage (or lack of usage) of different installations. The key terms in this lecture were aesthetics, lighting, comfort, availability, convenience, and legibility. Part Two: Aesthetics- “The way something looks, especially when considered in terms of how pleasing it is.” This relates to the lecture in that Dr. Zimring talked about how more people started using the stairs instead of the elevator when they were better decorated and looked nicer. Safety- “freedom from danger.” Safety ties into this lecture because one of the examples he gave was of a study done on how dangerous hospitals are and how that inspired a new design of hospital buildings. Lighting- “Light of a particular quality or type, or the equipment that produces it.” Lighting was one of the factors that need to be considered when designing a building because it affects the residents of the building. A lack of good lighting can be dangerous, stressful, and in hospitals, affects the use of analgesics and the mood of the patient. Part Three: How important is it that students before graduating learn the different factors that affect our culture and how they can be reflected in buildings? Is it really worth it to invest so much money in making decorative stairways for a poor result of losing a pound per year? How much evidence-based design is being done? And shouldn’t it be the base for all designing? 09.19- PHOTOGRAPHY Part 1: In her presentation, Ms. Dusseault talked to us about utopian architecture and the role it played in the development of Atlantic Station. She did this through a video footage she took of how the old steel mill was destroyed and how it developed into this commercial site. The key terms in this lecture are photography and demolition. Part Two: Environmental Remediation: “The usage of remedial methods to improve skills or reverse environmental damage.” This was important in this lecture because she talked about how much pollution and damage the steel mill was causing to the environment, and it was less damaging to have “two-hundred toilets flushing,” as she said. Preservation: “The maintenance of something, especially of historic value, in an unchanged condition.” This played a role in the presentation because she talked about the preservation of the “spirit of the old mill with nostalgic design elements” as well as the preservation of some residuals of the old mill. Part Three: Are people actually interested in documenting the process of demolition of a strcture? Why is photography related with building a new city? 09.26- HOW TO READ PALLADIO In his lecture, Mr. Bafna talks about the Italian architect Andrea Palladio and how his distinct architecture style has influenced many designs through the years. I thought it was really interesting how all his designs are the same and how they HAVE to be a certain way because of the symmetry of it all. Also, I was fascinated by the beauty of the buildings his specific style has inspired to design. It's amazing how one person's creativity and impulse to "think outside the box" and experiment with new ideas can be so successful, and in this case bring to light many things nobody had ever thought of before (such as putting columns in the front of a building). Bibliography: Microsoft Office Dictionary In this lecture presentation, the speakers explained to us about Classical Architecture. They did this by sharing with us their experiences in this field and all the buildings they’ve constructed that have been inspired by different classical structures, such as the Capitoline and Palazzo dei Conservatori in Italy. They each work with different firms and while some design and build new high class residential homes, others renovate houses, or do things at a larger scale such as entire neighborhoods. Some of the important terms are: Classical interiors Renovations Environments Schematic drawings High end residential Two terms talked about in this presentation were: 1 .Design codes- “a document that sets rules for the design of a new development…which has been established through a masterplan process.” 2. Down planning- I really enjoyed this presentation, as it opened a new window for me and made me want to learn more about classical design, and possibly even take the course later on. I think it’s very interesting how buildings can be made to look so “old-fashioned”(classical) and yet still be very new and fashionable. I personally love the elegance of classical architecture and thus find it exciting to know that such buildings are still being made today. SOLAR DECATHLON In this lecture presentation, the speaker mesmerized us with the Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon project. He did this by sharing with us the process they used to create zero energy home he worked on. It was designed and built by students of different disciplines, and will be exposed at the Solar Decathlon in D.C. in October. The purpose of this competition is to help promote zero energy homes so that prices go down and thus be available to all. The important terms are: Market viability Digital fabrication materials Lighting scheme Photovoltaic roof Two terms talked about in this presentation were: 1. Photovoltaic: “a solar power technology that uses solar cells or solar photovoltaic arrays to convert light from the sun directly into electricity.” 2. Polycarbonate: “Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polymers. They are easily worked, molded, and thermoformed; as such, these plastics are very widely used in the modern chemical industry. Their interesting features (temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties) position them between commodity plastics and engineering plastics” This zero energy home seems very interesting as it is a cross disciplinary project. I can imagine all the research that was done and the time that was put into this project so that it will actually function. I think it is amazing that it can actually be done, and I support the idea of saving energy by building solar homes. CADCAM In this presentation, the speaker talked about computer aided design and manufacturing. More specifically, he talked about the projects done by graduate students at Georgia Tech and how software implementation was key in the design of these projects. In addition he explained how design process has developed since the 20th Century, and now, as opposed to being linear, the process is more iterative. The important terms were: Translations Software Implementation 3/5 axis router Material Behavior Combinatorics Two terms talked about in this presentation were: Iterative: “the act of repeating.” Polar Array: “Copies of an element placed in a circular pattern in a design.” BIBLIOGRAPHY: • www.wikipedia.org • www.aot.state.vt.us/caddhelp/cadd/glossary/gloss_p.htm First Installation The installation located outside the architecture building is a very complex, mind-tricking artifact. When one first looks at it, it seems like a very solid structure made from glass. However, after carefully observing and touching it, one realizes that it is flexible, bendable, movable, plastic-made piece. I was very surprised when I first touched the beehive-looking part of it because I thought it wouldn’t move, but it moved so much; almost to the point where I thought it might fall. The only place where it is actually solid is where it is four sided, which is around the middle of the installation. When there is more light, specifically around three p.m. on a sunny day, the object shines. There is so much light being reflected, and it is going in all different types of directions, that it makes the artifact very luminous. This installation was probably designed with a computer program and then sent to a precision plastic-cutting machine, where the different shaped pieces were produced. The different shapes have unique Braille writing on them to identify which pieces are the same, which make it easier to build the artifact. Originally, it seems like every piece is different because nothing looks symmetrical, but when looked at more closely one sees the equality of the pieces that just look different because of the way they are positioned. Another trace of the fabrication process is all the screws that unite the various pieces which make the plastic look darker in those parts, especially since it is where all the pieces overlap. I think this piece works beautifully in the site it is at. It’s positioned in a way that it flows with the shape of the architecture building, and its reflection on the windows of the building is so clear that you would almost think there were two of them. It also enhances the shape of the architecture building because it kind of “wraps around” the outside of one of the columns, and its “tail” ends on the cement as opposed to the brick floor, which gives the building more personality and a more triangular look. I think the sort of issues that motivated this installation were seeing how flexible the material was, and how at the same time it gives off the impression of being so stable. When I look at this installation, it sponsors a soft, flowing reference, and for me it captures the idea of what wind would look like if it were visible. Thus, I would name this statue “The Wind.” Second Installation The installation located inside the Architecture East building is a three-story tall, waterfall-shaped, wooden structure that double plays as a bench on the first floor. If you stand right in front of it, you can almost see completely through its wooden strings. It is translucent because light filters through it, and at the parts where there is more light (i.e. in front of the windows), the wooden boards look thinner. If you look at it from an angle, it is completely solid and it loses its translucency. In addition, depending from where you look at it from, and depending on how the light hits that certain part of the installation, parts of it look darker than the rest. The way the installation stays up is with small, horizontal, metal tubes that run through it in parallel lines at different points in the structure. In addition, it is fixed to the second and third floor railings with a steel, pressure-screwed clip and with a large metal tube that goes through all the plywood boards. The different boards are bolted together with a thin, squared washer and three screws. When approaching each other, the boards become thinner and reduce to half their thickness so that when they meet, the two thin ends equal the same size as the rest of the board. Some residue of the fabrication process is the numbers inscribed on the boards, which are in order, so I assume were there to help the constructers put the right pieces together. The wood of the bench of the first floor is thicker; it uses three boards of wood per stack and it is the most worn out and dirtiest part of the artifact, which makes sense since it is the only part that is constantly being used. This installation works within the site it is in because it is also a functional piece, as it serves as a bench. Also, it doesn’t lose any effect by being inside because unlike the installation located outside, it is made of a solid material and thus doesn’t need that much light. I think that some questions being explored are how to “bend” wood (give it a flowing, edgeless look) and how to make a functional and artistic piece at the same time. I would name this installation “The Waterfall” because of its flowing nature, its curves, its size and its powerful impact on the viewer. Link to this Page
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