        Newman, Joseph : Assignments(I turned in a hard copy but I also wanted to have a copy online.)Cudda, Wudda, Shudda: An Essay on Fifth StreetThe Fifth Street improvement project was intended to connect Georgia Tech to the city surrounding it in a way that creates a lively and dynamic environment. This connection can be framed in multiple aspects. It can be thought of as a business connection, an educational connection, a research connection, etc… In the following essay I will argue that there have been three different results of the work done on Fifth Street. First I will argue that the project has done a good job of achieving its intended outcome. I will next argue that, although it does a good job of achieving its intended outcome, there were missed opportunities which could have created an even more dynamic environment. Finally I will argue that, although some opportunities were missed, there are projects that can still be implemented which would help reinforce the idea of Fifth Street as a connection between Georgia Tech and the city surrounding it.The Fifth Street project did a good job of achieving its intended outcome because it is evident that two principles guided the design. These two principles are re-emphasizing the pedestrian and addressing the loss of street culture. I will first discuss re-emphasizing the pedestrian and several elements that manifest this principle. Then I will discuss the idea of addressing the loss of street culture and a few elements that manifest this principle. Traditionally, when planning a street and the projects along a street, the emphasis and time would be spent examining it in relation to automobiles. It is evident that the opposite took place during the design of improvements to Fifth Street. There are several elements of Fifth Street that manifest this new attitude. The elements I will focus on are wider sidewalks, buried utilities, sidewalk greenery, separate bicycle lanes, and constricted street size. Each works together to lend an elevated status to the pedestrian as an ideal entity of the city. The wider sidewalks, buried utilities, and sidewalk greenery, help create an aesthetically pleasing setting that motivates people to get outside, walk around, and explore the area. Before the improvement of Fifth Street a person might be confronted with narrow and cracked sidewalks, a tangle of power lines, and an uneasy closeness with the road. Now a person walking down Fifth Street has plenty of room to move, does not have to look at unsightly power lines and light poles, and does not have to worry about the cars on the road. The new sidewalk greenery, separate bicycle lanes, and constricted street size also lend themselves to the safety of the pedestrian. Including sidewalk greenery gives the pedestrian a sense of separation. In other words it acts like a psychological barrier between the person and the road. You get the sense that if a car were to lose control there is something to protect an unsuspecting person on the sidewalk. The separate bicycle lanes help remove an element of unpredictability accompanying the act of cycling on a city's roads. Usually cyclists feel forced onto the sidewalks because automobiles occupy most, or all, of the roadway. When cyclists use the sidewalks the unpredictability that accompanies them adds the possibility of pedestrian and/or cyclist injury. This sense of uneasiness can inhibit the amount, and times, people use such sidewalks. The constricted street size lends itself to the safety of the walker because narrower roadways slow down automobiles. People have a tendency, when driving, to think about the fastest way from point A to point B. This attitude, if given the room, manifests itself as faster driving. Taking away the cushion of space, on either side of the road, from a driver forces them to pay attention to what’s going on next to them. This need to concentrate means drivers go slower. The second principle that guided the design of Fifth Street, and more specifically Tech Square, is addressing the loss of street culture. The elements that I will focus on, which manifest this principle, are the mixing of building types, the size of the buildings along Fifth Street, and the way the buildings interact with the sidewalks. I will discuss a missed opportunity, although it is definitely a step in the right direction, in relation to the first element I mentioned in the next section of the essay. Having buildings that serve different purposes, instead of a building with one singular use, is what initially draws people to Tech Square. The fact that these buildings are small and that they also seem to open themselves up toward the sidewalk, as if inviting people in, is what helps keep people in the area. Take the other end of the spectrum: a street full of large office towers that seem to be turned inward and away from the sidewalk. Office workers, or people visiting the buildings, would feel no interest or motivation to stay in an area with this kind of design. An additional benefit, with a caveat I will discuss in the next section of my paper, to mixing building types is a decreased chance that a negative economy in one area will create large abandoned buildings and spaces. The retail stores and restaurants benefit the commercial space, and the commercial space benefits the retail stores and restaurants. If a company using the commercial space went out of business the retail and restaurants would still be a reason for people to visit Tech Square. On the other hand, if there was a downturn in the retail market the commercial space would provide a source of customers for the stores and restaurants. One of the major missed opportunities in relation to Fifth Street, Tech Square in particular, was incorporating student housing into the design. The idea behind Tech square is a dynamic and lively mixed-use space. Although it has the play and work components, Tech Square lacks the residential aspect of mixed use. Incorporating student housing would have given Tech Square, and Fifth Street, a kind of youth and vitality which would have served the goal of its improvements even better than the way it currently is. As it is now students will go to Tech Square for a specific purpose, maybe linger for a little while, and then leave. Also, since the main attraction is commercial shops and offices, which close at a certain time; the area seems to be frequented by students at certain times of the day (the morning, lunchtime, dinner, etc…) instead a variety of students at a variety of times through out the day. If student housing had been incorporated into the development then there would be a larger incentive for students to frequent the area at a variety of times. This could be manifested in students meeting up with friends or other students, students coming from and going to classes, or students taking a break from classes outside. Although the work and play elements of Tech Square do not have to worry about market forces as much as normal, having student housing in the immediate area would have ensured a constant pool of customers to rely on. As it currently is, if people decide not to use the hotel/conference center; if RBC Centura has to layoff employees; or if students decide to take the Tech Trolley straight to the College of Management, without stopping elsewhere, many of the restaurants and retail stores would suffer. In other words having office space, retail stores, and restaurants together is less unpredictable but it is still no guarantee of long-lasting stability. Another missed opportunity was incorporating a variety of building designs into Tech Square. This could have been achieved by commissioning different architects to design different buildings. On the west side of the interstate, the main Tech campus, there is an interesting mix of building types and designs. When you cross the bridge and enter Tech Square you are confronted by buildings with, for the most part, similar designs. Having a variety of building designs would be an aspect to not only draw people to the area, but also keep people in Tech Square examining and exploring such a mixture of designs. An example that approaches what I am talking about is the post-Cold War development of Potsdamer Platz, in Berlin Germany. After spending time on Fifth Street and carefully observing it, with the readings in mind, I found several opportunities that can enhance the intended goal of Fifth Street as a connector between the Tech campus and the city surrounding it. First I will consider the effect of the lack of sidewalk greenery along the Fifth Street Bridge. Then I will discuss the idea of Fifth Street, particularly in Tech square, being a “sensory street.” As I discussed earlier sidewalk greenery is important for re-establishing Fifth Street in terms of emphasizing the pedestrian. Such greenery is also important in relation to the idea of Fifth Street as a connector. On both the west and east side of Fifth Street, trees and other different types of plantings line the edges of the sidewalk. However, when you get to the bridge crossing the interstate, there are no such trees or other plantings. This lack of sidewalk greenery reminds a person they are crossing from one area to another. This issue could easily be solved by introducing planters of some kind, with small trees or other greenery, along the roadside edges of the sidewalk. If these were introduced there would be a sense of continuity when going from one side of the bridge to the other side of the bridge. Ensuring this sense of continuity, when crossing the Fifth Street Bridge, would help serve the goal of Fifth Street as a connector between the Tech campus and its surroundings. The idea of Fifth Street, particularly in Tech square, as a “sensory street” is important. Creating a “sensory street” would both draw people to the area and the possibility they would explore surrounding areas. What I mean by a “sensory street” is a street that offers stimulation to multiple different human senses. Key to this concept is the idea that both movement and light attract people to a space. Right now Fifth Street offers stimulation to mainly sight. While this is better than nothing, there are multiple opportunities to go a step further. To stimulate a person’s sense of touch retail stores could make their merchandise accessible on the sidewalk, in front of their shops. This would serve a double purpose. It would make the street more lively and crowded, with people browsing; and benefit the shops, with people more likely to enter and buy something. This would also increase the amount of movement on the street, making it more attractive and getting people interested in exploring the area. One way to stimulate a person’s sense of smell, hearing, and seeing would be to motivate restaurants to open their windows and/or doors on nights with nice weather. If restaurants did this people would be drawn to the street by the noises, sounds, and sights coming from the open doors and/or windows of the restaurants. This would also contribute to the sense of light and movement, emanating from the restaurants and visible from the street, that people find so attractive. Engaging all of a person’s senses would bring them Tech Square, get them to explore the area, and make it interesting enough to return in the future. In this essay I have examined Fifth Street in terms of the goal of connecting the Tech campus to the city around it. I first examined what was done right, then I examined missed opportunities in relation to the design that could have made it better, and finally I examined simple steps that could be taken to make Fifth Street more lively and dynamic. The conclusion I have come to is that, overall the Fifth Street project has done a good job of connecting the Georgia Tech campus to the city surrounding it. If more projects are handled with the careful planning evident in the improvements to Fifth Street then the campus and city will become more dynamic, interesting, and healthy than it is now. Works CitedKostoff, The StreetAllen, et al., You Are How You Subdivide: A Renewal of Traditional American Subdivision Design Solnit, Paris, or Botanizing on the Asphalt Solnit, The Solitary Stroller and the City Sorkin, Traffic in Democracy Perec, The Street Dagenhart, Building Projects versus Building Cities Whyte, The Design of Spaces Whyte, The Skilled Pedestrian Whyte, The Social Life of The Street Whyte, The Physical Street Whyte, The Sensory Street Kohn, The Mauling of Public Space Zukin, Politics and Aesthetics of Public Space: the “American” Model Blum, The Mall Goes Undercover: It Now Looks Like a City Street Gladwell, The Terrazzo Jungle Jackson, Domesticating the Street: The Contested Spaces of the High Street and the Mall Assignment 6All three of the directors gave a good overview of their respective programs. They gave us a lot to consider in terms of what we will choose to study as we continue on in the college. Some important terms/concepts she used were: architecture, internship, urban design, sustainability, digital manufacturing, technology integration, Vitruvius, firmness, delight, and commodity. One of the important terms from this list relating to architecture is internship. An internship is defined as a temporary position either paid or unpaid which emphasizes on the job training. This term is important not just for the field of architecture but many other disciplines and professions because an internship is usually an important way to bridge the gap between an in-class university education, and future career on-site training. Many times having and internship on a resume is one way to increase your prospects of being hired for a job you are interested in. Another significant term is sustainability. It is defined as a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. This is important because, in relation to architecture and other numerous related fields, the idea of making buildings as sustainable as possible has become a major movement. Another important term is technology integration. This term is defined as an effective use of technology by educators and students. This term is important because effectively using technology can address many issues faced by architects. When Ms. Jones mentioned this concept it made me think of the previous lecture about GIS. Throughout this lecture she raised many important disciplinary and professional questions and issues. The main disciplinary question still faced today is what distinguishes “architecture” from an ordinary building. Another important disciplinary question is what makes “architecture” appropriate for the here and now, for the present time. Professionally an important question/challenge raised is if the landscape we design is shaping us in a healthy way. In today’s world there are multiple technologies we have access to that can be used to address this issue. Also raised in the lecture was the challenge of designing in a way which balances public and private activities and spaces.Some important terms/concepts introduced in the building construction lecture were: holistic thinking, integrated systems, urban planning, regulatory agencies, market research, environmental effects, life cycle phases, decommissioning, stakeholders, plans, specifications, procurement, mapping process/process mapping. One of these terms I found important was stakeholders. Stakeholder is defined as someone who has an interest in some kind of enterprise. This is important because buildings are designed and built for a certain stakeholder. This stakeholder is unique and will affect how a building is designed and built. Another important term is holistic thinking, defined as seeing something as a whole, not independent parts. Including such thinking when a building is designed and built equals more efficient construction on many levels, i.e. time, cost, quality, etc… Process mapping is also an important term. It is usually a graphic representation showing all the steps, actions, and decisions, of a process. This is being used in the industry more often now, with the aid of things like computer software. This means the process of design and construction can now be figured out beforehand, increasing efficiency and leading to lower costs. This leads me to one of the primary professional issues raised by the lecture. How can the building construction industry continue to become integrated with other professions to ensure the greatest amount of communication between each? Similarly is this the most efficient model of construction, or is there an even more efficient one? One important question/issue raised with regards to the discipline was how can the construction industry adapt to technology which will effectively evaluate the three dimensions of construction (life cycle, types of construction, stakeholders)? Similarly is the discipline adopting new and creative ways of evaluating each dimension individually? Some important terms/concepts introduced in the Industrial Design lecture were: aesthetic, industrial design, mass manufactured, sensual objects, environments, sensorial, empowerment, inventive, iterative, user centered, manufacture driven, investment casting, corporate designers, consulting designers, retail designers. One of these terms I found important was sensual objects. This term is defined as objects that produce a sensation of joy. It is important to know what the intention of an object’s design is and with sensual objects that intention is joy. Another important term is empowerment, defined as supplying an ability, usually an ability not possessed before. In the lecture Mr. Mullick emphasized that empowering people is one aspect of good design. User centered is also and important term; and is the idea of the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user being given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. One thing Mr. Mullick mentioned that I found interesting is user centered does not necessarily need to apply to humans. It can apply to other things, like the end users of a zoo being the animals, as well. This leads to an important question the lecture raised regarding ID as a discipline. Is the body of knowledge we possess doing a good job of influencing designs as an advocate of the end user? Similarly, if it is not; what needs to added, changed, or taken away from the discipline to address this issue? With regard to ID as a profession, are the designs being produced today doing a good job of addressing and embracing the future, as Mr. Mullick suggested they should? Related to this is the challenge of designing with additional focuses in mind (people/end user, social, economic, environment, etc…) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability http://www.answers.com/stakeholder&r=67 http://www.pacepilot.com/pmap1.shtml http://www.answers.com/sensual&r=67 Library 101 Assignment"Historic buildings in Mississippi and Louisiana damaged or destroyed." Architectural Record November 1, 2005: 35.Bates, Kristin A., and Richelle S. Swan, eds. Through the eye of Katrina : social justice in the United States. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2007. Bergal, Jenni, et al., City adrift : New Orleans before and after Katrina. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2007. Bergeron, Angelle. "Counting the costs; Hurricane's impact on insurance still a mystery." South Central Construction February 1, 2006: 20. Brunsma, David, David Overfelt, and J. Steven Picou, eds. The sociology of Katrina : perspectives on a modern catastrophe. 1st ed. Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Burns, Peter and Matthew O. Thomas. "The Failure of the Nonregime." Urban Affairs Review March 2006 517-527. Campo-Flores, Arian, Richard Wolffe, Mark Hosenball, and Sarah Childress. "Katrina's Latest Damage; Crime is up. Schools are overcrowded. Hospitals are jammed. Houston welcomed a flood of hurricane evacuees with open arms. But now the city is suffering from a case of 'compassion fatigue.'." Newsweek March 13, 2006: 24. Charters, Samuel. New Orleans : playing a jazz chorus. New York: Marion Boyars, 2006. Clark, Rebecca A. "Eight Months Later: Hurricane Katrina Aftermath Challenges Facing the Infectious Diseases Section of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center." Clinical Infectious Diseases 43.4 8/15/2006 485-489. Clark, Rebecca A, et al. "Six months later: The effect of Hurricane Katrina on health care for persons living with HIV/AIDS in New Orleans." AIDS Care 18(2006) 59-61. Colten, Craig E. "Vulnerability and Place: Flat Land and Uneven Risk in New Orleans." American Anthropologist Dec 2006: 731. ProQuest. Craig, Robert M.. " Hurricane Katrina's impact on nineteenth-century cultural landmarks." Society of Architectural Historians Newsletter - Society of Architectural Historians 49(2005): 2-5. Fletcher, Laurel E, Phuong Pham, Eric Stover, and Patrick Vinck. "Latino Workers and Human Rights in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina." Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law 2007: 107. ProQuest. Gray, Bradford H, and Kathy Hebert. "Hospitals in Hurricane Katrina: Challenges Facing Custodial Institutions in a Disaster." Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved May 2007: 283. ProQuest. Hill, Kelly. "Katrina shifted calling patterns; New Orleans, Houston see drastic rise in wireless minutes of use." RCR Wireless News June 19, 2006: 14. McDonald, Martha. "Picking up the pieces: post-Katrina recovery." Clem Labine's traditional building 19(2006): 16-20. McQuaid, John. "Katrina's Assault on New Orleans." World Watch 19.5Sep/Oct 2006 13-17. McQuaid, John, and Mark Schleifstein. Path of destruction : the devastation of New Orleans and the coming age of superstorms. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2006. Nobel, Philip. "Welcome restraint: in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, something strange happened: architects kept their mouths shut and their hands off their pens." Metropolis 25(2005): 64,66. O'Neil, Robert M, et al. "Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans Universities." Academe May/Jun 2007: 59. ProQuest. Potter, Hillary, ed. Racing the storm : racial implications and lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2007. Robinson, Erin. "Dealing with winds of change; A year after Katrina, some retailers struggle." Automotive News August 28, 2006: 6. Rosan, Richard M.. "The path to rebuilding: one year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, New Orleans still lacks a coordinated plan for action." Urban land 65(2006): 58, 60, 62-63. Russell, James S.. "Building a better Gulf South." Architectural record 194(2006): 112-129. Sharkey, Patrick. "SURVIVAL AND DEATH IN NEW ORLEANS: An Empirical Look at the Human Impact of Katrina." Journal of Black Studies Mar 2007: 482. ProQuest. Schnoor, Jerald L.. "The lessons of Katrina." Environmental Science & Technology 39.21 11/1/2005 431A-431A. Snoonian, Deborah. "Damaged buildings and widespread environmental hazards remain in Katrina's aftermath." Architectural record 193(2005 ): 191-[192],[194]. Testa, Bridget Mintz. "One year after Katrina, New Orleans employers see operations in new light; The catastrophe has wrought changes not only in organizations' disaster-response plans, but in the very way they structure their businesses." Workforce Management August 28, 2006: 46. Weems, Carl, et al. "The psychosocial impact of Hurricane Katrina: Contextual differences in psychological symptoms, social support, and discrimination." Behaviour Research and Therapy Oct 2007: 2295. ProQuest. Zeitchik, Steven. "New Orleans Blues?." Publishers Weekly 252.37 9/19/2005 4-4. Assignment 4The focus of Dr. Zimring’s lecture was how what, and the way, we design our built environment can impact human nature. Dr. Zimring structured his lecture by explaining what Architecture, Culture, and Behavior is and discussing a couple issues related to the field. The terms and concepts from his lecture that I though were most interesting and important were: environment and behavior, environmental psychology, environmental sociology, space syntax, wayfinding, intentional physical activity, incidental physical activity, hybrid physical activity, cost effective intervention, evidence-based design. One of these terms that was new to me was wayfinding. In architecture, this term means the experience of a person orienting and choosing a path within an environment. This is significant because every time a person enters a space for the first time they are usually trying to get somewhere within that space. The challenge for people dealing with the built environment is to ensure the spaces they create are easily navigated for anyone who might enter that space. Anther significant term is space syntax. Space syntax is a word signifying a group of theories and techniques used to analyze spatial configurations. Using the theories that space syntax encompasses it is possible to asses the level of navigability of a space. This means that designers, architects, urban planners, etc…can examine present and past spaces and pick out successes, failures, etc…, of good space syntax. For me Dr. Zimring’s lecture raised several important questions and /or challenges. The fact that studies have shown design has effects beyond aesthetics, on health for example, makes me wonder if the current way we are taught to think about the built environment is adequate. Are we teaching future architects, designers, engineers, etc…to think beyond how a building looks or is constructed and consider other effects a building might have? Also, considering the growing evidence regarding the additional effects of how we design our built environment, will we be able to integrate such information into the knowledge we have already gained to design creative and aesthetically pleasing buildings that have a positive long lasting effect? Another interesting point that Dr. Zimring made is that the cost of designing in this way is initially expensive, but cheaper in the long run. Considering the point Dr. Bowen made about a demand for fast and cheap construction usually taking precedent, will the professions dealing with the built environment be able design and building for long term benefits instead? Similarly, if such construction for benefits in the long term does become the norm what will be the economic effect? Will this type of construction become cheaper or will it still only balance out in the long term?The focus of the photography lecture was an examination of our modern day built environment. Ms. Dusseault structured her lecture by examining the construction of Atlantic Station and the historical context of Atlantic Steel. Some important terms and/or concepts in her lecture were: utopian architecture, modernism, green space, overbuilding, speculative development, industrialism, monorail, Project X, environmental remediation, macro engineering, and agri-business. One of these terms I found interesting was utopian architecture. Utopian architecture is a design that is the supposedly ideal environment for users of a certain space and usually implies development in a place that did not have any before. This is very significant because it seems this is often happening in modern times. I immediately think of the numerous strip malls and suburban housing being built constantly. Another term I found important is modernism. Modernism, architecturally speaking, is a style that is unornamented and simplified in form. As Ms. Dusseault said in her lecture this is very reminiscent of the industrial form. I found the term modernism significant because, knowing a little bit of its history, many of the current design trends are heavily influenced by modernism. For me one of the important questions the lecture raised is if the professions dealing with the built environment can learn to effectively mix the old and new? Alternatively, will the prevalent mindset of tear down the old and construct new, or new designed to look old, buildings change? Similarly how will this affect the system of organization that is the built environment; considering that many times it is easier, and financially better, to simply knock a building down and build a new one instead of reinvent old buildings? Also, what do we take from the knowledge available to us to ensure we imitate the right things in the right, and not wrong, way? This also raised an important question for the teaching/learning environment. Is the way future designers, architects, builders, etc…are taught getting them to consider the history of a building, and alternatives to demolition? The third lecture was about the appeal of the architect Palladio. Dr. Bafna structured his lecture by comparing a selection of Palladio’s work. Some important terms and/or concepts he introduced were: Villa Rotunda, pastoral landscape, perspective, plan, ababa system, visual engagements, geometrical keynote, classicizing, and moldings. One of these terms I found important was plan. In terms of the built environment plan is a type of drawing of an object viewed from the top. This is important for all of us who decide to continue on in COA because plan is one of the main ways the design of something is communicated. Another term I thought was significant is classicizing. This is significant because so much of our architectural heritage is based on this term. Classicizing is a tendency to take elements from classical architecture, mainly expressed by the use of Roman orders of columns. An important question this lecture raised for me was what makes great architecture? Architecture can be a subjective discipline. Does this mean great architecture is architecture that adheres to a certain style, is executed well, etc…? Similarly, what is the best way to examine the qualities of a building? Does this mean using the knowledge we have today, or is there some better way to go about this task? The question or challenge this lecture raised regarding the teaching/learning environment is to ensure that the importance of multiple purposes; functional, visually engaging, etc…, is being taught effectively. Also, just like Palladio was designing within a certain economic system, I wonder how people in the future will examine the economics of our built environment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayfinding http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_syntax http://www.answers.com/topic/utopian-architecture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_architecture http://www.oldandsold.com/articles23/architecture-98.shtml Assignment 3I found all three lectures very interesting and also very informative. Each of the lectures introduced me to a new concept I had not been very familiar with. The focus of the first lecture was the scope and multi-disciplinary approach to disability research. Dr. Sprigle structured the lecture by defining what disability is and then examining the mission and products of the CATEA. Although he introduced many important terms and concepts the ones I found most interesting were: disability, assistive technology, barrier free education, universal design appeal, specialized assistive technology, distance education, informal environments, existence of environmental barriers, prompted recall interview, data driven approach, and anthropometry. One of these concepts that impacts many disciplines and professions is the existence of environmental barriers. These are aspects of the built environment that limit a disabled person’s access to the environment. Although environmental barriers most often affect the disabled, they can also affect a wider range of people. This could include the elderly, the infirm, or a mother with an armload of groceries. Such barriers can be found in old buildings or can be something as simple as a high sidewalk. Even though there are guidelines to prevent barriers from being built, much more can be done. When designing, building, or renovating something the idea of a barrier free environment should always be kept in mind because what affects the disabled can have an affect on others. Prompted recall interview is another very important concept. Prompted recall interview is the use of GPS and also face to face interviews, to learn things like the purpose of a journey or what mode of transit was used during that journey. This merging of technology and traditional research methods has the power to create more products that are both accurate and person specific in nature. Integrating prompted recall interview with GIS research, discussed in the third lecture, can also lead to more smartly designed and also more environmentally, low impact, placement of the structures we build. Both of these terms raise an important question for professions involved in the design and built environment. How can we design and build for our environment that does not involve only a single niche, but multiple niches? In the case of the lecture this would be designing for those without disabilities and those with disabilities. An interesting challenge the lecture raised is uniting many different people; from many different disciplines, each with their own focus, to work toward a common goal. One example is uniting people from biology, design, engineering, etc…to create a user friendly wheelchair cushion. Another challenge this lecture raised was how to design systems that will aid not only students with disabilities, but also teachers with disabilities, in a way that will be beneficial for the teaching environment and those in it. The lecture also raised an interesting question regarding economic production. When does a product; an automatic can opener for example, marketed for a certain sector; those with disabilities, become a mass marketable product? Such cross over technology can be found in all kinds of fields. Another example I can think of is the development of the internet into a common household service.The focus of the second lecture was the construction industry and how it is changing. Mr. Bowen structured his lecture by critically examining the roots of the industry, the industry today, and issues it faces. Some important terms and concepts he used were: partnering, lean construction, turnkey, PPP, supply chains , total team concept, extended enterprise, alliance contracting, life cycle costing, value engineering, risk management, 3XPT, fragmentation, economies of scale, benchmark, renaissance man, and vertical integration. 3XPT is the name of a collaborative working group involving CURT, AGC, and AIA. This is very significant because, as they say in the press release, 3XPT is an attempt to redefine the way things in the construction industry are done. Specifically, fostering greater collaboration, more sharing of information, and eliminating the linearity of the construction industry. Another significant concept is vertical integration. Vertical integration is when a single firm handles all the aspects of the product it produces. This is significant because one of the characteristics, now being challenged, of the construction industry is a lack of vertical integration. This lack of vertical integration is one of the reasons a project can be delayed so long if one of the parts of the building process goes wrong. For example if a concrete company can not get enough stone then this could delay the pouring of structural columns, which means floors can not be constructed, which delays putting up interior and exterior wall, etc…This leads to an important question the lecture raised regarding this model of economic production. If such a model is, and has been, inefficient; why has there not been a more vocal movement, formed sooner, to change the way things are done? Realizing the inefficient nature of such a system of production how can we foster a sense of teamwork, and necessity to change, when it comes to the teaching and learning environment? Also in the face of such inefficiencies, why have the different organizations been so protective when it comes to their profession? Another challenge I see regarding the disciplines involved in the construction industry is the challenge of changing the views held by society toward them. I think this is one of the benefits of GT’s common first year program. Whether a person is planning to go into building construction, industrial design, or architecture; they start out with everyone else. A person does not being their education within in the bubble of a certain discipline. The focus of the third lecture was an introduction to GIS (geographic information system). Dr. French structured his lecture by describing projects and applications of technologies researched by the GIS center at GT. Some important terms and concepts used during the lecture were: GIS, database, attribute database, remote sensing, GPS, lidar, IR, one-meter photography, photo-interpreted land use, heat island, land-sustainability analysis, impervious surfaces analysis, and regression analysis. One of these terms, that is significant for many different areas involved in the built environment, is heat island. Heat island is a term for urban air and surface temperatures which are higher than nearby rural areas. Heat islands are created by the destruction of natural vegetation and erection of different types of infrastructure. The challenge this poses is how to design and build buildings that will be both comfortable for humans and also have a minimal impact on the environment. Another significant term is land-sustainability analysis. This is significant because it is the idea of the pre-analysis of the impact of construction on a certain environment. For example, using the research shown in the lecture, we are able to analyze the impact of a proposed housing development, in a certain area, on that area’s water table. This leads to a challenge, in the area of economic production, which GIS technology faces. GIS technology works by analyzing the patterns we currently use to build and construct objects. If we are changing the way we build in our environment, like discussed in the previous lecture, can we reliably use GIS technology; or will we be able to reliably update it along with our changing construction methods. Seeing the power of GIS technology during the lecture, will it become an easily accessible and usable teaching tool to educate future designers and builders? Another question this lecture raised is how will this affect the professions involved in the built environment? Will firms now be able to use GIS technology so they can evaluate past work? Will this analysis lead to design in a quicker, cheaper, more economically efficient, low impact, etc…way; or will different professions embrace the technology in different ways. Another challenge faced by GIS technology is bringing together the knowledge, from many different kinds of disciplines, to create beneficial changes in the way we see the built environment. http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/warmup/barriers/barriers_f.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3927/is_200412/ai_n9521910/pg_10 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9020402/Andrew-Carnegie http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/about/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability Critical Listening: Learning to Ask Good QuestionsIn the lecture about classical architecture the speakers focused on both the aesthetics of classical and traditional designs, and also how they were applied in relation to the modern world. They did this by comparing many different examples of classical architecture, in both residential and commercial applications. Some important terms and concepts included in the lecture were: classical architecture, traditional architecture, vernacular of the place, eco-friendly, Katrina Cottage, and sprawl. Out of all of these, the two terms that I found most interesting were Katrina Cottage and vernacular of the place. Katrina Cottage is the name given to the small and easily assembled house designed for the gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina. A Katrina Cottage, not exclusive to the gulf coast, incorporates elements from classical architecture into an affordable and mass marketable structure available to most people. Vernacular of the place is the design, style, tradition, etc…that is shared by the structures of a certain place. Just as certain languages are usually more prevalent in certain areas; the styles of certain areas can also vary by location. When people think of classical architecture they probably think about a system of proportions and rules that leaves little room for creativity. Instead of taking this simple view we should critically examine the discipline of both classical and modern architecture, and then ask if is it possible to incorporate useful elements from both, while also creating something unique? In other words can we create something new and useful to be added to the discipline of architecture that will enhance it in some way? If you look at classical architecture from Greek and Roman times you begin to notice that the designs were energy efficient. Lacking the heating and cooling systems we have today they had to orient their building to take advantage of the different phases of the sun. In most cases they would also use materials that they had readily available. Looking back at things like this, we should ask ourselves how we can incorporate similar practices into the professional realm of our design and built environment. Similarly, how can we teach students to appreciate and understand such aspects of diversity in classical architecture?In the lecture about the Solar Decathlon the speaker focused on the amount, and process, of collaboration between different disciplines necessary when it comes to large projects. To do this he reviewed the design, planning, and construction of the GT Solar Decathlon House. Some of the important terms and concepts that were a part of the lecture were: off the grid, grey water, black water, zero footprint, SIP walls, and zero energy. The two I found interesting were SIP walls and zero energy. SIP walls are walls made of panels of foam sandwiched between two pieces of some kind of structural material. Zero energy generally means a building uses a net amount of zero energy, mainly energy for heating, cooling, plumbing, etc…over a one year period. The Solar Decathlon House highlights an important professional question I have regarding green technology. When constructing an energy efficient house how do you weigh the aspects of different materials or designs to decide which is best? Is it a balancing act between sustainability, efficiency, price, etc… or will some outweigh the others? In some way the process of building the Solar Decathlon House is more like the real world. It was a process of collaboration among many disciplines. While people worked on a specific aspect of the project, they also had to stay in contact with others so the outcome of the project itself was successful. This process of collaboration is very different from the typical learning environment of not just design, but also many other disciplines. Considering college is to prepare students for the professional world, should the way students are taught to view their built environment be changed, or should collaboration and individual work be combined? In terms of the discipline of green architecture, how can we save the environmentally friendly aspect while also making it affordable and widely available? In the CAD/CAM presentation the lecturer focused on the linear process that production involves, and finding materials that support the concept you are trying to bring to life. He did this by comparing and also contrasting different projects that illustrate the focus. Some important terms and concepts he used were feedback loop, non-standard, local variation vs. global variation, stick-frame, polar array, bifurcated, unitized, master builder, and combinatorics. The two concepts I found interesting were the feedback loop and local variation vs. global variation. The concept of feedback loop is being able to design something, input that design into a computer, and get instant feedback about how the design will behave under different conditions. The concept of local variation vs. global variation is the idea of a project being different both on the scale of the project itself; if it twists, turns, changes color, etc…, and on the scale of the project in it’s environment; will it go behind the column, will it stop at the third floor or the second floor, will it begin on the grass or on the concrete, etc…All the designs, fabrication techniques, materials, etc…that were highlighted in the presentation present some interesting questions. First of all how will such innovations affect disciplines like architecture, interior design, building construction, etc…? Will all the knowledge associated with these disciplines have to be revised completely, or can they be re-examined and updated to fit our changing world. One of the big questions is how these new, and also future, techniques will be accepted in today’s professional world. Will firms be tolerant, and embrace future innovations, or will they be reluctant to change? In relation to such innovations, how can the teaching environment help foster students’ ability to keep up with such a fast changing environment? Observation, Description, Speculation The first installation I will describe and then speculate about is the one outside the College of Architecture. This installation is made out of sheets of polycarbonate. It looks like the same type of material that the panes of residential storm doors are made from. The connections between the individual strips are made with metal screws. Where strips of polycarbonate connect there are Braille looking marks, probably used to match corresponding ends. Although the installation looks like it expands into an unorganized mess, if you stand both close to and far away from the installation you notice that the concave parts of the polycarbonate strips are in approximately the same place. Also noticeable, from both scales, in this section of the installation is the reflection of the sun off these concave sections, forming vertically oriented and white colored bands extending to the edges of the installation. If you get close to the installation and walk from left to right it looks like this reflection moves from right to left. If you walk right to left the reflection moves left to right. Another interesting difference is the structure of the part of the installation that flares out from the initial stack of polycarbonate strips. From far away it looks like these strips simply separate and fan out into an unorganized mess but if you scale down to the installation and its detail you can tell that the strips are actually box-like structures. This is probably because from far away the sun reflects of the sides of the horizontal strips, making them evident, but passes through the vertical strips that form the sides of the boxes. From both far away, and if you are behind the installation, it looks like the flaring out of the stack of polycarbonate strips both cuts right across the column and is directly touching it. However as you get closer and scale down to the installation itself it becomes apparent that the flare is spaced a few inches away from the column and follows its curve. I think the issue motivating the installation was the idea of how things in the world (both literally and figuratively) go through a growing process: a process of starting small, getting larger and somewhat unorganized, and then ending larger than they began. One example I can think is the journey of bodies of water. Usually they start as different small streams or springs, join up to form rivers, and then the rivers join up to form oceans, and although they are not following the same path they are organized in the sense that they are all moving toward the same destination. Another example is the growth of a tree from a small seed to a plant much larger then the seed, or the development of small towns to cities of unimaginable size (Atlanta, London, L.A., etc…). Each one of these might seem unorganized at first glance but all are trying to reach a common goal: the plant getting the most sunlight in order to stay alive and cities trying to accommodate those who are living and arriving there. The way this installation starts out uniform, becomes crazy, and then goes back to uniform makes me think that it's secret life would be a routine of wild and intense partying, into the early morning, then typical and unexciting, waking up to put on business attire and put in a long days work before it all starts over again. I will now describe and speculate about the wooden installation that is inside the College of Architecture. It is made up of single sheets of plywood, forming its pathway to the top part of the building, and 3 sheets glued together, forming the seating portion. Glue was used to make the connection between each individual strip and screws have also been used to keep the wood from splitting. These meeting points are not simply over-lapped, each section is mitered so the strips do not have a bump where they connect. There are also several interesting formal and phenomenological qualities to the installation. One of these qualities is how the wood contrasts with, yet also somewhat mimics, the texture of the concrete. The concrete on the interior walls is made up of many repeating and vertical ridges that are rough on the facing edges and smooth in the grooves. The installation looks similar because the strips of wood are turned on their sides to look like ridges. The facing sides, like the ridges of the concrete, are rough, and the sides of the wood are smooth, like grooves between the ridges. The curve in the installation that begins at the u-shaped bump-in on the third floor helps mask this change as you are walking toward the stairway. The first impression you get is the sense that the wall continues going straight like on the wall on second floor. Another interesting quality is how the installation interacts with the floor carpeting. If you look at the installation you get the feeling that it is growing out of the carpet. In other words the transition from floor to installation is smoother. If the installation had been placed on the ceramic part of the floor this transition would have been much more apparent, or sharper, in other words. If you stand to the right side of the installation the first potion of curves, and their slant, creates the effect of the wood stripes being squeezed closer together. Another interesting visual effect the repeating wood strips creates deals with the horizontal bar that attaches the installation to the third floor railing. If you are looking from the first floor up to the third floor it looks like the bar begins in the center of the wood strips and then eventually moves backwards, ending up behind them. Looking down from the second or third floor with the first floor ceiling lights on, the seat part of the installation is more brightly lit than the upper sections, like it is being framed, and this draws your eye toward this section. Also, if you stand to the side on any floor, the even spacing together with the curves of the wood creates the visual effect of a dark area in-between the strips of wood. Moving to the top floor you notice another interesting visual effect. If you stand in front of the installation the top strips of wood, because of the window behind them, look like they almost disappear in the daylight. I think the motivating issues behind this installation were to create something functional, yet elegant, that would mimic, and also contrast with, the concrete interior of the building. This elegance leads to the interesting secret life I think this installation would lead. The simplicity and elegance makes me think of the installation hosting chic dinner parties in its downtown and skyline view penthouse with a menu of fancy food, like French cheeses bought the morning of the party, and drinks, like finely aged wines from California. Joseph Newman Link to this Page
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