Thursday November 12, 2009

Today I wanted to write about the field trips that I went to this week.

Tuesday I went to the Hydro building. It was amazing!!! Such an incredible design and features. I really liked the natural lighting. The 6 ft. water fall and the two water fountains in the lobby. The building is smart and saves energy. They use a wide range of natural materials such as wood and stone. Glass and metal are materials that can be recycled and reused. The view on the 18th floor was beautiful. It was good to see many greens clustered into the residential areas. Seeing the downtown buildings reminded me of all the history and character that each building had. Portage place hasn’t really changed much for me, I can still remember going there when I was younger and the floors and walls were still the same.

Today, Thursday, we went to Smith Carter 3 building. It was also another amazing building I have been to. They have personal showers and a fitness area where workers use throughout the day. Being in that place rocked!! I loved the stainless steel walls and tall glass windows. Recycled materials to make the deck and the vibrant colors that they use throughout the place. Green, pink and white are the colors mainly used upstairs, where as the bottom floor a more serious burgundy and gray tone. SC3 helped create the Hydro building in 2003. Most of the features in the SC3 building were also found in the Hydro building. The elevated floors and hidden wiring are both found in the two buildings.

SC3 uses a lot of stainless steel materials because it is reusable and can be turned into something else when not needed. The woman’s bathroom was nice. It had lockers, and individual stalls. One room for the shower, a big mirror, hair blow dryer, and two tiny triangular sofas. It was nice. It felt inviting and comfortable. The work environment feels like a home away from home. It feels like people are there to do what they love to do without feeling like they are “working.”

I really enjoyed visiting these two places. I feel that I have learned a lot about the interior designs and the sustainable ideas behind them. It encourages me to think about design more seriously now and how it can be awesome AND energy efficient.

This has been a memorable experience for me…

Thank you!

 

Thursday November 5, 2009

I wanted to reflect on some of the things that I like and hate about things that I learned while being in this program.

Well the group and I are challenged with a project that deals with the history and changes over time of Pembina Highway. I found it super interesting to find the changes that over lap with the research we found. It was neat to see buildings and structures that were there and now have changed into some thing good or bad. One research jumped out on me and to this day I still cannot believe of it. On confusion corner, going south towards the University, there used to be a school called Gladstone school in 1960, now in the present day it was replaced by a transit bus shelter. I find it somewhat sad to see something so big and important destroyed to make something small and useful. I guess that’s the consequences that had to be done in order to extend the highway.

The group stripped away all the things that were right and wrong with the design and layout of Pembina, and to my surprise there are more wrongs then right. Now I can’t help but think about all the possible ways that I or we can improve this problem. I understand that this is a highway for cars, but really, pedestrians and other transportation are a key factor as well. It really sucks to see the lack of crosswalks and sides walks for people to use. There are many fire hydrants but not enough garbage cans or recycling bins.

On another note, it really pisses me off to see cans and plastic bottles lying around campus, and believe me I’ve seen A LOT!!!!!!! It extremely bugs me when people are that lazy to throw away their trash. That’s so STUPID!!!  RECYCLE, its not hard! Another thing that ticks me off is seeing people drive in their vehicles, and seeing only ONE person in a vehicle. Do people even think why there are so many traffics and angry drivers because of traffic? Well that’s because everyone wants their own car or truck or whatever and it never occurred to them that the roads aren’t going to be extended just to fit all these cars, instead you all just create traffics and more accidents and so on…

Once the fuel curve start going down, and gas starts to become more and more expensive, that will be the day people will realize that transit and cycling are better.  A guy in one of the groups explained to us that he cycles everywhere, and while he was cycling down Pembina to study the conditions of the road and traffic, he was treated disrespectfully. He said that he was forced off of the road twice because traffic was so dangerous that it was hard for him to ride on the street. Riding on the sidewalk is not a good idea either because there is a $200.00 fine if caught biking on the sidewalk. So, where can a cyclist ride then? Another thing was that, he was cursed at many times by passing drivers, and also was spat on; now that is just plain rude and stupid on the drivers.

I hate dumb drivers that think they own the road, they don’t!! People like that don’t deserve to drive. Well, in away it is also the government’s fault for not coming up with a better design to service not only vehicles, but other transportations as well. I think its up to TEAM EVDS to come up with an awesome layout plan that will blow our mayor’s mind that he will love it and make it happen.  Please, please, please…

Going back on the Pembina Highway subject, it was good to see the way life was in the past. Pembina was still just a dirt road and there were hardly any vehicles present. Looking at downtown, people would gather around and fill the heart of the downtown area. Life didn’t seem so complicated back then. People were out more, interacting with the local businesses within the city, and enjoying their surroundings. People used buses and trolleys more back then, it was a great way to travel throughout the city, and it was cheap.

Traffic didn’t seem to be as bad back then. Today traffic occurs everyday, holidays and on sunny weekends. After learning about being green, and sustainable, I would like to see this city grow and improve to become better for the future. Winnipeg is not a bad city, it is growing and development is happening. We should improve it now while the city is still increasing, because once the city becomes large enough, upgrading could become a challenge and take twice as longer.

I would like to see the downtown area used more. The architecture around the area has character and a history behind them. Now, some buildings just sit there and are slowly disappearing. Downtown is the heart of the city, it is what makes up Winnipeg, therefore, lets try to cherish that and make it live again.

Thursday October 29, 2009

I found that the lecture that Marc Treib gave us to be somewhat helpful. He explained “Architecture and Site: About 25 Examples.” I learned that you should be able to share your thoughts and ideas about design. The generosity of thought and design are important. A designer should be able to handle and work through the different conditions that the land could be in and that the site can easily be changed by the agriculture and construction that surrounds it, keeping in mind that there are years and centuries of disturbance in the land. He gave us 5 important factors that we should always remember in order to be a good designer.

1.)    MASS – size of a building, scale: human body. For example: The IBM Office Building

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2.)    PLAN – generator of the building, horizontal section.

3.)    SECTION – relationship to the site, much “consequencal” to plan. For example: Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial landscape installation, and Boa Nova Tea House.

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4.)    PROFILE – how the building is seen from the sky.  For example: Opera House Sydney, Australia, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.

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5.)    MATERIALS – what we build is what we see, application of materials can make a design good or bad. For example: Taos De Pueblo – earth structure made from the land itself. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater was made from local stones and concrete. Therme Vals indoor outdoor bathing area is constructed with local stones and discarded pieces of stone (veneer).

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I learned that vertical and horizontal lines go hand in hand. Different approaches equal different ideas, and architecture plus landscape work together. In order to create a good design, one much have a simple scheme and idea.

Thursday October 22, 2009

Some people might think that model homes in suburban areas are beautiful and fancy, but the honest truth to that is that they are not. These housings are designed to look identical and it almost looks boring. Think about all the new development out in Amber Trails, or Waverley west, sure they look nice, but they almost start to look the same. Cookie-cutter homes that people think are better, which in fact are not. There are always other ways to improve newly developed homes without having to result in the similarities. Why do majority of homes face out into the street? Why can’t they design homes which have a variety in direction of where the front of the house faces? More gardening space; sure they have a nice large yard, but why can’t they turn it into something useful like a garden? Not only would they save a trip to the market, they would also get organic and fresh produce. The reason behind this is because people are more dependent on what’s given. Houses are made based on capital standard and not about being green or sustainability, everything nowadays is getting expensive, gas prices and utility bills are becoming pricey therefore people find the reason to move out into the suburban homes.

Is it worth it? For me I would have to disagree. I find living in places like down town Winnipeg better and exciting compared to living in the suburbs. The houses might not be as big and “new” but at least it has character. I live in the west end and I love how the houses here have a variety in faces. Not all homes here look alike from the front, and that’s what makes these houses unique. It somewhat has an old traditional feel, but inside I’m sure its cozy and a place I would call home.

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Down town is where the action is, it’s always alive, whereas compared to living in the new development, so quiet, so boring. Down town is the heart of the city and it has everything. The one thing that I love about living in the west end is that everything is so near, I could walk or ride my bike to the nearest store, or the closest shopping mall, and it would save me so much time and money. Transit is always alive around my area and I find it great.

Taking the bus everyday made me realize how much I am doing my part to “be green.” On my way to school I see tons of people in their vehicles and I would have to admit, it upsets me. Every vehicle that drove passed me only had ONE passenger inside. So think about the space and the amount of fossil fuels that everyone is burning just to get from point A to B. INSANE!!!!!! Why couldn’t people who drive by themselves just take a bus? Is pretty much the same thing, only you have a bus driver driving you around and it would only cost you $2.25 for the ride, plus a free transfer? If only people knew what the outcome would be if we didn’t start doing our part.

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I believe that sooner or later, the government would be force to put up a new law, or regulation regarding the environment and how we all should do something to fix it, and I know many people would want to go against the changes, but the sooner we all do our part the better our future will be.

Thursday October 15, 2009

I think it is very crucial for a designer to understand the different kind of materials and natural resources available in the surrounding environment in order to design and create something out of the ordinary and by making it stand out from the rest. I feel that as a designer or an artist, it is better to have produced something that shows your character, a building or a drawing that shows the artist’s style and creativity. Now if we put that in an architect’s perspective, when creating a building, it would be much more appreciative if the Architect included all the other important elements that makes a building better. For example, using energy efficient things around the house, or incorporating natural materials that are found locally.

The Mountain Equipment Co-op in Winnipeg, Manitoba is a great example of reusing old materials and reducing construction waste. Green highlights of this building were the location, choosing a spot where transportation is accessible, either by bicycle, vehicle and/or transit. They have a green roof, composting toilets, and natural lighting by using more of sunlight. Therefore instead of spending more on the materials and construction, they didn’t lose any money but gained. Some of the old bricks that were there were cleaned and sold to other buyers.

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In Dana Buntrock’s Essay called, “Terunobu Fujimori: Working with Japan’s small production facilities,” it mentions how Fujimori initially wanted to use handmade objects in his designing project, and at the end he succeeded in the process. It was stated that there are 2 levels of production systems in Japan. Different segments of the market.

1.)    Center – This consists of large scale sophisticated productions supported by governmental activities and major corporations.

2.)    Periphery – Are small, localized production

The more I look at designs and buildings the more I feel that it is much better to get materials and goods locally rather than “somewhere” else. If we purchase things that are locally made then we are cutting out all the other processes that the materials go through. I really support the idea of making clothing that is biodegradable. This will become the future and the way we look at clothing will be different. People nowadays are concerned about having the latest fashion, but fashion only lasts for so long and then what happens to the “unwanted” piece of clothing? Donated or thrown away, it becomes another piece of garbage on the landfill. Think about all the materials and waste each item goes through before actually ending up where you buy it.

As an example, for the Natural and Human System cycle homework, I chose to do the life cycle of a household sponge and the end result is on a landfill. A small material that we take for granted to clean up spills and dirt off of our counters turns out to be something really bad for the environment. Majority of the materials used comes from places all over the world and production is usually done over seas in China. Now think about all the time, man power and resources like fossil fuels that are being used just to produce and transport this small foamed sponge to the stores just for us to use it and then throw away. It’s sad, people don’t think about what is actually good for businesses instead they focus on what is cheap and how the product would make their lives easier.

Thursday October 8, 2009

2009, by now I’ve always thought that there would be flying cars and robot helpers everywhere. It is coming close to the future and I strongly feel that machines aren’t as cool as they people think they are. We humans create and build machines that make our jobs easier and faster, like the computer or the vehicles that drive us to and from different places. Back in the day, people would hand write letters to each other, now letters became faster with the making of the email. Now we can send mass emails to whoever we want anywhere in the world. Vehicles were made so people didn’t have to walk. People start to become lazy and rely on these creations to make our lives a bit easier. It feels as if we take these machines for granted, even though they are not living.

I view the future to be somewhat like the movie “Wall-e.” People forget the true meaning of living that they get caught up in living easily without having to lift a finger, and you see society increase in obesity. Throughout the movie the humans realizes that the only thing that would make them “live” again was to get the last piece of nature that was left. This shows us that if we let technology take over us, we might not have control over them anymore. Plus, this movie shows that nature is really important for us. It’s our way of living and we should always keep in our minds to take care of earth. It’s the only thing that gives us life, so if we continue to create objects for an “easier” future, what would become of us?

Barbara Allen stated that “technology is rapidly changing. It changes so rapidly that what is current one year maybe obsolete the next.”

Creation of technology is not all a bad thing; it just seems to evolve so fast that it makes you wonder what would come out of it in a few years from now, it’s somewhat scary to think about. I believe that inventors should be able to create something that can help the earth become a better place for everyone. They should be more focused into designing something useful for the environment, not upgrading the latest functions on an ipod.

It was assured that “Architecture schools need to teach social, cultural and political nature of technology as it shapes and is shaped by the built environment. Students should be given basic tools of analysis needed to assess technology in more than instrumental terms thus becoming more effective designers and citizens in the complex world in which we live in.”

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Thursday October 1, 2009

I feel strongly that we the people of Earth are to blame for all the damages that is happening in the world. I would like to understand further the plans and decisions that the “higher up” people make before actually doing things to the planet, because I strongly feel that the government does NOT tell society exactly what the world is going through. Our professor in class asked us what we wanted to learn, therefore what do we expect to be taught, and all I can answer to that is the truth because I think that there are many secrets and hidden agendas concerning the planet and I know many of us don’t have the answer to all of the world’s problems, but I believe that since we the younger generation of the Architecture “society,” we are responsible for knowing the problems we all face, therefore making a design and solution for a better and brighter future, and also working together, instead of against each other.

It was stated in David Orr’s article that, “For education, this means that the architectural curriculum must include ethics, ecology, and tools having to do with whole systems analysis, and least-cost, end-use considerations. Further, educational standards need to include a more sophisticated and ecologically grounded understanding of place and culture.”

Sooner or later we will hit the “peak” of fossil fuels making a down fall to one of the biggest materials that we all use. Once this happens, not only will the price for gasoline go up, but many other crucial things will be affected like education, jobs, housing, cars, shopping malls, etc. People today get carried away with materialistic things not realizing that once it’s taken away, what would become of them? How would they feel about losing their vehicle that drives them from A to B? Or where will they get food to feed their families if the biggest shopping malls are closed? They say recession comes and goes, but the truth is recession only gets worse every time it comes, therefore why isn’t anyone doing anything about it to prevent it from happening?

I wish there was a better system for everything, there is no such thing as a perfect place or world. The earth is still very young therefore why are all these “bad things” happening? Global warming and catastrophes are the outcome of our doings, we take and take from Mother Nature and never give back.  Gaia cannot be extinct, it cannot be taken over, we can hold it down for a period of time, but through time, it will take over its surroundings. For example, cities and homes were built on destroyed forests and grasslands, once humans no longer are present, those forests and grasslands will slowly corrupt the world again, no matter what.

Orr assured that, “an ecological design revolution is simply the scale of change required in the next few decades. All nations, but starting with the most wealthy.”

The only way for a better life is to do our part, if we take from Gaia, we should be able to give back. We has humans, the most intelligent creatures on the planet should be able to find a solution to all of the world’s problems. Instead of fighting with each other in wars for power and fuel, we should all just “relax” and look deeper into what’s really wrong with the world. We put this on ourselves. We are too selfish and narrow-minded to really give a damn about the only place we call home.

Get off your ass and think about this…

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Thursday September 24, 2009

When reading about the Compass house at first I thought it was about 4 separated houses that all had a different view of the block. But after discussing it in the class, I understood more clearly about what the article was really about.

It was finding a balance with the surroundings and incorporating that into the homes that were being built.  The homes are required to occupy enough land which can then be accessed from any one of the four cardinal points of the compass. (North, East, South, West) I found it interesting of the idea of reusing rain water. The article states that “The roof of each element collects rainwater, which is sorted in cistern and used to sustain a specific portion of the vegetation surrounding the house.” These buildings then become eco responsible homes which I definitely agree to the thought of reusing natural resources, like storing rain water. It would be so much easier for people to reuse what Mother Nature has given instead of wasting it away. Another fantastic idea is having the outside interact with the interior. In other words, using the outside as a living space is also another good way to put use of our natural environment.

Changing spaces within the buildings are also another appealing plan for these homes. “The constrained fragments (moveable partitions, sliding walls contained within the collective and cellular elements of the house are individually restricted to relatively few positions or are restricted to simple movements, but their combined use in these overlapping areas produces a complex array of possible spatial and programmatic opportunities. The manipulation of very simple constrained elements might go beyond spatial reconfigurations, provoking programmic reconfigurations within the dwelling.” Where simply designing a structure in which is can alter the walls in order to change the view of the outside. A building in capable of having natural sunlight at all times. It’s neat to have a blank wall that faces the streets, normally with everyday cookie cutter homes, windows are often used in front of the house, where as these buildings can have it both ways. It’s almost like having the best of both worlds, where the kind of housing are met in between from Cookie cutter homes vs. Eco responsible designs.

The compass house connects with the movie that we saw in class about Carlo Scarpa’s Hortusus Conlusus, which means “Enclosed Garden”, and the Querini Bridge in Venice. The design at first seems almost too abstract, with rooms that occupy space and natural light. He used a wide variety of lines and natural materials such as stone and bricks.

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Some of the walls in the rooms were painted with warm colors such as reds, oranges and yellows, it somewhat had a romantic feel to the interior. Geometric fountains and structures were presented in his design. White was used on the exterior of the courtyard, perhaps for simplicity and purity. The garden had a good use of composition with the trees and the surrounding statues and fountains. There were a wide variety of fountains.

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Overall, upon looking at these designs, we see them for what they are until we really witness the relationship between the structure and its surroundings. Carlos Scarpa designed this construction intentionally because eventually the water around the area fills the rooms up and the angles of the wall and detailing were done on purpose, so now looking upon it with knowledge I understand the careful patience in order to getting the layout and design perfectly right, exactly the way he wanted it to be at the end.

Thursday September 17, 2009

So this date was our very first day of Ecology and Design class. I felt somewhat nervous about entering this class because I didn’t really know what it was about. I thought that the topics that we discussed were interesting; I like listening to new and useful ideas. Our prof mentioned something about having gardens growing on rooftops, I personally thought that was an awesome idea, not only resorting old crusty roofs, but also making use of space and the natural resources that we have. (ex. the sun) I totally agree with growing your own crops, organic is the way to go.

So in class we were asked the following:

-What is Ecology?

To me, I think ecology is the study of the environment and how all organisms work together.

What is Design?

I think design is a form of creation that helps the environment become better in the future.

-What is Ecological Design?

An ecological design should be able to adapt to the constant chances the environment goes through. A designer should be a chameleon, frequently adapting to its surroundings. The earth and Gaia is going through global warming, changes that have sudden impacts on the world, therefore being aware of whats going on around the world. It is most definitely crucial for a designer to “design” something helpful to better the globe and its creatures.

Okay, so near the end of the lecture, our prof states, “Communication cannot happen if you don’t exist, therefore family-hood wouldn’t be the way it is if you weren’t present.” —–SO TRUE!!!