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Dr. Shauna Mallory-Hill paid a visit to the class again and gave an enjoyable second installment of ‘Through the eyes of the skin’ touching on acoustical architecture. It may as well have been another rendition of one of the cultural history classes we had during our first year of the program, but it was more of a quick journey through the sounds that belonged to the time periods. Whether it is Baroque, Gothic, or Renaissance styles of architecture- the evolution of sound actually has a close relationship in deriving their forms. The Greeks and Romans had similar semi-circular prototypes of mass public seating, however, they would vary in angles, how much focus and height is put on the mainstage and the purpose it served in types of events. Was it more of a spectacle, or more of an intimate experience?
The curved domes at the top of a cathedral would contrast to a sharp-edged shape of a ballroom and its chandeliers- that were, in some cases, carefully thought out and placed for the sound of music to dissipate quicker. This is quite interesting because at this point, the common long, monotonous song/hymn shifted to short and quick rhythms that eventually incorporated instruments as well. Separate lines of music from elements of voice or instruments become a single entity of sound, as opposed to the element of voice along as the main component and base line. I’m sure many people my age can relate when I say Warner Bros is who to thank for bringing classical music earlier into my life. Surely there are some of the world’s most recognized songs in this catalogue, but that is only a small portion of the bulk. It is always refreshing to have another listen though, and I probably will not look/hear classical music and architecture the same way again. Alike the evolution of lighting, the 21st century brings an electronic spin to sound and allows arenas to be places that host sporting events as well as music concerts.
When I go back to visit my family in Europe again, I will have to make a stop in Italy to visit the cathedral in Piazza del Duomo (okay, and the tower of course), just so I can say I produced a chord with my own single little voice! It is actually possible! Dr. Mallory-Hill said one can project single notes consecutively in the space and it will retain, reverberate and wrap the sound into a harmony. Or anti-harmony. So intriguing.
Professor McLachlan elaborated more on different scales we could consider while site planning (as Professor Trottier discussed). A very intriguing scale was at satellite, which intertwined with a political scale as well.
At the 49th parallel we find the border of Wyoming and Alberta, and the landscape form is very drastic because of how wheat production is subsidized in each region. In Alberta it is subsidized by distance from port, so the result is more wheat can be found near the border. In Wyoming it is less rich in vegetation and very dry. It is also interesting to note that levels of watershed (first is a stream, last is a full water body) can reveal the age of a landscape, because water always finds a way to trickle through overtime- the land moves with it.
John Todd and a closed loop system for water was highlighted and it shed light on how constructed wetlands are becoming apart of the landscape language. I think it is very fascinating to rethink the human-built system of sewage, and how it has been done for ages but never questioned until now. If we abide to nature’s laws more, an interesting aesthetic and quality of living can be achieved.
In our visit to Jeld-Wen, there was some discussion about recycled wood, but I do not recall glass being of topic. A beautiful technology I’ve come across LEED adored projects recently is “channel glass”. To melt the glass, Glasfabrik Lambert uses an oxygen fuel tank to make resusable glass possible.
http://www.bendheimwall.com/environmental.htm
Accessing the resources needed in sustainable practices are still costly and quite a challenge today. With increasing awareness more knowledge will hopefully bring less cost. With that said, in a world where cost is a factor, a company like JELD-WEN priding itself in being driven to be a leader in environmentally responsible products and practices is very admirable. Especially with the challenge of manufacturing something so complex as windows and doors– what most of the budget goes towards in a building. It was interesting to see different options available in their windows product line that boasts low VOC, and 15% PVC. During the summer, I actually had new windows installed (unfortunately not with JELD-WEN) and was overwhelmed with the technical specifications and features that could be beneficial to long-term costs. We resulted in a 3-pane and argon gas fill as our choice and it has remarkably solved our past fogging problems. It is quite a marked difference in quality of everyday living, since we have these narrow, but tall windows up at the front that we look through numerous times in the day. Unfortunately options like reclaimed wood for doors and windows are only available in the United States, but it is good news that they have found a way to utilize recycled materials in manufacturing processes in such a large scale. The actual showroom of JELD-WEN’s sale center in Winnipeg we visited Thursday on Princess Street was actually an interesting venue of reclaimed material in itself. Apparently it was up since the 1700s and was vacant for 7 years before they moved in and has gone through a historic restoring process in the last few years.
After the visit to the showroom, we made a stop at the Red River College campus that is highly reputable for its energy conserving practices. It is one of my favourite buildings in the city, with great emphasis on natural lighting (it has a solar power wall, as well) and elegantly modern retrofitting within the historic Exchange district buildings.
The Lake of the Woods control board has a brief how-to guide on finding safe water levels to adjacently build on.
http://www.lwcb.ca/beforeyoubuild/index.html#determinelevels
I have highly anticipated to hear former mayor, Glen Murray, speak in centrespace just before class today. He is now the President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, and his advocacy in what-makes-a-city-successful is resonant than ever. The presentation was very intuitive and inspiring, he began with outlining current energy and economic issues and foreshadowed what kind of a crisis we can see in the future– whether it be in relation to human settlement or earlier signs of a food catastrophe radiating. He then spoke of the present and what we can aspire to do to make a difference, which was equally significant.
As I stated in one of my first entries, Sweden’s (and Norway’s) ideals of redirecting capital & energy in the governing sphere is looking quite radical compared to us here in America. For great examples we can look to cities like Bilbao, Reykjavik, or to be closer to home– Pittsburgh, which was always famed as “the Steel town” and had transitioned into more of a health-sciences-oriented knowledgebase and having absolutely no steel jobs over a span of 2 years. Looking at this and many other case studies, It can be said that intelligently preserving environmental stability and having a beautiful city is not impossible and it does not have to take ages. Winnipeg is a whole other story in geography, demography, and many aspects of city council. Murray’s vision can be described with the many R-words he liked to use: retrofit, redesign, redevelop, repurpose, revitalize…
“We need to advocate public transportation… make buildings aesthetically interesting and therefore walkable… create Corydon’s of the city and not McGillivray’s… we have demonstrated sustainable technologies [Mountain Equipment Co-op, new Manitoba Hydro HQ]… we just need to ask ourselves how do we employ it and create a sense of urgency for the politicians.”
I could go on forever about how the mayor smoothly covered a lot of ground- going in and out of the Winnipeg scope. From HIV+ ridden countries to the emergence of the innovation/design/knowledge sector (contrasting to manufacturing & services) in today’s global economy and their “critically active place consumer” and “plug & play anywhere” lifestyles, my favourite part of the hour was the very end when Mayor Murray ended in terms of looking within ourselves. That we are not to become designers, but genuine human beings with great design skills. That our credentials are just as important as our dreams and just as important as thinking of what our true fears are so we can hold strong and overall be a better person. The thoughts he left us was really transcendental for me because I’ve lacked a lot of inspiration the past couple of weeks. When you are older you want to measure your life in the love that you left behind… be a revolutionary.
I thought a plan was intensive as it was, but before producing one, an intensive investigation of the site is obviously required. An indepth analysis may look at suitability or climate, and that it is important to think in all scales possible when looking at any of these factors.
With respect to Mr. Milatano’s presentation on how needs and technology are changing in the world, Professor Trottier asks what values, behaviour and bio-physical context arise in conjunction.
Carmine Milatano gave us an energetic rundown of what it means to participate in the global economy where changes are constantly emerging. The triple bottom line is crucial to think of at the initial start of the creative process. It means that sustainable development has to harness a healthy environment, a strong economy, and an overall social wellbeing. This holistic view is the heart of solutions to current water management issues, or the goal of carbon neutrality. Mr. Milatano highlighted that decision-making tools (like the six step process) are becoming of great use with respect to a increasingly complex world. Decision-making and teamwork becomes everything for a company that faces competition, growth, aging infrastructure, funding limitations, new technologies, etc. There are writings of environmental concern from decades ago that seems like it would sound as fresh as it would on the radio, tv or various medias today. The good news is that there are increasing trends, such as proposal calls in the industry for a sustainable organization, whether it’s educational institutes, hospitals, or cities in general.
These forces are unavoidable that it has to become a hot topic in the political arena as well. In two days, the United States will have the most relevant election to date to become a part of history. The candidates have addressed and expanded on social, cultural, environmental issues like they never have before (or at least in the past couple of decades since Bobby Kennedy before I was born). Obama is especially unique to this playing field. I especially think his efforts in urban policies, localization, and greater advocacy for environmental issues are sophisticated and relevant in today’s world. I digress, but I think America’s future is bright if this man is elected (and ours respectively). His principles and motives have the essence of the triple bottom line.
After the double lecture on lighting a few days ago, I wanted to look into variations of lamps and stumbled upon the work of now quasi-internet-famous Keikko Lee from Hong Kong. It is a brilliant “magazine cover-thin” lamp that sticks to windows in favour of its 100% solar-powered functionality. That there is a perfect example of looking back to nature for inspiration and smarter solutions. It’s not necessarily a reliance on natural daylight born again, but it still keeps energy conservation strongly in favour if it were to be produced for purchase.
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[http://www.chinapost.com.tw/life/science-&-technology/2008/10/26/180448/Solar-power-%E2%80%98sticker.htm]
Dr. Shauna Mallory-Hill / through the eyes of the skin.
the vision process – we have the ability to adapt to different levels, such as light to dark.
example in reality: a street lit at night intersecting with one that is not–downfall is that the adaption is not always immediate, contrasting situations are particularly dangerous.
depth perception – highlighting a popular study found in introductory psych, the Ames room. since the ceiling on one corner of the room is higher than the other, a head-on look through the peephole observing two people standing on each corner will convey an optical illusion. our visual acuity is best straight ahead and our binocular vision (160-208 degrees) makes our depth perception superb, as opposed to rabbits that have their eyes at the side of their head (i have a pet rabbit at home so i have a lot of fun with this– she doesn’t). it is interesting to note that the direction of light is also a factor, and how the “sun is rarely above us in our biological experience”.
in prehistoric times the two kinds of light were daylight (including the moon) & flame (including oil lamps, the oldest form of portable light). here in winnipeg, the sun rises in the northeast and sets in northwest. if one were interested in tracking where the sun is anytime of the day or year, a stereopathic sun diagram is all that is needed. it consists of concentric circles which indicate height, corresponding angles to indicate sun, as well as arrows to outline the sun’s path.
the arch – traps in light far above the level of the eyes, liberates wall from structure reflecting deeper.
other architectural componenets to note: vaults, crossvaultes, domes (floor light resonator?).
looking at sources of light in the past, daylight and reliance of sun as the major source has diminished. electrical lighting has become prominent in the last century (1830s on), most especially because daylight was seen to be unreliable and edison’s invention of the incandescent lightbulb came about. a trend that can be seen in interior public spaces (esp. malls) is layering of artificial lights, but fortunately there is starting to be some reintroducing of the importance of daylights (ex: tokyo national museum’s dewy shade has materials expressed naturally).
in relation to last week’s lecture, perception of colour must be emitted by a light source. depending on the type of lights it can be cool, midrange, or warm. we looked at different types of lamps, from halogens, UV/phosphorous, and HIDs, to the more energy conserving compact fluorescents and LEDs. an interesting note is that LEDs individually do not produce any heat, and can potentially have an 80 year lifespan. it is very recent that white light was able to be created from them allowing it’s fate of holiday lighting stay in the past and it’s future looking very bright indeed. the use of LEDs in environmental design will be more ubiquitous soon enough. (i am still in disbelief currently typing on my new macbook pro’s LED backlit screen)
facts: “light pollution” as an issue means an urban centre like NYC cannot see the milky way.
lighting is 25% of consumed electrical costs in the US, and over 5 trillion dollars is the projected cost of Hoover Dam.
what can we do?
renzo piano lays out the mantra for the next gen– developing the
aesthetics of sustainability*
Daniel Petrak, E.I.T. M. Arch. / digital daylighting
daniel began the lecture questioning whether analysis and design can exist without the other, and outlined there are qualitative & quantitative forms of analysis, and intuitive & prescriptive forms of design. his studies in thermal modeling show great considerations of energy and natural gas use, and in depth research done before producing an digital output of (day)light rendering on models. it appears as though diffused light is more flattering on models than direct light. deriving the form of a model in the context of ecology & sustainability was made possible for daniel in his studies of “illumination surfacing” and his technique of “right to light carving”. he also demonstrated his software of choice, ecotect, which included an analogue tool that allowed one to factor daylight– a three dimension stereopathic sun diagram which i’m sure we were all mesmerized to see.
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*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1846715,00.html]
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1846715,00.html]
Images
[http://www.stevenholl.com/news-detail.php?id=23]
[http://www.archdaily.com/1809/tram-stop-in-alicante-subarquitectura/]
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