Architecture is a field that is constantly changing. Trends in architecture come and go relatively quickly because it is based on people’s opinions which are continually changing. Architecture is nice because the changes are happening visually. You are able to drive around, and notice shifts throughout the field. I have always had a love for architecture and the designing that goes into buildings and think that in order to stay relevant, you must always be improving and progressing. This is a big factor that pushes the field along and keeps the trends changing. Some of the trends I have noticed in the past ten years were based on things such as geographic location, sustainability or resilience, and advancements in technology. Location …show more content…
They became more aware of their surroundings instead of focusing specifically on the aesthetics of a building. The geographical trend looks at preservation as an important part of design, especially in urban settings. It strives to keep the integrity of older neighborhoods, districts, and cultural landscapes. This architecture is being informed by its surroundings instead of being thrown into a district or landscape. Architects can create a more seamless design between the old and new by considering what is already there. An example of this is the High Line Park in New York. Designers took an abandoned rail ray and turned it into a walking park. The architects behind this park, studied human behavior to inform their ideas which led to the creation of a park that was relaxed and meant for sitting and relaxing. They wanted to create an area of space in New York for people to rest in contrast with the ‘city that never sleeps’. This is a prime example of architects taking something that already exists and breathing new life into it. Without looking at the surroundings the architects would not have been able to create such a structure as this. Urbanism has played a large role in energizing the shift towards geography; “the geographic approach has been at the center of any inquisitive urban study because new subfields of geography bring theoretical rigor to the space-related research of …show more content…
Architects also build sustainable structures that are able to merge with existing buildings while keeping them up to date. An example of architecture that was added to be coherent with an existing building is the HUF building in Rotterdam. Architects added a back lit screen crowning the roof of an apartment building to conceal a newly added cooling plant. Facilities that can be re-used and change over time is a common point. We see this with the apartment buildings and the Van Nelle factory. The architects behind this project restored an old factory building. They were able to salvage the outer façade and use it as an envelope for the interior space that was updated. This allowed the building to retain its characteristics and keep the integrity of the original architecture (Jonge). Along with design buildings to be resilient to change the earth and making sure that the buildings are not polluting the environment is a big part of building for sustainability. In some cases, the houses or structures have features that make them self-sustaining. Many architects are incorporating green spaces into their designs. This helps with the prevention of creating a ‘concrete jungle’ but also has benefits that aid in heating and cooling
When an architect is influenced they create. They make what they see in their mind. But people could always improve what they’ve already created. Homes at one point were only one story houses. But suddenly to someone’s mind they thought homes should be two stories or even three. Back in High School, most of my classmates wanted to become architects and they’d be asked how they were influenced to draw a blueprint like the one they had. Some would respond with “I saw this house that had this this and this and I really liked it so I put it into my home.” Meaning they would be inspired by a home that was already
Over the last four years of studying architecture, I have seen the power that it has to shape communities, shape lives, and to create new ways that people interact with each other. The way architecture can help enhance living and allow for creation of new interactions of people is one of the reasons I find the subject so interesting. The way architecture can shape a whole culture and the way that the culture then in turn shapes the architecture is fascinating to me. Architecture is also not a static subject, it is constantly evolving and adapting with time to take on new forms, create new spaces, and to provide commentary on the history of our time on Earth. The depth that architecture has, and the evolution of the subject is something I have fallen in love with through my study of it. However, when I first started out studying architecture, I had no idea of the depth that the subject had, and it was an incredibly daunting realization; however, it was as equally exciting. I have always had a love for learning and architecture has just fueled that fire. Even after completing my bachelors degree, the learning has not stopped. I get to learn something new about architecture daily, and getting to say that is an opportunity I am thankful to have. It is not just about the learning however, its
New Urbanism, a burgeoning genre of architecture and city planning, is a movement that has come about only in the past decade. This movement is a response to the proliferation of conventional suburban development (CSD), the most popular form of suburban expansion that has taken place since World War II. Wrote Robert Steuteville, "Lacking a town center or pedestrian scale, CSD spreads out to consume large areas of countryside even as population grows relatively slowly. Automobile use per capita has soared, because a motor vehicle is required for nearly all human transportation"1. New Urbanism, therefore, represents the converse of this planning ideology. It stresses traditional planning, including multi-purpose zoning, accessible public space, narrow street grids for easy pedestrian usage and better placement of community buildings. Only a few hundred American communities are utilizing this method of planning, but the impact is quickly growing in an infant field dominated by a few influential architects and engineers.
A natural building has the same concept to a green building but rather on a smaller scale and leans towards using natural materials that are obtainable locally. Green architecture and sustainable design are closely related topics. Sustainability can be described as fulfilling the needs of current generations devoid of compromising the capacity of generations to come meeting their needs.
What makes modern architecture? Before answering this, one would need to understand what the term “modern” exactly describes. In architecture, modernism is the movement or transition from one period to another, and it is caused by cultural, territorial, and technological changes happening in the world. In Kenneth Frampton’s Modern Architecture: A Critical History, he details these three major societal changes that impact and create modern architecture.
The beginnings of today's green revolution can be traced back to the environmental awareness of the 1960s and European design. New construction techniques have lead to the development of innovative materials and design concepts. Green buildings are designed, constructed and commissioned to ensure they are healthy for their occupants. Successfully designed green projects can involve an extensive array of factors, ranging from the resourceful use of materials, to careful consideration of function, climate, and location.
With the interaction between the development of computational approaches in architecture and the contemporary forms of spatial design intelligence, some new architectural design theories emerged to make differences between architects and control designing processes. These theories are almost employed in all designing realms, from architecture to urban design to provide fields of ideas and solutions that privilege by complexity. Most of these theories are oriented to relay on understanding and using computational methods to generate exotic and complex geometries. In this respect, three of these theories will discussed and tested against three buildings. The theories are: parametric design, genetic architecture and emergence, which characterize some of the contemporary architectural design approaches.
Through the modern era technologies evolved and avant garde was not just a matter of being ahead in you design concepts,. but also in the materials that you use. Modernist designers, in an obsession of moving forward, where always looking to enhance their ideals with new materials. When the modernist bubble burst the post-modern views came forward, embracing styles and techniques of history, architectures where liberated to be able to blend and combine techniques from throughout history. Contemporary architects, in various forms, continue on with the post-modern legacy of taking inspiration from history and seek out to use traditional building methods not only for convenience but also economical, environmental, contextual and symbolic reasons.
Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objects of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimal waste, and create healthy, productive environments (“Sustainable Design”). Focusing primarily on the sustainable design principles, there are five, including: low-impact materials, energy efficiency, quality and durability, design for reuse and recycling, and renewability. As sustainability appears to become the necessary trend in architecture, the question concerning the cost versus outcome of “going green” really an investment or a waste of time and money comes to mind. With our research provided below, we believe the expenses may truly be with the investment in the end.
... architectures would led to a more organic organization beneficial to the people that choose to make their lives in this city. Although this model of a sustainable city is not a perfectly closed loop, it lays the foundation for one that is. Over time, with constantly evolving and improving technology and new methods of design from the scale of products to buildings, the gaps in the loop could be closed, and a “true” sustainable city could be fully realized.
Nature in architecture is critical. Laugier made this clear in the 1700s with his basic, but insightful, claims in “An Essay on Architecture.” Modern architects have taken his beliefs further than he probably ever imagined with technology and the cutting-edge idea of biomimicry. After studying natures’ artistic design, architectural stature, and overall success rate on this earth, I believe that the incorporation of nature is vital to architectural design.
I will briefly discuss how factors such as climate change, technological developments and the economy have impacted the role of the Architect.
“Architects plan, design, and observe construction of facilities used for human occupancy and of other structures” (The Top 100: The Fastest-Growing Careers for the 21st Century, Fifth Edition 27). In 2010, 2 percent of U.S employment, about 2.3 million people, possessed jobs in architecture and engineering. The majority of architects tend to be civil architects, with about 249,120 workers, followed by mechanical and industrial engineers (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2). Architects have to design buildings that satisfy their clients and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Architects need to take aspects into consideration such as climate, soil, state building regulations, zoning laws, fire r...
However, architecture is not just the future, after all, buildings are intended to be viewed, traversed and lived by us, people. Despite this, many architects today rarely think deeply about human nature, disregarding their main subject matter in favour for efficiency and an architecture of spectacle. In this there seems to be a misconception that underlies much of architecture, that is, human’s relationship with the city, the building and nature. In much of today’s architecture, people are treated with as much concern much as we treat cars, purely mechanically. The post-modern search for the ‘new’ and ‘novel’ has come to disregard the profound affect design has on our lives, impacting our senses, shaping our psyche and disposition.
Architectural engineering is a challenging yet rewarding career. Architectural engineers design buildings that not only look appealing, but also suit the needs of people and ensure the safety of those people that occupy them. The four to five years spent getting an architectural engineering degree is well worth it because it opens up opportunities. The opportunities are endless in the field of architectural engineering.