Author: Hayder Haraty

Professional architect with Ph.D. in architecture. Passionate and photography enthusiasts

Will Architecture Exist in the Future?

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I was once asked, what is your opinion about the future of architecture and architects. I always believed that any field with creativity measured has a bright future especially with all available technologies and the integration of profession. Architecture is changing rapidly and, in this article, I will discuss others’ opinions about the matter.

The role of architects is changing, as well as the advanced technologies. Architecture is one of the ancient professions that is developing slowly, and the profound fundamentals stayed the same. To be honest, this can be a little worrying and architects should take immediate action. The best way to adapt to that evolution is pushing ourselves and the boundaries of the profession.

In the UK, there is a quick demise of the mid-sized practice and shortfall of jobs, the research of RIBA claims that the architect’s profession could look very different in the near future. The Royal Institute of British Architects mentioned how the demands of a global economy have transformed business practice and the evolution of projects.

Traditional ways are no longer valid, spatial concepts as well. Compost materials are being used, crowdfunding and collaborative design have become the appropriate approaches in architecture. The line is thinning between private and public spaces, there is a focus on green infrastructure and energy efficiency. This is how technology is accelerating the architecture role at an incredible pace.

The long process

One of the issues that I want to highlight is the process from the concept to reality in architecture takes a long time. We can list the core tenets of the process to Interpreting the client, developing a solution, submitting for approval from the local building agency, conveying the design solution to the contractor via construction documents, and verifying the construction is true to the documents provided. The main core of the architect’s business would still be solution-based and focusing on problem-saving in the future.  The process will focus less on the drawing process of the construction documents, and more likely on innovation solutions.

koru architects, eco architect, sustainable architect, green architect, sustainable design, eco design, brighton, green design, green buildings,

Architects practice now and then

The other issue is the barrier that architects made with other professions such as planning and urban design. It is highlighted that practitioner architects need to expand their definition of what the title means. Many non-architects have made their own brand and created their own brand to their main practice to avoid the use of the ‘architect’ term. This helped to enter a diverse market such as lighting, product design, and community consultation which many formal architects can not involve in these areas because of the use of their title. The impact made by non-architects’ practices is significant, especially on the built environment. Also, clients are more sophisticated nowadays and they need more conventional methods, luckily technology is advancing allowing a higher level of information to be easily conveyed.

everything possible / Shutterstock.com

The impact of a globalizing economy, the exploding information capability, and the cultural confusion are among the things architects need to respond to. Not by far, architects used to be undisputed bosses, but it is more vulnerable now more than ever. Many graduates seem to see this as an opportunity to fulfill the professional institutions to create the conditions which will optimize their chances.

What about the advancement in technology?

Technology plays an important role in shaping architecture, especially with the market’s significant speed increase. There are some companies that started to deliver logistical material via Maps for quicker and more efficient construction methods. We are looking to online firms like DIRTT and Katerra that ignored the traditional ways in design to create drawings by the implementation of advanced technology, they managed to create whole new methods in architecture and logistical standpoints.

Some research suggests that in the near future, there will be no need for individuals checking of construction documents. Digital outputs like BIM (building information technology) will assist in many aspects like regenerative design, renewability, cost, and app-based maintenance programs. The whole process will be shorter and human error will be reduced.

What is the future of architecture as a profession?

As architects, we need to focus on the end-user experience to adapt to the rapid advancement of the market, programmed space, and construction efficiency. We need to adapt while maintaining beautiful designs, there will be more emphasis on how a building operates and supports the end-users, and their overall experience. We need to understand that ego has been always driven by the achievement of architecture history. Nowadays, we are shifting toward performance and building functionality for client’s needs, we need to adapt that. There is a need to find the balance between form and function, time will only tell how the new adaptation will be.

Source of material:

www.medium.com/studiotmd/emerging-trends-that-will-shape-the-future-of-architecture-356ba3e7f910   

www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/what-future-architecture-profession

www.dirtt.com/projects/government/

www.dezeen.com/2011/03/07/will-architects-exist-in-2025-riba-building-futures/#:~:text=One%20large%20practice%20felt%20that,and%20skills%20by%20having%20access

View at Medium.com

Ways to make your teacher likes you

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Surprisingly, only 1 in 100 students thinks about this topic. Your teacher is a human too, it is important to understand them as it can influence how much time he or she is willing to help you with your course. As a student you should get a good recommendation letters from your previous teachers, this will help you with your future career.

There is an old saying that you should give an apple to your teacher, but the fact is that it takes more than an apple to get him/her to like you. College is very stressful and challenging in many ways, you have new rules and instructions to follow. Plus, a new slew of instructors like tenured professors and teaching assistants that you need to impress. Remember, it is not hard to get them to your side, exams results are not the only way to get your teacher to love you, your handwriting is not as well.

Today, we are discussing some of the points on how to ingratiate yourself to your professor.

  1. Many subjects are (discussion-based subjects) that require student participation as some percentage of the total grade. Different professors calculate that percentage differently, it is usually a combination of the student’s attendance and class participation. Be active in the class, therefore, you will get high participation grade. Even though your profs are usually too polite to ask, but they notice who sit in the front row or who is sitting there yawning or looking bummed out. Be careful, they know when you pick up your phone and start texting too. Be active and start taking notes and show your interest in the material displayed.
  2. Future recommendations are the matter of your profs liking you. If your intention after college to get an internship, continue your post-graduate study, or study abroad, then you surely need a recommendation letter. Try to develop a good relationship with your teachers during your class and he or she will remember you out of it. It will easier for your teacher to write about you. Usually, you need at least three recommendation letters from your previous profs.
  3. Teachers like to break up the class by asking questions, perk up with a question when he or she comes in asking the class if they have any questions. Do not dominate every class by asking whatever comes into mind, and remember to stay on topic. I assure you will become a major in your teacher’s side, as well as incur the wrath of your fellow classmates. Do not worry whether your questions are stupid or not, just do your best. Take a note that this will increase the engagement in the class, and it will make the subject more enjoyable to you.
  4. Your current professor can be your future mentor. This will help you to get connect to useful people by getting support from your teacher. When he or she likes you, you will be supported, and your relationship can last beyond the end of the semester. Your future career is really important, and your professor can boost up that.
  5. Every instructor has a title, use the proper one to address them. Do not call them with their first names, use “Dr. So-and-so” or “Prof So-and-so”. If your teacher has no Ph.D., use “Mr.” or “Ms.”. Also, say thank you when your Prof. goes the extra mile for you. Your instructor does not get extra paid for special appointment with you outside the office hours, make up exams, answering emails on the weekends or writing recommendations. A simple “thank you” goes a long way towards making their extra effort feel worthwhile.
  6. Participation in the department event is something lecturers are not good at. Try to join a team and play a role in the events regularly. Professors do take notes when they see you active in the department outside lectures on in the departmental student club. Some of the instructors have a research project, be part of it by participating in the research team. You might join a small class or seminars with them, this would give you a great opportunity for valuable training and future internship with them.
  7. Do not email or text your instructor if you miss your class, instead, ask your classmates about what you have missed. Do not ask your lecturer to fill you in, you will be wasting his or her time and your classmate’s time. Do your best to make up what you missed, if your instructor notice that you have troubles understanding something, they will assist you.
  8. Tell your instructor you like the class, it would be a special touch if you could come up with specific thing about the class that you are enjoying. Students rarely realize that lecturers also worry about how the class is going, they want to know if the students are liking the subject and are enjoying it. Do not start sucking up, give a general expression of appreciation, do not let your instructor think that you are trying to get a good grade.

Source of material:

https://www.bustle.com/articles/78556-12-ways-to-make-any-teacher-love-you-because-lets-be-honest-it-cant-hurt

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/10/07/13-ways-to-make-your-professor-love-you

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Where are all the Female Architects?

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Architecture remains a tough profession for women to crack. The roles of women in the fields of architecture and design have long been largely overlooked due to gender discrimination. Fortunately, there are professional organizations that support women in overcoming these traditional barriers. Yet, there are many women who broke the glass ceiling in the field of architecture, establishing successful careers and designing some of the world’s most admired landmark buildings and urban settings.

According to the statistics, half of the gradate degrees in architecture are females, yet only 1% or less are in director positions in architectural practice. In the United States, only 18% of licensed practitioners are women. Moreover, women are given less salaries compared to male architects with fewer career-building opportunities. If we compare this percentage with other disciplines, in the medicine and law nearly twice the rate of architects is female. Female architects earn 20% less than male architects according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Zaha Hadid: creator of ambitious wonders – and a fair share of blunders | Art and design | The Guardian

In a world we are living today, and the increasingly diverse population, users are fivers in their needs and deserve to be served equally by professionals.

It was not until 1972 which forbade discrimination against women practice architecture. Even with the admission, some people remained skeptical and women architects stayed doubtful that they could exercise authority on the site. Some managers and business leaders assumed that women would quit after marrying or having a child, that justified why women aid less compared to male colleagues. Today, the reports showed that 75% of women having experienced sexual discrimination in their jobs. The survey showed that 83% of female workers believed that having a child would affect their careers and that is why women get 20% less paid than male architects (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Currently, some professional organizations and advocacy groups are trying to remove the obstacles with symposiums, workshops, and research. Some schools of architecture are also attempting to educate the students by public lectures series to show the importance of this topic and women issues in workspaces.

Discrimination against women architects comes from clients too. Some refuses to acknowledge the authority and skills of a woman. When a woman introduce herself to the client as an architect, often confronts conspicuous and disbelief. Some of the women architects assume that she chosen the wrong field and she does not belong to where she is now. This should not happen in era of civilization.

Trailblazing Women in Architecture Who Have Changed Life for the Better

Amelia at the Undercover Architect wrote about being a female architect in an industry dominated by men. She mentioned that she deals with interesting gender challenges with statement like (That’s just what a woman would do, or are you going to be emotional today?). Amelia talked that she was not afraid of asking questions to understand more or to collaborate with clients and team members to understand more about achieving better outcomes and more satisfied clients.

  1. Whether you are a female or male architect, your home should be the launchpad for your life. You get support from your family and friends if you are facing troubles.
  2. You know your design is well when it is invisible, it is because it’s doing the job so well.
  3. Seth Godin said, “Design is about function. Everything we do has a job, and if it’s designed properly, the job will get done well.”
  4. It all come to individual designers, their skills and abilities to help clients. A good designer should listen, collaborate, respond without ego to your needs.

“If You Want an Easy Life, Don’t Be an Architect”

Zaha Hadid

Source of material:

1- https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-stratigakos-missing-women-architects-20160421-story.html

2- https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/design-studio-top-10-things-you-should-know/

3- https://undercoverarchitect.com/do-women-make-better-architects/#:~:text=The%20stats%20don’t%20stack,director%20positions%20in%20architectural%20practices.

5- https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-female-architects-177890

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Plagiarism in Architecture

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Picasso once said that good artists copy; great artists steal. This is well-known and recently over-quoted thanks to the success of Steve Jobs with Apple. It is also tragically misinterpreted. It is a tongue-in-cheek phrase that insinuates that great artists build on the work of others without anyone spotting it.

The new book Copy Paste: The Badass Architectural Copy Guide showed a similarity between the Adalberto Libera designed the Casa Malaparte and the Georgios Kontoleon drawings that they looked the same even though the original house was never built. This raises the question, did Libra copied Kontoleon? Probably not, but the idea was a logical development of images and forms that many architects had been developing and handing off to each other. Design is a question of stretching, reversing, recombining, reusing, and otherwise creatively stealing and adapting what already exists.

Adalberto Libera – Casa Malaparte (1939) vs Georgios Kontoleon – Kyriakides residence (1933)

Copying is not just in architecture, classical-modern music also consists of sampling and reworking to come up with something considered new. In fact, we should stop worrying about how we define the originality and intervention in architecture, instead, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attain.

The opening pages of Copy Paste contain a collection of scans of newspaper articles in which buildings are compared to each other, either contemporaneously and historically or biomorphically. The images are at times amusing and times revealing. You only think it’s embarrassing if copying is a sin. The fact is that you can not avoid copying and pasting but it is how to do it in a manner that is both self-conscious and productive. The dumb thing is the repetition of the same details, the same form and the same plan no matter what the context of the climate is. Good architects, to extend the old saw, steal, bad architects copy themselves. Copy and paste: We always have, we always will, we must, but we must do it well.

In the education field, we should always learn from the past and we have the courage to copy the others. By doing that we are acknowledging the source and paying tribute to the ongoing building. The Greek sculpturing is through the Roman copies, as the remains from the ancient Greek originals are pathetic.

We copy someone or something to:

  1. Learn about the subject and understand it
  2. Pay tribute to it
  3. Acquire the same privileges and exploit it for personal gain

It is wrong to pretend to own the design originality, it is when copying becomes faking. You should only copy to learn and improve, as we copy our friends and parents, it is the most characteristic trait of human behaviour. We should learn that the history of design is the history of re-design. Therefore, the originality is a myth and there are no foreign lands, it is only the traveler who is foreign (Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson).

Source of material:

architectmagazine.com

dezeen.com

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Design Software for Architect Students

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Design software allows you to save time and get a more efficient workflow. Nowadays, clients expect to see more than just a concept drawing, they expect to see virtual representation with extra details. 3D modeling software can do lots of that and more. In this post, we showed some of the popular software for architecture students.

  • Revit Architecture

The building information modelling (BIM) concept is key in modern architecture. It relates to the development of sustainable buildings. In a world where environmental awareness is at an all-time high, sustainability is high on the agenda for many clients.

  • SketchUp

Many architects favour SketchUp because of its real-world applications. Google purchased SketchUp in 2006. Though it has since sold the company, Google implemented a lot of useful features. For example, you can pull topographical images from Google Maps into SketchUp. The same goes for satellite images.

  • AutoCAD

AutoCAD software has been a fixture of the architecture sector since its release in 1982. The software has come a long way since those early days. Students and professionals have used AutoCAD for decades. As such, learning how to use it often proves helpful when searching for jobs in engineering or architecture.

  • Maya

There is some disagreement about how useful Maya is when it comes to architecture. Some argue that it is too general a design software. They note that it doesn’t have many of the tools that more dedicated pieces of software benefit from. However, this lack of constraints is often useful to designers.

  • ArchiCAD

Many point to ArchiCAD as offering everything a designer would need. It proves useful in creating both 2D and 3D models. Further, you can integrate several other software packages into it. ArchiCAD’s main feature is its user-friendly nature. You can learn the basics of the software with minimal effort. This has made it a favourite with students and those just starting out in architecture.

  • 3D Max Studio

3ds Max Design software is a comprehensive 3D design, modeling, animation, and rendering solution for architects, designers, civil engineers, and visualization specialists. 3ds Max has a very robust modeling toolset with a huge library of different modifiers which can make the modeling process easier. Depending on how new you are to the world of 3D then modeling in 3ds Max can be a little easier to grasp.

  • Lumion

Lumion breathes life into rendering, making the process simple and enjoyable from the moment you import your model until you render out a beautiful image, video or 360 panorama. It helps to show the beauty and personality in your project, and it makes the experience of your design visible for everyone to see, long before the project actually gets built.

Whether you are still a student or a professional, the design software packages we just listed have many uses for the industry. Many job recruiters may ask you to be skillful in them, and there are many more in the market. Clients usually amazed by the production result, make sure you master them to add more advantages to your skills.

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Source of material:

  • academy.archistar.ai
  • lumion.com
  • autodesk.com

The Book Every Future Architect Should Read

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Neufert, is a reference book for spatial requirements in building design and site planning. First published in 1936 by Ernst Neufert, its 39 German editions and translations into 17 languages have sold over 500,000 copies. The first English version was published in 1970 and was translated from the original German by Rudolf Herz. The book is conceived to help the initial design of buildings by providing extensive information about spatial requirements. Dealing mostly with ergonomics and with functional building layouts, thousands of drawings illustrate the text, organised according to building typologies. Weighting now slightly less than two kilograms, it has been continuously updated.

Reference from the book

Architects’ Data first appeared in English in 1970,nearly thirty-five years after Ernst Neufert published his rules for building design’—Bauentwurfslehre—based on his lectures at the Building Technical College in Weimar. He had arranged in one book or convenient reference during design work, data on the spatial needs of man in his home, his work place and his leisure ,and on his animals, tools and belongings. The book clearly met a need: in 1979 the 30th German edition appeared; it has also been published in Spanish (12editions), Italian(5), French(5), Portuguese(3), Serbo croat(3), and in Russian, Greek and Turkish; but before he present, only one edition in English, which came late on the scene. The book is available in Arabic too.

Neufert’s involvement in the standardization of architectural dimensions and building practices, for which he is best known, started in 1926, when he began teaching at the Staatliche Bauhochschule in Weimar. Here, a compulsory module for new students was Schnellentwerfen (fast design), which allowed a very limited time to develop architectural solutions to a given brief. The academic catalog from 1929 described the class: Schnellentwerfen (fast design), which allowed a very limited time to develop architectural solutions to a given brief.

The publication of Architect’s Data in 1936 was the high point of Neufert’s long, uninterrupted career. Its German title, Bauentwurfslehre, translates literally as “teachings on building design,” more forceful than the neutral Architect’s Data. The work is simultaneously a handbook, a textbook, and a reference; it is a didactic treatise rather than a mere repository of data. An equivalent of sorts, the Metric Handbook, was published in 1968 for a British readership and according to United Kingdom standards, and has sold about 100,000 copies. Possibly this was the impetus for the English-language edition of Neufert’s to me, released only in 1970. 

You can download the book from here for free

The source of the material

1- https://archive.org/details/Architectural_Standard_Ernst_Peter_Neufert_Architects_Data

2- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architects%27_Data

3- https://www.archdaily.com/881889/neufert-the-exceptional-pursuit-of-the-norm

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Free Architecture Online-Learning

Hayder Haraty2 Comments

COVID-19 has changed education forever, and this is how. Research suggests that online-learning has been shown to increase the retention of information. It takes less time which concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever, and changes might be here to stay. More students keen to undertake online courses on digital platforms. Some criticize that how long this adoption of online learning will continue, especially that the shift away happened suddenly. However, the statistics showed that even before the pandemic, online learning was already high growth with more than US$18.66 billion in 2019 investments in EdTech. There are my language apps, video conferencing, online learning software, and online tutorials that significantly have been surged.

While some believe that the unplanned and rapid move to online learning – with no training, insufficient bandwidth, and little preparation – will result in a poor user experience that is unconducive to sustained growth, others believe that a new hybrid model of education will emerge, with significant benefits. “I believe that the integration of information technology in education will be further accelerated and that online education will eventually become an integral component of school education,“ says Wang Tao, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Vice President of Tencent Education.

There are some obstacles with the use of online learning. Some students struggle to get reliable internet access or the technology to participate in digital learning. Huge gaps between countries, in Switzerland, 95% of students have the access to computers to use for their learning, that number drops drastically in Indonesia with only 34% of students have access to technology and the use of computers.

For those who do have access to the right technology, there is evidence that learning online can be more effective in a number of ways. Some research shows that on average, students retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom. This is mostly due to the students being able to learn faster online; e-learning requires 40-60% less time to learn than in a traditional classroom setting because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose

We are marching to a new era of globalization, more knowledge opportunities, and managing between working hours and education became easier. We listed (according to arch2o.com) the 20 best free online college courses on architecture, we hope you can take full advantage of them.

  1. Making Architecture at IE School of Architecture & Design
  2. Practices for Sustainable Architecture at Philadelphia University
  3. Principles for Sustainable Design at Philadelphia University
  4. Engineering: Building with Nature at TU Delft
  5. The Art of Structural Engineering: Bridges at Princeton University
  6. Principles of Designing for Humans at University of Michigan
  7. Architecture Studio: Building in Landscapes at MIT
  8. History of Chinese Architecture at Tsinghua University
  9. A Global History of Architecture at MIT
  10. Frank Lloyd Wright and the 20th Century at Open Online Academy
  11. Exploring architecture, buildings and monuments through the ages at Alison
  12. Four Facets of Contemporary Japanese Architecture: Theory at the University of Tokyo
  13. The Architectural Imagination at Harvard
  14. The Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia at The University of Hong Kong
  15. Contemporary Architecture at Open Online Academy
  16. Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today at Tokyo Tech
  17. Future Cities at ETH Zurich
  18. Smart Cities at ETH Zurich
  19. Designing Cities at University of Pennsylvania
  20. Quality of Life: Livability in Future Cities at ETH Zurich

Source of material: www.weforum.org, www.oecd.org/pisa/, www.arch2o.com

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Architectural Vocabulary

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As architects we love to use sophisticated words, as for students of architecture, you need to learn them. Those vocabularies varied in complexity, they can be as simple as “fabric”, or complicated as “Corbusier vernacular”. They are used for description or method of understanding and thinking.

Using architectural terms by architects can lead to misunderstanding by the general public outside the industry. Architects find themselves dumping down their language to more simplified terms and familiar dialogs. However, we as architects, do enjoy exploring the notion of something and there are many comprehensive words that we hope to refresh your memory. We also hope that those terms can be used by many architects and introduced to the public for the first time.

Students are encouraged to use architectural vocabulary in their dialogues which help them to demonstrate their ideas and promote their understanding of the subject. Learning architectural vocabulary is essential during presentations of projects and discussions.

The list is very long, but we decided to list some of them as we will be consistently adding them by time.

Adjacencies – Convenient alignment of two different concepts.

Aesthetic – The appearance of something.

Ambiguity – The state of being undefined; a looseness.

Archway – An opening with a curved or pointed top.

Architectural Symmetry – Characteristic by which the two sides of a facade or architectural floor plan of a building present mirror images of one another.

Bespoke – Individual and unique.

Bracket – A projection from a vertical surface that provides structural and/or visual support for overhanging elements.

Cantilever – A long projecting element fixed at only one end, with no columns to support it.

Casement Window – A window frame that is hinged on one vertical side, and which swings open to either the inside or the outside of the building.

Catalyst – An event or object that sparks a radical change or idea.

Classical Architecture – Architecture modelled after the buildings of ancient Greece and Rome.

Colonnade – A range of columns that supports a string of continuous arches or a horizontal entablature.

Column – A supporting structural pillar.

Concept – The single most important part and driving force behind a design.

Contemporary – Current and up to date design.

Context – The existing state and history of a site.

Corbusian – Inspired / reminiscent of the French architect Le Corbusier.

Courtyard – An open space, usually open to the sky, enclosed by a building.

Curvilinear – A form that has curves.

Deconstruction – A style of architecture which describes the separation of a design into its own constituent parts.

Diagrammatic – Sophistically simple to read.  

Dimension – The length of something.

Dissonance – A lack of correlation between two ideas.

Domesticity – A description of a place’s homeliness.

Dynamic – Something which has many combined working parts.

Elevation – The outside skin of a building, room or object.

Ergonomy – How well something has been designed for use by humans.

Explores the notion – Tests and investigates the idea of something.

Exposed Rafters – Rafters that not covered.

Fabric – The skin a building or a city.

Facade – An exterior wall, or face, of a building.

Floor Plan – The arrangement of rooms in a building.

Free-flowing Floor Plan – A simple and uncomplicated floor plan in which everything just works.

Gable Roof – A roof with two slopes – front and rear– joining at a single ridge line parallel to the entrance façade.

Grain – The substance of a place.

Hierarchy – Describes and orders elements into relative importance.

Hipped Roof – A roof with four sloped sides. The sides meet at a ridge at the center of the roof.

Holistic – Demonstrating a commitment to thinking things through properly.

Homogeneous – A collection of objects demonstrating the same characteristics.

Human scale – Used to describe the space in a building.

Iconic – Visually striking …a one off.

Inspiration – A form of concept that gives a project a starting point or next step

Juxtaposition – Two opposites placed together for increased effect (old and new).

Kitsch – Design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality.

Language – How a building is read and appears.

Legibility – The quality in which the above ‘language’ can be read.

Map out – Think about.

Masonry – Being of stone, brick, or concrete.

Massing – A simple arrangement of the to-be designed spaces.

Metaphor – A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Miesian – Inspired / reminiscent of the German-American architect Mies Van Der Rohe (a lot of glass).

Modular – Describes a (simple) construction system for a building which could be added to indefinitely.

Morphology – The study of form, shape or structure.

Motifs – An important element of a design that is often repeated.

Negative/Positive space – For exampleUsed / unused, inside / outside, serve/served

Negotiate – Find a solution to a design problem.

Nodes – The connecting point of a network, usually of roads or paths..

Organic – Natural and often curvy in appearance.

Parapet– A low wall, located at the top of any sudden drop, such as at the top of the facade of a building.

Parametric – A design principle and method created by algorithms.

Penetrate – To go into.

Permaculture – The development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

Phenomenology – A sensory understanding of human consciousness and the objects of direct experience.

Pillar – A structural support, similar to a column.

Play with – Experiment and test a design of notion.

Projection – A side wing, tower, or window bay that protrudes from a building.

Push/Pull – To extrude and collapse forms.

Regenerate – To improve and bring back to life.

Regionalism – The theory or practice of regional rather than central systems of administration or economic, cultural, or political affiliation.

Scale – The size of something.

Section – A vertical, horizontal, or diagonal cut that results in the removal of one of the selected parts to reveal it’s the objects inner elements

Sequence – A defined order of items.

Skin – The outermost layer of the building …its external material.

Solid/Void – A special design concept that explores spaces between and within buildings.

Space – Another way of describing an exterior or interior area.

Spatial composition – How a building and its parts sit together and interact with its context.

Sustainability – A measure for how environmentally friendly a building is.

Tectonics/Architectonics – The expressive elements of a design, usually shown in how different parts are joined together.

Threshold – The boundary between two spaces, often marked by a door, change of flooring, or similar change.

Transparency/Opacity – The measure of how visible an object is through another (looking through a window into a room for example) .

Truncated – A shape with its corners chopped off.

Typology – The language and features of an object or environment.

Uniformity – The arrangement of objects that are the same or similar to one another.

Vernacular Architecture – Vernacular architecture responds to local methods of building construction, local climates, and local living needs and traditions.

Verticality – A measure of tallness and uprightness.

Source of material: archisoup.com

Math and Architecture

Hayder HaratyLeave a comment

If you ever thought about being an architect but thought you could not handle the math, you are not alone. At parties across the land, as soon as someone finds out there is an architect in the crowd, there is a story being told about how they wanted to be an architect but since they could not draw or were not very good at math, they decided to do something else.

Do I need some math skills to draw sections and calculations? Absolutely, but none of this is magic and absolutely none of it requires trigonometry, calculus, or physics. So be easy on yourself.

I want to cover in this short article, which was originally written by Bob Borson in 2015 with lifeofanarchitect.com, how architecture and math are connected. So many people think that if you want to be an architect you have to be very good at math or drawing. In a short statement, it is not. However, in school you need to pass all your subjects to be qualified and get your degree, some architectural licensing exams require that you be good at math.

We all know that we studied different levels of mathematics in high school and college, but rarely you face that during your life as an architect. If you really think that architecture is the right choice for you, do not let math stand in your way.

The architect Lee Calisti mentioned that math should never be the factor to keep you out from architecture, in fact, you will never use complex equations like calculus in your job. However, you may need to adapt simple algebra quantities and trigonometry to deal with the array of dimensions, quantities, area, volume, and other geometric relationships. This plays into spatial thinking and patterns.

Evan Troxel, an architect, mentioned that it is good to be decent in math. For example, we are constantly adding and subtracting measurements, thicknesses, volumes, and areas. We work with spreadsheets that tally sizes of spaces and everything has to all add up. Geometry is math, right? Yes, it is. Drawing + Math = Awesome. That is one reason we’re architects and not artists.

As for architecture school, an article published on theguardian, said that different universities require different courses. More artistic subjects can prove useful, particularly where the technical drawing is involved. “There are myths around physics and maths,” says Liverpool University lecturer Emma Curtin. “We have students who’ve studied arts and humanities, math and science or design tech.”

I am here to tell you that you do not have to be great at math to be an architect.

Do I need some math skills to draw sections and calculations? Absolutely, but none of this is magic and absolutely none of it requires trigonometry, calculus, or physics. So be easy on yourself.

Source of material: lifeofanarchitect.com, theguardian.com

Drafting Equipment for Architects

Hayder HaratyLeave a comment

A career in architecture brings a lifetime of opportunity to express your creativity and make a positive impact on the communities around you. Make sure you invest in quality equipment you can rely on throughout your career and that will stay dependable even as the architectural landscape shifts around you. Today, we list the important equipment that used to be very essential before the use of technology and computers.

What is the difference between design and drafting?

When it comes to engineering and architecture, design and drafting are a staple in those industries. Design is the initial phase of the project of any architectural endeavor which consists mostly of planning, whereas the drafting phase is the process in which the ideas come alive in the form of shapes and structures.

What are the different drafting tools?

Drafting tools are instruments that can be used for measurement and layout of drawings or to improve consistency and the speed for creating standard drawing elements.

  • Drawing tools
  • Pencil
  • Drafting board
  • T-square
  • Drafting machine
  • French Curves
  • Rulers
  • Compass
  • Templates
  • Perspective machines
  • Drawing materials
  • Drafting paper
  • Thick draft paper
  • Cloth
  • Tracing paper
  • Tracing tube
  • Inks
  • Dry transfer

What are the materials used in mechanical drafting?

The Mechanical Drawing Tools commonly used in mechanical drawings such as dividers, drawing boards, pencils, scales, triangles, and T-squares.

  • Compass Sets and Dividers
  • Drafting Tools
  • Drafting Kits
  • Drafting Scales
  • Trimmers & Cutting Tools
  • Parallel Straightedges
  • Drafting Triangles
  • Irregular Curves
  • Portable Drawing Boards

Source of material: engineersupply.com

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