Blog 18: Third Answer

Essential Question:
     What is the best way for an architect to incorporate natural surroundings in a building design?

Answer #3: In order to include nature into a design, an architect needs to help sustain its natural surroundings first through a process known as green design.

• Green design is a design concept that shifts its purpose to establishing buildings through the process of environmentally responsible, resource-efficient, and a sustainable methodology in order to benefit the health of the environment as well as the users. This answer is not involve a direct implication of nature into the design, but rather offers an approach to sustain the natural environment around its environment through different methods of design.
• Utilizing local sources of Energy: this is a concept that varies from region to region but based on your site location, as an architect you can research local/norm weather patterns in order to obtain a general idea of what of which renewable energy is most suitable for the design's location. Example: This concept can be applied to a building located in a sub-desert terrain where the solar energy is most viable. To further this idea a region that is predominately sunny can have more daylight verses electrical lighting, through the design of open-set windows and doors. Building Example: 30 The Bond, Sydney
• Regional Materials: when designing a green building architects need to consider a selection of materials that will best benefit the health of the user as well as the surrounding environment. In order to accomplish this task as the architect he or she must educate themselves in the local resource materials available around the site location. The reasoning why local materials are preferred is when you consider the cost factor of how much energy did it take to assemble/ship your product. Example: when choosing a product you don't want a product that is made/assembled in China, since the energy required to ship that product to the United States defeats the purpose of being resource-efficient. In Southern California, timber is a local natural resource which can be utilized in the frame work of building design.
• Reduction of Waste: this concept is mainly based off the materials chosen in the building design. The way this concept is applicable to sustaining the environment is through the use of recycled building materials. This in turn encourages companies to produce products that are contrived from recycled resources. In turn relieving the strain on much needed landfills. Examples: Reuse Centers located throughout each county, using refurbished materials such as scrap metal for the outer structure of a building design.
• Resource:
• Henderson, Holley. "Becoming a Green Building Professional." John Wiley and Sons Inc., Canada 2012. Print.
• Conclusion: Green design is not a direct implication of incorporating nature into a building design, but rather an idea that involves sustaining nature in local areas to overall benefit the environment.

Blog 10: Senior Project, The Holiday

1. What did you do over the break involving your senior project?

• Over the winter break I spent much of my time researching and finding sources to add to my WB. For one of the additional sources I found was a book called 101 things I learned in Architecture School. Another thing I was worked on was calculating the square footage for our new project "building a Movie Theater" and figuring out different floor plans.

2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why?

• The most important thing I learned from doing research on one source was the fact that if you want to be recognized for your designs you have to forget about what you want the building to look like and instead ask yourself what does the building prefer to look like? By considering the concerns and needs of your client, and the nature of your site, you can ultimately achieve a recognition. This is important piece of advice or experience can help you in the long run of your professional career field by achieving good recognition you can in the end expand your cliental through referrals.
• On the other hand by learning how to use the scale system for design plans I was able to uniquely design a structure that is fit to our mentorship project required square footage. This skill is important to learn since it helps you to realistically visualize how big a room needs to be in order to be practical and comfortable for the user.

3. If you were going to do a ten question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?
I would talk to my mentor Rachel Adams who is a graduate architect from Georgia Tech. Rachel has design experience in a number of recognized projects such as Valley Regional High School for the Los Angeles school institute. Rachel Adams design philosophy is to establish quality architecture that is respectable to the nature as well as environment and is highly concerned with her cliental needs.

Blog 9: EQ

1. "I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ."

2. Tell us if it meets the rule of 3 criteria. Tell why it does or why it doesn't.

My Working EQ: "What is the best way for an architect to incorporate the natural surroundings in a building design?"

In response to the rule of 3 criteria: When carefully analyzing my EQ, I found that my EQ did fit the rule of 3 criteria, and below I have supported my response to each of the 3 criteria.

• Providing a framework for studies:

                  My current essential question allows me to access a wide-range of research, offering many open-ended questions. Within my EQ, my question states "what is the best way" this choice of words presents to any viewer that my question can be answered in more than one way. The reason why my EQ can be answered in multiple ways is that you can find many "best ways...to incorporate" nature into a building design; in which all answers can equally be considered "the best way." For example one of my current answers to my Essential Question is through the use of observation many architects can learn the forms of nature's structure and incorporate their observations into a project design. Another possible answer to my EQ is by literally incorporating nature into your design by designing a building that is engineered to mold around pre-existing land marks to purposely not harm the pre-existing cite.

• Taking a stance:

                 Overall my EQ offers an extensive outlook of research, which include facts, historic and modern examples, as well as methods of how to incorporate nature into your design. Keeping in mind that our EQ must argue or support our point can be represented with the word choice of arguing "what is the best way...to incorporate" nature into a building design. This phrase allows me to explore and support my EQ by defending my research supported response answers by finding the "best ways."

• Formatting:

                The wording within my EQ is grammatically correct as well as it uses appropriate language to offer an open-ended response. My EQ uses specific phrases in order to get a specific point across particularly pertaining to  the "best way."

2.
a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

• This question does not meet the rule of 3 criteria since it can only be answered through a factual based standpoint tying to the stance criteria to argue a point.  

b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

• This question does not follow the criteria, because its formatting is not specific to defining the EQ. For example "What is most important" instead of address the EQ in that format the EQ could have been worded like "What is the most important factor" (this way specific addresses a factor when securing a conviction.)

c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

• This question does not follow the criteria, because its formatting is not specific to defining the EQ. For example "What is most important" instead of address the EQ in that format the EQ could have been worded like "What is the most important factor" (this way specific addresses a factor when creating a hairstyle.)

d.  How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

• This question does follow the three rule criteria since it offers an elaborate study of different ways an Anesthesiologist can best treat chronic pain. In addition, this question takes a stances that can argue a variety of different standpoints on how to best treat chronic pain. Lastly the formatting on this quest does fit the criteria since it is very specific and clear on its point on "How...Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?"

3. Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.

How can an architect sufficiently incorporate nature into a building design?

Blog 8: Research & Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?
-What is the best way for an architect to incorporate the natural surroundings in a building design?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ?

- By using observation and analytical skills, architects can best understand and define their natural surroundings in a project design, allowing them to incorporate surrounding natural elements into their design.

3.What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

-New Organic Architecture: The Breaking Wave by Pearson, David

 

 

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

-Currently I am volunteering at a program called ACE Mentorship. For the past two meetings our class had been focusing on collaborative work efforts as a team, by designing and constructing towers and bridges. This concept ties into the realistic aspects of how both architects and engineers work as a team to have a resulting product that is both structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. My mentorship activities relate back to my EQ by covering the notion of how a building must have fluidity in all its external and internal components. In the theory organic architecture states that a building's materials must come together as one and no such material should be distinguished from on another; as well as the idea of using limited materials in organic architecture to express natural forms. Within my mentorship, building and designing a structure with restricted materials exposed us to the idea of "limited materials" used in organic architecture; in addition to the idea of fluidity throughout a building we as a group had to brainstorm how to utilize our assigned materials in order to create a structure where all its components tie in together without having any one of them that is useless or stands out.
 

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ

 1.The Pentagon:
Positive Statement: What positive thing happen as a result of what you have completed so far?

• Since I have been working with Habitat for Humanity, which is a non-profit organization that provides qualified low income families with decent, safe and affordable housing. I have seen the effects of how the organization changes families’ lives for the better. On that note I recently had the ability to work on a construction site in Rancho Cucamonga. The Rancho Cucamonga house was given to a Mother and her two kids; it was such a price-less experience to actually get to meet the family and see their gratitude and zeal for all the volunteers who worked on the house, and seeing the house itself. In addition I was able to gain a basic knowledge and skills of working on a construction site. This will in turn help my future as a pursuing Architect to connect more with the construction manager, when a problem arises in a project. Having a good relationship with the construction manager can enable an Architect and a Construction Manger to easily resolve an issue in changes of a design, etc.

2. EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

• During my interview with my mentor Monica, I remember a key fact that imprinted in my mind. In fact it was a realization that struck me, of how much the user of a building is impacted by any structure. Even though the general public isn't really aware of how much they are affected by architecture throughout their daily lives; the user in a sense is affected by the function of the building, its safety, and the design/ layout in which affects the mood of the user. As a result my interview has helped me to become more aware of my surroundings in how I view architecture around my daily life. For example when you look at a building, you have to see through eyes of an architect and look at how the building is positioned with the ground, lined up with the streets, and connects with the sky and surrounding foliage.

3. What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

• Being able to find great sources has helped enrich my understanding of Architecture. Keeping this in mind, I was able to find reliable sources online such as articles and p.d.f. as well as books; that have open my mind to a new view Architecture. In addition my mentor Monica is a family friend so she was willing to help answer any questions about Architecture that needed any clarifying. Monica has also introduced me to getting familiar with my surroundings and to recognize Architecture in my neighborhood.

4. What hasn't worked so far? 

• Throughout the summer it was very difficult to find a mentor I had contacted places locally, but there were no openings in their mentorship department. My mentor Monica had also offered to put in a good word for me at an Architecture firm; although the firm was in down town LA so the distance is about an hour drives from my house. In the end I was able to contact ACE Mentorship, and they were glad to let me join their Pasadena Team at Marshall High School starting on Sept. 19^th.

5. Finding Value:         -What is a potential question you would like to study this year?  (working EQ)

• A potential question I would like to study for my senior project would be “How can a licensed Architect set their-self apart from other competitive Architects, in order to better their community?”

        -What do you plan to do for mentorship?

• For mentorship I would like to visit architectural monuments and be able to analyze specific details with other students who are pursuing Architecture as well. In addition I also look forward to connecting and working with other students my age who are pursuing Architecture, Engineering, and Construction and being able to hear out their opinions on how to execute a project to fit the a client’s needs/desires.