Wikipedia: “Architecture”
photo via Barcex
So Wikipedia, like a new sunroom, has turned into an addition to the small cottage that is my brain. In this Wikipedia, I looked up “architecture” last night and was reminded of things long forgotten. How rad was Vitruvius?? The article discussed his three principles of architecture being: durability, utility and beauty. Architecture, to be actual “architecture,” must exhibit all three. The article also discussed a new principle that has recently been added known as “sustainability.” Meaning a structure must be healthy for the environment while being built, while being used and while being recycled. Then there is a quote from our friend Le Corbusier that says, “You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials you build houses and palaces: that is construction. Ingenuity is at work. But suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good. I am happy and I say: This is beautiful. That is Architecture.”
Even though we can’t all be architects (myself included), we can all insert our line of work into the same theories of Vitruvius and Le Corbusier. The idea is to put a little extra thought into what we are doing- a little more art. Even though they’re not designing structures, we’ve all heard of ugly businesses out there that could use a little Le Corbusier pumping through the veins of their company.
Website for Almere Netherlands
Almere
Newly added to “The Places I Would Like to Visit” list is Almere, Netherlands. I was trying to find a project that I was interested in on the internet, and stumbled upon this website. I sure wish that it was in English, for I can’t understand it (how about the word “woonwijken”). But the pictures are sure sweet. Make sure you make it to the bottom and check out the pics down there. Anybody out there willing to sponsor a worldwide architecture photography trip??
Floor Plan Websites
photo via eplans.com
Buying a set of floor plans off of the internet is one of the least expensive way to get your house designed. Of course, the logistics of making it personal, working with a tricky lot, and adjusting the size of anything get really ugly. You can search the internet for about 20 minutes and get access to about 75,000 floor plans. It’s pretty safe to assume that some of these are duplicates, but who really has the time to look through 75,000 plans?? The websites that I’m referring to are nationally advertising companies, but locally there are probably a few options as well. A few years ago I worked for an architect named James Carroll, and he has a similar idea on his website. So if you’re one of the lucky few who is planning on building a house in the near future, if you can find what you want, internet plans are a good way to go. For a few examples check out: eplans.com – houseplans.com (though not spectacular houseplans.com has the best “contemporary” grouping I could find) – thehousedesigners.com
Richard Meier Chair
photo via Knoll.com
So I had no idea that Richard Meier had designed a chair. It is no surprise that it looks fantastic and was designed in 1983. It was only built for five years.
