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Showing posts from April, 2020

Light Pollution

Light pollution is the introduction of artificial light into the outdoor environment. Its impacts are many. Light pollution disrupts natural diurnal patterns of light and dark and the rhythms of life to which plants, animals, and humans have adapted, interrupting circadian sleep cycles, interfering with normal plant growth and disturbing the habitat of nocturnal wildlife. Light pollution interferes with the ability to view and observe the the night sky, stars, and planets. It causes light trespass, which is the nuisance spillage of light from one property onto another, risking the conflict between neighbors. It can cause safety hazards, such as glare and temporary blindness, for drivers. Light pollution wastes energy, causing associated adverse environmental and economic impacts. Night lighting for surveillance can actually increase security risks. Although exterior lighting can create a perception of safety, research has shown that night lighting m...

Modern Style

Architecture and urban planning started to give up the traditional styles and start to create a further form in constructions at the beginning of the 20th century. After industrialization, the building was made more affordable and stronger by using new technology. The new technique created an opportunity for the designer to construct wider spaces and taller buildings. Also, by using new technology, mass production of materials became easier and more inexpensive. In addition, the new methods increased the speed of the construction process. On the other hand, as experience that the introduction of the modern period organized fast urbanization and construction in cities. Therefore, more homogenized cities and continuity structure appeared and the cultural, traditional and vernacular architecture was disappeared in designing. Because the architecture only accepted the modern style in their design and abandon the traditional styles without any consideration. It was the time to face m...

Composition

Architecture has the same basic principles which are common to painting, sculpture, music, and literature. It deals with unity, balance, rhythm, and composition. It is organized around a central plot, as in a novel. It can be rhythmic as the dance. A painting has a contrast of color, and a fine piece of sculpture has the beauty of form and line. Good architecture attains pleasing composition through the relation of contrasting masses and tones. It is difficult to isolate a single quality and consider it alone. A synthesis of all the principles is necessary in order to ensure a unified and satisfactory composition, but for the sake of study, it will be necessary to analyze separately these qualities and their application to architectural problems. The mere recognition of these principles does not, however, ensure a successful design. An individual may be a good critic but still be unable to write a poem, paint a landscape, or design a building. Creative ability, in addition to ...

Expression in Architecture

When a man is angry, the emotion is expressed in some or the other way. From the actions, expressions on the face or the overall behaviour of man changes. Similarly, when a man is happy, we can tell it through his speech, energy, ecstasy in behaviour. Basically, the changes which are noted are acting as a bridge between the two ends. 1.       1.    One who is giving the expression. 2.       2.  One who is receiving the expression. Now in this give and take process the receiving end is loose since it is subjective from receiver to the receiver. The same is the scenario in architecture. But here the designer has to have created such an atmosphere at the receiving end so that the subjectivity of the users lies on the same side of thoughts. When a designer designs any building, expression runs hand in hand. Whether it is a hut or a bungalow, a school or a college, museum or a memorial there is a certain expression. The expression or ...

Steel Reinforcement

Since, concrete is relatively weak in tension, reinforcement consisting of steel bars, strands or wires is required to absorb tensile, shearing and sometimes the compressive stresses in a concrete member or structure. Steel reinforcement is also required to tie vertical and horizontal elements, reinforce the edges around openings, minimize shrinkage cracking and control thermal expansion and contraction. All reinforcement should be designed by a suitably qualified engineer.       Reinforcing bars are steel sections hot-rolled with ribs or other deformations for better mechanical bonding to concrete. The bar number refers to its diameter in millimeters – for example, a 6 bar is 6 mm in diameter.      The welded-wire fabric consists of a grid of steel wires or bars  welded together at all points of intersection. The fabric is designated by the size of the grid in mm followed by a number indicating the wire size. ...

Colors in Educational Spaces

Very young children prefer strong colors, but when they grow older, their taste becomes more sophisticated and subtle. In most contemporary schools almost anything that can be colored is treated in a bright and brilliant way. Corridor walls, for instance, are sometimes yellow; rooms facing cool north light are given warm tones, and those facing warm south light is given cool tones. The front wall of each of the classroom is often painted darker than the other walls of the room. Every effort should be made to select a color that will be of approximately the same value as the color of the chalkboard so as to minimize eye fatigue. If colors are pastels. bright accents are employed for furniture and accessories- say bright blue, yellow, red, or blue-green. Doors and trim are usually darker than the walls in which. they are located, and painted doors can be given variation and additional interest by the use of various colors. However, while a stimulating at...

Functional Character……..Expressiveness.

The most important kind of character in architecture is that which results from the purpose of the building or structure. The use of a structure naturally calls for a certain disposition of parts and this arrangement affects the appearance of the exterior, by which we largely judge character. Examples: a. Museum -must has galleries with ample wall space and top light, which eliminates  windows and necessitates the use of skylights. b. A school building - must contain many windows to admit the necessary side light  and to offer an interesting contrast with the possible monotony of the classroom  walls. c. Shop - a structure with large show windows is usually a shop for the display and  sale of merchandise. d. Factory - readily seen from the exterior to express the efficient operation of the manufacturing within. The exterior shows often only the structural members  which are stripped of all unnecessary decoration together with th...