Reading Up

So I often feel a bit childish when talking about architecture because I'm not that well-informed on the subject. I thought I might as well do a bit of reading to get more awareness about it, especially with uni fast approaching - I'm leaving in October (!!!).

This book is called '50 Architects You Should Know', and it basically lists a selection of the most famous architects - old and new and with a wide range of styles - with a large photo of their most famous work and some information about their style and biography.

I liked it because it had a range of different culturally influenced styles, so it seemed to have quite a broad range to look at. 

Also, I felt better about my architectural knowledge when I found architects I already knew of, like Gaudi. I've actually been to Barcelona and seen the Sagrada Familia a couple of times, and it doesn't get any less beautiful. If you get the chance you should definitely go - also worth seeing is the Park Guell, its really colourful and portrays the nature that Gaudi was inspired by.

Jess (:

ECOBUILD

Waheey an actual post.. and its definitely architectural. 

Last month I visited the Ecobuild Exhibition in London, which was really interesting. Less about actual buildings, and more about the building, the materials, the energy involved, and all with green ideals in mind.

Here's a selection of my favourite parts of the exhibition.

'Thermobimetals'. Two alloys laminated together so when heated the metal curls. Very unique as its only available in 4 countries (i think), requires no operator and can be used for self-ventilating and sun-shading. It also has a very appealing aesthetic.

'Barkcloth'. A composite of a Ugandan bark and some other materials (including cotton and hemp), this  can be used more decoratively e.g. lampshades, furniture and fashion. Majorly reducing CO emissions.

'Lime-pozzolan concrete with crushed construction & waste'.

Basically, this is a bench made of concrete with recycled brick and stone, producing a mosaic effect. I think its a really good use of construction waste, its something different - a plain concrete bench could be considered ugly. And it stops the waste from going to landfill.

The Dulux dog!! Couldn't miss a shot of this guy.

These are examples of some architecture students work, looking at the use of roof gardens and how they can be integrated into design.

Here is a demonstration of a (almost) perfectly insulated house. The insulation was bare so you could go up and see/touch it - it also showed examples of SIP and PV panels.

Lastly this is work from a university competition - the winner got to have their design made. I believe the design brief was along the lines of 'an archaeologists storage box'. So I think you would be looking for something that would be safe, have lots of compartments and could also act as a display case. 

All the other designs were on display and were all amazing, I could only dream of having such intricate ideas.

Ecobuild made for a really good day out, and it was useful talking to the university representatives that were there, if you're considering going next year.

Jess (: