Architecture Videos

Prairie Style discussed the huge influence Frank Lloyd Wright had on North American architecture. While traditional, Victorian houses were segmented into separate, distinct separate rooms, Wright opened up interior spaces so they flowed into each other. He also was very focused on creating houses that were harmonious with their surroundings. His Prairie style homes were not huge mansions, but homes for anybody, that felt like layers of horizontal planes rising from the ground. The house became a part of the environment, and the furniture became a part of the architecture--everything fit together, organically interacting with each other. Most modern architects have been influenced by his work, such as Dan White. He created a house in Vancouver that captures the essence of a Wright home, but fits the less-flat environment. His architecture, too, becomes a part of the surroundings, and incorporates open living spaces. He, however, has "improved" on some aspects of Wright's architecture. While some feel that Wright's low ceilings create a claustrophobic feeling, White found a way to push them higher without losing the horizontal feel.

Architecture: The Science of Design focused on the science behind architecture, rather than the art. It discussed how developments in concrete and steel have led architects to create looming skyscrapers, that not only have to put up with the "dead weight," the weight of the building itself, but also the "living weight" (the additional weight of people and furniture) and the force of wind. Wind can be especially difficult, for the vortexes of wind get more powerful the higher the building gets. While buildings are allowed to sway, how much they sway and how long it takes are strictly regulated. Small models with a wind simulator help architects plan solutions to these problems. The video then explores a "smart house," which is controlled by a computer to automatically do many chores and work appliances. It was funny to see this "house of the future" that also felt very dated. Lastly, the video explored the advances in concrete. While concrete doesn't seem like a very interesting material, many interesting innovations have been made with it. Prestressed concrete, for instance, was particularly interesting. To create this, cables are stretched so they have tension, and are then covered in concrete. Once this dries, they tension is loosened, so the concrete is compressed and becomes very strong and air tight.

 Classical Architecture was about the rise, fall, rise, and fall of the use of classical architecture in western society. From the Renaissance on, people have been falling back to Greek and Roman style architecture when they want a building that looks important and imposing. This typically means governmental buildings and museums, but many houses have been constructed in the classical way, even if Greeks and Romans didn't actually have a terrace with columns as a part of their personal houses. Every few decades, this style falls out of favor, and styles such as Gothic or Modern rise to the top. In the end, however, people still return to Classical style because it is, well, classic. It automatically makes a building feel important, regardless of what is in the interior. England's South African Embassy, for instance, is a Classical style building, even though that doesn't really have anything to do with the business that goes on in the building. This, to me, is an example of Classical style being used where it is inappropriate.  Throughout the centuries, Classical style architecture has adapted to new contexts, and has been tweaked, and in some cases made a joke of, in order to fit in. 

Last Call for Planet Earth is about 12 architects around the world who are working in "green" materials to help combat the damage humans are making on planet Earth. Sustainable development, to them, is a part of a cultural revolution, for it is going to take more than these 12 architects to change the road the earth is taking. For these architects, going green is more than a mere empty trend. Some steps can be simple, such as orienting rooms that need light to get the most sunlight. Other solutions are more complicated, such as figuring out that office buildings can be built 30% smaller because an average of 30% of employees are out of office on a given day. Gardens and trees are even planted within buildings for the positive effects on the quality of air. Such examples prove that going green doesn't have to mean technical solutions such as solar panels and complex heating and cooling systems, but instead steps that everyone can be a part of. Because 50% of all energy used in an industrialized country is used by buildings, these steps are all the more important.

While some believe that sustainable practices has to be a cultural movement, some believe that public policy will be what makes difference, not individuals changing of their own accord.  Massimillano Fuksas  emphasizes that what's important to remember in architecture is air, earth, water, and fire. The fire is warmth from the sun and gives us the strength to live, air is our environment and freedom, water is what we are made up of, and earth is what produces everything we build with, and what we must protect. Some people, however, attempt to mask non-sustainable projects with the "green" label, and need to be looked out for. This "green washing" will only make people more likely to dismiss the movement. A better universal understanding of true green tactics is absolutely necessary.

 Prairie Style reminded me more of the chapter on Installation Art than the architecture chapter. The video focused so much on how the site is an important factor in the design of a house, it reminded me of how important the site is for a piece of installation art, which I suppose architecture could technically be.  Architecture: The Science of Design went into further detail about how steel and concrete are used in modern architecture, but it only briefly touched on how concrete dates back to the Ancient Greeks. Unlike the text, this video was only focused on the science of architecture of the present and the future. It would have been interesting to see more about the science of ancient architecture as well.  Classical Architecture was of course also dealt with a lot in the text, though not nearly as in depth. In the video, we got to see Classical style's struggle to still remain relevant through changing times, which was interesting to learn. Last Call for Planet Earth of course focused on the same issue that was at the close of the chapter on architecture. The video provided more examples of buildings and building plans that are "green," and presented myriad, creative ways for becoming environmentally friendly.

The films, as a whole, presented a multi-faceted view of architecture. We got to see the history behind different forms of architecture, the science and technology that makes it possible, and new trends that have an affect on today's architecture. I also got to see how the green movement is having a positive impact on architecture. I particularly liked Prairie Style, perhaps because it was focused mostly on one person's impact, rather than on a broad subject that could only be glossed over, which was sort of the case with the other two assigned videos. Last Call for Planet Earth was also fascinating, and, like Frank Lloyd Wright, showed many examples of work that was not only "green," but also were harmonious with their surroundings. This was illustrated especially with the "passive house," that is made of wood, glass, and straw, and grows grass on its roof.

I chose Last Call for Planet Earth because I wanted to see how architecture can still be beautiful while also being environmentally-conscientious.  The positive aspect of making environmentally friendly architectural decisions is that it also makes people think outside of the box in terms of designing. The building plans that incorporated parks or greenhouses surrounded in glass, for instance, were beautiful. As was the public park structure in China that was constructed by an architect of highways. Something as ugly as a highway was transformed into a beautiful raised park.