Abstract This paper analyzes one of the architectural structures of New York, the Seagrambuilding. It discusses the structure of the building and gives a brief survey of the aspects of international style. The paper applies these concepts of international style to this observation of the Seagrambuilding. The author describes it as a powerful postmodern reflection of this style.
From the Paper "Even on an overcast day, it is striking to note the bronze, almost sunny tints, reflecting off of the Seagram building. That is it so striking is testament to the thinking that went into its design. Indeed, the exterior of the building is supposed to be striking. It is supposed to be the presentation the building exposes to the world. When Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Mies) designed this building, he was realizing a design that had been waiting to be built by him for years. Strictly speaking, the Seagram building is not part of the International Design genre to which it is most often associated. However, a survey of what International Design entails and a close examination of the Seagram building reveal that not only should it be associated with that genre, but it should also be hailed as a..."
Abstract This paper critically examines the SeagramBuilding in terms of not only its aesthetic and technological factors but also with a particular emphasis upon its economic-political and social-cultural context. As is seen, the prominence of the SeagramBuilding lies as much in its extraordinary design as for the fact that it symbolized American corporate power in an era when the hegemony of American capitalism was unrivalled in the non-Communist world.
Outline:
Introduction
The SeagramBuilding and the Bronfman Family
The SeagramBuilding and the Prestige of Design
Conclusion
From the Paper "Prior to the Seagram Building, the emphasis in American corporate architecture was generally on cost and function. Aesthetic values were a secondary concern, and the idea of creating a "signature" building was not part of the corporate mentality of the period. The Bronfmans would change all of this with the Seagram Building. Thus, in order to understand why the Seagram Building was built, we must understand that agenda of the Bronfman in funding the creation of a building that was intentionally designed to make a dramatic statement in the capital city of global capitalism."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that despite their time-tested and proven positive points, a number of false perceptions continue to challenge truths regarding the timber-framed building. The writer purports that repeated strokes of correct information can figuratively fell or cut down even the most dense deceptions depicting the worth of timber-framed buildings. During the course of this study, this researcher counters false perceptions and confirms the correct conception that timber does not easily rot, decay and deteriorate. In fact, the writer concludes that even after extended periods of time, the durability and superior quality of timber when used as a building material can be repeatedly validated. The paper includes color figures.
Outline:
Chapter 1
Introduction
Correcting False Perceptions
Origin, Defects and Properties of Timber
Defects in Timber
Properties of Timber
Strength
Thermal Insulation
Thermal Movement
Density
Chemical Resistance
Fire Resistance and the Behavior of Timber in Fires
Chapter II
Embodied Energy Explained
Examples of Timber-Framed Buildings Built in The Past
Chapter III
Conclusion
Challenging Contentions Confirm
From the Paper "To better understand some of the general misconceptions about timber, this researcher presents an in-depth look at the origin and properties of timber, along with possible defects likely to reduce strength and stability in timber. Timber evolves from wood, a natural product derived from trees, and in some instances, from fibrous plants. As forests cover more than one-third of the world's land surface and approximately 8% of Britain, it is readily available.
"Consequently, timber proves to be a popular building material. When wood is cut and in many instances, pressed, it becomes lumber and timber which form boards, planks and numerous other products. These products, in turn, become generic building materials which may be used for almost any type of structure in the majority of world climates and environmental situations. "
Abstract This paper discusses the home building industry, including a brief history of this industry, an industry overview, and a SWOTT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, and Trends) analysis of the industry. It also addresses the impact of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the unemployment rate, and the inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index (CPI). The paper details three economic indicators.
Home Building History
Home Building Overview
Strengths and Weaknesses
Unemployment Rate
Gross Domestic Product
Recommendations
Housing Starts
Personal Income
Recommendations
Interest Rates
Inflation
Interest Rates versus Inflation
Recommendations
Conclusion
From the Paper "The home building industry has been around for many years. The design, shape, and style of homes have changed over time. The industry is quite different than it was many years ago. When people first began to build they did not layout and draw plans and specs for their home. The first homes were built with one or two rooms in the entire house. Today, they average home has over 6 rooms, When home building first started there was no set rules and regulations that builders had to follow, now we have organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration who helps set construction regulations for the home building industry. We also have NAHB (National Association Home Builders), which was started in 1942. The NAHB works with the state and local agencies to help establish government and legislature for home builders as well as establish affordable housing for everyone."
Abstract In this paper, the writer considers the history, benefits and efficiencies of smart buildings. The writer makes use of the animated television series 'The Jetsons' in order to discuss this subject.
From the Paper " In the animated television series 'The Jetsons' the working class father arrives home to be whisked up his high-rise apartment building by an elevator that delivers him to a chair attached to a moving belt, the wife prepares dinner in a kitchen that requires little more than her saying or punching in the desired dish and monitors throughout the city allow the family to keep in touch with one another through video phones. Fiction has long held out the promise of so-called smart ... "
Abstract This paper notes that security for high rise buildings differs from corporate security in several ways, often to the detriment of tenants of the high rise building. The paper discusses how even with an increasing concern about crime, many landlords simply do not provide the kind of security that tenants may want and that they may indeed believe they have. Landlords often sell their facilities on the basis of security, assuring prospective tenants that they are using the latest in security methods.
Abstract Have you ever had a problem that you could not solve? Maybe if you presented the problem to a team this would help. This paper examines the advantages of building a team, team members responsibilities, and the expectation of the team. It shows how important it is to ensure that the team for any specific task is comprised of members who are knowledgeable and possess the required skills needed to carry out the task.
I - Team Building II - Is a Team Needed?
III - The Benefits of Organization
IV - Selecting Team Players
V - Team Expectations
VI - Problems with Teams
From the Paper "Striving to meet organizational goals enables a team to reach their goals. Performance of a team in any organization is largely dependent on its members, their visions and goals, their individual performance, their willingness to work with each other and their desire to make the project a success. This is sometimes referred to as a group process and can be defined in teams to three maintenance behaviors - open communication, supportiveness, and conflict (Bottom & Baloff, 1994)."
Abstract This paper reviews what it means to be part of a group or a team in a business environment and how the individuals in the group or team work together, as well as how that group or team functions and coordinates with other groups and/or teams within the business as a whole. This paper discusses the necessary actions when building a team that will function well collectively, and with other teams in the organization.
From the Paper "In business, it is not enough to have a group, or even groups, of employees. To have a successful organization, it is necessary for those groups to operate as part of the whole. These groups must work toward the same goal, both with the group members they are assembled with, and also with the other groups within the organization. This paper is intended to discuss the process of building a team that will function well both internally and externally, with other teams in the organization. Groups and Teams Defined What is the difference between a group and a team? Both words are used to describe a collection of people, after all. According to Dictionary.com, the word "group" is defined as "an assemblage of persons or objects gathered or located together; an aggregation," of which may or may not be related to each other in some way (2005a)."
Abstract More than any other architect of the 20th century, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe represents the ascendancy of Modernism in its most Minimalist incarnation. While this emphasis on the importance of spare lines and lack of fussiness is understandable, given what had come before in terms of both architecture and decorative arts, this does not necessarily make it more palatable from the perspective of the 21st century. This essay focuses on two specific buildings by Van Der Rohe: the 1930 Tugendhat house in Moravia and the 1929 German Pavilion that he designed for the International Convention in Barcelona, Spain, as a way of delineating the strengths of his work, as well as serving as a reminder of the distinct limitations of Minimalism within the realm of architecture.
From the Paper "When we look at Tugendhat House what we see is a building that rather aggressively protrudes from the hill to which it is anchored. Mies set the building apart from the hill both in terms of color ? it is gray and black, entirely lacking in the greens and earth-tones of the surrounding hillside ? and in terms of form. The hill is rounded, gently sloping, its curve emblematic of the ways in which water and geological stratigraphy and wind shape the earth. The building's exterior is none of these things: It is not only rectilinear (as are most structures in the modern world) but it flaunts this rectilinearity. Its solidity emphasis the human-constructed nature of the structure: We would never (no matter from what distance we viewed this building or from what angle) confuse this with something created by nature."
Abstract This report analyzes the possible outcome of a merger between communications companies Vivendi, Seagrams and Canal+, explaining that such a merger could provide a far greater opportunity for global access and domination of various enterprises than these companies could achieve by themselves. The report focuses on the opportunities and strengths that the merger could provide as well as the potential weaknesses and problem areas it could create. The conclusion of the reports includes recommendations for the success of the merger and points out that a successful merger would necessitate a great deal of planning and compromise.
From the Paper "Communications now offers a multitude of opportunities. As the 21st century becomes the advent of the digital age, international strategies move communications far beyond the computer, and linked media. By combining communications and entertainment companies along with the facilities for broadcast and distribution of films, television, and other media products, the opportunities for a profitable and symbiotic merger makes sense in terms of bottom line income as well as gaining greater consumer acceptance of products- from music, to theme parks, from television programs to motion pictures, from daily newspapers, to business news on the Internet.."
Abstract The regulation of building construction can be traced back 4,000 years to cultures such as the Chinese, Greek, and Roman empires. Building regulations arose from the attempts of our ancestors to establish ways to control or avoid devastation from building fires and construction failures. Today, there are a number of specific parameters that affect the cost of buildings, including government building codes, which are enacted to protect public health and safety; these can take the form of both prescriptive and performance requirements, as well as industry demands that may not be reflected in actual building codes themselves, which consist of such desirable factors as climate control, elevators, and other aesthetics. Based on the efficiencies provided by standardized codes, the trend toward adoption of such codes nationally and internationally would seem to be a prudent choice for builders and municipalities. This study examines what the three code-making bodies within the United States were doing, are doing, and how they are now working together to produce a common building code for the United States to improve the safety, aesthetics, and functionality of the building conditions required for the entire country. The hypothesis of this paper is that, as a result of this leadership and innovation in the United States, improvements in building codes will extend to the developing countries of the world.
From the Paper "Gene Fessenbecker, author of Building Codes and the Construction Contractor, says that, "The regulation of building construction can be traced back 4,000 years to cultures such as the Chinese, Greek and Roman empires. Building regulations arose from the attempts of our ancestors to establish ways to control or avoid devastation from building fires and construction failures. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson tried to establish some of the earliest design and construction regulations in America for the purpose of protecting public health and safety" (Fessenbecker 1). Today, there are a number of specific parameters that affect the cost of buildings including government building codes, a which are enacted to protect public health and safety; these can take the form of both prescriptive and performance requirements, as well as industry demands which may not be reflected in actual building codes themselves which consist of such desirable factors as climate control, elevators and other aesthetics. This study is intended to examine what the three code-making bodies within the United States were doing, are doing and how they are now working together to produce a common Building Code for the United States to improve the safety, aesthetics, and functionability of the building conditions required for the entire country. The hypothesis of this paper will be that as a result of this leadership and innovation in the United States, improvements in building codes will extend to the developing countries of the world."
Tags: construction, contract, engineering, fighting, fire, ibc, law, permit, property, single, trades, ubc, union
Abstract This paper offers a look at the history and design of the famous Chrysler Building. The writer describes both the exterior and interior of the building, as well as the architectural structure. The paper then offers some information on the architect himself, William Van Alen, and the original deal that led to the purchase of the site and plans to build the building.
From the Paper "Architect William Van Alen originally designed the Chrysler Building for real estate speculator William H. Reynolds, but in 1928, Walter Percy Chrysler, head of the Chrysler Motor Corporation, purchased the site on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan, as well as Van Alen's plans. (Sandler, 1996) Those plans were changed as the design began to reflect Chrysler's forceful personality. The project soon became caught up in the fixated quest for height that swept through the city's commercial architecture in the 1920s and 1930s. Buildings rose taller and taller as owners sought both to maximize office space as well as to increase consumer visibility. Van Alen's initial design anticipated a 925-foot building with a rounded, Byzantine or Moorish top. At the same time, however, Van Alen's former partner, H. Craig Severance, was building the 927-foot Bank of the Manhattan Company on Wall Street. Not to be outdone, Van Alen revised his plans, with Chrysler's blessing, to include a new tapering top that culminated in a spire, bringing the total height to 1,046 feet and establishing the Chrysler Building as the world's tallest, briefly anyway."
Tags: william, van, allen, car, automobile, manhattan, lexington
Abstract This paper looks at the differing opinions with regards to the J.Paul Getty Museum and the way it was built. Reviews from the Los Angeles Times and the Atlanta Constitution Journal contend that a building is not just a building. The two critics from the above newspapers agree and disagree with regards to certain points about the building.
From the Paper "Ouroussoff writes in the Times:
But although these public areas are thoughtfully balanced, the complex as a whole does not cohere. The more private structures (aside from the auditorium) seem isolated on the wrong side of the trackless-tramway. A palm-lined garden, submerged three stories below plaza level--is the area's central event. Around it, cloistered walkways and metal bridges connect the various buildings. Meier skewed placement of these buildings slightly to line them up with the freeway rambling by below. But the shift is imperceptible, and you never feel its weight. Instead, the buildings simply seem detached, their function hidden behind slick metal and glass facades (p. A1)"
