The direction of prevailing winds Prevailing winds play an important role in siting/orienting a building, as part of a larger effort towards passive cooling. (Taliesin West, in dry hot Scottsdale Arizona, is laid out to catch prevailing wind in an effort at passive cooling. The devoted and zealous disciples/tour guides made many a mention of... Continue Reading →
Blog
31 Mud Construction
The basics of mud construction Not rammed earth, but mud construction. With all the concern about maintenance and US infrastructure (see John Oliver clip) mud construction offers an interesting solution: make maintenance so involved that it becomes a communal activity (Youtube clip of the film Powaqqatsi). Or, like the Djinbuereber Mosque in Timbuktu, make the... Continue Reading →
30 Migratory Birds
The migratory patterns of warblers and other seasonal travelers See an animation of bird migration over Northeastern United States, and a visualization of global bird migration. In Washington DC the City Wildlife organization (independent, no government affiliation) has a 'Lights Out' program which tracks and collects birds that crashed into windows and window walls: "Flocks... Continue Reading →
29 Code of Hammurabi
The relevant sections of the Code of Hammurabi 21 & 25 cover crimes committed on someone else property 38-41 cover property rights (men only) and transfer. "228. If a builder build a house for some one and complete it, he shall give him a fee of two shekels in money for each sar of surface.... Continue Reading →
28 Interior Environment
The rate at which that carpet you specified off-gasses Off-gassing (AKA outgassing) means any chemicals in a material or product can and will release those chemicals into the air (chemicals with a high rate of off-gassing are considered volatile organic compounds). It is an important part of maintaining healthy interior air quality (see description from... Continue Reading →
27 Palladio’s Proportions
The proportioning system for the Villa Rotonda Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio is considered one of the most famous and maybe the most influential architect ever, in part because he wrote a book of his work (helping control the narrative of his work) and because he did a good job synthesizing precedent which made so... Continue Reading →
26 Gaudi’s Catenarium
How Antoni Gaudí modeled the Sagrada Família and calculated its structure Gaudi loved the catenary arch and used models of string and small bags of sand to calculate how load would be transferred from ceiling to ground. The string represents the line of force running through walls, arches and beams. The bags of sand represent... Continue Reading →
25. How to Sit in a Corner
How to sit in a corner The context of sitting in a corner changes based on which direction you face. To sit in a corner is to listen, to look, to observe other people and things take center stage. There is a lot of listening to do in architecture, to bosses and coworkers, to clients,... Continue Reading →
24. How to Design a Corner
How to design a corner I'm not sure if this made it into 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School (digital copy here). Is the corner a formal gesture or a part of an experience and a path? Is there an intention of providing contrast or mediating between two sides? What is the corner responding... Continue Reading →
23. How to Turn a Corner
How to turn a corner A former professor referenced the current Washington DC convention center as having over a dozen moves/gestures that help it turn a corner. I've always had trouble understanding just what he meant. There is a lot going on, but it is hard to say what moves are in service of turning... Continue Reading →
Adam Achrati 