Building information modeling (BIM) For this post, delayed and swapped out with Jane Jacobs due to her centennial two weeks ago, I defer to my friend Alec and his blog The Architect's Companion. Note articles such as "The Benefits of BIM" and "The Personification of Revit".
33. Hydrology is destiny
Hydrology is destiny I've written before about topography, but without expanding on the fact that all topography is shaped by plate tectonics and water. Every ridge and valley was carved by rain. Settlement patterns, cultural links, trade have all been shaped by hydrology. Sorkin already mentioned "the rate at which the seas are rising" (#16),... Continue Reading →
32. Prevailing Winds
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 →
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 →
Adam Achrati 