written by Christopher K. Travis

What is it that makes a house a home? Do bricks and boards create a room that is comfortable and inviting? Is relaxation a result of finding the right paint color? Does that feeling of being safe and protected come from the choice of wall covering or is it a result of the finish hardware?

These questions seem frivolous on the surface, but after twenty-five years of helping people design, build and remodel their homes, I’ve become convinced that understanding the “emotional architecture” a client brings to a project is a critical part of designing a house that feels like a “home.”

In the architecture firm with which I am associated, we are trying to develop a technology that tailors our projects to the true natures of our clients, but it’s not easy.

The issue of “home” is a highly emotional one. Logic seldom comes into it. The fact is, when most people decided to remodel their home or build a new house...they lose their minds!

It’s true. Stable marriages topple like palm trees in the hurricane of home improvement. Pleasant, cooperative homemakers turn into Machiavellian harpies, combating husbands who vow to fight to the death on the ramparts of their own financial Alamos.

Practical, down-to-earth CPA’s suddenly realize they are the reincarnation of Frank Lloyd Wright. Customers lie about their budgets, trying to bargain with the designer as though they were buying their house from a Tijuana sombrero salesman.

Perfectly reasonable people, who would never dream of telling their doctor how to treat a disease or their lawyer how to draft their will, think nothing of telling a professional architect how to design their home. Worst of all, when people begin the process of designing a new home, they forget the basic laws of economics. I long ago discovered that when customers who were over budget came to my office to “trim the fat,” they were actually going to add a Jacuzzi, upgrade the ceramic tile, change the plastic laminate counter tops to granite, and then expect the price to drop.

It set me to wondering.

One day I experienced an epiphany. I was converting a group of historic buildings in Round Top into a country inn. The Queen and my kids were still in Houston. Every Monday morning I drove up to Round Top and then drove home to Houston every Friday night. In between, I slept on an air mattress on the second floor of an old pier and beam house, one of several we were restoring. Alone all week, I had plenty of time to think. In the evenings I would sit in an old rocking chair on the wood plank porch. I found myself inexplicably happy. Everything seemed right with the world as I rocked on that porch. I began to ask myself why...and before long I uncovered the source of my unexplained peace of mind.

I remembered a place from my childhood..., my great grandfather’s porch. I called him “Nandaddy.” I can still see him dressed in overalls, bending down to pick me up, a broad smile on his face. “Come hug my neck,” he would say. When I was a young child, I spent a lot of time on my great-grandfather's porch. I cannot remember a time in my life when I felt more loved or appreciated. He and my great-grandmother lived in a pier and beam farmhouse in Milam County, Texas. It had a wood plank porch which wrapped around three sides.

Years later, the architectural features of a similar porch in Round Top brought back unconscious memories of that cherished time. I had discovered a key feature of my emotional architecture! Suddenly I understood why I kept returning to historic restoration work even though, truth be told, it was less profitable than my other building ventures. I realized then that we all view the world through a broad set of internal associations most, but not all, from our childhood. This internal landscape determines how we respond emotionally to the architecture in our surroundings.

Eight years later, I lived in another old farmhouse. I felt happy and very much at home. Built in the 1840's, the restoration was never really complete. The downstairs was cold in the winter and the upstairs a hothouse in the summer. Bugs find it easy to get in and the AC finds it easy to get out. The old place required constant maintenance.

You would think these things would have been annoying, but I sat on my porch in the evenings and think about how lucky I am. You see, it wasn't just an old German farmhouse to me. It was the place I raised my two youngest children. Those old walls held the accomplishment I felt at having been able to leave the big city and make a new home in the country. My best girl slept there in a bed I made with my own hands.

It was a place filled with memories of all the good times I'd had with the people I love. I came to realize that these emotional associations are the actual bricks and mortar of my experience of "home."

It's obvious if you think about it. A robin takes great care to build a nest and guards it jealously until her chicks have flown away. Then, that cherished nest is just another pile of sticks. We humans are not that much different.

A house is a material object. A "home" is of the heart.When people are looking for a new living space, they are really looking for how that new space "feels," and how well it fits the day to day reality of their lives, and the values that are important to them.

With this key realization guiding the way, I began to seek a technology to uncover the features of my clients' emotional architecture. It seemed to me, that if a designer could uncover the emotional associations of his client, he would discover powerful clues to a design that would create that illusive and individual experience we call "home."

Now, years after I had that first realization, I am finally approaching my goal. The human mind is complex, and my skills and training are limited, but after years of research and working with clients, I have developed a systematic process that combined psychological testing and architectural programming in a way that actually identifies what specific features of a house inspire an individual or a family to "feel at home."

But before I brag about my accomplishment, let's consider a critical question. What exactly is the advantage of knowing for yourself what features of a building or a location will inspire you to feel at home?

In his book, The Timeless Way of Building, Christopher Alexander says "The specific patterns out of which a building or a town is made may be alive or dead. To the extent they are alive, they let our inner forces loose, and set us free; but when they are dead they keep us locked in inner conflict."

Mr. Alexander's theory says that architecture gains aliveness by reflecting the patterns of behavior of those who inhabit it. In other words, the day to day repetitive actions, events and activities of human beings, naturally organize space in a way that is healing and nurturing. When those patterns are ignored, he suggests, we have the type of architecture that now fills our cities...dead, mechanical boxes, impersonal and cold. If is possible, as Mr. Alexander believes, to bring humanity to architecture?then it seems to me that the unconscious world of emotion that lives within us must be a primary source for much of our design criteria.

In our firm, we make it clear to our clients that a successful design is the result of a good partnership between the designer and the client. My partner and I may know a lot more about architecture and construction than our customers, but our clients are the experts on their own values, tastes, lifestyle and budget. Time and again however, we find that clients approach us with a broad set of assumptions about cost and design, assumptions that are often poorly grounded in fact. These misconceptions tend to color their requests, often causing them to misrepresent their needs and desires.

In other words, people think they know what they want, but are often wrong about significant parts of it. Over time we have found it important to serve as a "devil's advocate" and challenge our clients' preconceived ideas if we were to truly discover their most basic priorities. It soon became obvious to us that if we were sincere about trying to get at these deeper issues within our customers, and not just impose our own design ideas on them, we would have to take them on a journey of discovery.

Each person has a unique relationship with the aesthetics of space and form based on a number of factors, most of which are unconscious and purely emotional. If these items can be identified, and included in their design, they feel psychologically more at home in their new space.

The reason we believe this is that modern neuroscience has effectively proven it to be true.

Here are some facts about how your brain works that illustrate what I am saying. Modern Neuropsychology suggests that less than five per cent of human actions are determined by planned, conscious thought. The remaining 95% of human behavior is strongly impacted by emotion, feeling (sensory and somatic), and other unconscious influences.

Decisions about homes are particularly vulnerable to these types of "irrational" decisions as homes serve an ancient and instinctive role in human life, one that has substantial unconscious cultural and instinctive underpinnings.

In real practice, though consumers give lip service to rationality when changing their living space, their decisions are often highly influenced by factors that are beyond their conscious awareness. They are motivated by developmental or instinctive environmental cues in memory associated with past experiences. Those memories and instincts elicit neurotransmitter and/or hormone stimulated emotional response.

In other words, they make most of their decisions based largely on how they feel, while being reasonably certain they are making thoughtful, rational, conscious choices.

Evidence of this fact is that the home improvement industry in the U. S. is perennially the largest source of consumer complaints by industry sector. Many of those issues are issues that are caused by the fact that designers and contractors all misunderstand the true goals of their clients.

Real estate agents - despite their central role in the largest sector of the U. S. economy outside of government - are consistently rated amongst the "least trusted" professionals in the nation. According to a May 2006 Harris Poll survey, only 7% of those polled trust real estate agents completely, while 20% trust them not at all. Among 13 types of professionals, only stockbroker advice was trusted less than that of real estate agents. Why? Because agents and their customers ignore the deep emotional and subconscious goals that create the "buy decision."

The custom home building and home improvement sectors are enormously fragmented and inefficient given the vast scope of their activities. Building a single home typically involves as many a twenty or more distinct installation and service businesses - all with separate management, employees, policies and procedures - involved directly in the manufacture on a single small building. Hundreds and even thousands of products are involved, most with an enormous overlap in their functions. No other industry of that stature has escaped what is typically an inevitable centralization of providers in the marketplace, despite the obvious economic advantages involved. Most consumers now assume there is no holistic way to approach altering their living space and for the most part, they are right.

On the home front, interpersonal issues between co-habitants during the planning and construction of home improvement projects are so common as to reach the threshold of legendary. Everyone on the street knows someone, or has heard of someone, who had a traumatic or at least highly-stressful experience with building or home improvement.

Couples are often unaware of the impact that architectural issues have on small incompatibilities in their relationship. I sometimes tell a story about a couple for whom I designed a project a while back. It was an addition that included a master suite. As I usually do when designing a master bath for a couple, I had drawn a vanity with "his and her" sinks. They liked the design but the wife assured me they did not need to go to the expense of having an extra sink installed in their bath. She said they were used to a single sink and that was all they would need. I played devil's advocate and began to ask them about their habits in the mornings.

After a while, I discovered they had an argument almost every day while preparing for work. However - the wife explained - their conflict had nothing to do with the sink. It was her husband's fault. He always left his whiskers in the basin when he shaved! Neither of them had been able to see that it is much easier to add a sink to a bath than to change the habits of a spouse! That may seem obvious, but I have found that such oversights are common.

Almost all of us find it hard to separate the forest from the trees when it comes to our immediate surroundings. In this same vein, I had a customer who refused to design in appropriate storage because his wife would "stack things everywhere anyway." That's what's called a "self-fulfilling prophecy. All of this tumult, inefficiency and disorganization is caused in large part by a misunderstanding about the true nature of a home. A home is not a building. It is a suite of emotional experiences. The old saying "a house does not make a home" illustrates this fact.

Intuitively, people are aware of this reality, but in general business practice, this fact is largely ignored. For years we offered the methods we learned in our firm to solve this problem in a workshop we call Truehome, but now we have created an automated web-based software product. My partner and I were on the brink on offering consumers and professionals the fruits of almost a decade of work. We are now able to predict for each individual and family, what features in the architecture, location and style of a house will actually produce for them the emotional experience of home.

That experience is close to the heart, inextricably intertwined with safety and comfort and family. Complicated emotions come into play when the issue of home is on the table. Decisions about the design and cost of our homes are often the single most significant financial choices of our lives.

The pressure is on when you take on a major project. The emotional fire is hot. Building and remodeling our homes can lead to considerable stress. But the story can have a happy ending. Sometimes dreams do come true...and dream homes. In our hearts is a special place. Surrounded by the memories, special attachments and fond impressions that create our emotional architecture...is a warm and comfortable sanctuary just waiting to be discovered.

It's called "home."

written by Mary Summers


Inclusion of architectural rendering software and techniques in architectural design has led to a radical age in the process of marketing and visualization of architectural designs. It breathes new life into design by bringing in new designs to 3D life. Architectural 3D rendering enhances design value and communication. It helps clients, shareholders, contractors and others involved in the design and execution process to better understand the intent and beauty of the design. Creating rendering of an architectural design is a more comprehensive way to explain and/or sell your design. In the schematic design phase, architectural renderings can serve as effective and aesthetic tools to communicate the intended design to the client or stake-holder as it would look after it has been built.

You can effectively incorporate realistic tools like vegetation, people, color, texture and lighting to your renderings to help them seem as closer to life and reality as possible. 3D architectural rendering using software such as RenderCity and Atlantis are of critical use to builders, real estate developers and house builders to create a hype and virtual representation of their proposed developments. These architectural rendering are used as marketing and promotional material in advertisements and brochures. These 3D architectural renderings hence, give a virtual insight into the layout and proposed look of the design to prospective tenants and home owners.

Traditionally architectural rendering entailed the artistic representation of the reality of the architect’s design. Now with digital technology and advent of rendering software, more accurate and realistic future reality of an upcoming building can be created. Hand drawn renderings are thus, being slowly phased out of the architectural design environment except for being used by architects and designers during the preliminary stages of planning and design development and primarily for their own use. For the purpose of expressing their designs to clients, stakeholders and others interested architects and designers are increasingly relying on architectural rendering technology to create digital, virtual representations by way of a photo-realistic visual 3D architectural rendering or a full scale architectural walkthrough.

Uncompromised quality, accuracy in fine details, and an ability to allow multiple vantage points are some of the quantifiable advantages of 3D architectural rendering. Varied arrays of architectural rendering techniques are in use today. Concept visualization focuses in realistic color renderings, exterior renderings, floor plan rendition, interior renderings and site plan walkthroughs. These could be colored, textured rendering or black and white conceptual sketches.

written by Russell Neal


In today's marketplace, general contractors, electricians and property managers are routinely engaged in competitive bidding on commercial construction and architectural lighting projects. Working with a commercial lighting distributor who specializes in architectural lighting and who represents multiple manufacturers, gives the commercial designer more freedom to bid specific items without fear of limited options, restriction to only one or two manufacturers, or equipment that fails to meet all necessary safety and light pollution regulatory codes.

Architecture lighting specialists will help you carefully balance the major considerations of safety, security, aesthetics, and regulatory code compliance by helping you precisely match fixtures to exact client specifications, and by accessorizing your system to remain as maintenance free and energy efficient as possible. Extensive planning and consultation with a specialist can be obtained at a small, reasonable fee if your team requires assistance with advance planning or ongoing consultation in developing the specifics of your proposal.

Architectural Area Lighting

Architectural area lights are heavily regulated due to their high lumens output and must illuminate only the intended area(s) without generating light pollution that will create a hazard or a nuisance to a nearby business or residence. It is generally advisable that you plan a proposed architectural area lighting system with specific guidance in the following general areas:

1. Parking lot lighting must meet local foot-candle minimums, minimize glare for motorists, and avoid shining lights into adjacent facilities. Working with a source that can accommodate the Spartan preferences of strictly industrial sites and the more decorative needs of municipalities, corporate headquarters, and hospitality clients can go a long way toward impressive line items that can tip a bidding war in your favor.

2. Parking garage lights must be configured in such a way as to balance vertical foot-candle intensity with horizontal foot candle intensity. This often requires working with a specialist who can input the dimensions of your garage into special software to help you determine which lamps, wattage outputs, and light fixture locations are required to achieve optimal, safe lighting levels in your garage.

3. Outdoor building lights must accent architecture without overpowering it. Different buildings may require anything from wall mounted architectural lights, canopy lights, and wall packs in a wide range of size, voltage, wattage, and color options.

4. Security lights of some sort should always be installed whenever architectural patterns vary or diverge and shadows form under eaves, canopies, walkways, or connecting structures can serve as a hiding place for criminal mischief.

Oftentimes, contractors are hired by offices, churches, municipal buildings, institutions, hotels, restaurants, resorts, and country clubs that require a highly customizes architectural lighting system that will speak to all the many considerations that contractors must factor into developing a truly effective outdoor lighting presentation. These clients often have tight budgets both for equipment and for power requirements, so it is necessary as well to have a wide range of line and low voltage options ready to offer the client at the line item level to make the invoice legally compliant with dark sky and foot candle regulations, practical safety and security concerns, decorative needs, and cost effectiveness through reduced power requirements and minimal long-term benefits.

In these situations, both pre-packaged kits and highly specialized architectural lighting equipment can often tip the balance in favor of a truly comprehensive architectural lighting design that goes beyond the basic cornerstone elements of standard configurations.

Sign and Building Edifice Lighting

Sign lighting can set the tone for the entire site's lighting system and help your clients more effectively brand their facility. Larger buildings that feature the company brand or logo painted on the building wall itself can be lit with specialty edifice lighting fixtures that will highlight colors and lettering without creating light pollution for surrounding areas. Flagpole lights can be installed very cost effectively to showcase a client's patriotism and keynote an important element of the landscape in general.

Architectural Landscape Lights

Architectural landscape lighting delivers a more robust illumination to larger campuses with a great deal of area between the property line and primary structure(s). Certain landscape features such as waterworks, decorative sculptures, outdoor break facilities, and recreational areas can be highlighted in such a way as to compliment the architecture of the main building.

Some commercial lighting vendors, such as Easy Rack in Houston, Texas, furnish architectural landscape lighting kits and specialized landscape and building exterior lighting fixtures appropriate for more high-end projects such as resort hotels, five star restaurants, country clubs, and outdoor recreational facilities.

written by yantramarchitect


CAD

(Computer Aided Design) is primarily be used for architectural and structural services. Architectural CAD Drawings are very popular in the world as it covers all that is required for building a home or industry layouts. Architectural Drawing on Computer will get you layouts, project elevations, detailed 2D and 3D presentation drawings in Digital format.

Architectural CAD Drawing are normally implemented upon new build developments and planning applications. Architectural drawings can also be useful in custom designs for Industry; homes design development, building plans, construction documents, mechanical and architectural drawings. Architectural presentations. Architectural presentations are being widely on the web. 3D animations improve the structure drastically by having quality 3D rendered images & Videos.

Paper to CAD Conversion, HVAC Drafting, HVAC Duct Design, Paper sketch to Cad Drawing, CAD Design Services, PDF to CAD Conversion are some of the services those considered as a part of CAD Drawing.

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CAD (Computer Aided Design) is primarily be used for architectural and structural services. Architectural CAD Drawings are very popular in the world as it covers all that is required for building a home or industry layouts. Architectural Drawing on Computer will get you layouts, project elevations, detailed 2D and 3D presentation drawings in Digital format.

Architectural CAD Drawing are normally implemented upon new build developments and planning applications. Architectural drawings can also be useful in custom designs for Industry; homes design development, building plans, construction documents, mechanical and architectural drawings. Architectural presentations. Architectural presentations are being widely on the web. 3D animations improve the structure drastically by having quality 3D rendered images & Videos.

Paper to CAD Conversion, HVAC Drafting, HVAC Duct Design, Paper sketch to Cad Drawing, CAD Design Services, PDF to CAD Conversion are some of the services those considered as a part of CAD Drawing.

To get the above quality work you can visit our site http://architectural-design.outsourcing-services-india.com/ to have better idea about us.

written by PM

eEngineers offer architectural design services like building and structural design, exterior and interior 3D rendering, architectural as built drawing, plans, elevation and sections, architectural drafting, architectural drawing, landscaping, and 3D modeling.

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With the eEngineers quickly rising in scope and difficulty, design-build contractors, leading architectural firms, and real estate developers fundamentally look for high-end, specialized services to support their core competencies, make sure quick rotate, and improve overall operational competence of the construction procedure. Cutting down on expenses also leftovers a crucial factor for business success as manufacturing players are frequently compelled to invest a lot in advance technologies like 3D animation and BIM, as well as skilled human resources

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written by Geetika Jain

In India, the construction and real estate is seeing a positive boom. The focus has shifted from just basic functionality to aesthetics, comfort, luxury and style. Hence, the demand for good architects is also on the rise. Architecture involves planning and designing of building and structures. A good architect can create marvels that remain as a testimony to his talent for ages. Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, pyramids of Egypt, Hotel Burj Al Arab, and many more like these are masterpieces of ancient and modern architecture. Today, architects need to blend their vision and dreams with materials to come up with structures that are high quality, with good functionality and environmentally friendly too.

Architects are required to design a variety of structures such as houses, apartments and colonies, shopping and commercial complexes, offices and industrial complexes, hospitals, hotels, airport terminals, schools etc. They are also required if a building has to be renovated or repaired. Thus, the demand for architects will never dwindle.

All those who are looking to make a career in this field have a few things to keep in mind. Ideally, students good at physics and mathematics

are better suited to study architecture. To become an architect, one should have creativity with an interest towards designing. It is beneficial if one can also sketch and draw with a free hand. One should be socially and environmentally aware apart from being technically and mathematically sound to become a good architect. Of course, good communication skills, physical ability to work on the site, high concentration level, flexibility, patience, team spirit, responsibility and accountability can take one a long way in this field.

There are good training courses in architecture offered by institutes across India. To apply for a course, one should have completed higher secondary education with physics, chemistry, mechanical/ engineering drawing and mathematics, with a minimum of 60 percent marks. Most of the schools conduct entrance tests through national and state level entrance examinations. For entry to undergraduate programmes in government and private institutes, national level entrance examination is conducted by the Council of Architecture. However, there are separate state level tests too, such as one conducted by Tamil Nadu. Indian Institutes of Technology also offer architecture programmes. Entrance to these programmes is through the Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) held in May each year. Other than theses, one has to appear for an aptitude test to ensure admission.

The degree course B.Arch is a 5 year course. After the graduate course, one can also study architecture at the post graduate course which varies from 18 months to 2 years.

There are various good institutes that offer courses in architecture. School of Planning & Architecture in New Delhi offers two Undergraduate Programmes leading to Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and Planning. The Bachelor of Architecture is a five-year programme. The school also offers the Master's and Doctoral Programmes in Architecture. SPA offers a 4-year programme in Bachelor of Planning.

Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) is another good institute. The college conducts a five year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) The admission is made on the basis of the Common Entrance Test (CET) and Architecture Aptitude Test conducted by the Punjab University.

Based in Mumbai, the Sir J J School of Art conducts a 5-year course in Bachelor Of Architecture (B Arch). and a 3-year Master Of Architecture Degree. The institute also offers short term courses in computer education relevant to architecture after college hours.

Apart from these, there are other good schools like School of Architecture CEPT, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad; Lucknow University, Govt. College of Architecture; Goa University, College of Architecture; Indian Education Society's College of Architecture, Mumbai; Pune University, Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Architecture; Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, School of Planning & Architecture, Hyderabad; Kerala University, College of Engineering, Thiruvananthpuram; Anna University, School of Architecture & Planning., Chennai; IPS Academy, School of Architecture, Indore; Bengal Engineering College, West Bengal; Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon; Vastu Kala Academy, School of Architecture & Interior Designing, New Delhi.

Some architects go in for specialization in India and abroad. The fiels of specialization could be urban designing, regional planning, building engineering and management, architectural conservation, industrial design, landscape arhitecture, naval architecture, architecture concerning traffic and transport planning etc.

There are a lot of avenues to choose from for architects. There are opportunities available in government as well as private sectors. The government organisations include Public Works Department, the Archaeological Department, Ministry of Defence, Departments of Railways, Post and Telegraphs, Public Sector Undertakings, National Building Organisation, Town and Country Planning Organisation, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, National Building Construction Corporation Ltd., City Development Authorities etc. One can also go or private practice and start own firm and become a successful architect. After all, it requires dreams and good vision to make a mark in this industry.

written by Ishantha


INTRODUCTION

The question frequently asked by those who have an economic world view – those who say that the world is made out of demand and supply and there is nothing else – and explains the love and compassion in terms of demand and supply with the ‘economist theory of social relationships’ - is that, why we should occupy Architects to construct buildings when an engineer can do the job at a lower price with lower fees of consultancy. There is no argument that there are major drawbacks to these theories. The reality lies beyond their scope - it is human desire that generates the demand they talk about - the desire, as pictured by Shakespeare or Buddha, that draws us to the grave leaving behind us ‘a tale told by an insane one – full of glamour, sound and fury and with no meaning’.

When an economist says that it is an uneconomical use of words in a poem to say “half a league, half a league, half a league – onwards” where it is possible to say “one and half leagues – onwards”, the poet can well argue and flatten the economist. But an Architect cannot! Architecture is directly related to money and investments and therefore the architect has to justify with terms of economics the extra five words of his poetry.

The simple argument intelligible to the money minded investor and his cost consultants is that the work of Architecture adds value to a building - the value of a building constructed spending one billion is only one billion where as if the same building erected as a piece of Architecture spending one and half billions, may worth two billions and therefore it is beneficial even if he pays quarter billion to the consultant.

Any piece of Architecture has a value beyond the quantitative materialistic point of view of the economics. But value added design refers to the measurable economic benefit gained due to a design. Works of an Architect today, if to be sold in front of a client, must be pictured as increasing the economic value and potential of places and buildings. To project confidence on the client, the Architect has to demonstrate what he talks about with work examples.

HOW ECONOMIC VALUE IS GENERATED BY ARCHITECTURE

The argument here is that Architecture generates economic value by the virtue of cleaver design. Architecture moderates the way a place is perceived by people and thereby builds the image of the business and it is one of the main sources of customer attraction. Architecture accelerates the development of a business and therefore acts as a factor that adds value to the business.

VALUE OF A BUILDING DEPENDS ON ITS DESIGN THAN ITS CONSTRUCTION COST

A number of methods of cost controlling are proposed by those who are engaged in the business of construction such as quantity surveyors, contractors and architects the world over. One of the most restrictive concepts of cost controlling that come to influence a design at the preliminary sketch stage is Building morphology. The rules of morphology depicts that it is uneconomical to build long buildings, spreaded buildings and scattered individual units. What it indirectly suggests is that the most economical form of a building is a rectangular box. The other restriction is the idea that the building is profitable when the circulation spaces are minimised.

In this method the cost consultants and quantity surveyors can compare building Design Proposals and comment on the building cost. For instance compairing the percentages of rentable spaces it will be suggested that the proposal with a higher amount of rentable space is going to gain much profit, The drawback to this argument lies in the fossil assumption that the demand for the space is equal in both cases. For instance comparing Borella supper market and Majestic City, the theory of morphology will suggest the Borella supper market to be a far superior design with a minimal amount of circulation space, maximum utilization of land and almost box form that minimises the construction cost. But we know that in reality the design is an utter failure.

The rentable value of floor area is about twenty times lower in Borella super market and the occupancy factor is only about 40% where as in Majestic City it is almost fully occupied.

Dark narrow corridors and less lobby spaces with its blank facades have created an unpleasant and distractive building. This is a classic example which shows that the most economical building by no means is the most profitable building. It is clear enough today that the economic value of a building depends on its design.

ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT DESIGNS HAVE AN ECONOMIC VALUE IN THEM

Architecture therefore has a commercial value, it is something that can be sold with the building and enhances its sellable price. The market price of rentable space will depend on the spatial quality of the building rather than the cost of its materials. A cleaver piece of Architecture adds value to the property as well as to the place.

ECONOMIC VALUE OF ARCHITECTURE AS A FORM OF ART

Architecture is defined by most theorists as a form of art although it has many other social, economical and psychological aspects. Architecture is said to be ‘frozen music’ where when you move through a building you experience an orchestration of spaces. Being a work of art a piece of architecture is said to be containing with it an artistic value.

ECONOMIC VALUE OF A FUNCTIONING BUILDING

The fact how well a building works moderates its economic value. A hospital a railway station or a factory for instance will increase or decrease the productivity and quality of service depending on the cleaver establishment of relationships and creation of correct atmosphere to the function of the building. A design that simply works well therefore has a value over another one which is not.

ECONOMIC VALUE DUE TO CLEAVER SELECTION OF FUNCTION AND SITE

Charles Correa identifies a city as an engine of economy and buildings as its spare parts. If the role of a building in the city is correctly identified and placed in the correct location that act itself will increase the impotency of that building and therefore the value of the building will increase.

On the other hand the idea of the sociologists is that places in a city have economic potentials due to prioritisation of functions and movement of people. The identification of the potential of site will increase the value of the building erected at that site and will contribute to the development of the business.

ECONOMIC VALUE DUE TO SOCIAL BELIEFS ON A BUILDING

The social belief that a building is a perfect one, regardless whether it is actually so, will contribute to the economic value of it. For instance the Torrington square of Colombo or the Colombo town hall contains with them an enormous value not due to any virtue of the design or the historical value but merely due to the social belief that they are perfect of perfection.

HOW ARCHITECTURE BECOMES A VALUE ADDED SERVICE

Value added service of architects thus can be defined as increasing the pre conceived commercial value of a building or a building complex by cleaver exploitation of above mentioned value related aspects of building with the virtue of the special knowledge and ability of the Architect. However to make an investor confident of the added value to his building at the very beginning of a project is a problem due to their method of perseverance of value.

NEED TO CONSIDER ARCHITECTURAL QUALITATIVE ATTRIBUTES IN PROJECT APPRAISALS

A. Demodaran in his book ‘Investment Valuation’ says that it’s a myth to believe that valuation is objective since valuation models are quantitative. However in the case of a building project appraisal, the changes in the parameters such as rentable value of the created space and the increased value of land due to the particular subjective aspects of the project are hardly considered. For instance the consideration of the present opportunity cost of land is considered as a parameter that does not vary due to the erection of a building of particular nature.

On the other hand valuation is quantitative. Therefore the consideration of qualitative attributes is totally neglected. The added value due to the personality of the building has no way to enter into valuation in terms of numbers.

ADDED VALUE OF ARCHITECTURE AS THE FORM OF SPATIAL ART

The ability of architecture to add value to a building is discussed. Architecture as the spatial art can invariably moderate its perceived moods, behaviour patterns as well as value but those aspects to be taken as important in providing a value added service and in expressing them with confident at the preliminary stages of feasibility are hard to grasp. While Qualitative parameters of value added services are already taken into discussion in the previous chapter, this is a consideration of strategic parameters of the subject.

VALUE ADDED BY CLEVER IDENTIFICATION OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE CONTEXT

The most important element of a value added design is the out look for potentials of places. The identification of the potential activity and the business of a place will occur both the rise of value of the created building and also the value of its context. Kurokava identifies this as the philosophy of symbiosis where two or more things exist in harmony due to the drawn inter-connected relationships.

The proposed Crescat parking building and the restaurant building at the Oberoy site is such an example where the presence of the parking and the restaurant exploits the potential of the presence of the hotel and the apartment building by using both as its catchments area of customers. On the other hand the presence of such a parking and restaurant will increase the vale of apartment blocks and the value of the hotel too.

The architects’ intervention in identification of those potentials shall be taken as a direct contribution of the profession of Architecture to add value to a project.

ADDED VALUES DUE TO THE VIRTUES OF CREATED PSYCHO-SOCIO SPACE

‘A postulate of sound investing is that an investor does not pay more for an assert than its worth. The price that is paid for any assert should reflect the cash flow it is expected to generate’ Says A. Damodaran in his ‘Investment Valuation’.

Magic or the misery of Architecture is that it will moderate the perceived value of a space. Architecture under another light can be defined as a psycho-social art where what is created by Architecture is psychological and sociological space. The exploitation of the ability of space to project psychological impacts on those who perceive that space and exploitation of the spatial potential to induce a certain kind of social behaviour will reflect back an added value to the Architectural space.

If the moderation of the cash flow due to this assert of Architecture is cleverly traced by the Architect, then only the true price of his service come to be visible.

THE PRESENCE OF THE ARCHITECT AS A HIGH PROFILE PERSON ITSELF HAS A VALUE

Architecture is said to be one of the glamorous professions in the world. Therefore the presence of the name of an Architect itself may bring value to a building. For instance the presence of the name Geofrey Bawa itself increases the reputation and tourist attraction to his hotels and the presence of the name Sit Norman Froster have increased the reputation of his Hong Kong and Shanghai bank. The amount of publications and seminars held the world over on the subject of Froster and his design has made the bank a world wide reputed place and that reputation adds value to their business.

NEED TO DEMONSTRATE BY WORK EXAMPLE

The intention of this essay is both to emphasise on the need of value added design and the need to demonstrate by work examples. A demonstration of work examples shall not be an advertisement but a presentation of a portfolio. The value of the work examples are as fallows.

TO DEVELOP INVESTORS CONFIDENCE

An architect should express his arguments with facts and those should not appear to be dreams. For instance the Kansai Air Terminal, the world’s longest structure, designed by Ranso Piano spends forty percent of its income for maintenance yet works as profitable. The air terminal has no other virtue over other air terminals than its architecture. However the greatest difficulty is to build the confidence of the investor in the case of such a project that it is possible.

The only possible tool at the very beginning stage of the project to display that the thoughts of the Architect is not just dreams, is the work examples.

FOR THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE CHARGES OF ARCHITECTS

What ever the determined price of Architecture by the governing bodies be, the market price of architecture is going down and existence of a black market price and a competition in the field is common knowledge. In such a situation, justification of the charges of the Architect is at a crisis.

The need to bring out the argument of added value and the demonstration with the work examples to establish the argument is essential for the individual Architect to make sure the reasonability of his payments.

CONCLUSION

‘The hallmarks of modern marketing are customer orientation and a long range or strategic view point that makes an organisation responsible to its ever-changing environment’ says E.W.Fredrick in his ‘Industrial Marketing Strategy’. The environment of architects has change a lot when compared to the same in twenty years back, resulting the profession challenges of facing competition and clients confronted with people from the construction industry. The service of the Architect shall be questioned and occasionally brought into courts.

For Architecture to continue as important and glamorous as it was earlier, the need of customer orientation and a long term strategic viewpoint is required as suggested by E.W.Fredrick. The role and the so called Devine service of the Architect is to be well justified for ‘the customer’ to protect Architects’ role as the leader of the team and the first person of the project. “The view often expressed that designers must provide leadership and that if they do not the quality of the building in both function and aesthetics will suffer. The weakness in this argument were provided by a plethora of studies which suggested that the traditional method of independent practice was equally susceptible to considerable criticism for inadequate performance of building not only in function and aesthetic terms but also in technical, cost control and management aspects” says T.Muir in his ‘Collaborative Practice in the Built Environment’.

Therefore the need to demonstrate the service an Architect provides s and the benefit of the customer, in terms of work example, is an essential need of the day. The development of the customers’ confidence on the so called added value is important in the sense that no investor will ever take an unnecessary risk.

ARCHITECTURE ADDS VALUE TO BUSINESS

Working with developers and investors, the Architect acts as a professional involved in a business. In which situation, though the Architect has to keep at the back of his mind his social responsibilities, has to work for the client whom is going to pay him for the services.

INCREASE THE RENTABILITY OF SPACE

The most concerned matter as thought by the investors in which case will be the rentable floor area. The idea behind the argument is that more the rentable area more will be the profit gain. The mutability of this argument was discussed in the first chapter of this essay but what we argue here is the fact that it should be demonstrated in terms of the very design and with work example.

What matters is the rentability of space and not the rentable amount. Rentability imbeds in it the added value. The designers have succeeded in justifying the large corridors of Majestic City when the question of decreasing rentable floor area is raised. Kandalama hotel is another classic example where more than fifty percent of the space is for corridors and passages and yet generating profit while many other tourist hotels are at a crisis.

DEVELOPMENT OF CLIENT ATTRACTION AND PROJECTION OF PERSONALITY OF A BUSINESS

A quality design on the other hand will increase the amount of client attraction resulting acceleration of business there by adding value to the business, place and the building. For instance the interior design of ODEL Unlimited, with its all weak points of anti response to tropical climate and depiction of pseudo culture in the form of a meaningless green house with dried palmyrah trees, seems to be acting as a place of attraction and contributes to the development of the business.

CONTEMPORARY NEED OF VALUE ADDED SERVICE

the need of value added service is felt today and will be felt much strongly in near future in the field of construction industry and the other fields of business where due to the competition, the need of customer attraction and erection of image and the personality of the companies become intensively important. In which case Architecture is seen becoming an important tool of competition.

ARCHITECTURE IS AN ART AS WELL AS A BUSINESS

At the time of Picasso it may be, but today it is impossible to declare Architecture as a pure form of art simply due to the fact that Architect has to face a competition to win bread and butter for his company. Therefore the Architect has to seek a balance between his art and business.

Architect has to sell his products to the clients and in which case it is impossible to imagine that his clients are willing to buy any thing the Architect produce with the belief that Architecture is great and divine. A. Demodaran in his Investment Valuation states - ‘value of an assert is irrelevant as long as there is a “bigger fool” around, who is willing to buy the assert from them. While this may provide basis for some profits, it is a dangerous game to play, since there is no guarantee that such an investor will still be around when the time to sell comes.’

VALUE ADDED DESIGN IS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF THE CONTEMPORARY BUILDING INDUSTRY

In near future, those investors and developers being intelligent, there will be a day where those works of Architects will be compared in terms of added value with methods of project appraisal that are broader in scope rather than with the existing prejudices of ‘capital concerned cheaper construction’ and ‘narrow band life circle costing’.

In which case the need of the architect to add value to the design as well as the need of the demonstration in terms of work examples will be paramount.

By : Hayden Branston
Submitted 2006-11-12 21:12:57

Across the globe there are thousands of interesting and appealing corbels. However, despite the appeal of these corbels, many people are unsure exactly what a "corbel" is. Essentially, a corbel is a piece of stone, or possibly timber, which juts out of a wall to carry incumbent weight. But, corbels do much more than just this decidedly unsexy work, they allure and provide one with a brief yet detailed look into a buildings past. The name derives from a French word meaning crow, because of the corbel's beaklike shape.

Corbels are most famous for appearing as gargoyles on the side of churches and cathedrals, namely Notre Dame in Paris. Norman (Romanesque) corbels often have a plain appearance, although they may be elaborately carved with stylized heads of humans, animals or imaginary "beasts", and sometimes with other motifs. The corbels carrying balconies in Italy and France were sometimes of great size and richly carved, and some of the finest examples of the Italian "Cinquecento" (16th century) style are found in them. Throughout England, in half-timber work, wooden corbels abound, carrying window-sills or oriel windows in wood, which also are often carved.

A corbel arch is an arch-like construction method which uses the architectural technique of corbeling to span a space or void in a structure, such as an entranceway in a wall or as the span of a bridge. A corbel vault uses this technique to support the superstructure of a building's roof.

The word "corbel" comes from Old French and derives from the Latin corbellus, a diminutive of corvus (a raven) which refers to the beak-like appearance. Similarly, the French refer to a corbel as corbeau (a crow) or as cul-de-lampe, Italians as mensola, the Germans as kragstein.

The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels support a projecting wall or parapet, has been used since Neolithic times. It is common in medieval architecture and in the Scottish baronial style.

Many people use corbels in the 21st century as a way of decorating their house. Corbels provide a space and cost-effective way of making one's house more presentable, and adds culture and style to a home. By replacing doorways with "corbeled archs", one can make there house more spacious and more presentable.

Notable examples of corbels worldwide include:

* The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
* Maes Howe, a particularly fine Neolithic chambered cairn in Scotland.
* Gallarus Oratory, an early Christian church in Ireland, is built with corbel vaulting.

Corbels, while away from public limelight, ensure the stability and good-looks for thousands of buildings across the globe. They can be found on medieval castles, or modern-day homes. Corbels are all around us.

By : Matthew Hick
Submitted 2007-08-13 09:02:44

The architectural of a building or room can have a dramatic affect on its ultimate design. Interior design isn't always about changing things or creating something brand new. The best designs often take an aspect of the room or building and make them the focal point in order to enhance the style that it already present.

Designers with an eye toward this form of enhancement, and who are willing to step back are likely to succeed in a world of showoffs who care little about the integrity of the design, but only want to be the first to try something new and outlandish.

When trying to design a room, take a good hard look at its architectural design to help set a mood and style. While you may be able to gut an old worn Victorian kitchen and turn into a high-scale modern one, something would definitely be lost. Why not take the opportunity to showcase your talent and ingenuity by trying to capture the essence of the architectural style and taste by preserving the style in a way that still enables the homeowner to enjoy all the modern conveniences of today?

Keep your eye out for unique room dimensions; unusual window casements; intricate moldings and trims; old fireplaces and doors. Sure, it would be easy to rip out (or paint over) and old brick fireplace and replace it with new sleek travertine, but ask yourself firs is something important would be lost if you did.

Too many buildings today are built exactly alike, making the designer's job more difficult to try and create a unique setting for each homeowners of office. When you are lucky enough to be given the chance to re-do a local artifact, use its unique design and architecture to showcase its beauty - even if doesn't quite match your personal style.

So, what should you be looking for when doing your initial walk-through for ideas? Here are a few places to start:

Original Fixtures.
Although original lighting and plumbing fixtures can rarely be used as-is, you can either have them refaced, or you can buy new "retro" ones that offer the same style of the originals, but which feature, newer more modern features. The same is true for things like old claw foot bathtubs; sinks and even ovens found in the kitchen.

Woodwork.
Many older homes and buildings sport beautiful woodwork and hardwood flooring. It can be expensive and time consuming to have them redone vs. ripping them out or painting over them, but is well worth the effort.

Large windowsills and older casings.
Preserving older windows can be tricky since there are energy efficiencies to consider. But, it is possible to preserve the same look and feel of the older windows and still be able to attain more modern temperature control.

Classic Colors.
One way to preserve an older style is by using original colors in the rooms and exterior. Research the original time period of the building to see what was popular in its heyday.

By : Mitch Endick
Submitted 2007-12-27 18:16:59

Decorative bookends are a great way to add a touch of style to your living space. In spite of predictions that books will fall victim to the digital age, many people place a special value on their personal book collections. There are classical styles of bookends, which can not only define the look of the room, but also reflect important aspects of human history.

A particularly popular style of bookend reflects the architectural styles of antiquity. Replicas of structures such as the Coliseum in Rome pay tribute to some of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Greeks are credited with developing unique styles of building columns that were copied by the Romans. Various column orders from the Doric and Tuscan to Ionic have inspired various bookend styles.

The Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt were built as tombs and repositories. Detailed replicas of these great structures can be found in bookend form and feature a great deal of surface relief. The pyramid shape carries tremendous significance and is popular form seen in modern and antique bookends. Pyramids were also an important architectural feature of western cultures such as the Mayans. The classic and unique shape of the Mayan pyramid, have inspired many different styles of bookends.

A feature of churches, cathedrals and other religious structures, gargoyles are often menacing in appearance and were once thought to frighten off evil spirits. Gargoyles have also appeared on the facades of other structures, from the Gothic to Art Deco. Happy faced gargoyles once graced the ancient baths of the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. Like the belief in the ethereal power of the pyramids, the fierce look of the gargoyles can grace any bookshelf, scare away the demons and keep your books in order.

Many ancient structures were built from stone types like marble and granite. Symbols of strength and durability, marble, granite and similar materials are often carved into beautiful and functional bookends. These stone types are also a popular media for sculpting, and can be seen in some of worlds most inspired works of art. From The Thinker by Auguste Rodin, to the great classical sculptures of Michelangelo, some of the worlds great sculptures have been made into replica bookends.

Modern day structures are often the subject of bookends. Bookend replicas of such iconic structures as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, are very popular. Famous bridges, essentially cut in half, not only hold your book collection securely in place, but also can be reminiscent of that trip to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Anyone who has been to the New York City Public Library remembers the twin lions guarding the front of the building. Strong and silent, these kings of the literary jungle are one most popular subjects for landmark bookends.

The famous Tower Bridge in London spans the Thames River. Beautiful replicas of this historic structure can add a touch of English history to your bookshelf or fireplace mantel. The Tower of Big Ben and the Parliament Building will keep your literary collection standing straight but can add to the conversation at your next social gathering.

Various materials are used to replicate history in the form of a bookend. While granite and marble bookends can be somewhat pricey, other materials have been used to reproduce the smooth feel of marble or the heft and grain of granite. Alabaster and alabastrite have been used for many years as a media for sculpting. Smooth and more easily worked, alabaster is most often seen as pure white. Marble dust is combined with various resins giving the look of marble without the price.

By : Mitch Endick
Submitted 2008-01-07 20:00:21

Gargoyles are most commonly associated with medieval lore but their use as architectural figures dates back to earlier times. Often seen as fierce looking faces, gargoyles are also seen as full figure characters. Gargoyle bookends are a reflection of the history and mythology that continues to fuel modern interest in unique nature of these unusual figures.

Gargoyles have been part of architecture since the heyday of the ancient Greek and Egyptian empires. Though gargoyles often have a fearsome appearance, their use is thought to be far more benevolent. The power to ward off evil spirits is a significant part of the mythological explanation surrounding gargoyles. Hellenic or Greek gargoyles are very often seen as happy or jolly characters and were a part of many public buildings. They could be seen mounted on the parapets of buildings or spewing water as part of a public fountain. Outcroppings on the facade of a building may have been used especially for gargoyles.

Many of these figures took the shape of animals, especially reptiles. Often dragon like in appearance, their gaze was usually facing down from the structure. In mythology and lore, dragons were thought to be the guardians of sacred places or great treasure troves. This contrasts with the more popular view of dragons as fierce and fire breathing creatures. Other animals such as birds of prey or the mythical Roc were the inspiration for many gargoyle figures.

Many styles of gargoyle bookends replicate these unique creatures. Gargoyle replicas are one of the most collectible types of bookends and statuary. Fans of Gothic architecture and lore are particularly drawn to gargoyle collecting. The history of the gargoyle even includes their use in religious settings, as adornments to some of the worlds great churches and cathedrals. The cathedral at Notre Dame in France is home to many gargoyle figures.

The history and lore of the gargoyle figures takes many forms. Gargoyles and gargoyle bookends may represent combinations of human and animal forms sometimes taking on the appearance of hooded monks and friars. Just as they may be used to ward off evil, they were thought to have other uses. Avoiding the wages of sin can be a powerful force used to keep people from straying into a life of eternal damnation. It is thought by some historians that gargoyles may have been placed in prominent view to remind people that Satan, or other supposed forces of evil, were all about and should be avoided.

Since many gargoyles appear with wings, they may very well have been the inspiration for the flying monkey characters seen in the movie the Wizard of Oz. Many dragons of myth were often depicted with wings and were though to be capable of flight, reflecting the myth of flying gargoyles. From the funny to the frightening, many other modern day film and cartoon monsters have been patterned from these legendary winged figures.

Whether collectors of gargoyle bookends are seeking redemption is certainly open to debate. Gargoyles do appear in many pieces of medieval artwork. They can often be quite scary in appearance and could be used to frighten away superstitious people. Given the wide variety of gargoyle shapes, many collectors may have more of an artistic motivation to maintaining their collections.

In addition to collectible bookends, today gargoyle figures stand vigil as yard ornaments, water fountains and various types of outdoor statuary. Even though warding off evil spirits may not be in your decorating plans, some interior design schemes benefit from the addition of gargoyles. Gargoyle bookends make the perfect the perfect gift for fans of medieval mythology and religious history.

By : Shaun Parker
Submitted 2008-01-16 20:08:52

There is nothing more inspiring than an impressive piece of architecture. Buildings have a way of inspiring people and profoundly affecting the way they feel. A nice building can make you feel proud to be a human. I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and I have seen an incredible array of buildings that make you proud to be part of the human race.

What amazes me is that many of the most impressive of structures were created long before automated machinery and way before long distance communication and long distance travel. The Egyptian and the Aztecs were building incredible structures entirely independently of one another. Here is my list of incredible buildings that have inspired me to become an architect in the hope that one day I'll be able to create a building that will have an effect on someone.

Golden Temple - Amritsar, India

You can't really do better than making a palace out of gold. For sheer outlandishness this gem of a building hits the top spot on my list of great buildings. Set in the Punjab area in the North West of India the temple is extremely close to the Pakistan border. The place is more than a building. With thousands of visitors entering the temple every day it is always bustling. But with the congestion there is also a profound feeling of peace and the feeling that you are welcome.

Sikh religion dictates that no Sikh should ever let another person go hungry and they have a kitchen that serves food to everybody that wants it free of charge. The golden temple sits in the middle of a lake and can only be accessed by a walkway. The lake is surrounded by a white palace that acts both as a boundary for protection and as a home to the Sikh gurus.

The Pyramids - Egypt

The pyramids are the most recognisable pieces of architecture in the world and have provoked awe and wonder since the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2575-2465 B.C.). They are among the largest structures in the world. They are visited by thousands of people every year. Put together without any kind of automated equipment many archaeologists, scientists and engineers still marvel at how they were made. The Pyramids in Cairo are surprisingly close to the city and provide a wonderful reminder of the contrast between past and present civilisations.

Nasque Jahan Square - Esfahan, Iran

One of the most underrated and unknown architectural masterpiece in the world is the Nasque Jahan Square in Esfahan, Iran. Perhaps it is because Iran is still yet to open fully to tourism and that western travellers have an irrational fear of the country. But the Nasque Jahan Square is one of the most impressive places in the world. It is an enormous enclosed square that is home to two of the most beautiful and large mosques in the world. Recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site the square is flanked by many buildings including the Ali Qapu palace and the Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque which, in my opinion, is even more impressive than the Taj Mahal which is another fine example of Islamic architecture. The combination of incredible buildings, the clean geometric layout of the square and the vastness of the whole place really knock you sideways. It is a shame that more people don't enjoy this incredible example of architectural genius.

By : Susan Collmorgen
Submitted 2008-01-23 15:51:41

Ornate, charming, mysterious, elaborate. All of these words can be used to describe Victorian architecture. But what makes a style Victorian? You might be surprised to find that, not one, but many different styles of architecture are considered Victorian. Just about any home built during or shortly after the reign of England's Queen Victoria (1840-1900) can be considered Victorian.

With the Industrial Revolution (late 1700's – early 1800's) having brought about new machines allowing for mass production and the railroads having improved transportation nationwide, the average person was finally able to get the materials they needed for building fancier and more interesting homes. This availability led to the array of styles we refer to as Victorian. Some of the most notable styles that comprise "Victorian" style architecture are Queen Anne, Second Empire, Italianate, and Stick-Eastlake.

Queen Anne
One of the most widely recognized Victorian styles in the Southern and Western parts of the United States is Queen Anne. Characterized by wide wrap-around porches, multiple balconies and chimneys, round "tower-like" structures, and large bay windows, these homes are what most of us visualize when we think of Victorian architecture. This "gingerbread" style of home is also noted for its unique floor plans consisting of two or more stories.

Second Empire
Named for its notable French elements as in the era of the Second French Empire, this architectural style is seen more in the Northeast and Midwest. Popular for public buildings and state institutions, characteristics of this style include a rectangular tower with a short and steep mansard roof. The crest of the mansard roof was frequently topped with iron trim and sometimes even a lightning rod. Examples include the Old Executive Building in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia City Hall.

Italianate
In the mid to late 1800's, the Italianate style began appearing in homes in the Midwest, the East Coast, and the San Francisco area. Inspired by Italian Renaissance characteristics, Italianate style homes have bay windows in front; tall, narrow windows and towers, and small chimneys in rather odd locations. The Garden District of New Orleans contains many fine examples of this style.

Stick-Eastlake
Found predominantly in the Northeast, Stick homes are decorative but not overly ornate. They generally include steeply pitched roofs with overhangs, wooden shingles covering the exterior walls and roof, and squared bay windows. Crown detailing can also be found along the roof peaks. More stylized and decorative versions of the Stick style are usually referred to as Eastlake.

While some architects today still borrow ideas from these styles to create a modern day Victorian home, most Victorian style architecture has become a relic of the past. In some communities you can find neighborhoods filled with beautifully restored historical Victorian homes. Many have become bed and breakfasts, places of business, or simply historical sites for the public to view.

There are several communities throughout the country known for beautifully restored or preserved Victorian architecture. One example is Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where you'll find the largest array of such architecture in the central United States. The entire town of Eureka Springs is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places, due largely in part to its preservation of its historical Victorian architecture.

By : MIKE SELVON
Submitted 2008-02-25 09:33:39

If you think that architecture is just about high rise buildings, the latest shopping mall or a series of subdivisions, then you are wrong. It is about a lasting mark in history. Architects over the course of history have been responsible for some of the greatest monuments of mankind.

Entire cultures have been associated with specific architectural styles which have lasted throughout the decades and centuries. Mankind has learned much from earlier civilizations through these buildings, and just imagine what future civilizations will learn about us through our great structures.

A great example of architecture dates back to over ten thousand years BC, to the Neolithic period. Skara Brae is the site of one of the first discoveries of mankind's earliest structures. Sure, the sites were not as grand as those discovered later, but it has to be mind boggling that even at this early stage man was using mathematics to create sound structures to provide protection from the elements.

Perhaps you are in need of more familiar architectural engineering marvels and designs. Think of the great pyramids in Egypt or the Mayan temples. The incredible soaring spires of India's star shaped tower of Somanaththapura.

This Hindu temple is visited each year by hundreds of thousands of people. Architects around the world study how the ancient architects accomplished such magnificence. If that is not enough for you to think about, then consider the Taj Mahal. As one of the eight wonders of the world, the architecture design is flawless and worthy of being a tribute to the beauty that can spring from the mind of man.

Fans of modern architectural styles will appreciate Frank Lloyd Wright. One of his most famous pieces is found in Pennsylvania. Titled "Fallingwaters," this unique house is a blend of modern function with an aesthetic form that is pleasing to most people's eyes. Even fans of Renaissance buildings, such as the Sistine Chapel, can appreciate how Wright's use of light, nature and modern structure created a form of art nouveau that few have been able to reproduce.

Sure, not every building in history will be a great example of architecture. Your home may never be remembered in the same light as the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramids of Egypt, but that does not mean it does not hold significance. It does show how we live and interact. From the cold cellar to the bathroom, it is a living example of how architects in today's society have come to recognize the needs of mankind.