House Architecture | Architecture and Language

In modernity there are no more steady rules of connections. Connections are elliptical and changing. Syntax and grammar are relational; however, they are not whatever. Modernity is about the freedom of connections which are not reducible to pure logic or rationalism. Modernity is dreaming new languages which are beyond representation. Language is tied to dreaming freedom. Whoever destroys language destroys himself or herself.

Language is a second body. Delaunays' paintings, their "window to the city", the surrealist novel, the nouveau roman all explore language as a second body. It is the materialized soul. With Novalis the body becomes the stream, the night, the day, the cosmos. His "liquid girls" are the secret of language. To know that "milk is black" is also one of the many secrets of language linking us directly to the cosmos. Language is a secret naming.

Language is that which closes itself over the void. Mallarmé and Duchamp show us, that if the universe is language,-its face is empty. Their works are trajectories in search of meaning. Doing Architecture is a love for language. It is like going to the desert and absorbing the lessons of the stream. It is being alone: the horizon and earth meeting, vastness, emptiness, movement, change and space. It is the courage to be able to face the "empty face" of the universe that allows for new possibilities of languages and forms of life.

Language is always somewhat ahead of our thoughts, just like writing or drawing. Surrealist writing, the drawing or sketch in Architecture, are the flow of language, it is a form of swimming, diving into something which is already there, like the city with all its superimpositions. As with the superimpositions found in Cezanne or Schindler's work, the superimposition and layering of space, volumes and colors. Language is ahead of our thoughts. It is more than just a matter of the brain. The heart, the soul, emotions and the body make for the corporeality of language. Language has an intimate connection to experience. It is a part of an intricate weave, like the air we breathe.

This is why language, writing and drawing have a deep and secret power to promote being. The imagination hungers for images. Drawing is not a depiction but a way of thought of expression; it is a figurative language like a form of writing. Scarpa says: " I draw because I want to see." It is a seeing and knowing in the mind. Scarpa's work doesn't so much take place in an arena of visual perception as in the vicinity of a linguistic competence. He never fell into historical styles because his interests were of a relational nature: " A Transparency of relations". According to Octavio Paz "Light is time thinking of itself." Scarpa works the light critically; it is a criticism in the romantic sense, not one of exclusion, but of inclusion of the object and work of art. The work of art becomes aware of itself.
Language is a place; there is a desire in language to orient and to have a standpoint. The language of Architecture is like the eye of language, it is about another kind of seeing. Language is like a plan or a section, it is generative, and it is a relational instrument. Architecture like language is polysemous, polyphonic and polysemantic. Architecture is about giving time and space for the articulation of different visions, voices and their multiple interconnectedness. Architecture and language are, like paintings, in the words of Clemenceau: "A way of looking deep into the eyes of the world."

Questioning and doubt are internal to language and architecture. In Chinese "but" is the radical root of the ideogramme "mouth" and "who" is the radical root of the ideogramme "language". Questioning lies at the heart of language. Words, like walls, planes, light and space, desire to enwrap and to show themselves; to traverse their own space. The issue perhaps is less to just let "words run loose", as to keep them within reach of their possibilities and within reach of their suggestive powers. The desire for words to show themselves also speaks of the strong relationship between language and joy. Words, like materials, space and light are the heaviness of emptiness. Language is that which closes itself over the void.

Language and Architecture are a kind of writing into the void, into the black, the dark and the shadow. It is in this black or shadow where words and architectural elements meet. The darkness of language is like a protection from too much self-reflection.

Language is more than just communication or understanding. It is about being alone and about taking risks. When I enter a building, it is like entering language with all its nuances, shades and inflections; and just like poetry, it likes to have a voice, it likes to be read, to be experienced and it likes to be a challenge.

To hear one word as if it were thousands of words is about the superimposition inherent in language. Language and Architecture exist as superimpositions. There is a presence and absence of language. The passivity of language is a kind of center which allows language to exist, and we should allow a word, like a house, the possibility to open itself unto all possible worlds or experiences which live in it. Writing is a kind of forgetfulness; it is the subconscious of language. Matisse's figures in blue are a kind of writing with the scissors into color. Similarly Yves Klein's body paintings, it is always the whole body which is involved in language and in architecture.

Language is another way of seeing and imagining. It is language which thinks and suffers, just as it is also the imagination which thinks and suffers. There is a subversive power in language, a magic beyond communication. Brancusi's Endless Column has a magical rhythm with which we can catch a glimpse of infinity. The Endless Column is like a revelation. Naming, the innermost nature of language is about naming the unnamable it is about doing the impossible. Herein lays the heart of architecture.
Language is a place and like writing it is about a return to the Zero Point. It is like writing on a blank page. It is about changing the world. Architecture has a memory of this desire for wanting to transform the world. The banal memory is like a dam against creative memory. Banal memory secures against loss, when, on the contrary, loss is a necessary part of memory. Memory is possible because of repetition. It is repetition of metaphors, symbols, words, myth and figures that give to language, to architecture and to the city the space and time to remember.

Language is a promise.

This text has been inspired by Paola Iacucci's
Three Houses and other Buildings by Gangemi
Publishers

Gabrielle is an architect, artist and writer. She completed her studies at Columbia and Princeton Universities in the USA. She currently lives in Switzerland where she has her own architectural practice. Her websites are: http://www.gabriellevonbernstorff.com and http://www.gabriellevonbernstorff.ch.

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House Architecture | Facts About China Architecture and Chinese Buildings Art

China's distinctive architecture makes up an important part of China's splendid civilization. Together with Western and Muslim architecture, the three styles comprise the world's major architectural systems.

In the Paleolithic Age, Chinese ancestors lived on fishery and hunting, and were sheltered in trees and caves. In the Neolithic Age, Chinese ancestors engaged in raising animals and farming, and settled down by digging caves and by building simple houses with twigs and lumber, thus commencing their architectural activities.During the 3,000 years of the feudalist society, Chinese ancient architecture formulated gradually its unique system, coupled with a considerable progress in urban planning, garden designing, and house construction technique. In 221 B.C., the First Emperor of the Qin Empire mobilized the resources of the country to do construction works on a massive scale, including A' Fang Palace, the Emperor's Mausoleum, the Great Wall and the Dujiangyan Water-Conservancy Project. In the Later dynasties, many more massive construction works of lasting fame were carried out.

China's wood frameworks are unique in the world. They reflect the values, aesthetic and ethical standard of the Chinese people. Chinese architecture is rooted in cultural tradition and features several characteristics. It highlights absolute imperial power and strict social status. The best examples of this can be found in the palaces and forbidden cities. Chinese architecture also stresses overall beauty and its axial layout pattern is widely used in buildings. The Chinese style also incorporates elements of nature and emphasizes a graceful, reserved and easy-going beauty. Apart from the Han ethnic group, architecture in the ethnic minorities is also diversified and distinct.

Chinese architecture can be categorized into imperial palaces, religious temples, ancient gardens, tombs group and ordinary ethnic residences.

The online website of the China travel agency - China Fact Tours has fruitful information regarding facts about China and China Architecture [http://www.chinafacttours.com/facts/a], as well as a great deal of practical China travel information and travel resources be of help before you plan a trip to China!

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House Architecture | Historical Architecture and the NRHP

Polo, Illinois is a small city of about 2,500 in Ogle County, a county whose largest settlement has less than 10,000 people. The rural communities in Ogle County are astounding and filled with history, art and architecture, if you know where to look. Armed with a list of sites in Polo from the National Register of Historic Places, I started looking at the Polo Public Library - a building that is one of five in Polo that share that status.

The Polo Library is a Carnegie Library that was constructed in 1903-04. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The librarians were friendly, giving me contact information for Polo citizens affiliated with historic preservation, and, most importantly, providing me with directions to an elusive lime kiln nearby. The woman I spoke with chased me down in the cold of January several blocks from the library because she had given me the wrong email address by mistake. Very kind.

Also in Polo is a cluster of architecturally important houses, all near each other, and all listed on the National Register, two of them the work of Joseph Lyman Silsbee (wiki) one of which reminds me of the important, earlier Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Winslow House.

Silsbee was an influential and very important American architect. He served as an early mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright and was very influential on the young architect and other architects of the Prairie School. While the house is pretty obviously Classically influenced, some of the trademarks of Prairie style that Frank Lloyd Wright would later make famous are clearly visible, including leaded art glass and a low pitched roof. The building was constructed from 1899-1901 and added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1993.

Behind the Bryant and Lucie Barber House is another Silsbee work, this one older. The 1891 Henry D. Barber House is more Classically obvious than its neighbor but still not what I would call a high-style example of Classical Revival. It's an important work by an important architect, one that can be compared and contrasted with his other work, next door, from eight years later. The Henry Barber House was listed on the NRHP in 1974.

The other house listed on the National Register in Polo is across Mason Street from the two Silsbee works. It's an ornate Queen Anne style mansion known as the John McGrath House. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) hasn't made the NRHP nomination forms available online (despite their assurance to me that they were available) for any of the listed buildings in Polo so I don't know much about the McGrath House. I submitted a request to the National Park Service, and the IHPA but haven't heard back from either of them.

What I do know about the McGrath House is that it was designed by someone named George W. McBride. Unfortunately, the only George W. McBride I know of served as a United States Senator from Oregon. Though the senator was alive in 1896 when the house was built, he was not an architect and had no affiliation with Illinois anywhere I can find. I can only conclude that it is someone different. The McGrath House was listed on the NRHP in 1996.

Online Resources

*Buffalo Township Public Library: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Property Information Report

*Joseph Lyman Silsbee: Biographies:

*Bryant and Lucie Barber House: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Property Information Report

*Bryant and Lucie Barber House: NRHP

*Henry D. Barber House: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Property Information Report

*John McGrath House: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Property Information Report

*John McGrath House: NRHP

There are three non-residential sites in Polo listed on the National Register.

Article written by Andy McMurray a freelance writer and photographer based in DeKalb, Illinois. He has worked at DeKalb's Daily Chronicle, The Midweek, and the Northern Illinois University newspaper, the Northern Star. Known variously around the Internet as Dr. Gonzo or IvoShandor, Andy's wide ranging interests and knowledge in history, architecture, historic preservation, art and science have allowed McMurray to excel in penning both fiction and non-fiction pieces. In addition to pursuing a fiction career Andy has written and photographed extensively for English Wikipedia. http://www.AndyMcMurray.com

Article edited for EzineArticles and submitted by Bart Richardson, aka The Insatiable Insomniac who rants about what he fancy's. View some of his strange and entertaining ideas at http://www.FunWithInsomnia.com That is all.

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House Architecture | Architectural Characteristics of Style Houses

Spanish style homes are a sub-style of the Mediterranean design philosophy. In this article, we'll present an overview of Spanish style houses for UK buyers who are seeking to purchase an authentic example of this rich and complex architecture.

What Is The Mediterranean Style?

First, let's look at some background about the Mediterranean region. Because of its location linking Europe, Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean region is home to an amazing diversity of peoples and cultures. Add to that the Moorish occupation of Spain for hundreds of years and the result is an eclectic architectural style that dominates Spanish style homes. The robust trade, migration patterns and even warfare and conquest have all contributed to the rich and varied history and culture of the Mediterranean region. The design of houses in Spain reflects the country's "melting pot" heritage.

Typical Features of Mediterranean Homes

What has come to be termed "Mediterranean architecture" has its roots in a melange of lifestyle, culture, historical building styles, climate and topography (surface features) of the region. The Spanish style house always seeks to exploit location and views, especially sea views. You'll see Spanish houses tucked away on rocky hillsides that tower above the sea or are proudly situated on glorious white sand beaches. Roof terraces are common, again to take advantage of the view.

More Mediterranean Architecture Features

Since sites for Spanish style homes are often hilly, rocky and uneven, the architecture tends toward low-slung and boxy designs with flat roofs. Windows are situated to take maximum advantage of both the view and the whole house seems to just blend into its surroundings. A typical Spanish style house has thick walls faced with white or light colored stucco to help keep the interior cool. Classical Roman features like columns and porticos firmly anchor the Spanish style home in a vibrant historical context. Red clay tile roofs are typical and there are usually no overhanging eaves. Arches are integral design features and often appear above windows, doors, entryways and porches.

Mediterranean Architecture Brings the Outdoors Inside

Spanish house styles tend to be asymmetrical in shape with multiple wings. Hip roofs are common. Details like carved doors and carved stonework, spiral columns and tiled walls and floors are also highly characteristic of Mediterranean architecture. Courtyards are prevalent and often function as outdoor rooms, making for easy transitions between outdoor and indoor spaces. Fountains and water features grace the courtyards, providing a refreshing counterpoint to the arid climate. Wrought iron ornamentation is typical. Spanish style houses give an overall impression of oneness with their surroundings.

Spanish style homes continue to be popular with residents of the UK who own holiday homes there. These homes are authentic buildings that reflect the best of Mediterranean architecture, culture and character.

Morris Simpson is an independent real estate property advisor and writer in Spain. His interest in real estate is a passion and his technical expertise stems from both his education and experience. He is a real estate professional with Spanish property shop online - a specialized website for buying and selling villas, apartments, homes and houses in Spain. Spanish property shop online also offers you the finest opportunity in finding the most luxurious and affordable Spanish style houses

Spanish Property Shop Online provides you with the most comprehensive selection of Spanish Property available, which is designed to make the job of finding your property in Spain a much easier and less stressful event. Spanish Property Online Shop also specializes in bringing you the best deals available in Spain. You will find a delightful collection of apartments, villas, country cottages (in fact all types of property) in coastal and rural settings. Feel free to get in touch with us at http://www.spanishpropertyshoponline.com/houses-in-spain

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House Architecture | Bungalow House Styles

Central Austin is filled with pre-war homes commonly referred to as bungalows, and are sought after by many for their charm, coziness and attention to detail.

The word "bungalow" comes from the Indian word "bangla", which used to refer to homes built in a Bengal style. "Bangla" were cottages with low roofs and large porches built around them. The British took the idea from the Indians, and began building their summer homes in a similar fashion, and the bungalow, as we know it, was born- all rooms on one floor, built around a central parlor. Once the first American bungalow was built in Cape Cod in 1879, the home style took off across the country.

During the early 1900s, there was a massive migration to the west, with many people settling in California. The architecture firm of Greene and Greene created the one and a half story bungalow, which became wildly popular, and soon could be purchased through mail order catalogs, such as Sears & Roebuck, and Montgomery Ward. The bungalows that now cover California are referred to as "California Bungalows", though the style is popular across the country, including here in Austin.

Though there are different styles of the bungalow, such as the Arts and Crafts, Prairie Style, and Queen Anne, they all share similar qualities and features. Bungalows were built to battle the elaborate Victorian movement, and to return to warmer, family oriented housing where the craft of the homebuilder was showcased. Since bungalows were created for warm summer housing, they reduce heat with large, overhanging eaves, many windows, and rooms interconnected, without hallways, to create good airflow through the house. If the home has a second level, it's much smaller in surface area than the first floor. Most bungalows also have large porches and stone chimneys leading to grand fireplaces inside.

Many Arts and Crafts bungalows can be found around Austin, with a vast number in the Hyde Park area. The Arts and Crafts movement was launched in the 1880s by a group of English designers, and it celebrated the use of handicrafts, simple forms, and natural materials. Arts and Crafts homes, or Craftsman homes, have low-pitched roofs, wide eaves with triangular brackets, large porches with thick round or square columns. Inside, most Craftsman bungalows have many windows, exposed beam ceilings, and built-in cabinetry and seating.

Other bungalows, such as the 1922 Norwood House on Lady Bird Lake (currently under disrepair) are built in the Prairie style. Prairie Style bungalows got their start in America in the early 1900s, and were developed by a group of architects in Chicago that became known as the Prairie School. Frank Lloyd Wright was the master of the Prairie Style home, characterized by broad, flat chimneys, the center of the home standing taller than the adjacent wings, and often with a Japanese flair.

The Queen Anne bungalow, also found within Hyde Park and elsewhere, is highly decorative and has an asymmetrical layout. These are often found with wraparound porches, and art glass windows, and sometimes one or two dormers popping out of a medium-pitched roof.

Though the architecture varies, the feeling of the bungalow remains the same- family friendly, and packed with hand-crafted style, and Austin is chocked full of them.

Escapeso Realty helps clients interested in Austin real estate. Escapeso runs a Austin real estate blog as well as hosting a search of the Austin homes.

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House Architecture | Organic Architecture and the Pacific Northwest Coast

Modern day architects, be they professional or amateur, practicing in the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest, have frequently turned to the use of native materials.

Can there possibly be any more true organic and native material than the giant softwood trees which abound in the coastal forests. Western Red Cedar, giant Douglas firs, the hemlocks and even the more diminutive pines - all have been used to great effect.

Western red cedar, thuja plicata, has perhaps long been the wood of choice. Going back to the days when the Haida Indians built their incredible long houses from giant logs, one wonders how such magnificent structures were completed using such primitive tools.

Yet built they were, and many of them still stand to this day. A tribute to both their engineering skills and the ability of the wood itself to survive for many decades in the harsh climate in the area.

The majestic cedars are becoming more and more rare with much of the old growth wood being felled today falling far short of the stature of the mighty cedar of a century ago.

Architects of the twenty first century may not have the luxury of using these spectacular timbers from the past, but they have developed what has become known as the West Coast Style.

The proportions have been reduced from the great long houses to that of a modern day home. Almost without exception, these west coast style homes are built overlooking the ocean. It is the job of the architect to make certain that the home takes full advantage of the view, while at the same time blending well into the site.

The very nature of the western red cedar lends itself perfectly to an organically designed house. Here on the west coast, the landscape is bold and rugged. The land rises abruptly from the sea sometimes thousands of feet with hardly a break. It takes a certain type of house to suit this terrain, and there can surely be no more perfect building material than the majestic trees of the Pacific Northwest coast.

If you would like to find out more about organic architecture please feel free to join me right here

Keith Elliott is a retired builder with an extended interest in organic architecture, particularly that of the Pacific Northwest where he lives.

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House Architecture | Arts and Crafts Style Decorating

The terms Arts and Crafts and Mission Style are often used synonymously today. They refer to a style of home design and furnishings emphasizing natural materials, especially wood, and showcasing a pronounced geometry in the design. Their tremendous revival in popularity stems largely from their association with hand-crafted elements (though many knock offs are manufactured by machine), a rarity in this technologically advanced age. The pieces offer an heirloom quality and a patina that deepens with age. Arts and Crafts furnishings and interiors are also typically very durable and classic with a timeless appeal. They suit today's desire to simplify and get back to basics. Arts and Crafts interiors are an ideal marriage of function and aesthetic, spaces are designed to work for those living there. To create your own Arts and Crafts interior, there are several elements to consider, both in materials and design.

The materials of an Arts and Crafts interior, while not limited to nature, emphasize wood, stone, glass (made from sand), ceramic tiles (made from minerals/earth), and textiles (using wool, cotton, or linen fibers, and, of course, leather) Much of the visual pattern comes from the grain of the wood selected. Traditionally oak was used, but currently natural cherry is frequently enjoyed. The oak tends to have golden brown gleam, while the cherry is redder. Both darken naturally with age, this is to be expected.

Flooring, all architectural trim/molding, doors, stair rails and stiles, and exposed structural supports are all typically wood, oak most prevalent. Waxed or oil finishes prevail. Joints are pegged or hand-crafted metal hardware is used. Door knobs, cabinet pulls and the like are again hand-crafted wrought iron or bronze in black, umber, or verdigris. Many are square or rectangular shaped and are hand hammered. For a lighter look, some homeowners today are opting for a soft brushed pewter or nickel finish. Once you have the guidelines, you can bend them to suit. If an alternative to a wood floor is desired, tile or slate would be appropriate substitutes. The tile should be large and laid in a linear pattern, not on the diagonal.

To balance and complement the visual depth of the wood, walls are often treated with a textured paint, or plastered (the old bungalows have original plaster.) A good bet is the river rock finish that Ralph Lauren paint provides. Paint schemes bear an influence from nature with goldenrod yellows, burnt sienna browns, cimarron and Indian reds, sage and moss greens, and a neutral palette of earthy tans, toasts, and beiges. The overall feeling has a harmony, a continuity of all elements working together, none upstaging the other. It is about creating an organic home, one that works within its environment and makes the most of its surroundings both outside and inside.

Fireplaces have wood or stone mantels, with stone, ceramic, or occasionally brick surrounds. The wood is oak with a golden stain, usually waxed or rubbed, not polyurethane. Satin or matte finishes rule. Stone is field stone, stacked dry or with mortar, it presents a terrific textural visual. River rock may be used instead and the round smooth stones provide a counterpoint to the rectilinear geometry otherwise present. Ceramic tiles will typically have a motif from nature, perhaps a leaf or acorn, or have an iridescent finish. Today glass tiles are also used to great advantage. Brick, when employed, is smooth faced and laid in clean horizontal bands. Again, one of the clear features of an Arts and Crafts interior is the linear quality. The feeling that the house is part of a bigger view, part of the horizon, is all an effort to be from and of the earth.

Historically, many of the Arts and Crafts and Mission homes sported art glass windows, or at least many panes. This enabled windows to be left uncovered and still appear decorative. Today, art glass windows can be cost prohibitive except in select areas, so if treatment is desired for either privacy, light, or heat control, simpler is better. This translates to options such as a plain Roman shade, silhouettes, wood blinds, or panels on either tabs or rings, on a decorative rod (wood or wrought iron), with finials. If tiebacks are desired consider sisal tassels, simple and bold, or a band of the same fabric as the drapery. No trim or other decorative element is required. Fabric patterns may herald nature, such as a leaf print, or be based in geometry. There is a wide range on the market today including historical prints by William Morris and designs by Frank Lloyd Wright. The same may also be found in wall coverings, though use them sparingly, as they are often busy and distracting. Arts and Crafts and Mission styles today both represent a desire for a wholesome, hearty lifestyle, a return to yesterday's values.

Furnishings in the Arts and Crafts home are wood, occasionally with a wrought iron or ceramic tile accent. Glass is rarely used. Tables being functional as well as good looking, often have at least a drawer and a shelf for storage. Shapes are squares, rectangles and octagons, though today more rounds are available. Again the geometry created by edges is most apparent. Sofas and chairs are often wood backed with exposed wood arms and cushions that can be readily cleaned or changed out depending on the season. Flexibility and adaptability are prime features. Mission style goes a step further and often offers sofas or chairs with a deep wood shelf surround, acting as the arm and a table (Frank Lloyd Wright design), which gives the illusion of a built-in piece. Leather is frequently used or fabrics in natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or wool. Rich colors and geometric or patterns drawn from nature abound. The most significant interest comes from the combination of elements, again, no one piece dominating. Busy patterns are used sparingly, increasing longevity and flexibility of the furnishings. Resources for furnishings include Stickley, American Impressions by Ethan Allen, and Cotswald Furnishings, a superior resource for hand-crafted furnishings and more in Atlanta.

Lighting in an Arts and Crafts or Mission home is critical, especially with all the dark woods and depth of color schemes popular. While ceiling lights, including recessed can give a good general light, it is far more effective and pleasing to adopt a wealth of luminaries. Torchieres (floor lamps that give uplight, and are best placed in corners) can provide valuable general lighting, while table lamps and floor lamps provide invitation and welcome. Accent lighting can be done with mantel lamps, sconces, and dresser lamps. The two most common types of lamps are the mica and metal designs, the body of the lamp being hammered bronze or copper, the shade a sheet of mica; and the art glass lamps with wood or art glass bases and shades of glass in geometric patterns and a squared coolie shape. Other lighting options include a wealth of reproduction lighting through several lighting sources such as Arroyo Craftsmen, and Yamagiwa (available through designers; they also have an outstanding line of Frank Lloyd Wright designs.)

Accents, accessories, and artwork should be kept to a minimum to allow for a fuller appreciation of the architecture of the home and materials of nature showcased. This is a good chance to provide balance to the predominance of wood with elements in glass, ceramics, and metal. Both bowls and vessels are readily available in all materials mentioned here. Iridescent ware in both ceramics and glass provides an airy complement to the weight and depth of the wood.

© 2005 Melissa Galt

Melissa Galt, Lifestyle Designer, Speaker, & Author, is the owner of Melissa Galt, Inc., a full service interior design firm based in Atlanta. She has been decorating clients’ homes all over the Southeast for more than a decade, making their interior visions come true. She speaks to audiences nationally , on how to use design as the catalyst for “creating the life you’ve always dreamed of”. Melissa is the creator of Design Destinations, a free monthly guide to designing your signature life. To sign up for her FREE monthly newsletter, visit http://www.melissagalt.com/.

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House Architecture | 5 House Styles for Homes Lover

Colonialary House

The characteristics of colonial house follow to Georgian architecture is a square area house, that may have one or two story rectangular shape, roof dormers and eaves-front of symmetrical building with the central door. Straight lines of multi-paned windows with double-hung sash are on the first and second floor. The entry of the house is frequently decorated with classic style such as columns, pediments, pilasters, fanlights, etc. A colonial style house usually has a formally-defined living room, dining room and family room. The bedrooms are typically on the second floor and may have staircase at the center or to either side.

Modern House

The characteristics of Modern House Designs is the house that composed of geometric shapes suit for new technology and young adults, flat roofs and smooth wall surfaces. The windows are set flush with the walls with no decorative trim. The entrance to the house is asymmetrical. Decorate the front of the house with modern style architectures.

Country House

The country houses are usually built in rural areas outside of cities, suitable for people who love natural environment and beautiful view. The characteristic of country house styles are combine several traditional architectural details on their well-proportioned. The house always has gabled roofs higher in pitch than other home styles. Large wrap around porches, cozy facades, gables, lap siding, shuttered windows, and dormer windows. Inside the house, use tall ceilings for ventilate the air.

Thai House

The characteristics of Thai house are different from another style. Thai House use high floor level allowing an average height man to walk under the floor. The reasons of high floor level are safety from wild beasts during night time and used for producing handmade products. The other characteristic of Thai house is a high gabled roof and ample slanting eaves. Forty percent of the total floor area is a large platform area for receive to sunshine and good clean air. The major material of Thai house style is teakwood and decorates with Thai traditional potteries.

Cape Cod House

The Cape Cod house is the most common building type. The characteristic of the house is symmetrical design which front bay central entry, one and a half stories eaves. The roofs are usually low to moderately pitch and the dominant rooflines extend down the front and the back of the home to the first floor. The Cape Cod houses have side gables and a small overhang, a central door, multi-paned, double-hung windows and low ceilings. The floor of the house often uses hardwood.

Navivar Athi is a pharmacist. Any questions of health and medicines, you can consult him at Health-Care His websites include: Computer Games and Home-Garden

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House Architecture | Arts and Crafts Style Furniture

As is true with any popular architectural and decorating style, cheap, poorly made products are everywhere and quickly available. It's very easy to get lulled into a false sense of security when purchasing pieces for your Craftsman Style Home. In our fast paced society we are all about instant gratification and a getting good deal, but are we really getting what we pay for? With Craftsman Style Homes, it's quite an issue. The whole philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement was a backlash against the mass manufactured excessiveness of the Victorian Era, and promoted a return to true craftsmanship. Pioneered by William Morris, this international movement encouraged originality and fine craftsmanship in home furnishings. Set apart by it's simple elegance and superior quality, the original craftsman style home was a precursor of today's continuing trend towards simple, uncluttered interiors.

It seems like we may have come full circle. "Craftsman Style" , "Bungalow Style" and "Mission Furniture" in endless low quality incarnations can be found everywhere - from huge chain stores to catalogs. Where does that leave the Craftsman homeowner? Do you really know how and where that product for your home was created? Is it of good quality? Will it last?

Not everyone can afford a pricey antique Stickley sideboard, Morris chair, or Limbert side table. Even if you could, excellent examples are rare and there is not enough inventory to go around. So what are you to do? There are some fine furniture makers today that reproduce Mission forms that are readily available, but it pays to do your homework. Some of the more popular makers that started out small, have gotten successful to the point of becoming large manufacturers themselves, often at the expense of the very quality they set out to produce in the first place. Don't be fooled. Some of your best sources are the smaller artisan run studios that make pieces in very small quantities, often made to order and in limited editions. These hand crafted furnishings are competitive in price and superior in quality to many of the "name" manufacturers today. Yes, it may take several weeks to receive your item, but how long were you planning on enjoying it? A handful of years, or for generations to come? It's far better to have a few carefully selected, outstanding examples of artisan built furniture, than a houseful of cheap knock offs. Your hard earned dollar should go towards the best quality you can afford.

What does your Arts and Crafts Style Furniture reveal about you? Remember - It's all about quality.

Jan Davidson is an artist and designer currently focusing her talents on creating products for the Arts and Crafts Lifestyle.

Her design and building projects have been featured in several publications including the book Along Bungalow Lines , Creating an Arts and Crafts Home by Paul Duchscherer and Arts and Crafts Homes and the Revival http://www.CraftsmanTouch.com is a wonderful resource dedicated to providing quality Craftsman Style Furnishings and Accessories with beautiful photographs from Davidson's projects for ideas and inspiration. See more about Artisan Built Furniture

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Architecture List | Best Architectural Schools

An architectural career is both, demanding and challenging and involves a creative as well as a technical education. To be a top, professional architect one needs to learn the skills, techniques and computer aided software by attaining an education of the highest quality. Listed below are some of the best architectural school in America today.

Westwood College

Westwood College of Technology is committed to ensuring success in the career that you pursue. The Computer-Aided Design Program (CAD) is one of the best in the country and will help you to acquire the skills needed for a profitable architectural career. One of the top architectural schools, it boasts of rewarding hands-on-experience with training of the recently released AutoCad, combined with interesting lecture sessions and a rich laboratory environment. The programs offered are Associate CAD and Architectural Drafting.

Lincoln Tech

Lincoln Tech's Architectural Drafting Design and CAD Technology program is one of the best in the country where you are taught the essentials needed to function as a draftsperson. It emphasizes on developing specific drafting skills and helps you to build a solid foundation on which to begin your architectural drafting career. The Diploma program focuses on a full range of technologies to prepare you to work as an entry-level drafting technician. With hands-on traditional table techniques along with up-to-date computer aided drafting (CAD) techniques for designing residential and commercial buildings, you will soon not only be designing but will see your dreams to fruition with an education at Lincoln Tech. The programs offered at this top architectural school are...

Associate Degree in Architectural Drafting Design & CAD technology

Diploma Program in Architectural Drafting Design & CAD technology

NewSchool of Architecture & Design

The NewSchool of Architecture & Design located in San Diego, California offers a holistic view of teaching and will make you change the way you view the world. NewSchool known as one of the most innovative and best architectural schools in the country strives to meet the ever evolving dynamics of the architecture profession by providing an instructional program that explores a student's artistic passion and transforms it into professional excellence. NewSchool is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) as well as the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) and grants Bachelors and Masters degrees. The programs offered are

Bachelor of Architecture

Bachelor of Arts in Architecture

Executive Master

Master of Architecture

Master of Science in Architecture

Pennsylvania Institute of Technology

There are two main programs offered at the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology.

Associate - Architectural/Civil Engineering - teaches the students the basics of building design and construction as well as the unique and complex elements that are a part of this field. The courses offered are Architecture Design, Structural Design and Construction Technology with an emphasis on Computer-Aided Design, materials and methods of construction and building codes. While Mathematics, physical and applied sciences, project management, and basic communication skills are fundamental elements in the program, advanced courses present opportunities to solve complex technical problems.

The degree program in Computer-Aided Design Technology (CAD) was developed especially for students planning to start their careers with CAD software. This program provides comprehensive skills and knowledge necessary for the development of accurate computer-aided graphics, design and drafting applications. It also focuses on the use of several CAD applications such as AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop and Microstation coupled with graphic theory and the related fundamentals of technical design.

Cornell University

The architecture department at Cornell is regarded as one of the most prestigious in the world today and offers some excellent programs in undergraduate and masters of architecture. Cornell University has one of the oldest and most respected schools of architecture in the United States. With a tradition of more than 130 years, they not only strive to offer the best architectural education available but also continue to evolve, to meet current and future challenges.

William Brister - http://www.architecturaldesign.tv - All about Architecture

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Architecture List | A Gem of Spanish Colonial Architecture in the Philippines

Hidden away in northern Luzon is Vigan, the oldest surviving city of Spanish architecture in the Philippines. Antique churches, official buildings, and residences, cobbled narrow streets, and horse-drawn calesas (carriages) all take us back to the old colonial era.

In earlier times, before the arrival of the Spanish, Chinese junks used to visit and Vigan was a major trading port.

In 1572 Captain Juan de Salcedo landed at Vigan with a party of Spanish soldiers. He conquered the area and then went on to conquer much of northern Luzon. In 1574 he returned and set about creating a township complete with charming plazas, municipal buildings and luxurious mansions for the ruling elite.

These buildings have survived the passing of the centuries and, unlike much of the Spanish period architecture in Manila, it has not been damaged during the battles of World War II. Vigan is now officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Perhaps the best way to imbibe the ambience of the old quarter of Vigan is to wander the streets, especially Mena Crisologo Street, early in the morning when the diffused light transforms the old colonial buildings and the calesas into a scene reminiscent of the 1600s.

The white-walled St Paul's Cathedral dates only from the nineteenth century but is an example of the famous "earthquake Baroque" style of church architecture, built to withstand the typhoons and earthquakes which are all too frequent in the Philippines. The cathedral's facade features a pair of fu dogs, reflecting Vigan's Chinese heritage.

The Palacio del Arzobispado (Archbishop's Palace) dates from the eighteenth century. Inside is the Museo Nueva Segovia with old portraits, ecclesiastical artefacts and a throneroom, showing the opulent lifestyle enjoyed by the archbishops in the Spanish era.

The Ayala Museum occupies a beautiful old colonial house and was once the residence of Padre José Burgos, one of the nationalist martyrs executed by the Spanish in 1872. The Museum contains Burgos memorabilia, rooms furnished in the period style, and artefacts from the surrounding province.

In Vigan's old quarter there are three other old mansions worthy of a visit: the Crisologo Old House, the Syquia Mansion, and the Quema House. These are furnished in the old style and are full of polished narra wood furniture, paintings and everyday objects. The Quema House also features sliding capiz shell windows.

The Governor's Mansion is now a private residence but its beautiful old external facade in a quiet, shady street is definitely worth the effort to see.

Now that Vigan is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, there is a plan in place to protect the Spanish architectural heritage for future generations of visitors and residents to enjoy.

Violeta Quisora writes for the Fabulous Philippines website. To learn more about Vigan, visit http://www.fabulousphilippines.com/vigan.html .

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Architecture List | Enterprise Architecture

Historically, little thought has been given to creating or maintaining strategic architectures for business enterprises. As the competitive landscape continues to put pressure on organizations to be more efficient, the process of implementing unified Enterprise Architecture will become an essential part of any business. This paper covers the definition of Enterprise Architecture, provides a description of how it should be utilized to tightly couple business processes and goals to information systems, and how to create an architecture that is able to be supported.

Enterprise Architecture:

Enterprise Architecture is a tool that aids businesses by allowing managers to see and think about smaller functions within the whole of the business. A common phrase used to describe an Enterprise Architecture is a set of "living documents" that are short, simple, and easy to understand. Enterprise Architecture is a relationship between processes and goals that allow businesses to organize, assess, and implement changes based on a set of "blueprints." These blueprints vary based on what is needed. For example, a company setting up an Enterprise Architecture could have three, four, or five different sets of blueprints for various reasons, such as one for product assessment, one for consumer reports, and so on. Not only is Enterprise Architecture a set of blueprints, it is the actual work behind those plans. Implementation is required for the architecture to be built and maintained, as all the plans and actions must be integrated so that proper managers can view needed material in its relationship to other factors.

After building upon the blueprints and integrating all the processes and goals, the proper questions may be asked. These questions are what bring about change that may improve and maintain a business.

An Architecture Cycle:

When establishing an Enterprise Architecture, all aspects need to be incorporated into one place. It is this assimilation that allows managers to begin questioning. Often, this process is a cycle with four phases. First, an architect receives input about new strategies, goals, and processes that may not be performing properly. Next, the architect must look at any further implications and connect those to the received input. Third, the architect makes alterations based on the input and wider implications. Lastly, the process starts all over again. Overall, this cycle gives the architect the opportunity to assess all areas of the business, including some that may have been overlooked, and make changes that will best suit the organization.

Organizing Business Processes and Informational Systems:

Once organized, an architect will assess the alignment of business processes to informational systems. Simply put, an architect translates the information that is transferring from process to applications and vice versa. The architect determines if the results are in-line with goals, and so on. Proper organization allows the architect to translate and even determine where translation is needed.

Creating an Enterprise Architecture:

Enterprise Architectures are not developed in a day, and in order to set up an Enterprise Architecture, an organization needs to establish a series of steps.

The specifics of the individual Enterprise Architecture will differ among businesses. However, listed below are six general steps for creating an Enterprise Architecture:

1. Assess Current State & Agree on Deficiency:

To create an Enterprise Architecture, it takes one or more persons to determine the need for such an architecture. The Enterprise Architect, usually the one who suggests the architecture and ultimately builds it, assesses the different variables that demonstrate a need for change.

2. Select a Framework, Platform and Methodology:

The selected framework should fit the individual needs of the business, the goals and desired results of the organization, as well as a course of action that suits both the architect and managers.

3. Select Tools:

Keeping track of the integration of the processes and documentations may require the utilization of various tools. Appropriate tools will store all the information in a repository that will allow managers to access the needed materials.

4. Organize, Organize,
Organize:

Whichever type of organization an architect chooses, it is important to remember that this is the most time-consuming and important step. One suggestion for a type of organization is Business Functional Domains & Sub Domains over a unified architecture. Another method for organization is to build the models of the existing system as they are improved

5. Utilize the Architecture:

Although the architecture may not be complete, the business should begin to use it. It is designed to fit the organization; therefore, the architect should make sure that the managers start to utilize its benefits as soon as possible.

6. Maintain & Build Upon the Architecture:

Once the foundation for the architecture is done, the business should maintain and build upon the architecture, and in order to do so, a methodology should be selected. A methodology will allow managers and workers to function with the same goals in mind, improving results. In addition to maintaining results, the right methodology allows a business to expand the architecture's uses to fit the organization's needs.

Initiating and Supporting an Enterprise Architecture:

When initiating an Enterprise Architecture, one must survey the existing environment, talk to representative users, read existing documentation, and study current systems. It is critical to seek inherent problems the enterprise has in accomplishing the tasks it needs to perform in order to be successful. This is accomplished by boiling down the potentially large amounts data gathered and abstract the findings into the conceptual diagrams. One must aggregate important policies and standards into a cohesive and broadly applicable guidance document. Applying some well-known patterns and a few of the favorite concepts will evolve working documents into drafts and eventually into the proposed architecture. Educated and armed, one is able to lobby superiors, peers, and subordinates to aid in implementing the architecture.

To support an Enterprise Architecture, certain tools are relied upon that will aid in the integration and execution of the architecture. These tools should provide the opportunity to view all diagrams, documentations, and processes. Although analyzing and designing processes are still left to be done, assembling and tracking the various relationships will be managed by using a tool.

About Patrick A. Spencer:

Patrick A. Spencer is a Delivery Manager in the IT Solutions group at ITX Corp. Mr. Spencer plays a key role in the analysis, architecture, design and deployment of major applications for clients in a variety of industries.

About ITX Corp:

ITX Corp is a business consulting and technology solutions firm focused in nine practice areas including Business Performance, Internet Marketing, IT Staffing, IT Solution Strategies and Implementation, Technical Services, Internet Services, and Technology Research. To learn more about what ITX can do for you visit our website at http://www.itx.net or contact us at (800) 600-7785.

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Architecture List | How to Renovate a Listed Building in France and Access to Grants

Many people dream of purchasing a dilapidated chateau, mill or 16th century cottage and lovingly restoring it to its former glory with style and taste. While this idle daydream absolutely has the potential to become a reality, it does require careful planning as there are strict regulations governing the preservation and renovation of properties classed as "monuments historiques". Don't be put off - if you do your homework, that shabby chateau in Charente can be yours!

In France, 'grade-listed' buildings belong to one of two categories: it can be listed as a monument historique (historic monument) or on the more prestigious "inventaire supplementaire des monuments historiques". For properties in both categories, you are required to obtain official approval from the Ministry of Culture before embarking upon any renovation projects, in compliance with article 9 of the law of 31st December 1913. Listed buildings are protected by "le service departemental de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine" (SDAP for short) - this roughly translates as the "departmental office for Architecture and Heritage". The SDAP is an inter-departmental government service with links to the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Culture and Communication. It has a number of roles, dealing with architecture, cultural heritage, landscapes and urban development, and, broadly speaking, exists to ensure the preservation and protection of buildings of architectural and cultural interest. The SDAP aims to promote well-integrated, environmentally sound architecture and urban planning, providing an advisory service to town planners in the development of urban projects, overseeing the application of legislation regarding listed buildings and protected areas, and give an architectural opinion regarding requests for planning permission.

Once you have successfully purchased your listed building and drafted plans for your refurbishment work, you will need to go about obtaining a permit. The process is notoriously lengthy - between one and four months - so be prepared for a long wait between submitting your proposal, receiving an answer and beginning work on your new home. It is useful to know that you may well also be able to benefit from one of a number of grants available. The sum that you will be granted depends on the category into which your building falls; for example, for buildings listed as "monuments historiques", while there is in theory no limit to the amount that you can request, around 35% of the cost of the renovation work will generally be covered by the state. It certain cases, however, this figure can be as high as 50% - for example, for an owner with limited income. For buildings included on the "inventaire supplementaire des monuments historiques", you can you will be granted on average around 15% of the total cost of the renovation. As with buildings classed as monuments historiques, in certain cases this figure can rise to around 30%. The maximum sum that can be awarded is 40% of renovation costs. In both cases, the owner must fund at least 20% of works - in other words, the grant must not be higher than 80% of the total cost. Normally, you will receive the money as the works progress - you will be reimbursed upon submission of invoices that you have paid. In order to access these grants, you should contact the Direction regionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC).

In conclusion, buying and renovating a historic building in France is possible no matter what your budget - it just requires careful thought and planning.

Sextant French property is a network of more than 100 estate agents in France offering a selection of 6000 French property for sale.

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Architecture List | Toronto's Architectural Festival

You may have figured out by now that I am bit of an architecture buff. Well, the great thing is, since 2000 Toronto has its very own free-access architecture weekend where you can get access to more than 140 interesting buildings, many of which are usually closed to the public.

It's a great event and it's grown every year, both in attendance and buildings to visit. This year Doors Open will be held on May 28 and 29, 2005. Locals and visitors alike enjoy getting first-hand access to some of Toronto's unique architectural gems. Here is an interview with Kristen Juschkewitsch, (Acting) Supervisor, Museums and Heritage Services, for the City of Toronto's Culture Department.

1. Please give us a brief overview of the annual "Doors Open Toronto" event. When is it held, what type of event is it?

One weekend, once a year in May, over 100 Toronto buildings open their doors for free inviting residents and tourists to step inside. The 2-day event, taking place Saturday and Sunday, May 28 & 29, celebrates Toronto's architecture, urban design, cultural spaces and places. Visitors can explore places of worship, roof gardens, industrial sites, police stations, historic houses, campuses, transportation hugs, architects' offices, theatres, contemporary structures, urban landmarks and more.

This year, 148 extraordinary buildings are taking part and many of the participating buildings are not normally open to the public. Most venues organize guided tours, special exhibits or activities to enrich the experience. Doors Open Toronto is designed to appeal to an audience with different interests, cultural backgrounds and ages. The event is a success because not only does it allow Torontonians the opportunity to express extraordinary enthusiasm for their city, but also it taps into people's interest in architecture, history and allows them to be part of their community.

Visit http://www.doorsopen.org for complete details.

2. Please tell us a bit about the history of "Doors Open". Who came up with the idea, how did it come about?

Karen Black, Manager of Museums and Heritage Services, City of Toronto Culture Division and Jane French, Project Manager, Doors Open Toronto, brought Doors Open to Toronto. Developed as a millennium project for May 2000 and modeled on Doors Open Days in Scotland, Doors Open Toronto was the first of its kind in North America.

Doors Open Toronto is a signature event of the City of Toronto Culture Division, which is committed to the development and promotion of arts and culture in the city. The event relies on the support of its sponsors, partners and volunteers in the community. Without this level of support Doors Open Toronto wouldn't be the success it is today.

3. How has the event evolved since the beginning? And how big is the attendance? Please give us some of the facts and figures.

In its first year, Doors Open Toronto attracted over 70,000 visitors to 96 buildings. Over the past five years, there has been a steady climb in attendance due to the event's growing popularity. In 2004 over 185,000 visits were logged at 155 of the Doors Open Toronto participating locations. These figures clearly show that the Doors Open weekend has struck a chord with Torontonians and visitors alike.

The success of Doors Open Toronto can be measured in a variety of ways. As I mentioned, the number of participating buildings has grown from 96 in the first year to 155 last May. Also, architects, developers, leaders in education, business, cultural, recreational and faith communities from around the city now approach us wanting to participate.

Doors Open Toronto has inspired programs throughout Ontario with the launch of Doors Open Ontario by the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 2002. The Heritage Canada Foundation has encouraged communities across Canada, including St. John's and Calgary, in developing their own Doors Open programs.

In October 2003 Open House New York was launched with generous acknowledgement from organizers of the influential role played by Doors Open Toronto. The First Annual Doors Open Denver was also a huge success this past April.

4. What type of buildings does it include and how many? Are these buildings accessible at other times of year?

The program allows visitors free access to architecturally and/or culturally significant properties that are either not usually open to the public, or would normally charge an entrance fee. Buildings are selected based on a number of criteria developed by the City's Culture Division including buildings of architectural and/or historic significance, not normally open to the public; sites that are open to the public to some degree i.e. theatres, places of worship, museums, etc. are required to provide behind-the-scenes access and/or enhanced interpretive programming; significant interior spaces with original design and/or successful adaptive re-use features and buildings representing the cultural diversity of Toronto

The roster of buildings reflects Toronto's built heritage and cultural diversity, ranging from War of 1812-era structures to a modern mosque and environmentally progressive 'green' buildings. We have 148 buildings across the city opening their doors this year. For a complete list of buildings visit the official Doors Open Toronto website at http://www.doorsopen.org

5. You have added quite a few new buildings for 2005. Please tell us some of the highlights.

New buildings are introduced each year, which keeps the interest high among residents and tourists alike. This year, Doors Open Toronto welcomes 26 new buildings including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind's recently opened state-of-the-art facility, Toronto's newest police station, 51 Division, the Hare Krishna Temple, Upper Canada College, the exquisite Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir (near 427 and Finch) and the Bay at Queen, featuring a special exhibit and architectural tours.

6. Doors Open has teamed up with Metamorphosis - Toronto's Festival of Transformation and the Arts. Please give us more information about that.

Doors Open Toronto is pleased to partner with Metamorphosis - Toronto's Festival of Transformation and the Arts. This year, during the Doors Open Toronto weekend, a number of Doors Open Toronto venues will be animated with music, theatre, art and dance inspired by the theme of transformation. Also, giant stilt-walking puppets representing five major Toronto cultural institutions act as the chorus in The Space Between, a new work by Toronto's Clay & Paper Theatre, which will be performed on Nathan Phillips Square. This production, featuring live music, invites the audience to contemplate the role of art, our values and the myths that shape us. For a complete list of Metamorphosis performances go to http://www.doorsopen.org/about/news.htm

7. You also have a special highlight on buildings that have been transformed. What types of transformations are we talking about?

This year, Doors Open Toronto puts a special spotlight on buildings that have been structurally and, in some cases, spiritually transformed to celebrate its partnership with Metamorphosis - Toronto's Festival of Transformation and the Arts. I've listed a few of the many buildings on this year's roster that have undergone transformations below. To find out more about these buildings, visit the "Buildings to Visit" section of the Doors Open Toronto web site: http://www.doorsopen.org

51 Division (former gasworks from 1899)

Beaty & Armstrong Row House (Toronto's Old Town First Mennonite Mission)
Canadian Opera Company (originally Consumers' Gas Company's Purifying House No. 2, Standard Woollen Mills and Dalton's, a manufacturer of foods and household goods)

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre (originally the summer home for the Charles C. Cummings family)

Courthouse Market Grille (former York County Courthouse; later Arts & Letters Club)

Design Exchange (former Toronto Stock Exchange building)

Market Gallery (originally Council Chamber of Toronto's 1845 City Hall)

Moriyama & Teshima (originally 1923 service station; later brewery outlet and drapery showroom)

Parc Downsview Parc (former aircraft manufacturing buildings)

Riwoche Tibetan Buddhist Temple (former Heintzman Piano Company)

Steam Whistle Brewing, The Roundhouse (former Roundhouse for Toronto's railways)

Tarragon Theatre (former cribbage board factory)

The Great Hall (originally West End YMCA)

8. What other forums and events are part of Doors Open?

There are two free public events leading up to the Doors Open Toronto weekend. The public is invited to join us for Waiting for Toronto: What Makes for a Clean and Beautiful City? a free public forum at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts on Wed. May 25 at 7:30 p.m. and at the Royal Ontario Museum for the Doors Open Toronto Launch on Friday, May 27 at 6 p.m. For complete details visit our website.

9. What is the cost of attending Doors Open Toronto?

Doors Open Toronto is a FREE event. There is no fee to participate.

10. Do I need to pre-book or obtain tickets?

No pre-registration or tickets are required. Please note: building hours vary but most buildings are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on one or both days. It's important to confirm times for each site when planning your route.

11. How do I obtain a program guide?

The Doors Open Toronto official Program Guide will be included in the Toronto Star's "What's On" section on Thursday, May 19. After May 24, the program guides will also be available (in limited quantities) at all participating Doors Open Toronto venues, Toronto Public Library branches, Toronto City Hall and the civic centres, lead-up events and at the Doors Open Toronto Weekend Information Centre in the CBC Broadcasting Centre.

12. You also offer family-friendly programs. Please tell us more about that.

Some locations that are participating in Doors Open Toronto offer engaging family-friendly programs for kids. For example the Canadian Opera Company has organized a couple of performances throughout the weekend - On Saturday, May 28, the Zellers Ensemble Studio School Tour presents Hansel and Gretel at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. On Sunday, May 29, the Zellers Ensemble Studio School Tour presents The Brothers Grimm at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Performances are free, with tickets available one hour in advance of each performance. Kids can also visit the special children's area with dress up, face painting and more. The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art is featuring hands-on clay programs for kids of all ages and The Bay at Queen is offering family-sketching activities.

Thanks, Kristen. I know where I'll be heading the weekend of May 28 and 29...

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

"Life is a Journey ­ Explore New Horizons".

The interview with photos is published at Travel and Transitions - Interviews

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Architecture List | Your Architecture Questions Answered

Have you ever looked at a building and thought it was a miracle that something so intricate could ever be designed by man? Architecture plays a vital role in everything we see, touch or feel. Our homes are designed with protection and comfort in mind. The eye is pleased by the soaring arches and beautiful designs using stone, wood, metal or glass.

It is both an art and a science that has taken mankind through the centuries. From the first crudely constructed structures to the dizzying heights of skyscrapers, humanity has been shaped and nurtured with it. In this article we will discuss the history of architecture and some of the basic questions you may have regarding this great blend of art, form, science and function.

What are the different types of architecture?

There are many types of architects. But to be more specific, the architects specialize in different areas. All usually have the same background of a Bachelor's degree but some chose not to design buildings. A landscape architect specializes in shaping nature.

The "green" architect designs homes and buildings to conserve energy and help protect the Earth's resources. Some architects work only on historic preservation. There are many areas in which an architect can focus his or her talents.

What are some of the most famous examples of great architecture?

Just to keep the list brief but duly notable, we will list only the major examples of architecture through the ages. The Neolithic period gave us the dwellings at Skara Brae. The Ancient period gave us the pyramids in Egypt, the Temple of Hera in Greece and the Indian Hindu temples of Somanathapura.

You also can not forget the Cistine Chapel, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. If you are a fan of Modern architecture then you probably are familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Waters in Pennsylvania.

What are some of the top schools for architecture?

Depending on the style of architecture you wish to pursue, there are many great colleges and universities in the United States that can offer fabulous opportunities to learn it. The top five for a Bachelor's degree in it are: Cornell University, Rice University, Syracuse University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Rhode Island School of Design. Keep in mind that rankings do not mean that your chosen school does not have a fine program. These are just a few of the colleges on the list.

How long will my degree take?

No one can give you an exact time that you will complete your degree within. If you continue through school until you have achieved a Master's degree and finished your internship, you are looking at around six to eight years. It can be more or less depending on your class load and how easy you pass the classes and tests to acquire your license.

What do I need to know in order to design my own home?

All home designs start with a vision about how you want your house to look. After you have decided what look you are trying to obtain, you need to start thinking about having someone who knows structural codes come in and help you. There are many house designing programs that can help you design your own home. You can always talk with a builder and take a look at his or her plans and modify them.

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Intention Architecture - An Architecture With No Boundary - A Future For the Internet

Back in 1996 I 'discovered' a software architecture which I called Intention Architecture. Back then it was just another way to develop software that would make it manageable to write complex software. However my inspiration of coming up with Intention Architecture was bound to the very fundamental behavioural nature of human being and to the nature of human mind.

You see each one of us gets motivated into doing different things in daily life, in our social and professional life. Our motives generate our requirements e.g. my motive can be to be the best fresh food supplier. This simple motive can generate several requirements for me e.g. to make it easy for farmers to bring items to me, to manage inventory, to manage presentation etc. While in real life these requirements are met, we are not conscious how the outcome of one requirement influences the outcome of another. But none the less it is always the case

In software sphere of course the requirements are tangled and one influences another e.g. The way list of farmer names displayed in the company administration will influence how I locate the supplier of some specific food item etc... Depending on the situation and responsibility of the developers this can open a can of issues like memory constrain, responsiveness', user friendliness etc. Each such issue will turn around some distinct resources /data items like 'list of farmer names', 'list of foods for each farmer',.' memory size' etc.

Intention architecture would allow dealing with each of the issues in terms of original requirement e.g. requirement to 'display the list of names of the farmers ' is slow ' which would allow to locate the actual instruction that the requirement generates for example the allocation of memory. Without intention architecture such findings will be part of debugging the program code- what intention architecture allows is to break each requirement into a single sequence of small chunks of code in terms of use cases for the software. This way two different requirements may have two different series of chunks - where some chunks may be common. At the time of development also the developer can actually refer to the requirement as a reference point. The ability to refer to the requirement within the code also goes with events like clicking the button -so even the user actions are bound with requirement. I donor quite understand why this simple concept has not been widely accepted in the software industry.

A major drive towards Intention Architecture is the notion which is not new in software called "separation of concern" along with use case dialog reuse. However Intention Architecture has given away a number of concepts and values which are valid in the wider context of reality. I list those characteristics of Intention Architecture below and you can make the judgement whether the constructs opens up new view of reality for you.

The dictionary meaning of the word architecture is a master plan.

In software architecture, the architecture is the plan of progressing from motives to requirement to actions. Intention Architecture accomplishes this faithfully by bringing following constructs.

1 containment: a collection of terms with values Containment also provides action = intention + data. What it means containment will have certain terms having data values and intentions like e.g. find the maximum of value. The action is actual invocation of intention or function on those data values- which is function invocation within certain scope.

2. Intention Flow: a sequence of containments -

3. Value Transfer: in software are the computational flow or transfer values of variables

4. Flow Resolution: A flow in the software sense produces a desired result in the last containment of its sequence.

5. Background -flow of computation -through containments result in background to visit next containment.

The fundamental departure of Intention Architecture from the mainstream computing is reliance on the user requirement as the main spin for computation. In a typical graphical interface situation this will mean the events will tie up the requirement and use cases to containments which would represent 'listeners' in the traditional sense.

The above 5 characteristics are the building blocks of Intention Architecture.

The above five also represent something fundamental that people do - whether in business or in games -in daily life.

So if we try to map the above 5 precepts of intention architecture to reality outside software we shall come up with the following:

1. Containment is equivalent to human ability /nature of focussing to a limited few things at a time, isolating them from the rest.

2. Intention flow is equivalent to man's perception of things in flow and ability to summarise and perceive a series of containments as a whole...

3. Value transfer is the transfer of meaning of terms from one instance of containment to another.

4. Flow resolution corresponds to human way of arriving at a conclusion by sequential step through a series of containments

5. The background corresponds to the human ability to build background knowledge by learning meaning of terms in containments the being experiences.

The above sort of correspondence maps the software architecture to human basic instincts and gives a starting point of modelling human behaviour through Intention Architecture.

Designers of future internet can take some hints from this correspondence and can get some directions for future development.

If we assume every internet page is a focus i.e. containment with a collection of intentions and terms, the links between pages can act as intentions and search engines will be smarter by knowing the flow of those pages as defined in content and by mapping the intentions of those pages to the intentions of the user. Search engine can virtually act as a match maker of motives and intentions from people in different parts of the world [between author and reader of a page] and can navigate through pages which are pre-linked with intention flows that match the intentions of the user.

This will also mean search result by two people with two backgrounds will be different if their motives and intentions are different e.g. a business man and a student looking for a good place to eat will get different results because their motives and intentions and liking are different.

So far what has stopped the existing Internet technology to become smarter in the above sense is that total absence of the user's requirement and background in the computational model. In a future article I shall go deeper into this aspect and why intentions can be a good resource in the world of computation where reuse and separation of concerns are two very important pillars of software industry and its advancement.

On the other hand the new findings in noetic science reveal startling facts which will compel us not to ignore human intentions because after all they are the drivers of our actions. You can read all about the new findings from http://www.noetic.org.

Pronab Pal has been a software architect and developer working through his own company Visual Analytics for the last 23 years. Nowa days he specialises in Web Infrastructure set up and web developments and web security. Intention Architecture had been Pronobs pet project back in the mid to late ninetees. Pronab lives in Canberra with one son a daughter and his wife. Pronab holds two masters degrees one in Applied Mathematics and another in Computer science.
Pronob also devote his spare time in helping people develop their own motives and intentions into fruitful actions through http://lifeff.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pronab_Pal

Back in 1996 I 'discovered' a software architecture which I called Intention Architecture. Back then it was just another way to develop software that would make it manageable to write complex software. However my inspiration of coming up with Intention Architecture was bound to the very fundamental behavioural nature of human being and to the nature of human mind.

You see each one of us gets motivated into doing different things in daily life, in our social and professional life. Our motives generate our requirements e.g. my motive can be to be the best fresh food supplier. This simple motive can generate several requirements for me e.g. to make it easy for farmers to bring items to me, to manage inventory, to manage presentation etc. While in real life these requirements are met, we are not conscious how the outcome of one requirement influences the outcome of another. But none the less it is always the case

In software sphere of course the requirements are tangled and one influences another e.g. The way list of farmer names displayed in the company administration will influence how I locate the supplier of some specific food item etc... Depending on the situation and responsibility of the developers this can open a can of issues like memory constrain, responsiveness', user friendliness etc. Each such issue will turn around some distinct resources /data items like 'list of farmer names', 'list of foods for each farmer',.' memory size' etc.

Intention architecture would allow dealing with each of the issues in terms of original requirement e.g. requirement to 'display the list of names of the farmers ' is slow ' which would allow to locate the actual instruction that the requirement generates for example the allocation of memory. Without intention architecture such findings will be part of debugging the program code- what intention architecture allows is to break each requirement into a single sequence of small chunks of code in terms of use cases for the software. This way two different requirements may have two different series of chunks - where some chunks may be common. At the time of development also the developer can actually refer to the requirement as a reference point. The ability to refer to the requirement within the code also goes with events like clicking the button -so even the user actions are bound with requirement. I donor quite understand why this simple concept has not been widely accepted in the software industry.

A major drive towards Intention Architecture is the notion which is not new in software called "separation of concern" along with use case dialog reuse. However Intention Architecture has given away a number of concepts and values which are valid in the wider context of reality. I list those characteristics of Intention Architecture below and you can make the judgement whether the constructs opens up new view of reality for you.

The dictionary meaning of the word architecture is a master plan.

In software architecture, the architecture is the plan of progressing from motives to requirement to actions. Intention Architecture accomplishes this faithfully by bringing following constructs.

1 containment: a collection of terms with values Containment also provides action = intention + data. What it means containment will have certain terms having data values and intentions like e.g. find the maximum of value. The action is actual invocation of intention or function on those data values- which is function invocation within certain scope.

2. Intention Flow: a sequence of containments -

3. Value Transfer: in software are the computational flow or transfer values of variables

4. Flow Resolution: A flow in the software sense produces a desired result in the last containment of its sequence.

5. Background -flow of computation -through containments result in background to visit next containment.

The fundamental departure of Intention Architecture from the mainstream computing is reliance on the user requirement as the main spin for computation. In a typical graphical interface situation this will mean the events will tie up the requirement and use cases to containments which would represent 'listeners' in the traditional sense.

The above 5 characteristics are the building blocks of Intention Architecture.

The above five also represent something fundamental that people do - whether in business or in games -in daily life.

So if we try to map the above 5 precepts of intention architecture to reality outside software we shall come up with the following:

1. Containment is equivalent to human ability /nature of focussing to a limited few things at a time, isolating them from the rest.

2. Intention flow is equivalent to man's perception of things in flow and ability to summarise and perceive a series of containments as a whole...

3. Value transfer is the transfer of meaning of terms from one instance of containment to another.

4. Flow resolution corresponds to human way of arriving at a conclusion by sequential step through a series of containments

5. The background corresponds to the human ability to build background knowledge by learning meaning of terms in containments the being experiences.

The above sort of correspondence maps the software architecture to human basic instincts and gives a starting point of modelling human behaviour through Intention Architecture.

Designers of future internet can take some hints from this correspondence and can get some directions for future development.

If we assume every internet page is a focus i.e. containment with a collection of intentions and terms, the links between pages can act as intentions and search engines will be smarter by knowing the flow of those pages as defined in content and by mapping the intentions of those pages to the intentions of the user. Search engine can virtually act as a match maker of motives and intentions from people in different parts of the world [between author and reader of a page] and can navigate through pages which are pre-linked with intention flows that match the intentions of the user.

This will also mean search result by two people with two backgrounds will be different if their motives and intentions are different e.g. a business man and a student looking for a good place to eat will get different results because their motives and intentions and liking are different.

So far what has stopped the existing Internet technology to become smarter in the above sense is that total absence of the user's requirement and background in the computational model. In a future article I shall go deeper into this aspect and why intentions can be a good resource in the world of computation where reuse and separation of concerns are two very important pillars of software industry and its advancement.

On the other hand the new findings in noetic science reveal startling facts which will compel us not to ignore human intentions because after all they are the drivers of our actions. You can read all about the new findings from http://www.noetic.org.

Pronab Pal has been a software architect and developer working through his own company Visual Analytics for the last 23 years. Nowa days he specialises in Web Infrastructure set up and web developments and web security. Intention Architecture had been Pronobs pet project back in the mid to late ninetees. Pronab lives in Canberra with one son a daughter and his wife. Pronab holds two masters degrees one in Applied Mathematics and another in Computer science.
Pronob also devote his spare time in helping people develop their own motives and intentions into fruitful actions through http://lifeff.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pronab_Pal