Final Conclusion

a. I learned that I can get distracted very easily and I can only focus on one thing at a time. Throughout the year I knew I had to turn in my work and attend class on monday's, but I was so focused on sports, and other school work. Whenever, I tried doing WISE homework I was easily distracted by my brother or going to my friends house. However, those are no acceptable excuses if I want to move forward. I think I learned from my mistakes and towards the end of the year I was able to focus on many things and working on them at the same time so I can be more productive and efficient at getting my work done.
b. Well I did not know what I was going to anticipate emotionally towards the end of the year, I mean I knew that school was going to end sometime, so I think i was prepared. With the WISE project I thought I was going to do more journal writing, but i did less and I had a plan figured out, so I can pace myself to completing certain aspects of the projects. This plan did not go according to plan and I looked at plan B, which was doing everything on the run, Furthermore, I thought being in WISE as an independent english class; where students have more responsibility I would push myself to the best of my ability, but I ended up relaxing.
c. Well the only thing that can help me manage my time is if i get a watch and one of those booklets with a calendar, but then I would have to remember looking at the clock and writing in the booklet. I think time management is a general excuse for I wish I could have done better, but I did not. So the time management may just be a genetic trait because I had awful time management I did not keep track of my journal entries nor did I remember my journal entries.
d. I do not regret any of  my decisions during my school year and I learned life values such as being happy and respecting diversity, I do wonder if I learned that from my english teacher Mr. Creagan or WISE class but maybe it is the samething. I learned that their are those that are not as fortunate as me and their is always opportunity for good to be done in this world.

Katherine's presentation

I was not able to go to Katherine's presentation because I had physical therapy. so I can not answer the questions.

Cutting Out the Pieces

Probably the most challenging part was drawing the pieces and measuring them on the white foam board. I had to ask help from my dad to help me with the cutting because I cut my finer using the x-acto knife. He was a lot better than I at. We were able to cut everything in an hour. I hope the edges are straight enough that everything will hold.

Sketching

I do not have an office like an architect, but like all great minds that went to become successful; I started  working in the basement. As you can see in the pictures below there are some of my sketches and my working area.
In the first image their is a very basic design of my building and below it are numbers. Those numbers represent measurements that I had to calculate to determine the size of my model. I did not use some actual ratio from the actual size, but simply challenged myself to try design the model with my material constraint. I only had a certain amount of material so I measured the total amount of materials  I had, which was roughly 5000 square inches and the size of my base board was 24" X 18".
The second and third image show the tools i used, my air hockey desk. Some basic tools architects use are triangular rulers, which have different measuring increments to sketch a model from it's actual size. A ruler with a 90 degree placement to draw a straight line. Then a razor, pencil, and eraser.

Material

I bought my material for the CornellStore because they have a whole section for architect students to buy their material and tools from. It was really convenient that cornell had the material their because I got to physically look at the material. If it had not been for the CornellStore I would have had to order material online and that would have been difficult because I would have encountered with problems such as shipping, cost, and proper material.
List:
3 white boards 3'x4'x1/4"
1 wooden board 2'x2'x1/8"
1 green paper 2'x2'x1/16"
1 white board 3'x4'x1/8"

Tools
Hot Glue Gun
Razor Cutter
Glue Sticks
Ruler

The total cost came to about $60

Resources

As I come to the end of the year, I have to wrap things up and discuss my wise project. I mostly got my training from the autodesk website (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/linkedsumindex?siteID=123112&id=2387188&linkID=9243097), It is a great source for anyone interested. Students are able to download free products. Most of my help came from the discussion groups because I was able to ask questions when I was stuck and one of the experts or other user's were able to help me. Another great site was youtube a lot of people got to post video's on how to use Revit Architecture. Their were a lot of examples and models that gave me ideas to produce my structure. The only problem using autodesk was that it only work on PC computers and I am more of a Mac user. On the PC I was unable to take videos of my work because I would have had to buy a program and I was not willing to spend money on it. While on Mac their was already a program installed to take videos of your screen. So that would have been a really nice addition to my blog because that way people would have a better understanding of what I was doing.

Biomimicry

Humans have been viewd by some as the enemy of nature. Well what if their was a way to mimic nature and produce the same results as nature. Well biomimetics is not a new idea. Humans have been looking at nature for answers to both complex and simple problems since our existence. Nature has solved many of today's engineering problems such as hydrophobicity, wind resistance, self-assembly, and harnessing solar energy through the evolutionary mechanics of selective advantages. Take a building for example, what if their was a way to mimic a tree, a living habitat for organisms.

 The result is a structure that is not just kind to nature; it actually imitates nature by making oxygen, distilling water and producing energy. In  effect, a building that is like a tree, standing in a city that is like a forest. From solar panels that produce power to tree-filled terraces that recycle water, the building will work, quite literally, from the inside out. The structure, envelope, and mechanical systems of the building merge into super-thin, smart skins that automatically adjust to the sun and wind like a living, breathing organism. This tower shows the way urban centers can get closer to nature—and in the process keep neighborhoods and cities vibrant and  healthy.

The house uses sunlight to generate energy, cleans water, sequesters carbon, provides natural habitats, and produces oxygen and food. In order to accomplish this, several nanotechnologies are incorporated into the design. While these technologies are conceptual, some are already in early development today. As with a tree, the house accrues positive environmental benefits over time. When the useful life of the house is over, its materials are designed to be easily disassembled to return as safe nutrients for human industry or the biosphere in Cradle to Cradle cycles.

Happiness Revised

This is the response to the "Happiness Revised" article we read in class

1. I feel happy when I am challenging myself and taking the oppurtunity to volunteer and help others. Challenging myself is important because if I do not, I never know what I am capable of doing. And if I do not know what I am capable of then I do not know what to expect from myself. Thus, it is important to challenge youself to extend your boundries because that gives you joy for trying and learning about yourself. I may be most happy after volunteering, even though the work may be hard or boring, at the end I know that I have doing something for more than myself and that makes me happy. Also getting out of my comfort zone and experiencing new boundaries gives me joy because I enjoy trying new things.
2. I thought the article was accurate to the feeling of happiness and how to get to that certain point of happiness. It mentioned that we do not have to be rich, beautiful, and smart to be happy. I think that is true because we see from social media and magazines that the most happy people are the ones with the best characteristics and looks. But, what are the best characteristics? How do we determine that someone looks good? We all have different percepetions on what looks good. The only thing that matters is how individuals view themeselves and what they believe looks good. And if that individual believes they are happy then we should not be telling them to change or how to be happy by looking at another person/celebrity.
3. I feel confident in myself to an extent. Meaning I know what I am and not good at, but that does not mean I am not going to improve on what I believe I am not good at. I do know that I am comfortable with what I want to do in my life and I am confotable with trying new things or improving my abilities because no one is perfect.
4.Throughout, my project I have always felt happy because I get to learn new things and be more dependent on myself to complete my work. I get to interact with people I would not have meant if it was not for this project. I also learned that I get to experince new abilities that I did not have such as drawing and communication. Thus, I feel happy doing this project because I learned that I could get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to do what I want.
5. You can achieve "flow" by challenging yourslef to new limits and developing new skills, while also improving the quality of life around you. That is my perception of being happy, but who am I to tell you how to be happy their are many paths to do that and everyone has their own.

Green Roof

Imagine going onto google earth and viewing the natural landscape of the earth, where their would not be any black, grey spots, but the natural aesthetic beauty of greenery. Well what if I can tell you it is possible if we made our homes and buildings with flowers and gardens instead of tar, asphalt or gravel. The social benefits of green roofs are improved livability, physical and mental health from exposure to nature, and increased sense of pride and place. Then their are the aesthetic benefits which are, that green roofs are better looking than asphalt, tar, and gravel, natural views create more productive, healthy, happy, creative, relaxed people, and green roofs expand the usefulness of buildings via patios, gardens and vistas. Most importantly green roofs benefit the environment. 
Urban Heat Island MitigationThe temperature differential causes air currents and dust, and even contributes to violent weather events within urban settings. Green roof vegetation helps by cooling the air, slowing air movement and acting as a substrate for pollution to settle out and detoxify.
Noise ReductionPlants, soil, and air trapped in the soil are great acoustic insulators.  Tests indicate that green roofs can reduce indoor sound by as much as 40 decibels, which is of great benefit to occupants of buildings affected by airports, industry, trains and traffic.
Fire PreventionSucculent green roof plants help reduce the risk of fire.
Water Conservation/Reduction of Storm Water RunoffThe soil in green roof systems acts like a sponge and absorbs excess rain water.  Research has shown that extensive green roof systems can reduce runoff by up to 90+% annually.
Green roofs reduce the impact of each new building on the municipal storm drainage system and surrounding watershed. They reduce flooding, erosion and artificial heating of water which helps preserve fisheries and other aquatic life. When combined with an effective rain garden, green roofs can make it possible to have zero discharge of rainwater from the site, therefore saving money by not having to connect to the storm sewer system.
Green roofs filter water prior to returning it to the aquifer. They buffer acid rain and remove nitrate pollution as water slowly percolates through the soil. What runoff remains will usually occur hours after peak flows, providing additional time for sewer systems to handle the runoff burden from impervious surfaces. 
Habitat RecreationPlants and soil help recreate habitat for butterflies, insects, and songbirds.

 

These photos are examples of green roof technology being put into practice. As I stated before I am not concerned about the function of green roofs, but the design and concept. My building will have a green roof and similar designs like these.

Solar Water Heating

As a stated before and will most likely mention again in my future blog post's my structure has to be powered by the most sustainable and clean energy possible, that will do no harm to the environment in releasing green house gases. So I did some research in solar water heating which is really interesting and I found out that their needs to be a storage tank for the water, a solar collector, and a wire that would generate heat to the storage tank. The storage tank should be black because that will absorb the most heat. Then the system should be located on the roof's or places in high altitude so one can get the highest solar efficiency. I'm too concerned with the functionality of the solar water heater because my project is designing a structural model. Even in reality architect focus on the design of buildings and then it is the engineers job to determine how everything will function properly according to the architects design.

The nice think about solar water heating is that their in no pumping is required as the hot water naturally rises into the tank through thermosiphon flow. In a pump circulated system the storage tank is ground or floor mounted and is below the level of the collectors; a circulating pump moves water or heat transfer fluid between the tank and the collectors. Also if the storage is insulated properly that means that water will remain warm for a longer period of time. 

Passive Solar

A major concept I thought about when designing my building was energy efficiency. A renewable energy I took advantage of is solar. However, this solar energy does not require the use of any mechanical or electrical devices. In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. So in the winter when the sun is low one would want their windows directly facing the sun for heat to be transferred. In the summer when the sun is higher up in altitude one would want to block the sunlight entering through the windows to avoid heating.

This diagram shows the different angle of the sun during the seasons due to earth's rotational axis.

How did I apply this to my building you ask?  Well I made my walls thicker to apply more insulation so  in the summer time the cold air is being condensed to stay cool and blocked from leaving the building. In the winter time the extra thickness gives more protection from the cold air transferring into the building and hot air from coming out. Then on every floor I was able to make a roof above the window so the passive solar concept can be applied. 

Seven Observations on Learning

WISE
Seven Observation on Learning

    1. “No product of the human mind can be legitimately damned, praised, or discarded until it has been allowed a preliminary hearing. There is neither safety nor salvation in ignorance.” This exemplifies that there are going to be different type of people in college with different beliefs. It is your choice on how you want to view the beliefs, but the most important lesson is to listen to their ideas first and learn from. This shows a valuable characteristics in humans is to respect each other and forget about their differences because the most important thing is to learn from one another. Also important in college on how one interacts with people due to diversity.

    2. “The procedures by which one gains knowledge are often unavoidably difficult, frustrating, and tedious... If it were, the world would be full of learned people.” I agree with this statement because learning is a very difficult process and if it was easy one would not have to teach because the world would be full of intelligent people. However, that is not the case, even though a teacher may make it easier, but it is up to the individual to decide what they do with their knowledge. That is why one must find different ways to learn to fit one's satisfaction of getting a complete result.

    3. “What you hear in the classroom can and should provide you with the foundation of knowledge, but the edifice you erect upon those stones is your own responsibility, and that edifice should tower far above its foundations.” The educators will provide you with the knowledge to proceed onto the next step, but it is up to the individual to decide what they do with that knowledge. People learn in differently but the material they receive is the same. Also you should not follow other knowledge and paths instead take the knowledge provided for you and use it in your own way so you can become successful.

Visit to Holt Architecture

    The other day I took the oppurtunity to visit an architecture firm because I was having trouble with my project. I was not able to figure out how to build a physical model nor the material to use for my mixed use building. Soooo here is the story.
I parked my car on some street not knowing whether it was legal, but I put some coins in a metal poll assuming it will be alright. Then I left searching for an aesthetic building that would resemble modern architecture to make it easier for people like me to find an architecture firm. However, walking on North Aurora St. does not provide that instead I saw an inconsistent array of street numbers and buildings without numbers. Finally I found the Holt Architecture building: nothing special it was cold inside, but it looked like a normal grey building. The secretary was curious why I was here and probably wondered "what's this kid doing here, ah s*** he is walking towards me, hopefully he is not trying to sell me something." I told her that I was looking for some assistance and advise on my architecture project, assuming I came to the right place. She told me to sit down and Eric will come down to talk to me. I thought it was interesting that Eric had to come down instead of me coming to Eric, like I had to be approved first before I would be allowed into the lair. Eric is a very nice guy and a craft designer he invited me into their work offices, where I can meet this guy ( can't remember his name but he graduated from Cornell as an architect and looked fairly young ), whom would be able to assist me more. The guy was busy working on a design with his co workers so Eric told me to have a seat and wait for him. During this time Eric and I had a very nice conversation about my wise project and architecture in general. So the "guy" was done with his previous work and took the time to talk to me. I told him that I am having problems with building a physical model and I do not know what material to use. He showed me some of their models that look extremely good and persistent with their design. They were all made out of chip board, foam board, very little plastic if needed, and their business card. The business card is biodegradable and has a 2 inch ruler engraved on the card. Me being an environmental activist was just blown away by the business card; absolutley fascinating. I wish I took some pictures of the models. Furthermore, he told me I can get the material from the CornellStore that has a specfic section for architect majors. Also he told me the scale of my model should be determined by the amount of detail it has and from a perspective of how good it will look by the size. When he was showing a model of a hospital he couldn't remember where it was built so he asked his colegous, but they had no idea, so they got into a little curious arguement wondering what that project was for. They called it an incomplete project ( they laughed ). I was amused because that arguement started because of me. He also showed me this really cool model of a green roof being built on the Cayuga Medical Center. I was greatful for the adventure to Holt because I got to see what real architect's do during the day, successful in solving my problem, and they invited to come back if I would experience any problems.

Green-minded architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account "all children, all species, for all time." I think this an amazing video about how we should think differently about the way we do thing's. Meaning that reducing less carbon emissions is not necessarily a good thing, but simply means doing less good instead of designing the way we think should be doing  more good. I think it is fair is to say that I would be using some of William McDonough ideas.  http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design.html

Mixed Use Development

So i think I finally decided the purpose of my sturcture. This is really important because all architects know the purpose of their design before they began to design it. Whether it is a house, hospital, or hotel they all have an installed purpose before the architect begins to design the structure. My design will be mixed use. In case many of you do not know what mixed use is: it is the use of a building, set of buildings, or a neighborhood for more than one purpose. I think mixed use development is extremely efficient and sustainable as well as good for the community because a single structure can serve different purposes. It would allow people to do various things in one building without having to deal with driving to various places. Here are some example of mixed use development.

Real architects and engineers use the autodesk programs, I think it serves as a better experience for my wise project if I used them and to help me with my design.
Here is the website where I downloaded the program Revit Architecture and AUTOCAD Architecture (http://usa.autodesk.com/products/). Anyone who is an IHS student can download the products available on that site, one can simply enter their school username and password in the login information. It is also free for students, which is really convenient because some of the programs cost thousand's of dollars. Another neat thing about autodesk is that they have a page where one can post questions about a program and people respond to help you. I suggest it to anyone to use, but be warned that you will be lost when our first open the program because it would seem like a different language.  Post on revit and how i should learn how to use revit before i draw because i will most likeliy experience some constarints when designing my project also post video from youtube about revit and share link of autodesk prgrams to download.

These are some really good architecture sketches, I clearly cannot draw something like this because one would need many years of experience. So this more like how my sketches look like. I really enjoy sketching, but it takes me a long time to draw a quality structure. Furthermore, I do not like the idea that I am using paper and lead when I can draw and design on my computer and I have the specific programs designed for architects to use.

I have been sketching all kinds of structure's not just houses. I have not been able to figure out exactly what type of structure I should design because I think when architects start a design they know the purpose the structure is going to serve. But I think I am leaning towards a building that can serve as office space or living area because those are the building's that are the largest and serve the most use in cities. They are also the ones that become most sustainable and efficient. 

Woah

Alright so as I get on my blog today to write something new and to write the monday assignment, I quickly take a peak of my blog, "view blog" and I noticed some of my post were missing. How were my post missing I have no idea, but l searched through my blog and I found post's in "drafts." It turns out that when i was publishing new post I clicked the button "save," which does not put you post on the blog, but simply saves it. So that really got me confused and a little angered because I now I have to go post all of my drafts. However, it is also part of life to learn from your mistakes.

Two Tramps In Mud Time by Robert Frost

Our WISE homework assignment was to read the poem "Two Tramps In Mud Time" by Robert Frost and relate it to our WISE project. Their were pieces of sentences that I was able to find to connect to the project.

"And of them put me off my aim," in this part of the sentence the main character is trying to cut wood, when two lumberjacks show up. Thus, he gets distracted and missed the wood when he swung his axe. Lately I have been distracted from my WISE project and it can really throw you off schedule.

" Be glad of water, but don't forget The lurking frost in the earth beneath That will steal forth after the sun is set And show on the water its crystal teeth." Modern architecture is focused on design, efficiency, and sustainability; it is more convenient to apply these concepts to place's that are closer to the equator because they receive the most sunlight. Therefore, their is a larger availability of designs to use to create the most efficient structure, unlike places in New York wear architect's have to think of new ideas to build structures that are sustainable knowing their would be less sunlight because of seasonal changes and earths rotation.

" My object in living is to unite My avocation and my vocation As my two eyes make one in sight." The biggest challenge in my project is to create a structure that improves the quality of the environment, by not interfering with the quality of human life. I could have just chosen to create a structure that is in a tree, something extremely nature, but the purpose of an architect is to create a design that serves the needs of people. That is why I am trying to combine my love of environmental sustainability with the needs of human purpose so they can both function as one, in a balance, that supports each others life.

This is a cool article on how we can cool the planet by building cloud whitening towers. These towers will be on ships, which will pump up the sea water and vaporize it. The result will make clouds more whiter, reflecting more of the suns energy rays. This is an interesting hypothesis because usually we try to find ways to reduce the amount of Carbon emissions, but this is a way to reduce the Sun's heat that is being transferring to the planet (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17400804). 

Monday Meeting Review

After reading Annie Eller WISE project about building a doll house, I noticed four strengths that I can benefit from, so I can improve my WISE project for a better grade when I get evaluated. Annie Eller was able to to maintain a steady pace in writing. She was able to write atleast three times a week, which shows her effort. If Annie did not have something to write about, she chose to write about her day that did not exactly have to intersect with her project. I think I should do this more to get in the habit of constantly blogging. She was also very detailed in her writing and literally wrote everything about her project. Furthermore, she was surprised about her Mentors knowledge of the her project and had great communication with her. It is important to communicate with your mentor because they may actually know something that can benefit your project.

Hello,
   Today our wise class met to discuss our first week's work. I was interesting to get to hear other people's projects and know their progress to understand how far they are. It was really cool hearing Emma's project, I think it is fascinating that she is writing a novel (http://firsttryatfiction.blogspot.com/). Also Connar's project seems awesome. He is building a motorcycle or I think he is; anyway it's something to do with a motorcycle. Kind of wish I could get his blog url so I can follow it.
   I still need to get my interview done. I have not gotten a response from my contacts. I really need to do it because I think they can give me some valuable advise for my project such as going through the design process and using certain programs. Other than that I am still trying to understand the revit architecture program more by watching tutorials on youtube.

This is an example of the tutorial for revit architecture.

[ You don't have to be an engineer to appreciate this story!  ]

A toothpaste factory had a problem: they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the tube inside.  This was due to the way the production line was set up, and people with experience in designing production lines will tell you how difficult it is to have everything happen with timings so precise that every single unit coming out of it is perfect 100% of the time.  Small variations in the environment (which can't be controlled in a cost-effective fashion) mean you must have quality assurance checks smartly distributed across the line so that customers all the way down to the supermarket don't get pissed off and buy another product instead.

Understanding how important that was, the CEO of the toothpaste factory got the top people in the company together and they decided to start a new project, in which they would hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem, as their engineering department was already too stretched to take on any extra effort.  

The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP, third-parties selected, and six months (and $8 million) later they had a fantastic solution — on time, on budget, high quality and everyone in the project had a great time.  They solved the problem by using high-tech precision scales that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box would weigh less than it should.  The line would stop, and someone had to walk over and yank the defective box out of it, pressing another button when done to re-start the line.    

A while later, the CEO decides to have a look at the ROI of the project: amazing results!  No empty boxes ever shipped out of the factory after the scales were put in place.  Very few customer complaints, and they were gaining market share.  That's some money well spent! – he says, before looking closely at the other statistics in the report.    

It turns out, the number of defects picked up by the scales was 0 after three weeks of production use.  It should have been picking up at least a dozen a day, so maybe there was something wrong with the report.  He filed a bug against it, and after some investigation, the engineers come back saying the report was actually correct.  The scales really weren't picking up any defects, because all boxes that got to that point in the conveyor belt were good.    

Puzzled, the CEO travels down to the factory, and walks up to the part of the line where the precision scales were installed.   

A few feet before the scale, there was a $20 desk fan, blowing the empty boxes off of the belt and into a bin.  

Oh, that, says one of the workers — one of the guys put it there 'cause he was tired of walking over every time the bell rang.

Two Week Plan

What interest drives you?
     When I was a kid I dreamed of being an architect. I took art lessons and past generations in my family have been architects, so all signs pointed towards architecture as my life work. Who knows if ill become an architect, but I am great full for the opportunity the wise project provides me to understand architecture before I have to decide what I am going to do.
   For the first two weeks I will most likely be sketching designs of building structures so I can begin to visualize my project. I am interested in the possibility of creating structure with no limitations and with endless possibility. I want to create a structure that has a modern green image with many circular shapes and includes a small skyscrapers. I also want to create an aesthetically pleasing image, which involves a lot of nature as part of the design.
What are your goals?
    My goal is to learn how to use the revit architecture program because architects use the program to create their ideas on the computer and view a preview of their structure in the natural world. Then, create a model of that structure. However, I have absolutely no idea on what material and resources to use so I will need help researching on how to build my model. Another, goal is to experiment if I want to become an architect; I don't expect to experience the true feeling of being an architect in a time period of few months, but maybe a glimpse of being an architect.
What are your hopes and ideas?
    I hope to not get too carried away with my design and be able to create something that is realistically possible for me to build. However, that does not mean I do not want to challenge myself. My idea is to create and efficient building, thus I will need more research to understand how different designs in the structure can help have a better ecological footprint impact. I also had this idea of putting a river or a park as part of my structural grid (like I said their are infinite possibilities for architects).
Two Week Plan?
    I am going to buy a sketch book, it's not necessary, but all architects have a sketch book that contains their designs. So if I am learning to be an architect I should use a sketch book. Then I will begin designing and drawing my ideas of a structure on paper. Hopefully I can finish my design by the first week so I can begin to use the revit architecture program.




  

Hello

This is my blog for my wise project, so basicly I am going to design a building and then build a model of that building... also known as architecture.