Reading Summary
While reading about the Holistic Approach to Building Design and Construction, the book discusses various ways to ensure sustainability throughout the building process. From discussing nationally accredited programs, like LEED, to the theories of sustainable designs and rating systems, we see the importance of designing in a sustainable way that's safe for our planet.
More specifically, in chapter 1 of Sustainable Building Systems and Construction for Designers, it elaborates on a concept of sustainable design called Permaculture. The book defines it as "an integrated, evolving system of perennial or self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to man." Permaculture ultimately is a way to use naturally occurring plants and integrated systems to completely eliminate the need for irrigation systems. By doing this, designers are not only to save money, but are also able to reduce soil and nutrient losses from the home to groundwater and local bodies of water.
This concept, developed by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, allows for the cost of design to be much lower and more Earth-friendly. In turn, the concept of Permaculture, and others listed in the book from pages 9 to 13, are some of many ways for us as designers to do our part in creating sustainable systems that support our clients and the Earth.
Fifth Floor Lounge at Lindner Tower:
Walking through the fifth-floor lounge at Lindner, one doesn't feel much because one doesn't acknowledge the space if they are just walking through it for a few seconds. However, when you spend time in the lounge, playing ping-pong or working on homework, you begin to feel the space around you and its impact.
Sitting on a couch in the lounge at 7pm, preparing myself to do homework, felt like the beginning of my day. It's ironic to say, but the way the sunlight shines through the windows as it begins to set makes the room feel tranquil and sacred, even though it is a place designated for multiple people. I use the words tranquil and sacred to describe the atmosphere in Lindner lounge for a few reasons. The first is because the warm coloring of the sun makes me feel physically warm, as well as emotionally warm. Emotionally warm in the sense that everything is as it should be: at peace and good. The sunlight creates a feeling of calmness and encourages focus and concentration within the room. The second reason is because the golden coloring of the sun reminds me of when the light shines through the church windows during a moment of prayer or reflection. This memory creates a sacred environment based off my knowledge of the view of sacredness within any church.
Susie,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your description and your explanation on how the fifth floor lounge makes you feel. When you break down the different holistic design principles, it really makes you evaluate a space and I felt like you did that really good by explaining how the space makes you feel physically, emotionally, and spiritual. Next time, possibly add a photo of what you are seeing in the space, such as the sunlight coming through so we can also experience what you did, but through an image.
Susie,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job with this description. You explained the space around you in a way that I could picture. I like how you focused on the light that was shining through the space and how that made you feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You did a great job with the spiritual description, which is sometimes hard to explain, and I loved that the space reminded you of the sacredness of a church with the sun coming through. I agree with Izzy, next time add a photo so we can visualize a little better. I also think it would have been interesting to touch on a few more holistic design elements of the space - acoustics, colors, etc. Otherwise, great job! I enjoyed reading about how the space made you feel.
Great job on your blog post! I can tell you took great care, time, and put a lot of thought into evaluating the space you considered and really connected the emotion with the space. Really thought it was very efficient that not only were you able to enjoy the space on the 5th floor for homework purposes but also to do your analysis. As far as your weekly summary I thought you did a great job in elaborating on the information given in the text in a manner that was easily understandable and informative.
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