Architecture: Sustainability and Artistic Innovation

I.

Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture

Sustainability - Durability - Energy Efficiency - Ecological Adaptability

This film explores the various developments in sustainable architecture from the leading countries.  German architects discuss how the number of rooms with windows placed on the south west side of the residential buildings is an attempt to make the most use of sunlight, while the north side is sealed off to prevent heat loss.
In France, The study of the Akademie Mont Genis shows a modern, multi-purpose form of architecture that is built on the same concepts of post and lintel structuralism of ancient Egypt. The modern differences are the energy efficiency, and building material used to house the structure. 
The emphasis on horizontal expanses of built space can be seen in the Hoodo Temple of Japan, just as they can be seen in Frank Lloyd Wright's many low-to-the-ground homes across the U.S.
Similarly, the Opera de Arame of Brasil mimics the same arch and vault concept of the Pont du Gard of France.
Finally,  the green architecture brought forward by Georg M Reinberg in Austria, such as the Wohnhausanlage Roschegasse, is highly dependent on the effectiveness of natural elements: air and light. The energy calculations for what the building requires from external power are generated after an assessment of it's environment. As Reinberg discusses the simplicity of glass, steel, and wood, the various developments such as the Renzo Piano and LISI House show the effectiveness of simple building material. 

II.

     Frank Ghery is a Toronto-born artist who has design art galleries, homes, apartments, museums, and a number of other buildings on almost every continent.  He studied Archicecture and Urban Planning and lived to Paris shortly after.  His focus within design is on the multiple uses of architecture.  His plans for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, among many others, have earned him international recognition in the art community.

     Ghery discusses the sterile and inhuman nature of certain modern architecture, and relates good architecture to a connection with human life and nature.  
     In many cases, the biomorphic forms that make up the architecture of Ghery often resemble enlarged ceramics. The allure of his buildings has fascinated me for years, as I've always questioned how such free-form structures are able to house functional buildings. Having been inside of many architectural wonders, such as the Art Gallery of Ontario stairway, and the Experience Music Project of Seattle, I was compelled to learn more about this artists worldwide influence. 


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