50 must read architectural and resources blogs

"Architecture can be a challenging and sometimes stressful major, but you can help yourself stay informed and get creative new ideas by keeping on top of the news through the use of the Internet. With many architects blogging, and loads of resources and information out there, it can be well worth your time to check out at least a few blogs in your free time or to help you with a project. Here¡¯s a list of 50 blogs and helpful sites we think are great sources for architecture majors." to find out more...
Happy to know that my blog is in the list. Cheers~!
Passage from http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2008/07/15/50-must-read-blogs-and-resources-for-architecture-majors/

Evolo

"Evolo Architecture was founded by a group of international architects in 2003 in New York City. Our goal is to create a forum of discussion for the development of new ideas towards excellence in architectural design for the XXI Century." to find out more...

passage from http://www.evolo-arch.com/

Image from http://www.evolo-arch.com/cskyb.html

Roblon

Roblon had did a presentation to us today of Fibreoptics and there are free fibreoptics lux calculation program to be downloaded from their website. to find out more...

"An optical fiber (or fibre) is a glass or plastic fiber that carries light along its length. Fiber optics is the overlap of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of optical fibers. Optical fibers are widely used in fiber-optic communication, which permits transmission over longer distances and at higher data rates than other forms of communications. Fibers are used instead of metal wires because signals travel along them with less loss, and they are immune to electromagnetic interference. Optical fibers are also used to form sensors, and in a variety of other applications." [1] to find out more...

Passage [1] from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber#History

Image from http://www.roblon.com/en/roblon_fiber_optics/fiber_optics_lighting/

applications/pool_and_spa_lighting_02/pool_and_spa_lighting.htm

Eco-city Development: Planning a Sustainable Community

"Unlike biological communities, cities constitute a kind of artificial ecosystem dominated by human activities, sustained by natural life-support systems, and vitalized by ecological processes. The concept was introduced by Ma and Wang a Social-Economic-Natural Complex Ecosystem (SENCE) (4). The natural subsystem of the eco-city consists of the 5 traditional Chinese elements: metal (minerals), wood (living organisms), water, fire (energy), and soil (nutrients and land). Its economic subsystem includes the components of production, consumption, reduction, transportation, and regulation; while its social subsystem includes technology, institutions, and culture. Urban sustainability can only be ensured by human ecological understanding of the complex interactions between environmental, economic, political, and social/cultural factors and with careful planning and management based on ecological principles.
An eco-city is an ecologically healthy city. It is a healthy human ecological process leading to sustainable development within the carrying capacity of local ecosystems through changes in the production mode, consumption behavior and decision instruments based on ecological economics and systems engineering (5). Cities should be ecologically designed to enhance the health and quality of life of their inhabitants and to maintain the ecosystems on which they depend. This requires careful ecological planning and management and participation of citizens and stakeholders in the planning and management processes.
Eco-city development is a whole systems approach integrating administration, ecologically efficient industry, people's needs and aspirations, harmonious culture, and landscapes where nature, agriculture, and the built environment are functionally integrated." to find out more...

Passage from http://ambio.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1639%2F0044-7447(2004)033%5B0341%3AEDIC%5D2.0.CO%3B2&ct=1&SESSID=e6fad4d675a4b0275c4b3d8c8cb965ce

BuildLC

"We started the BUILD blog with the intention of providing a communication hub for modern design in the northwest as well as an information trading ground for The Modern List."

"The Modern List is a modernist guide to several cities around the country, primarily on the west coast. It’s a guide intended for the design conscious interested in experiencing modern architecture, design, art, food and culture. With the guiding principal that every traveling experience should be exciting or at least enjoyable, we originally started compiling these lists of places and spaces out of a desire for fun and effective travel. Nothing pisses us off more than settling for a mediocre cup of coffee at some fill-in-the-blank large coffee chain when you know that there must be a great little well-designed coffee shop with great beans just around the corner – like Grey Dog Coffee in Manhattan. If only you had a list of such places… We’re constantly updating the guide so if you’ve got recommendations, opinions or scathing criticisms, send them our way.
With the BUILD blog we intend to toss-out the holy veil of the design culture that seems to make architecture so snooty and uninteresting to discuss. We’d like to get fun, sensible, genuine information out on the table. Let us know how we’re doing." to find out more...

Passage from http://buildllc.wordpress.com/category/about-us-contact-info/

Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city

"Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city has applied the planning concept of eco-economy, eco-residence, eco-culture, harmonious community and scientific management. By integrating advanced ecological, environmental protection, and energy-saving techniques, it will create a natural, harmonious and livable human residence, and thus commit itself to constructing an eco-city that is economically vibrant, environmentally friendly, resource-efficient and socially harmonious. The project will promote the use of clean energy and renewable energy/resources, with strengthened innovation capabilities and optimized industrial structure to achieve a highly-efficient recycling economy. An eco-culture with regional features will be formed to promote a green and healthy style of life and consumption. Focusing on coordination with the neighboring regions in terms of environment, socio-culture, economy and policy will help to realize regional integration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An Eco-city of International Cooperation A showcase of sustainable development A dynamic city with great vitality A comfortable city featuring healthy lifestyle A harmonious city of beneficial coexistence A future city of ecological culture" to find out more...
Passage from http://www.eco-city.gov.cn/eco/shouye/zoujinshengtaicheng/shengtaichengjianjie/en/en.html
Image from http://www.eco-city.gov.cn/eco/shouye/zongtiguihua_en/Part_6/index.html_1094844438.html

Urbanus

"URBANUS Under the leadership of partners Xiaodu Liu, Yan Meng and Hui Wang, Urbanus is a think tank providing strategies for urbanism and architecture in the new millennium.
The name of "Urbanus" derives from the Latin word of "urban", and strongly reflects the office's design approach: reading architectural program from the viewpoint of the urban environment in general, and the everchanging urban situations in specific.
Urbanus is committed to the Modernist believe that architecture is a pivotal force for a better life, and hence architects should push the boundary of their traditional role and be a progressive force in the society. Urbanus theorizes its idea and ideal through a unique practice. The core concern of this practice is design excellence.
Urbanus' design scope includes urban design, architectural design , landscape design, interior design and exhibition design. Its works have been widely exhibited in prestigious domestic and international shows, and reported by major trade magazines. It has been recognized as one of the leading forces among China 's young design firms. " to find out more...

Passage from http://www.urbanus.com.cn/cn/main.htm

Image from http://www.urbanus.com.cn/cn/PROJECTS1-OFFICE/2007-07014-ditieshanggai/2007-07014.html#7

Radical approach to cities rethinks the urban myths

Some interesting studies from AA for your browsing pleasure.
"But in some ways its radicalism in design is becoming mannered and predictable. A high percentage of the work here seems locked into a narcissistic logic that cannot stop producing the same architectural bling of distorted nets, abstract grids and curvy blobs. Although this is all drawn and modelled to an incredibly high standard, it is reiterative. But the work on cities is strong, inspiring, and authentically radical." to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3091651

LTLArchitects

"Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis (LTL) is an innovative, award-winning architecture partnership founded in 1997 by Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki and David J. Lewis, located in New York City. LTL actively pursues a diverse range of work, from large scale academic and cultural buildings to interior architecture to competitions. LTL's approach is to realize inventive solutions that turn the very constraints of each project into the design trajectory, exploring overlaps between space, program, form, budget and materials.
The firm's work has been extensively published and exhibited internationally. LTL Architects received the 2007 National Design Award for Interior Architecture from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and was selected as one of six American architectural firms featured in the U.S. Pavilion at the 2004 Venice Architecture Biennale. In addition, LTL was included in the 2000 National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt and was selected in December 2000 by Architectural Record as one of ten firms representing a Vanguard in Contemporary Architecture. Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis are co-authors of two books, the monograph Opportunistic Architecture (Princeton Architectural Press, 2008) and Situation Normal....Pamphlet Architecture #21 (Princeton Architectural Press, 1998)."to find out more...
Passage from http://www.ltlarchitects.com/pages/profile.html
Image from http://www.ltlarchitects.com/pages/portfolio/speculations/tourbus.html

U.S. Whole Building Design Guide

"The WBDG is the only web-based portal providing government and industry practitioners with one-stop access to up-to-date information on a wide range of building-related guidance, criteria and technology from a 'whole buildings' perspective. Currently organized into three major categories—Design Guidance, Project Management and Operations & Maintenance—at the heart of the WBDG are Resource Pages, reductive summaries on particular topics.
Development of the WBDG is a collaborative effort among federal agencies, private sector companies, non-profit organizations and educational institutions. Its success depends on industry and government experts contributing their knowledge and experience to better serve the building community." to find out more...
Passage from http://www.wbdg.org/about.php

Ecotect with Sketchup model importing tutorial

"ECOTECT allows you to run analyses on models imported from Sketch-Up. If you use the right format (explained below), ECOTECT will maintain all your Sketch-Up material assignments, allowing you to auto-convert them to elements in its own library.You will need about 5 minutes to complete this tutorial." to find out more...
There are more training packages available. to find out more...
And to familiarize fast, got a post in pushpullbar forum that introduce Ecotect. to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://squ1.org/wiki/Importing_From_SketchUp_Tutorial

ECOTECT

Amazing yet free tools for architectural building design can be found in Ecotect~!
"ECOTECT is a complete building design and environmental analysis tool that covers the full range of simulation and analysis functions required to truly understand how a building design will operate and perform. It finally allows designers to work easily in 3D and apply all the tools necessary for an energy efficient and sustainable future. Check out it's features to learn more." to find out more...
Passage & Image from http://www.squ1.com/products/ecotect

Energy efficiency and Renewable Energy

U.S. Department of Energy had a website of 'Energy efficiency and renewable Energy' as topic, providing tools, programs, systems, components and studies in related of building an energy saving environment. A very useful website to understands more of Eco-friendly buildings and environments. There are tools for analysis for energy simulation, inclusive of free sketchup energy design plugin.
"The Energy Design Plugin is a free plugin for the Google SketchUp 3D drawing program. The plugin makes it easy to create and edit the building geometry in your EnergyPlus input files. The plugin also allows you to launch EnergyPlus simulations and view the results without leaving SketchUp"[1] to find out more...
"In partnership with the private sector, state and local government, national laboratories, and universities, the Building Technologies Program works to improve the efficiency of buildings and the equipment, components, and systems within them. The program supports R&D activities and provides tools, guidelines, training, and access to technical and financial resources. Read our program fact sheet for more information (PDF 363 KB)." [2] to find out more...
"The Building Technologies Program advances the research and development of the next generation of energy-efficient components, materials, and equipment. The Buildings R&D portfolio focuses on the following emerging technologies:

• Appliances
• Heating, Cooling, and Commercial Refrigeration
• Lighting
• Walls, Roofs, and Foundations
• Windows and Doors

To help near-term emerging technologies overcome market introduction barriers, the program uses a combination of strategies including demonstration/evaluation and technology procurement. These strategies are designed to increase buyer confidence and build demand for new energy-efficient technologies. Learn more about near-term emerging technologies and market introduction strategies." [3] to find out more...

Passage [1] from http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/energy_design_plugin.html
Passage [2] from http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/about/index.html
Passage [3] & Image from http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tech/emerging.html

URA Singapore

" 'Singapore 1:1 Island' is a follow-up exhibition to “Singapore 1:1 City” launched by President S R Nathan in 2005. It is curated along 3 themes: the Provision / Production (1965 – 1975); Communication / Connection (1976 – 1985) and Innovation / Distinction (1986 – 2007). The architectural productions weave a story on the distinct character in the history of Singapore architecture. The variety of works exhibited, ranging from residential and commercial buildings to public institutions, demonstrates the diversity and creative energy of architectural talents in Singapore.
The exhibition is part of URA's ongoing effort to promote architecture and urban design (A&UD) excellence in Singapore. It is organised in collaboration with the Board of Architects (BOA), National University of Singapore (NUS), Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS) and the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA).
The exhibition is curated by Dr Wong Yunn Chii, Head of the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS)." to find out more...
Visiting URA Singapore is a must to get to know more of this fasinating international business hub.
Passage and Image from http://www.ura.gov.sg/spore1_1/island/introduction.htm

Solid deck, transparent building

I had been relocated to Singapore with new working environment and pampered with new work and a giant project. Experienced lots of new things within these few days. The leaders have great openness, analytical power and passion towards architectural design. However, "Objective and purposes of the projects are more important then final results." Patrick stated.
We need to build up a system towards an entire city, an urban design. Generate an idea towards architectural design. Creating transparent building but solid landscape deck allowing green features linking the entire city is just great ideas to be shared here. A solution towards global warming is to create more green.