Trip to Spain: La Sagrada Familia

• La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Interior:

• The church plan is that of a Latin cross with five aisles. The central nave vaults reach forty-five metres (150 ft) while the side nave vaults reach thirty metres (100 ft). The transept has three aisles. The columns are on a 7.5 metre (25 ft) grid. However, the columns of the apse, resting on del Villar's foundation, do not adhere to the grid, requiring a section of columns of the ambulatory to transition to the grid thus creating a horseshoe pattern to the layout of those columns. The crossing rests on the four central columns of porphyry supporting a great hyperboloid surrounded by two rings of twelve hyperboloids (currently under construction). The central vault reaches sixty metres (200 ft). The apse is capped by a hyperboloid vault reaching seventy-five metres (250 ft). Gaudí intended that a visitor standing at the main entrance be able to see the vaults of the nave, crossing, and apse; thus the graduated increase in vault loft.

Symbolism:

• Themes throughout the decoration include words from the liturgy. The towers are decorated with words such as "Hosanna", "Excelsis", and "Sanctus"; the great doors of the Passion façade reproduce words from the Bible in various languages including Catalan; and the Glory façade is to be decorated with the words from the Apostles' Creed. The three entrances symbolize the three virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. Each of them is also dedicated to a part of Christ's life. The Nativity Façade is dedicated to his birth; it also has a cypress tree which symbolizes the tree of life. The Glory façade is dedicated to his glory period. The Passion façade is symbolic of his suffering. All in all, the Sagrada Família is symbolic of the lifetime of Christ.

Trip to Egypt: Pyramids

INTERIOR

The original entrance to the Great Pyramid is 17 metres (56 ft) vertically above ground level and 7.29 metres (23.9 ft) east of the center line of the pyramid. From this original entrance there is a Descending Passage 0.96 metres (3.1 ft) high and 1.04 metres (3.4 ft) wide which goes down at an angle of 26° 31'23" through the masonry of the pyramid and then into the bedrock beneath it. After 105.23 metres (345.2 ft), the passage becomes level and continues for an additional 8.84 metres (29.0 ft) to the lower Chamber, which appears not to have been finished. There is a continuation of the horizontal passage in the south wall of the lower chamber; there is also a pit dug in the floor of the chamber. Some Egyptologists suggest this Lower Chamber was intended to be the original burial chamber, but Pharaoh Khufu later changed his mind and wanted it to be higher up in the pyramid.

Great Pyramid of Giza

Tomb in Giza, Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact.


Construction started: 2584 BC



Height: 139 m



Architects: Khufu, Hemiunu, Imhotep






Function: Monument, Tomb



Architectural styles: Pyramid, Ancient Egyptian architecture    

The Architectural Drawing Course: What is architecture?

• 'Architecture is structure built for human needs. Being an architect is having the spirit to build for people'.
• 'Architecture is the design of spaces that can be fundamental and beautiful'.
• 'Architecture is the design of buildings and landscapes with the intentions of being both aesthetically pleasing andfunctional'.
• 'Architecture is the poetry in building in which communities are reinterpreted and refined in varying degrees. However, it must maintain its purpose in its design for human use'.
• 'Architecture is the process of taking a concept or function and giving life to it structurally'.
• 'Architecture is an expression of an artist's beliefs, feelings, or surroundings through a structure, landscape, or object'.


I think architecture is a science and art together in one. It's a spirit to build for people needs. Also it's like expression of an architect's feelings, ideas, surroundings and beliefs to a real life such as structure, landscape, buildings or objects. Architects schould talk and feel their costumers. Architects should feel and understand what their costumers want and also architects can give them offers. Architects should be very close with their costumers to give them a really good result, the result that costumers want.


• Over many centuries, architects have taken on the role of architectural designer, landscape designer, urban designer, product designer and furniture designer.
• Architects design buildings, spaces, campuses, landscapes and even entire cities. Regardless of the nature of the setting - urban, rural, or suburban - buildings have a context. In designing architecture at all scales, the architect should recognize the context both physically and intellectually.

7 ways to improve your sketching

1. Draw. Just keep on drawing. Whenever you have a quiet, dull moment, draw. As they say, practice makes perfect, and they are right. The more you draw, the more you’ll improve, and the more useful your sketching skills will become throughout your course, and your career.
2. Get inspiration from others. There are so many different sketching and drawing styles, and you can learn so much from seeking these out. Find different shading techniques, or different line styles, see what you like and develop your own style.
3. Take your sketchbook everywhere. Even if it is a small pocket sketchbook, make sure it is always on hand so you can scribble an idea or sketch a building. Maybe if you are waiting for a friend in a coffee shop, you may start a new trend of sketching instead of dragging out your phone!
4. Go to a drawing class. Some people won’t feel this is necessary, but your university may hold drawing classes, in which case there is no excuse. You will also find some local art galleries or colleges hold drawing classes, which is a great opportunity to hone your skill, and meet new people other than students on your course!
5. Draw a drawing. There is a lot to be learnt from how other people draw, particularly the likes of Da Vinci or Michaelangelo, so find some of their sketches and have a go at drawing them.
6. Draw from life. Draw anything. Start out with simple objects, take note of light and shade, try different styles. Then build up to drawing more complex items. Sketch out details, find interesting parts of buildings and draw them. Think about perspective and scale.
7. Keep at it. It is easy to get disheartened when you produce a couple of rubbish sketches, that are out of proportion and look a bit weird. Don’t worry, you must keep at it, and know that it does take a bit of time to find your groove, but when you do it is great to have that confidence in your ability for your course and career.

… You might be an architect

Do you want to be an Architect? Maybe you already are an Architect and wondered if you made the right decision? Times are weird and the economy is making a lot of people who thought they knew they wanted to be an architect re-evaluate their thought process. 

Can you see an X-acto blade from where you are sitting?

… You might be an architect

.

If you cut your finger with an X-acto blade, do you worry about bleeding on your model and not your finger?

… You might be an architect

.

As an adult, do you still buy LEGO’s for yourself?

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever slept under your desk?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you like wearing wigs and really large shoes?

… You might be a clown

.

Do most of your books cost at least $79?

… You might be an architect

.

Are those books mostly picture books?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you have more than 2 calculators on your desk?

… You might be an engineer

.

Do you hate the question: “What do you think of my house?“

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever gone out to a restaurant and thought: “The scale of this space is off.”

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever said: “Are you going to be using all your cardboard?”

… You might be an architect

.

Can you name more than 100 architects but less than 5 interior designers?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you know the names of 30 different shades of blue but not the actual size of a 2×4?

… You might be an interior designer

.

Do you only use a particular type of pen?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you either have a messenger bag or really, really want one? A black one??

… You might be an architect

.

Do you drive a really nice car, have more money than you need, vacation 4 weeks a year, and sleep well at night?

… You might be a Developer

.

Have you ever worn an entire outfit of black clothing?

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever dressed up as Le Corbusier at Halloween?

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever said with pride: “I haven’t been to sleep in 3 days.“

… You might be an architect

.

Do you plan vacations to go see certain buildings?

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever thought: “How is that cantilever doing that?” but then realized you don’t care?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you know when to use Elmer’s Glue and when to use rubber cement?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you dream in theory but cry in reality?

… You might be an architect

.

Have you ever said: “Nobody but you will notice that it wasn’t built right.“

… You might be a contractor

.

Have you ever said: “Yo trabajo muy duro por lo que me pagan.“

… You might be a subcontractor

.

Have you ever spent 70% of the fee on the first 20% of the project?

… You might be an architect

.

Do you complain about the reliance on computers and miss the days of hand drafting?

… You might be an old architect

.

Did you go to school for a really long time, go through a lengthy internship, and take a bunch of hard tests to get licensed?

… You might be a doctor

.

Do people think you are a great person, that you have a fantastic moral compass, and trust you with watching their kids despite just having met you?

… You might be an architect

Trip to London: architecture, famous buildings and all about them...

 Architecture of London

London is not characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time. Few structures predate the Great Fire of 1666, notable exceptions including the Tower of London,Westminster Abbey,Banqueting House and several scattered Tudor survivors in the City of London.

In one local area in London called Canary Wharf, there you can feel surrounded by America's scyscrapers. Modern and rich atmosphere absolutely surrounds you in there.

Piccadilly Circus

The big, bright screen in Piccadilly Circus is one of the place that you should visit during the journey in London. Small, old style streets where you can find official, famous designer's shops such as HUGO BOSS, EMPORIO ARMANI and others... After that you can drink a cup of coffee in cosy Starbucks coffee shop. Also there is an amazing M&M's World. 4 floors buildings got an amazing m&m's stuff.

Historical buildings, construction and architecture

BIG BEN

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. 

Address: Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

Height: 96 m

Opened: 1859

Architectural style: Gothic Revival architecture

Function: Clock tower

Architect: Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin

Historical Clock Tower recalled Elizabeth Tower in 2012, got an amazing Gothic Revival architecture. Famous Big Ben is just a part of all Parliament House.

LONDON EYE

The entire structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). It is currently Europe's tallest Ferris wheel, the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.5 million visitors annually, and has made many appearances in popular culture. The attraction was fully completed in 2000. It costs 70 million pounds.

This structure's architecs were :

Architect	Frank Anatole, Nic Bailey, Julia Barfield, Steve Chilton, Malcolm Cook, David Marks, Mark Sparrowhawk

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster. This historical, 5 floors palace got beautiful Neoclassicism style, and it's architects was Architects: John Nash, Aston Webb, William Winde, Edward Blore.

Also you now Buckingham Palace from the royal weddings: Prince William and Kate Middleton...

TOWER BRIDGE

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London which crosses the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name, and has become an iconic symbol of London. 

Tower's Bridge construction have been started in April 22,1886 and onpened in June 30,1894. It's architects were: Horace Jones and George D Stephenson.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic, church in the City of Westminster, London, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster.

The Chathedral have been opened in 1090, and it's got an amazing Gothic architecture style. It's height is 90 metres. 

Architects:  Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, John of Gloucester, Henry Yevele, Robert of Beverley, Henry of Reyns.