Unit 9 Architecture
Part I Warming up
A.
Tapescript:
For hundreds of years, it has been an imperial capital of Europe. Its rulers raided the Western world to enrich the coffers of the empire. They spent their wealth on magnificent palaces and grand public buildings. They built an opera house that rivals any in Europe. They founded great museums and libraries. They constructed massive, ornate government buildings. And they raised opulent palaces for themselves. A tour of Vienna is a tour of these monuments to excess.
Take Schonbrunn Palace, for instance. The Palace's Million Room, named after the cost of the decorations -- 1 million guilders, is a Rococo masterpiece. Inset in the paneling are 260 rare miniatures of Indo-Persian heritage. The frames are real gold leaf, and the paneling is precious wood.
The Great Gallery, modeled after a room in Versailles near Paris, has 35-foot ceilings graced with giant frescoes boasting of the power of the Austrian army. Massive crystal chandeliers reflect in the wall of mirrors, trimmed in gold leaf.
The list of other sights to see in Vienna is long. St. Stephen's Cathedral dominates the skyline of Old Town, the medieval section of the city. Its main spire soars 450 feet into the sky, and the top can be reached by climbing 343 steps. The cathedral' was begun in the 12th century.
In the catacombs beneath the cathedral are copper urns containing the intestines of deceased Habsburgs. Their bodies are in ornate caskets in the Imperial Burial Vaults in the Kapuziner Church a few blocks away, and can be visited.
The Old Town is a fascinating place to walk. Most of the narrow streets have been turned into pedestrian malls lined with shops, coffeehouses and restaurants. In one section, the original Roman ruins under the streets can be seen by going to an underground museum.
The Natural History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts occupy matching buildings on Maria Theresa Plaza, a small square across from the Hofburg. Hofburg is the Habsburg’s in-town palace. It is big, with 2,600 rooms, but not ornate. Hofburg is a jumble of buildings constructed at different times and in different styles, from Baroque, Gothic and Classical to Renaissance and Rococo. Its oldest parts date from the 13th century, but most were built from the 1700s on.
B1.
The Palais du Louvre:
n Location: heart of Paris
n Beginning year of construction: 1527
n Time when first used as a public art gallery: 1793
The Louvre Pyramid:
n Designer: Ieoh Ming Pei
n Use: the main entrance to the Palais du Louvre
n Height: 21m
n Width: 33m
n Materials: steel tubes, cables, sheet glass
n Year of completion: 1988
Tapescript:
The Palais du Louvre stands at the heart of Paris, and houses one of the world's greatest collections of works of art. The original palace dates from 1527, and it was extended and added to over the next four centuries. It was first used as a public art gallery in 1793. In 1981, the Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei was commissioned to redevelop the public part of the Louvre and create more space for reception areas and services. He designed the famous Glass Pyramid, which serves as the main entrance to the building, leading underground to the museum and art gallery. The Pyramid is 21 meters high and 33 meters wide, and uses a combination of steel tubes, cables and sheet glass. It was completed in 1988, and quickly became a major tourist attraction in its own right.
B2
1. She likes the Louvre Pyramid because of the transparency, and it has a light effect.
2. She likes the Louvre Pyramid for its contrast of shapes. It emphasizes the beauty of the Louvre.
3. She thinks the right thing is to put something so contradictory to the Louvre. They stand in dialogue with each other and they don't try to complement each other.
4. She thinks it would have been the biggest mistake to try to build something similar to the Louvre.
Tapescript:
I like the Louvre Pyramid because of its transparency, because you can just look through it, and it has a very light effect. It is not heavy and it is made of glass, and so it looks like a light object. And I like it for its contrast of shapes, because it is such a contrast to the Louvre building that in fact it doesn't interfere with the beauty of the Louvre, but it even, it emphasizes the beauty of the Louvre. And in the evening when this pyramid is lighted, it's just a source of light to put the Louvre into a new light. And this has for me also a symbolic meaning. And it is such an unexpected shape in this urban context, just to use a traditional shape of a pyramid built in new materials with new technologies, high-tech, and so on, that it is a completely surprising effect. So that people get shocked by it or they like it, but there is nobody who would be uninvolved or who could just pass and not notice this building. So it's something you have to look at. And I think this is also very important in building, and creating something in the cities, and exactly for example close to these historical buildings which are such a... they are so sensitive topics that nobody dares to touch them. I think the right thing is really to put something so contradictory to it that they stand in dialogue with each other and they don't even try to complement each other. Because it would have been the biggest mistake to try to build something similar to the Louvre, to put a building which would copy the Louvre, because it would just mean that we don't live in continuity, the architecture doesn't continue its history, but it would mean that architecture stands still on the level of the 17th century, and that would be a lie.
Part II Eco-conscious construction
A.
Short-term measures:
n Releasing $100 million to the 11 hottest states
n Providing new crisis assistance to low-income families.
a. repairing and replacing air-conditioners and fans
b. installing insulation
c. giving advice on the best way to keep homes cool
Long-term measures:
Multipart initiative for Federal Government:
n Retrofitting federal buildings and other facilities with the best energy-saving technology
n Replacing conventional light bulbs and fixtures with more efficient fluorescents
n Bringing existing buildings up to EPA's "Energy Star" standard of energy efficiency
n Adopting "sustainable design" guidelines to reduce energy use
Tapescript:
Good morning. This year, we've seen a disturbing string of weather-related emergencies all around our country, from flash floods in Tennessee to wildfires in Florida, to ice storms last winter in New England. This summer, record heat and drought are taking a terrible human toll, destroying crops, causing power outages, (and) worst of all, taking lives. Just since June, more than 130 people have died because of the heat.
Certainly, the latest El Nino is partly to blame for the severe weather conditions that have besieged so many communities. But growing evidence suggests that the extreme and erratic weather we're seeing in America and around the world is being intensified by global warming.
Consider this: 1997 was the warmest year on record, and 1998 is on track to break that record. Five of the hottest years in history -- the five hottest years have all occurred in the 1990s. Scientists predict that July may be the hottest month since mankind began recording temperatures. The world's leading climate experts predict even more extreme weather unless we reverse this dangerous warming trend.
We're doing everything we can in the short-term to help communities cope with this devastating heat wave. This week, I released $100 million in emergency funds to the 11 hottest states. Today, I'm pleased to announce that the Department of Energy will begin providing new crisis assistance to low-income families, repairing and replacing air-conditioners and fans, installing insulation, and giving advice on the best way to keep homes cool in this extreme heat.
But to meet the long-term challenge of global warming, we must do more. We must all do our part to protect the environment, and as the nation's largest energy consumer, the federal government must lead. At my direction, we're undertaking a multipart initiative to put our own house in order. Today, I'm pleased to announce the first four parts of this plan, aimed at increasing the efficiency of federal buildings.
First, I'm directing federal agencies to work more closely with private contractors to retrofit federal buildings and other facilities with the best energy-saving technology at 'no cost to taxpayers. Second, we'll replace hundreds of thousands of conventional light bulbs and fixtures with more efficient fluorescents, which will pay back in energy savings nearly five times what they cost to install. Third, I'm directing all agencies to work toward bringing their existing buildings up to EPA's "Energy Star" standard of energy efficiency. And fourth, the Energy Department, the Defense Department and six other federal agencies will adopt "sustainable design" guidelines for all new federal buildings to reduce their energy use.
Now, together these measures will save taxpayers as much as $1 billion a year in energy costs. They'll help to jump -- start markets for new technologies, and they'll protect our environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As sweltering as this summer has been, if we don't act now, our children may look back on the summer of 1998 as one that was relatively mild and cool. There's no excuse for delay. We have the tools, we have the ingenuity to head off this threat. We have the opportunity and the deepest of obligations to leave our children and our grandchildren a healthy, thriving planet.
B1.
1. a dream-house which is sustainable by the environment ? an environmentally-sustainable dream-house
2. windows that face south -- south-facing windows
3. a kitchen that is well lit -- a well-lit kitchen
4. paint that is based on milk or uses milk as a base ?milk-based paint
5. solutions which are beneficial to the environment -- environmentally-beneficial solutions
Tapescript.
1. Architect Jim Logan is building his environmentally-sustainable dream-house at the site of a former commune a few miles north of Boulder.
2. As you drive onto the small farm property, you're immediately struck by a series of large south-facing windows.
3. Walk through the well-lit kitchen, and you'll see that even the north side of the building has a passive solar component.
4. In all facets of construction, Logan is emphasizing both biodegradable building products and nontoxic materials. He's using milk-based paint, for example.
5. In many cases, many environmentally-beneficial solutions pay for themselves in as little as 6 or 7 or 8 months.
Tapescript.
1. Logan has incorporated nearly every aspect of a modern eco-conscious design.
2. Every room in this house has a window that faces south, regardless of where it's located.
3. All the rooms in the house have both day-lighting, which means that there's ample light coming in high into the room so that we don't need to use electric lights during the day.
4. As a result, Logan's house will have neither a furnace nor air-conditioning.
5. The so-called super-insulation is required to store the solar heat.
6. Logan is also using thermal mass, or dirt, to keep the house both warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
7. He's using milk-based paint, for example, and relatively little of that.
8. This room and the inside of this room -- virtually all the finishes did not need to be painted.
9. Painting is a fairly un-environmental act in that it is something that involves chemistry.
10. Initially, Logan will get all his water from a well.
11. The roof has gutters and will eventually collect rainwater for general use.
B3. Main features:
n south-facing windows: day-lighting, solar heat
n no furnace
n no air-conditioning
n solar heater: hot water
n three-foot outside walls: adobe + insulation + adobe
n thermal mass
n milk-based paint
n ceiling: galvanized
n inside wall: plaster
n no carpet
n not connected to a water system: well, rainwater
Tapescript:
A--Alan J--Jones L--Logan
A: Many environmentalists and energy experts say that the wave of the future won't be any one miracle cure, but rather overall conservation of available resources. The approach is being spearheaded by a quiet revolution in the eco-conscious construction business. Colorado Public Radio's Peter Jones recently visited a building site near Boulder and brings us this report.
J: Architect Jim Logan is building his environmentally sustainable dream-house at the site of a former commune a few miles north of Boulder. Logan has incorporated nearly every aspect of a modern eco-conscious design. As you drive onto the small farm property, you're immediately struck by a series of large south-facing windows. Walk through the well-lit kitchen, and you'll see that even the north side of the building has a passive solar component.
L: Every room in this house has a window that faces south, regardless of where it's located, so all the rooms in the house have both day-lighting, which means that there's ample light coming in high into the room so that we don't need to use electric lights during the day, and also have south-facing glass that provides solar heat.
J: As a result, Logan's house will have neither a furnace nor air-conditioning. For hot water, he'll tee an active solar heater. But efficient use of the sun is only one of the building's many eco-conscious features.
L: The outside walls -- if you include a foot of adobe, a foot of insulation, and another foot of adobe- are three feet thick.
J: The so-called super-insulation is required to store the solar heat, but Logan is also using thermal mass, or dirt, to keep the house both warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
J: In all facets of construction, Logan is emphasizing both biodegradable building products and nontoxic materials. He's using milk-based paint, for example, and relatively little of that.
L: This room and the inside of this room- virtually all the finishes did not need to be painted. The ceiling is made out of galvanized metal and the walls are plaster. Painting is a fairly un-environmental act in that it is something that involves chemistry, it involves doing it over and over many times in the lifetime of the building.
J: And don't look for any carpeting in Logan's house.
L: Well even if carpet is made from recycled material, it still can't be recycled the second time currently, so carpet virtually always gets thrown away. Also, most carpet gives off volatile organic compounds.
J: Initially, Logan will get all his water from a well. The house won't be connected to a city water system. But he says the roof has gutters and will eventually collect rainwater for general use. Logan is paying $75 a square foot to build his house, and estimates environmental features added 10 - 15% to the up-front costs. But he says he'll save money in the long run.
L: In many cases, many environmentally-beneficial solutions pay for themselves in as little as 6 or 7 or 8 months. A low-flow showerhead in most situations will pay for itself in a month.
Part III Tomorrow's house
A.
1. What is home automation? In your opinion, what are some of the things that could be examples of home automation?
2. What are some of the main interests in creating automated houses?
3. Can home automation offer benefits and lifestyle improvements for elderly and disabled people? Imagine how.
B.
Safety:
n Security systems that detect fires, gas and water leaks, intruders, unwelcome guests, etc.
n Security systems that limit home access to specific times of the day and tell you which doors and windows are open
Energy-efficiency:
n Lights that turn themselves off when you leave a room
n Sensors that help open skylights, turn on ceiling fans and close the draperies when the house reaches a certain temperature
Convenience
n Appliances that tell you when something is wrong with them
n Security system, spa, lights, CD player, garage door, thermostat, stereo, etc. that can be controlled while in the house or remotely from a touch-tone phone or computer and modem
n Lifestyle improvements for elderly and disabled people: voice command, infrared remote control, etc.
Tapescript:
Current advances in home automation offer homeowners convenience, security, energy savings and a lot of gee-whiz technology.
With a fully automated home, you'd be able to pick up your phone, call your house and instruct it to disarm the security system, start the spa, turn up the lights and coax classical music from the compact disc player. While you were at it, you could also open the garage door or set the thermostat to a pleasant 70 degrees.
Sound intriguing? How about lights that turn themselves off when you leave a room? A stereo that quiets itself when the phone rings? Or appliances that tell you when something is wrong with them?
Although most home automation systems now on the market are expensive and available only in new homes, within the next two years you can expect an explosion of products that transform homes into architectural geniuses.
By all accounts, the time is right for houses to become "smart." During the last decade, consumers have readily accepted such technological wonders as microwave ovens, fax machines and cellular phones. Our cars use microprocessors, automated tellers abound, and virtually everyone has access to a personal computer. The interest in home automation, however, is not born out of a desire to create a space-age home. It stems from a genuine interest in ways to make houses safe, energy-efficient and more comfortable.
Take security, for example. If there is a fire, an automated house will detect it, turn off the gas, close the dampers in the ventilation system, turn on the lights, unlock the doors, set off an alarm and call the fire department. More advanced systems might even tell you where the fire is and through which room you should escape.
In the case of an intruder, a triggered motion detector can turn on floodlights in the yard and instruct your stereo to queue up the sound of a barking dog.
Or say you want to avoid unwelcome guests. By mounting a video camera at the front door, you can view visitors on a TV screen.
Automated security systems can also detect gas and water leaks, limit home access to specific times of the day and tell you which doors and windows are open when you activate the system.
With Home Manager, one of several automation systems on the market, you can warm up the master bedroom, kitchen and bathroom in the morning before the alarm goes off. Or you can program it to keep the nursery at a constant temperature. In midsummer, you can even instruct sensors in the house to open skylights, turn on ceiling fans and close the draperies when the house reaches a certain temperature.
All of these functions can be controlled while in the house or remotely from a touch-tone phone or computer and modem.
In addition, home automation offers tremendous lifestyle improvements for elderly and disabled people. For those who cannot push a button or flip a switch, a voice command can be used to activate security cameras, turn up the stereo volume or drop the room temperature a few degrees. The click of an infra: red remote control could turn on the oven, close the blinds or open the door.
So what is home automation, exactly? In short, it's actually a combination of several things including microprocessors, enhanced power line transmission, computer chips, telephone and cable wiring, infrared sensors and radio frequency waves.
Fortunately, the manufacturers that are developing these automated products understand that consumers don't care how something works as much as they care that it does work and is easy to operate.
Part IV Housing problems
Outline
I. The problem being discussed
The demolition of some old buildings to make room for the erection of office blocks
II. Facts and ideas presented by the wife
A. The gas company are thinking of pulling down old houses and selling the land to a property company to build office blocks.
The council are doing nothing about it.
B. There is a housing shortage. People in Salt Lane want new homes there, not office blocks.
C. Her friends in Salt Lane have been complaining to the council for years. And every time they write, the only reply they get is a printed postcard saying "the matter is receiving attention." It is not right.
D. She's getting up a petition for a start and everyone she's spoken to so far has promised to sign.
E. The sooner the gas company and the council realize that people won't put up with this sort of thing, the better.
III. Facts and ideas presented by the husband
A. Those old houses are in pretty bad condition.
B. The gas company is in business like everyone else. The land there is worth a good price.
C. The gas company know what they are doing.
D. His firm are moving offices to one of the new office blocks.
Tapescript:
W -- Wife H -- Husband
A husband and a wife are discussing the demolition of some old buildings to make room for the erection of office blocks in an area where there is an acute shortage of housing.
W. It's an absolute scandal. My friend Mrs. Standley says that at least twenty people have already written to the council to complain.
H. To complain about what?
W.. Haven't you heard? The gas company are thinking of pulling down all those old houses in Salt Lane and selling the land to a property company to build office blocks. And the council are doing absolutely nothing about it.
H: Well, those old houses are in pretty bad condition.
W: That's not the point. The point is it's not fair. There's a housing shortage. There're people who have been living and working in this district for over twenty years, and still haven't got a decent place to live. It's a shame!
H: Well, I suppose the gas company is in business like everyone else. The land those houses are built on is worth a good price.
W: Worth a good price? What does that matter when there are families like the ones in Salt Lane, who haven't even got a bathroom or an inside toilet. It's a disgrace. What we want are new homes in Salt Lane, not office blocks. One of the cashiers who works in the supermarket lives in Salt Lane. And she says she and her husband have been on the housing list since the war. They have been complaining to the council for years. And every time they write, the only reply they get is a printed postcard saying "the matter is receiving attention." It's not right.
H: I don't see what that has to do with the gas company demolishing those old houses in Salt Lane? Particularly if they're in the condition you say they are.
W: Why don't you listen? I've just told you. The gas company have no right to sell that land for office blocks. It's all wrong. The proper thing is for them to put up some high-rise flats and move those families in Salt Lane into them as quickly as possible.
H: Aren't you getting a bit too worked up about it? I mean I'm sure the gas company know what they are doing.
W: Know what they are doing! They don't know their right hand from their left. I tell you something will have to be done about it. I'm getting up a petition for a start and everyone I've spoken to so far has promised to sign. And Mrs. Standley has been asking for volunteers for a protest march. The sooner the gas company and the council realize that people won't put up with this sort of thing, the better. And there's another thing... H: Oh, what's that, dear?
W: I want you to write to the local paper and make a formal complaint on behalf of the residents of Salt Lane.
H: But we don't live in Salt Lane.
W. I know we don't, but that cashier in the supermarket does. She says it's terrible. She never knows whether she has lit her cooker properly or not, because of the smell from the gas works.
H: Uh, before I write, I've got something to tell you.
W. Oh, um, nothing bad, I hope.
H: Not, I don't think so. It's just that my firm are moving offices next year.
W. Moving? Where to?
H. To one of the new office blocks in Salt Lane. |