Module 7 : Video Review - Architecture

I watched Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright and The Prairie School.

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Last Call for Planet Earth discussed need for more Earth-friendly ways of building and the ways in which we use our resources. It discussed the basic needs in architecture and how architects are working to make these basic needs a bit more environmentally friendly. This includes recycling buildings, using environment-friendly insulation, and updating the heating and cooling systems to use water and glass in lieu of past methods. These architects are finding ways to create sustainable building practices, while saving Earth's resources. Francoise Helene Jourda's interview was the most informative. She explains a few basic concepts that her team thinks about when working on a project; she explains that they are concerned with resources. She works with primarily wood and materials that are renewable or recyclable and take minimal energy to create, she uses materials that require minimal water, yet, when she does use water it is always water that is free or renewable, such as rainwater. She also stresses not polluting the air, and using shells for her structures that are high performance and require little energy to heat, cool and circulate air. 

Frank Lloyd Wright and The Prairie School discussed Frank Lloyd Wright and his desire to create an American Architectural type influenced by nature. It was interesting to listen to Wright's writing and disdain for typical American homes; the basements, the sweltering attics, the wooden exteriors, the factory-type look, and how this influenced his style of design. This style encapsulated one-story structures, no basements, continuous windows, open floor plans, and materials taken directly from the environment. He embraced a look of "shelter" that blended in with its environment. The most interesting fact I learned however, was that Wright had built his own office next to his home and employed a team of architects in which he worked with to create this new Prairie School style; according to the video, much like a Renaissance workshop. 

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The content regarding sustainable architecture in Last Call for Planet Earth was also discussed in the reading. Both expanded my knowledge about building and planning to help sustain our planet. A passage from the book that directly correlates to the video is: "Like other benefits to industrialization, these buildings come at significant cost to the environment, and one that we cannot continue to pay indefinitely." The most interesting structure the reading discussed was Renzo Piano's California Academy of Sciences; specifically in the way in which it absorbs rainwater, decreasing pollutants from entering the water system and has its own air flow system integrated in the way in which the ceiling is built.

Frank Lloyd Wright is also highlighted in the reading, however, I felt the reading delved deeper into his personal life and the video was based more upon his actual work. I never knew his wife was murdered! It was neat in the video to see SO much of his work, as I have seen some here and there, I really loved seeing a greater volume of it- especially the interior spaces.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of Architecture?

Both films helped deepen my understanding of architecture- specifically in the amount of decisions architects make when planning. There are SO many influential decisions that they make- from air flow to materials, to whether or not to have a basement, it's mind-blowing honestly. Both films also expanded my understanding of each subject. I knew about green architecture but the video significantly expanded upon what I already knew. I feel the same with the Frank Lloyd Wright video- while I was familiar with his work, it was neat to see and learn a great deal more about him and the structures he created.

4. Why did you choose the films that you watched?

I chose Last Call for Planet Earth because this is a subject that interests me, and after reading a bit about it in the book, I wanted to learn more. I watched the Frank Lloyd Wright video because I had a little bit of knowledge about him, and have gone to one of his homes here in Buffalo, but I wanted to learn more about him. I also love his work and wish I could live in one of his houses!