Architecture and Design
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| Websites |
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Architecture Week
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Huge architecture site containing lots of information and lots of links to other architecture resources. They produce a weekly update and send out an email with a link to subscribers. Teachers can subscribe a whole class for a minimal fee. Subscribers gain access to full-screen versions of the images in the weekly articles. Highly recommended for high school students.
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Greatbuildings.com
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A huge collection of images and models of buildings. The models, unfortunately are not in SketchUp format and not easily convertible to SketchUp. Design Workshop Lite is a free 3D program that allows you to view the models provided on the Great Buildings Web site. To convert the models to ,DWG (which can be imported into SketchUp) you need to purchase Design Workshop Pro, [see also: Built To Last lesson below]
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Art of Construction
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A web companion the Mario Savadori's Art of Construction book for teaching basic Architecture and Engineering to middle school students.
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Galinsky.com
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Excellent examples of contemporary architecture. |
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Fabprefab.com
The Dwell Homes
LiveModern.com
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Three good sites on high-quality modern style prefab houses. These houses tend to be fairly simple, and can serve as good models for student projects.
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Eichler Network
Eichler Homes of Southern Cal.
Eichler Design
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Websites about the modern homes built by the developer Eichler in California.
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Solar Decathlon
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Website of the US Dept. of Energy's annual competition to produce energy efficient house prototypes.
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| Classicist.org |
The Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America. From their mission statement: The ICA&CA is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. (There is a very interesting story behind the logo of this group, waiting to be discovered by anyone wanting take the time to follow the leads.)
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Gwathmey Siegels Astor Place
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Various websites of buildings being marketed. This list will change rapidly over time.
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| Bulthaup.com |
Excellent contemporary kitchen design site.
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Metropolitan Period Rooms
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There are many QTVR sites on the web with VRs of historical buildings, streets, and places. The Frank LLoyd Wright room at the Metropolitan is an exquiste exhibit and while this VR doesn't capture the full impact of the room, it does give a sense. |
Architypes.net
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A wiki whose participants are developing a collection of architectural patterns and images of those patterns.
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Books
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A note regarding architecture books. There are lots of them. There are books on particular houses, on the works of particular architects, on periods and styles of architecture, and on architectural theory and practice. It sometimes seems like every architect has either written a book or had a book written about them. Most of these books are fascinating but they can be overwhelming. My experience is that the typical secondary student is not particularly interested, other than perhaps to flip through the pages looking at the pictures. The few books listed below can serve as introductions to the huge world of architecture. A world that can be explored over the course of a lifetime.
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The Not So Big House
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Author is Sarah Susanka. The first of a number of books by Susanka on the subject of building houses that emphasize quality more than quantity. Susanka has an excellent website with a lot of good resources, images, and links called Notsobighouse.com
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How Buildings Work
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Authors are Edward Allen and David Swoboda. The title really says it all. Plumbing, heating, cooling, etc. are all covered with delightful illustrations and easy to read text. Not a textbook but a good reference.
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Rentable DVDs
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| Frank Lloyd Wright |
Excellent documentary by Ken Burn's on the life and work of Wright. Part of the PBS American Masters series. |
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My Architect: A Son's Journey
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Nathaniel Kahn's documentary about his father Louis Kahn. Parts of the video focus on Kahn's emotional and family troubles but these can be skipped over.
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Lesson Plans
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Be An Architect
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A great way to introduce younger students to the the basics of Architecture. Can be used with 5th grade and younger students.
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Built To Last
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This lesson plan uses the Great Buildings site to engage students to act like Architects and present buildings as plans, elevations and perspective renderings. Can be used in middle and high school.
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Building Bridges
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A high school lesson for teams of 2-3 students to design, build and test scale models of bridges.
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