Deconstruction

As students of architecture and building construction it might seem counter intuitive to be thinking of deconstruction. With the industry moving more and more toward sustainable building and green construction though, I feel that this is a very important topic to be aware of.

In nearly every presentation I have heard about green building, the discussion begins with the statement that the greenest building is the structure which is already built. Reusing an existing building saves on the mining of materials, production of products, and their transportation. The environmental impact is quite significant in these cases.

Taking this line of thinking to the next step, we come to organizations like the Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit. The people at ASW deconstruct and warehouse all portions of homes which are slated for demolition. Every brick, every board, door, window, and sliver of trim is carefully removed from abandoned homes. This is essentially recycling on a grand scale and it makes great sense. Rather than dumping tons of building material into a landfill why not reuse that material?

The following video is borrowed from Greenovation tv.

S-126 Redesign

Over the summer the AIAS-BCF design committee worked diligently on a redesign proposal for the classroom primarily used for architecture classes at the Flint campus. Many hours went into this design which incorporates a unique display board for project presentations, a raised platform for the instructor, and a double sided display case which will showcase the architecture and construction program. Special thanks goes out to Joshua Steere who headed up the project and, in the process became our new design committee chairman. The drawings look great! Now we just have to be patient as the design is transformed into reality between classes.

Earthscraper?

The Mexican architecture firm BNKR Arquitectura has recently presented a radical idea to the Mixico City building authorities regarding a large, empty square of land in the middle of the city. Because of ordinances which limit building height, the BNKR architects decided on a design which would place the entire structure, all 984' of it, below ground. The design is essentially an inverted pyramid with the 'base' being at ground level and covered with steel and glass panels to provide as much natural light within the structure as possible.

This design is only in it's infancy and has many hurdles to clear before it could be seriously considered for construction. Emergency escape provisions, ventilation, ground water control, earthquake resistance, and lighting into the lowest sections of the building pose very challenging road blocks to this proposal. Esteban Suarez, the co-founder of BNKR, states that the firm is continuing to develop the design and address solutions to the various concerns. Ideas for fiber optic lighting to the lower levels, diversion of groundwater for power generation, and emergency elevator systems have already been brought forward as potential solutions to some of these complications. Mr. Suarez seems confident in his firm's design and plans to take it to the Mexico City authorities for consideration.

The design is truly unique. It is a great example of brainstorming and thinking 'outside the box'. Only time will tell if BNKR Arquitectura is really on to something here. Maybe some day we will have unobstructed views of the landscape-

More information can be found in this CNN report.
Details about BNKR Arquitectura.

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Meeting Minutes October 6, 2011

The following are the meeting minutes as taken by the Vice President. Also included is this link to the same information.



AIAS-BCF Minutes for October 6, 2011

Members Present:
Renea Atkins, Renata Pfeifer, Joshua Steere, Juan Zuniga, Everett Cole, Erich Schudlich

Meeting opened at 6:00 p.m.

OLD BUSINESS

•Joshua discussed the S-126 redesign project and how things went. A meeting will be set up with
 Dean Riddell and Mr. Manyama.
•Joshua has already met with Mr. Manyama and the head of system controls for the Technology
 Center and both were very receptive to the new changes. All design changes will hopefully be
 implemented, now it’s just a matter of timing within the College.

NEW BUSINESS

•Joshua brought up topic of AIAS-BCF entering more design competitions to showcase our groups
 talents. This could also gain us more media attention.
•Everett Cole introduced Quincy Murphy of the Garfield Bunch Community Service Organization,
 which is currently in collaboration with Salem House.
 Quincy presented the group with a request for a more accurate design specs and a general cost
 estimate of a bui
•We will set a future date to meet on the site and take accurate building measurements.
 ~3518 Martin Luther King, 48505
•Everett discussed Cook Park and where the project stands and what the association is applying
 their grant money too.
•For now the Cook Park project is still in the clubs “In the Works” files.
•Everett also discussed his role on the Master Planning Steering Committee, Everett also explained
 how all the leg work and networking is allowing him to achieve these positions.

REPORTS PRESENTED

Presidents Report
Vice Presidents Report
Treasurer Report
Activities/ Volunteer Committee Report
• Renea Atkins accepted position of Chairperson. Thank You Renea.
• Renea will need an active Co-Chair to help.

Fundraising Committee Report
Design Committee Report

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• New Meeting Time: 2nd Friday of every month at 6:00 p.m.
• We need to have better Group Communication; with emails or phone calls and members
   present at meetings and projects.




Meeting was adjourned at 7:16 pm.

Fall Colors for Buildings

Several years ago a tradition was started in Berlin, Germany which has grown in popularity. For two weeks in October, the architecture and landmarks of the city are transformed every night with light. Elaborate patterns are projected upon prominent and historic buildings such as the Berliner Dom, Französischer Dom, and the Konzerthaus Berlin. In addition to buildings, the landscape, statues, and iconic landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, and Siegessaeule (Victory Column) are lighted in a raucous variety of color. Fireworks are also set off during the celebration adding to the visual overload. The essence of the festival is that of an art fair with the canvas being the city of Berlin and the medium being light in any form. The lighting of the classically designed buildings highlights and enhances their grandeur. It's just too bad that Berlin is on the other side of the world. Perhaps it is time to apply for an architectural study field trip!

Brandenburg Gate

Berliner Dom with the Fernsehturm (television tower) at right

Siegessaeule (Victory Tower)

Berliner Dom

Konzerthaus Berlin

Back to the Books!

With the carefree days at the beach fading like the green from the trees, we turn our backs on summer and look toward another fall. Cooler days, longer nights, colorful scenery and the wonderful scents of autumn are all in our near future; along with late study nights/mornings, midterms and endless papers to write. I'm sure you can all hardly wait!

With that said, it is good to be back to class. The sense of moving forward toward graduation, knowing that you are accomplishing something, and the company of classmates makes the fall semester something to look forward to. Welcome back all! Here's to continued progress and success!