From the early basilical churches of the Roman Empire to the unfinished Sagrada FamÃlia, there aren’t many facets of Christian architecture that haven’t been sufficiently perfected over the past two millennia. Church architecture has had over two thousand years to evolve partly by innovation and partly by imitating other architectural styles as well as responding to changing beliefs, practices and local traditions.
“Christian architecture was enriched through the cultural interaction with the Greco-Roman world.”
In 312, the Emperor Constantine defeated his principal rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. After that victory, Constantine became the principal patron of Christianity. By the beginning of the fourth century, Christianity was a growing mystery religion in the cities of the Roman world.
“The invention of the Christian church was one of the brilliant – perhaps the most brilliant – solutions in architectural history.”
Thousands of churches have since been built, rebuilt, or restored. From an aesthetic point of view, a lot of the church architecture featured below is unprecedentedly novel with a good appropriation of pre-existing structures that fit in with the local landscape, which already have a history and facilitate the formation of a church building.
With the National Geographic putting images on the map and now the Internet fuelling easy access to pics, it’s easy to forget how difficult these churches were to build. Behind the scenes, much goes on to tackle the making of a magnificent church building.
Here are a few such images that should cause you to sit up and have your breath taken away because of their grandiosity, complexity and stunning beauty.
Former Argent partner Tony Giddings has been confirmed as development adviser on the £1.3bn “Super Prisons” programme, the first of which is already being built in Wrexham.
Chancellor George Osborne and Justice Secretary Michael Gove unveiled the major new prison reform programme including plans to build 9 new prisons in last year’s spending review, with five of the new prisons to be open before the end of this parliament. The government will also expand existing prisons in Stocken and Rye Hill.
Giddings said “he was hoping to instil the Argent ethos of “more collaboration” with construction suppliers into the government’s approach to procuring prisons.”
Giddings will provide support in the provision of management, technical capability, and systems to manage the planning, design, procurement, and delivery of the construction of the new prisons.
Giddings said “He understood the £1.3bn of funding was ring-fenced and highly unlikely to be threatened by recent political and economic turbulence.” and “admitted the prisons programme timetable was “challenging”, with sites still to be acquired, but he said the aim was to be on site with at least some by the end of the year.”
The new programme will apparently modernise the prison estate to make it even more efficient, safer and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation while selling aging, inefficient prisons on the prime real estate to free up land for new homes.
But would God Use Prisons to Rehabilitate?
Imprisonment is littered throughout Scripture. As a young man, Joseph was thrown into prison in Egypt (Gen. 39:20). Samson, after having his eyes put out, was made to work in a grinding mill prison house of the Philistines (Jdg. 16:21). Jeremiah spent many of his days in the “court of the prison” (Jer. 32:2).
The modern prison system borrows ideas from the Catholics and Quakers—two different sects of Christianity. But does this mean prisons are biblical? Not exactly, the above examples all occurred in nations not governed by God.
Britain’s Old Prison System
Britain used to punish criminals through swift execution of verdicts, which were generally performed publicly to bring shame and humiliation to the perpetrator and prevent similar crimes from occurring. Typical sentences involved being whipped or a stint in the stockades.
Jails did exist, but they were only used to hold criminals awaiting trial and sentencing. However, the elite in the UK soon saw this system as archaic and inhumane and was determined to improve it through a complete overhaul.
In this newer system, men were placed in a tiny cell and given only a Bible to read. This marked a move toward imprisonment as the primary form of punishment.
Not Much Has Changed in Modern Prisons
Today’s prisons have three basic objectives: punish a criminal by taking away his time, remove him from society (in an attempt to reduce crime as well), and rehabilitate inmates to become functional members of society upon release.
The problems inherent with this system have remained the same for years: recidivism (repeated relapse into criminal acts), overcrowding, cost and, most telling—despite the large amounts of funding—the utter inability of the system to contain crime.
It is claimed that super-prison development will also allow over 3000 new homes to be built, boosting house building in urban areas and helping thousands of working people achieve their dream of owning a home. The Victorian prison site at Reading will be the first to be sold.
By investing in the prison estate, the government said it will reduce running costs in prisons by £80 million a year. The new prison investment will also fund video conference centers, allowing up to 90,000 cases to be heard from prison instead of court.
According to Justice Secretary Michael Gove, “currently half of criminals re-offend within one year of being released, and nearly half of all prisoners go into prison without any qualifications.”
The Government has also claimed that the prison programme will reduce reoffending through creating the physical conditions for Governors to achieve improved educational, training and rehabilitative outcomes, and aims to reduce the cost of transporting prisoners between courts and prisons. This builds on the probation reforms undertaken in the last Parliament, which will reduce the costs of the system and reinvest them into extending probation support to 45,000 short-sentence offenders for the first time, to tackle reoffending.
“We will be able to design out the dark corners which too often facilitate violence and drug-taking.” stated Michael Gove
Around 10,000 prison places will move from outdated sites to the new prisons, significantly improving rehabilitation.
There is little doubt in most societies and religious traditions that prison is necessary for this sin-sick world, however, this is still not what God intended.
While modern prisons are plagued with mounting problems, God’s Way involves swift sentencing and swift punishment.
“God” of Modern Prisons
There is one future case, though, in which God will use a sort of “supermax prison” for His own purpose. A sentence for someone He deems unfixable—but whose imprisonment will yield tremendous results!
A Japanese architecture firm Nikken Sekkei and Barcelona studio Pascual i Ausió Arquitectes have been selected to renovate the Camp Noustadium, home of FC Barcelona following a joint bid.
Europe’s Biggest Stadium Will Be Even Bigger Within Five Years at Reported Cost of Nearly ┚¬420 Million ($460 Million)
Camp Nou, often referred to as the “Nou Camp” in English is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It has been the home of FC Barcelona since its completion in 1957. With a current seating capacity of 99,354 and is the largest stadium in Spain by capacity. It’s also the largest stadium in Europe and the second largest association football stadium in the world in terms of capacity. In additional it has hosted numerous international matches at a senior level, including a 1982 FIFA World Cup semi-final match, two UEFA Champions League finals and the football competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Barca is expected to sell the stadium’s naming rights to help fund the new construction.
Nikken Sekkei, one the world’s third largest architecture firm according to the World Architecture 2016, is known for its construction of stadiums and skyscrapers and were chosen out of a list of 26 candidates. Nikken is over 100 years old and has offices in China, Vietnam, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, in addition to its headquarters in Japan.
Construction is to start in the 2017-18 season and be completed for the 2021-2022 season, but will not keep the club from hosting games.
The iconic home of the Spanish and European champions will involve increasing seating capacity from 99,354 to 105,000. The reigning European and Spanish champions promise that every seat will offer an unobstructed view of the pitch and new high-definition video scoreboards. Barca is on course to repeat its treble of last season, winning the La Liga title, Spanish Cup and European Champions League.
A Statement on the Club’s Website Said, “the Nikken Sekkei [and] Pascual I Ausio Arquitectes Proposal Stands out for Being Open, Elegant, Serene, Timeless Mediterranean and Democratic.
“The proposal presents a very subtle attempt to intervene in the environment to facilitate circulation and achieve diverse urban usage in the Barça Campus and guarantees a clear and safe construction.” according to the club.
The new roof will measure more than 47,000 square meters and the stadium will have an emphasis on energy saving technology and environmental sustainability.
The triple-tier structure will remain, but the third tier will be extended and a roof covering more than 47,000 square metres will be added to make sure all seats are sheltered from the weather.
The project also includes an ice rink, basketball court and an auxiliary multipurpose court capable of hosting 2,000 spectators. The Espai Barça also foresees construction of an underground parking lot.
Other current high-profile football stadium projects include the new Chelsea FC ground by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, a stadium for Tottenham Hotspur by Populous, and Arup’s design for AC Milan’s new building.
Computer rendering of the planned bridge, created by engineers Arup
Thomas Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge has moved one step closer to reality with the appointment of building contractors Bouygues Travaux Publics and Cimolai. Building work is now scheduled to start this summer 2016, but opponents and locals are still not convinced.
Why Is London’s Garden Bridge worth as Much as Five Lancashire Museums? Ask’s Joanna Lumley
The Opponents
For those of you who aren’t aware of the project, it’s intended to be a plant-covered pedestrian bridge across the River Thames between the South Bank and Temple. The Bridge was designed by Heatherwick after being conceived by British actress Joanna Lumley.
Coined as a “wondrous green oasis floating above the River Thames”, the £175m 367-metre-long Garden Bridge, backed by London mayor Boris Johnson, has sparked a huge amount of controversy in London with calls for the project to be halted from a number of local politicians. This includes Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey and three councillors from the London Borough of Lambeth, even though planning permission was granted by both local authorities in late 2014.
Writing in the Guardian, Ian Jack contrasted the £60m taxpayer support for the project with the closure of five Lancashire museums – two of the which are nationally important and forty libraries. Jack described the bridge as unwanted and unnecessary and the closures as “cultural disembowelment.
In November 2014, it was claimed that the bridge would be off limits to groups of eight or more people and cyclists, and closed between midnight and 6am. Critiques fear that the £175m bridge, which already has £60m in official grants and loans, will require a bailout if costs rise or efforts to drum up further private money fail.
Halt London Garden Bridge Project, Says RIBA President
An study by The Architect’s Journal found that Heatherwick was present for at least five meetings with London’s mayor Boris Johnson prior to the contest. The AJ also claimed that a manager for government body Transport for London (TfL) had reported anomalies in the design competition.
“It’s Now Abundantly Clear That the Design Competition That Transport for London Held in Early 2013 Was Nothing of the Sort,” Aj Deputy Editor Will Hurst Told Dezeen
Kate Hoey, the Labour MP whose Vauxhall constituency is on the south side of the bridge, has said “it is quite clear they haven’t raised nearly as much money as they originally thought.” However, The Garden Bridge Trust which was launched on 1 November 2013 to oversee the project argued that its perfectly ordinary for large infrastructure projects to begin work while fundraising determinations continue, however, in Project Journal’s experience such ambitious construction projects commonly overrun in terms of budget and time. For example, an extension to the Tate Modern art gallery was scheduled to open in 2012 at a cost of £215m. It will instead open this year at an estimated cost of £260m.
The Garden Bridge Trust has now raised an additional £85 million.
The Project
The Garden Bridge project began as a seamlessly innocent idea, a beautiful new garden floating above the River Thames, sounds amazing. Imagine crossing a river surrounded by wildlife in the middle of London City. Imagine a morning commute through a peaceful garden. Well, the Garden Bridge Trust intends to make this a reality. However, who will benefit the most, the rich, middle class, or the poor?
The bridge is planned to be 30 metres (98 ft) across at its widest point. It would run from the roof of Temple station as a continuation of Arundel Street on the north bank to Queen’s Walk by the London Studios, where a large public green open space would be redeveloped to provide a commercial building associated with the project. The bridge will feature trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Its construction would require 32 mature trees in the avenue on Queen’s Walk, on the South Bank.
“The Garden Bridge Will Be an Extraordinarily Special Place, Either to Race Across, Relax in or Look Back at the Rest of the City’s Sights.” Thomas Heatherwick
The bridge is officially scheduled to open late 2018. Hoey said it would be “particularly inexcusable” for any more public money to be committed when her constituency was struggling under government cuts.
Protected from the weather and supported by industrial control systems, factories can produce a range of components from simple panels to fully fitted-out modules which are ready to be assembled on site. And here is where the arguments start: advantages include more consistent working conditions and therefore better quality of performance and finishes, less wastage of materials, fewer journeys to site, less disruption of the local neighbourhood, faster construction times, better health and safety. These are some of the benefits which factory built homes can bring.
KREOD Pavilion
“Modular Eco-House System” in cooperation with Vita Giannini 3D design by Antonis Manolessos
Former Granada Cinema, 58 St Johns Hill
“Modular Eco-House System” in cooperation with Vita Giannini 3D design by Antonis Manolessos
“If we don’t keep investigating prefab, we risk squandering a lot of resources and not delivering enough housing.” says Andy Matthews of architect Proctor & Matthews.
An extended experiment into the potential for delivering high-quality housing through off-site construction methods Raines Court is one of the largest prefabricated schemes built to date in the UK. Raines Court consists of 61 shared ownership flats (11×3-bed, 41×2-bed, 1×1-bed plus 8 x live/work units) for public sector key workers and local people in Hackney on moderate incomes on the site of the former dairy products distribution yard on Northwold Road, Stoke Newington. The main components are modular units complete with fixtures and fittings, tiling, bathrooms, kitchens, heating, transported by lorry from York and craned into position. With its steel-framed modules, zinc-clad façade and splashes of vivid colour, Raines Court wears its modular form proudly.
Public opinion is divided on its success as a result of this but it has won several architectural awards and there is no doubting the generous layout and provision of the flats.
At six-storeys in a largely low-rise neighbourhood, the scheme is a radical, bold insertion that establishes a civic presence.
This estate was the second Peabody development constructed using prefabricated modules manufactured and was completed in 2003.
Client: Peabody Trust
Architect: AHMM
Structural Engineer: whitbybird
Contractor: Wates
Principal Supplier: Yorkon
Completion: 2003
Cost: £8.9 Million
Awards:
British construction Industry Awards: Best Practice 2004
Out of the ashes rises great opportunity. That is the theme of the new exhibit “Creation from Catastrophe — How Architecture Rebuilds Communities” at the Royal Institute of British Architects. Featuring a number of impressive projects dedicated to rebuilding communities after a disaster, the exhibit explores the evolving relationship between man, architecture, and nature.
In an interview with Dezeen magazine, curator Jes Fernie said the exhibit reveals an “expanded idea of what architecture is and what architects can do.”
From Floating Schools to Unseen Plans for an Alternative London, a New Exhibition Showcases the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Architectural Responses to Urban Disasters
The exhibit, which opened on Jan 27 and runs through April 24, spans nearly four centuries riddled with successful disaster relief projects. It features designs for rebuilding after London’s Great Fire in 1666 as well as plans for water communities in Nigeria, which could be affected by unpredictable coastal water levels in Africa’s near future.
Here are five other unique projects you can follow up on when visiting the Catastrophe exhibit this spring:
The Reliance Building
1. The Reliance Building, Atwood, Burnham and Co., North State Street, Chicago, 1890-1895
While devastating, Chicago’s Great Fire of 1871 paved a new way for architectural design. Considered by many to have birthed the Chicago School architectural style, the disaster also led to a new type of architectural design: the skyscraper.
In an effort to create fire-retardant buildings, designers utilized tools such as steel frames and sheet glass coverings. The Reliance Building, constructed by Atwood, Burnham, and Co, is one of the first post-fire buildings that fathered a design very similar to the modern day skyscrapers we know.
Nepal Project by Shigeru Ban DezeenThe Architect Bringing Cheap, Super-Light Disaster Shelters to Nepal
2. Housing for Nepal earthquake victims, Shigeru Ban, 2015
Simple, traditional homes in Nepal were the ones that withstood the catastrophic earthquake in 2015. As a result, Pritzker Prize-winning, disaster-relief architect Shigeru Ban designed housing structures for the victims.
Ban’s modular housing concept is modelled on the traditional homes that survived the earthquake. His design uses wood frames for the structure, cardboard tubes for the truss system of the roof, and debris from the disaster as infill for the wall. Thatch and plastic sheeting provided an extra layer of protection on the rooftop.
Women’s Centre in Darya Khan
3. Women’s Centre in Darya Khan, Pakistan, Yasmeen Lari, 2011
Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari (the first woman architect in Pakistan) showcases architecture’s role and influence in society. Throughout her career, the 75-year-old designer has built over 36,000 homes for earthquake and flood victims throughout Pakistan. She is also the founder of Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which allows architecture students to train local residents to rebuild their homes and communities after a disaster using natural resources like bamboo and mud.
One of her well-known projects includes the Women’s Centre in Darya Khan, Pakistan. Lari holds a deep affection for Pakistani women, who are typically displaced and struggling with the care of their children following a natural disaster. The layout allows women to unite and socialize and keep their children safe. And in the event of a flood striking, the first floor is high enough so that waters cannot reach it.
Sustainable post-tsunami reconstruction master plan for Constitución
4. Post-tsunami sustainability plan for Constitución, Chile, Elemental, 2014
After 2010’s deadly earthquake shook the coastal cities of Chile, plans for rebuilding and protecting cities like Constitución became a priority. In an effort to work with nature and the community, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Alejandro Aravena’s firm Elemental, proposed the intriguing method to plant more trees along the coast to absorb waters and prevent flooding.
The idea is that there is an opportunity to do something that would have long-term positive impacts, rather than a temporary fix that might be ruined by another major earthquake or tsunami in the area. The project will hopefully address short-term needs as well as potential long-term problems.
Ideas for rebuilding Hoboken, New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.
Resist. Delay. Store. Discharge. A Comprehensive Urban Water Strategy
Resist. Delay. Store. Discharge. A Comprehensive Urban Water Strategy
5. Rebuilding of Hoboken, New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, OMA, 2012
Following the disastrous Hurricane Sandy that struck the Northeastern United States in 2012, about 80 percent of Hoboken, New Jersey homes were flooded, leaving the community wondering how to rebuild itself with an emphasis on flood defense.
That’s when Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ firm OMA offered a solution that would combine hard infrastructure and soft landscaping, integrating coastal defense and natural drainage to protect against future flooding. The ideas between OMA’s and Elemental’s projects are very similar in that they look to work with nature rather than avoiding it.
Fernie told Dezeen that OMA offers a multi-pronged approach: resist, delay, restore and discharge. It acknowledges the complex water system and works with it, he said.
Small projects often embody more innovation than larger more costly or high profile ones.
Innovation is a wide concept that includes improvements in processes, products and services. It involves incorporating new ideas which generate changes that help solve the needs of a company and so increase its competitiveness. That’s hardly big news. But what may be surprising to some is that innovation has itself, well, innovated and it isn’t what it used to be.
New materials and energy, design approaches, as well as advances in digital technology and big data, are creating a wave of innovation within the construction industry. These new ideas are increasingly often tested and proven on smaller and agiler projects. Investing time and money is well spent on these ideas and technical improvements can then be used on large-scale developments.
Here are three exciting small projects:
Vanke Pavilion – Milan Expo 2015 / Daniel LibeskindVanke Pavilion – Milan Expo 2015 / Daniel LibeskindVANKE PAVILION Milan, Italy
1. Vanke Pavilion – Milan Expo 2015
The corporate pavilion for Vanke China explores key issues related to the theme of the Expo Milano 2015, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”.
Situated on the southeast edge of the Lake Arena, the 800-square meter pavilion appears to rise from the east, forming a dynamic, vertical landscape.
The original tiling pattern would have resulted in thousands of ceramic tiles of different sizes and shapes. The resulting complexity and lack of repetition could have led to high costs and a longer erection time.
Working with Architects Studio Libeskind, Format Engineers (Engineering Designers with backgrounds in structural engineering, coding, mathematics, and architecture) changed the pattern from thousands of different tiles to less than a dozen and simplified the backing structure generating huge cost savings. Format Engineers also proposed ‘slicing’ of the building and then fabrication of the primary structure of steel ribs using low tech flat steel plate elements. These were then used in a series of long span portalised frames reminiscent of the ribs and spars in traditional boat building resulting in a column-free area for the display of Chinese Cultural Heritage.
The frame was built to a budget and without difficulty ahead of the neighboring Expo buildings.
Building Size
12 meters high
740 mq gross floor area (exhibition, service & VIP levels)
130 mq roof terrace
The Rain Pavilion is an urban forest sculpture forming the front entrance to Oxford Brookes University’s Architecture Faculty.
“Rain Pavilion artwork is a sensory experience for the community.”
The complex form required extensive wind modeling and comprehensive structural analysis within a generative 3d model. This was allied with Format Engineers in-house code for the self-organization of voids and their subsequent redistribution.
.At each stage of the design process different modeling and analysis techniques were used to exploit the form and to optimise the structure. The considerable challenges posed by the slenderness of the structure and its dynamic behavior under wind were resolved by combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) (a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows) with a generative design environment. Conceptual design introduced the ideas of tubular stems and folded steel canopies, both of which were perforated by circular holes arranged to allow the interplay of light and water through the structure. The voids were generated using a self-organizing process.
Grasshopper (a graphical algorithm computer 3-D modeling tool) was used to produce a mesh that could include the voids in both the stems and the petals.
The Rain Pavilion is designed to celebrate the sound of rain, and the noise of water interacting with different sections of the installation is part of the experience of passing through it. The structure has a design life of five years and can be transported to other locations.
Architect: Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
Engineer: Format Engineers
KREOD PavilionKREOD PavilionKREOD Pavilion
3. KREOD Pavilion
The KREOD pavilions were first erected on the London Greenwich Olympic site in 2012. Easily rearranged, three pod-like pavilions were formed with a wooden structural framework comprised of an open hexagonal composition.
Standing three meters tall, each double-curved wooden shell enclosed a footprint of 20 square meters, totaling 60 square meters. A waterproof tensile membrane sealed the interior from the elements fully portable with demountable joints, the individual components can be stacked for efficient transportation.
Chun Qing Li the architect required a temporary exhibition or function space that could be erected and demounted mostly by hand and by untrained staff. The quality of finish needed to echo that of handmade furniture and had to be low cost and quick to erect. The continuously changing double curved form of the enclosure meant that in theory, every nodal connection was different. A conventional bolted solution would have cost hundreds of pounds per fixing. Format Engineers suggestion of a ‘reciprocal’ jointed timber grid shell required standard bolts which equated to a fraction of the normal cost. It also allowed the structure to be built from simple and light flat timber elements.
The structure used Kebony timber throughout, a sustainable alternative to tropical hardwood. As this material had not previously been used in a structural context Format Engineers undertook load testing of the material and the connections at the University of Cambridge. The timber was fabricated using CNC routing (a computer controlled cutting machine) allowing a highly accurate fit between members and basic erection on site.
We seem to be entering a new age of megaprojects as countries around the world mobilise the private sector to invest heavily in multi-billion or sometimes multi-trillion dollar infrastructure initiatives.
Megaprojects (sometimes also spelled “mega projects”) are very large investment projects and require care in the project development process to reduce any possible optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation.
The most expensive large-scale megaprojects in the world range from bridges, tunnels, highways, railways, airports, seaports, power plants, dams and wastewater projects to entire city districts.
Megaprojects seem to be practically recession-proof and have continued despite the 2008 global economic slowdown likely spurred megaproject construction, since the governments of some countries among them China, India, and the United States saw investment in infrastructure as a way to stimulate growth. Moreover, many large corporations are locked into megaprojects, because only enormous undertakings seem capable of nudging their bottom lines.
Here, we take a look at 5 of the biggest, most important and spectacular megaprojects around the world.
Waterworld Hotel Concept, Songjiang, China By Atkin’s Architecture GroupWaterworld Hotel, Songjiang, ChinaWaterworld Hotel, Songjiang, ChinaWaterworld Hotel Concept, Songjiang, China By Atkin’s Architecture Group
Songjiang Hotel, China
“We Drew Our Inspiration from the Quarry Setting” Says Atkins Design Studio
The five-star hotel is designed by UK architecture office Atkins for Shimao Group and will offer around 400 rooms, with underwater restaurants, clubs, shopping facilities, a 10-meter deep aquarium and various sport activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping.
The waterfall is a key feature of this hotel built into a 328-foot-tall quarry outside of Shanghai. The 19-story hotel will have the waterfall cascading down the middle and two hotel floors that are entirely underwater.
The building will get its energy from geothermal sources and will feature a green roof.
With its 650 architects spread around the world in 60 offices, Atkins Design Studio is an enormous organisation, with some pretty amazing Megaprojects under its belt.
The Three Gorges Dam ProjectThe Three Gorges Dam ProjectThe Three Gorges Dam ProjectThe Three Gorges Dam Project
Three Gorges Dam
Man has long used technology to harness nature and dam building has always been one of the most controversial methods.
Building a dam causes dramatic effects on the environment, yet can benefit man in innumerable ways.
Three Gorges Dam located in Sandouping, Yiling, Hubeiis is the largest power station in the world and took 14 years to complete at a cost of USD $37 billion ( ¥180 billion). The original estimated cost was USD $6 billion ( ¥20 billion). It can produce as much as 15 nuclear power plants and is expected to create 10% of China’s entire energy supply.
The Three Gorges Dam has moved 39 trillion kilograms of water 175 metres above sea level which scientists believe has altered the planet enough to change the speed at which the earth rotates.
The dam was first suggested by Sun Yat-sen, the first president of the Republic of China in 1919 and people have been working on it, researching how it would work and where exactly it would go for nearly 100 years.
London Crossrail
London Crossrail
Crossrail is Europe’s largest infrastructure project and is set to boost London’s rail capacity by 10%. The project will deliver approximately 11.9km of twin bore tunnels.
The $23 billion development 73-mile rail project will connect London from East to West, improving access to Heathrow Airport, central London as well as city’s surrounding towns and suburbs.
Eight boring machines have been cutting their way through earth to create 26 miles (42km) of tunnels.
Construction of Crossrail began at Canary Wharf in London Docklands on 15 May 2009, with tunnelling work starting in May 2012.
The Crossrail project is about 65% complete and engineers will now continue upgrading existing stations and building new stations in central London and London Docklands.
Working in partnership with China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute and the China Railway Design Institute, ADPI also won the competition to design and develop Terminal 3 at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in 2011. Phase 1 of the project will increase the airport’s capacity to 45 million passengers per year by 2020.Beijing’s new international airportBeijing’s new international airport
Beijing International Airport Terminal 1 to be World’s Biggest
Beijing’s new international airport
January 2013 saw work approved for a new airport in Beijing. With large sweeping, non-conforming arches that span inwards with curves to the interior, there is a definite stamp of Zaha Hadid Architects with their design language.
Playing host to eight runways and with the capabilities to cater for 130 million passengers every year, Beijing’s new international airport will be among the world’s largest and busiest once complete in 2017.
International Space Station (ISS)
One Giant Leap for Mankind
International Space station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest artificial body in orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth.
It may be one of the most ambitious scientific ventures ever and also the largest masterpiece of the human engineering in orbit around Earth at present. The station consists mainly of habitable and science modules, external trusses and solar panels to provide power.
The ISS provides a platform to conduct scientific research including astrobiology, astronomy, human research including space medicine and life sciences, physical sciences, materials science, space weather and weather on Earth.
What exciting projects did we miss on our list? Let us know in the comments section below.
Modular homes sometimes referred to as “factory-built construction“, encompass a category of housing built in sections typically at a factory location. These houses must conform to local and regional building codes for the country the buyer plans to situate the dwelling.
Just like site-built housing, construction teams build modular homes tolast and increase in value over time.As the factory finishes building sections of the house, each piece is transported to the homeowners build site on large truck beds.Local building contractors then assemble the house and inspectors ensure the manufacturer has built your residence to code.Most customers find that modular housing is less expensive than site-built homes.
1. Benefits of Construction
One of the benefits of construction is that manufacturers build them indoors in an enclosed factory setting, where the materials used to build the homes are not subject to adverse weather during construction.
Most building contractors can finish erecting a house in as little as 1-2 weeks, though it may take up to 4 weeks or more for local contractors to finish building the dwelling on-site once it has been delivered.
2. Differences Between Modular and Site Built
Modular homes are not the same as site-built homes, which contractors create 100% at the build site.That means the contractor must collect all the materials for a house and built it on-site. Like a modular home, the site-built home must conform to all regional, state and local building codes. Many refer to site-built construction as stick-built homes. Stick built housing is also well-built and designed to last a lifetime.
3. Difference Between Modular and Manufactured
Manufactured housing is another form of factory construction. Many consumers have mistakenly referred to these homes in the past as mobile homes. Others refer to manufactured homes as trailers. Manufacturers do build these houses in a factory like modular homes on a steel chassis.
The manufacturer then transports sections of the home to the building site as completed.These dwellings are usually less expensive than both modular housing and site built housing, in part because they don’t come with a permanent foundation.Trailers and mobile homes are more likely to depreciate than modular or site built homes.
4, Advantages of Modular Construction Over Site Built
Modular homes offer many advantages over traditional site built dwellings. Many consider modular homes a hybrid breed of housing.Not a manufactured house and not a site built house, these homes offer consumers multiple benefits including costs savings, quality and convenience.In many ways modular homes surpasses site built housing in quality and efficiency.
Modulars have grown up. They are more and more becoming a mainstreamselection for first time and secondary homebuyers.Most people now realise they don’t’ have to give up design quality or customization to buy a prefabricated house.One of the biggest misconceptions people have of prefabricated housing is they are look alike.“Boxy” is not a word that can begin to describe prefab dwellings. In fact, more suitable descriptions of these buidlings would include: “Elegant, durable, customised and high-class”.Many people find they can afford to include more specialization and customization when they buy a factory built house over a traditional stick built construction.
5. Cutting-edge Designs
Looking for a building design with a little pizzazz?You need to check out the latest architectural designs associated with prefabricated buildings.Firms are now building more elegant and unique designs to meet the increasing demands of selective customers.People are selecting modular designs over stick built designs to build their dream homes.
6. Customised Design and Modification
There are hundreds of companies that offer modular prefabricated construction kits and plans, and most employ various architects and specialized designers to help customize yourhome.That means you have more choices and a wider selection of designers to choose from.If you don’t find a style you like with one designer you can often move onto another, without even switching manufacturers.
7. Huge Range of Selection
Its always best to select a home that matches your lifestyle and design preferences.
8. Rapid Customisation
These are often the ideal selection for homeowners in need of a speedily designed homes.You simply can’t build a dwelling faster.Site built housing can take months to design and build.A manufacturer can design and place a prefab house in a few short weeks. You can pick from just as many different styles as you would a site built home if not more, but don’t have to wait weeks for contractors to build your custom house.
9. Precise Budgeting and Timing
Yet another benefit of these designs is the lack of guesswork involved.You don’t have to worry about how something will look.You know that everything will arrive to the build site complete and you will know the exact outcome. You also don’t need to worry about unexpected expenses, which is commonly the case with site built homes.With a prefabricated house, you know exactly what your home will cost and can control that cost from the point of buying to final construction.This isn’t the case with stick built housing. With stick built housing you also have to worry about surprises in the middle of construction.It isn’t uncommon for example, for a contractor to quit in the middle of a project.If this happens you have few choices.
Your home will sit partially built until you are able to find a new construction team.This alone may cost you valuable time and money.
10. Improved Energy Efficiency
Many prefab houses also come with what manufacturers call the “Energy Star” certification.This is a national company that promotes energy efficiency.Buildings with this label use 30-40 percent less energy yearly than traditional stick built housing.
This saves you time and money.Some key features of prefabricated housing that help improve energy efficiency include tight installation,high performance and weather resistant windows, controlled air systems and duct systems, upgraded air-conditioning and heating units and use of efficient lighting and heating appliances.As a bonus, these features not only save on annual energy costs but also improve the quality of your indoor air. Think energy efficiency isn’t significant?Think again.Over the lifetime of your house you could save thousands of pounds in energy bills by buying a prefabricated dwelling.
11. Design Modification is Easier
Most prefab homemakers now use computer aided design systems when conducting operations.This adds to the efficiency of construction and improves the appearance and architectureof homes.Prefabricated construction ranges from plain vanilla styling to intricate and complex modern designs.
12. On Time and on Budget
Perhaps the two biggest features or benefits of prefabricated housing that manufacturers hone in on are the speed thatthey can be built with and the competitive pricing they can offer on the final product.This is one reason that modular homes are gaining popularity.
13. Appreciate in Value
These dwellings also appreciate much like sitebuilt housing designs.Most homeowners are interested in building value in their house over time.Prefab housing afford you the opportunity to do this (keep in mind however much appreciation is dependent on real estate location).Select a good build site and your house will gain significant value over time. Other factors may also affect appreciation including landscaping and how well the house is cared for year after year.These factors also affect site built housing.Unlike mobile homes, which depreciate, a modular homeowner can expect to gain value from their home year after year. Study after study suggests that modular homes appreciate just as well as site built homes.They are also just as easily insured and financed.
As far as risk goes, you are no more at risk buying prefabricated housing than site built construction.
Modular Home Facts
Modular homes appraise the same as their on-site built counterparts do.
Modular homes can be more easilly customised.
Most modular home companies have their own in-house engineering departments that utilize CAD (Computer Aided Design).
Modular home designs vary in style and size.
Modular homes are permanent structures – “real property.”
Modular homes are considered a form of “Green Building.”
Modular homes are faster to build than a 100% site-built home.
Home loans for modular are the same as if buying a 100% site-built home.
Insuring your modular home is the same as a 100% site-built home.
Modular homes can be built to withstand 175 mph winds.
Modular homes can be built for accessible living and designed for future conveniences.
Would you consider a modular home for yourself, or are you more of a traditionalist?
The term ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ (MMC) embraces a range of technologies involving various forms of prefabrication and off-site assembly.
MMC is increasingly regarded as a realistic means of improving quality, reducing time spent on-site, improving on-site safety and addressing skills shortages in the construction of UK housing.
Bridge Crossing Modern Design
The variety of systems now available potentially allows the designer enough choice to sidestep problems deriving from constraints posed by the use of any one method. MMC systems, from closed-panel timber framed systems to bathroom pods are a palette from which designers can make choices. They are not necessarily stand-alone solutions that anticipate all the needs of an individual site and can be mixed and matched as appropriate.
These limitations are not obstacles to achieving the good design in MMC-based schemes, but may hinder the incorporation of more complex and innovative types of MMC from which greater overall benefits may be obtained which are considered under the following headings:
1. COST UNCERTAINTY
There is no doubt that, given products of comparable performance the key issue in purchases of MMC construction systems is the price. At present not enough is known about the potential costs of using volumetric and closed panel systems to enable confident specification at an early date. This inhibits designers from exploring the full potential of MMC systems. This is particularly true of the less repetitive, small, one-off scheme, where a smaller margin of benefits is gained from using MMC. The principal barrier to the uptake of MMC, therefore, seems to be the perception of cost uncertainty with respect to using more complex systems. Without doing substantial project-specific research, consultants and their clients simply do not know with enough degree of certainty how much the volumetric or closed panel systems are likely to cost, and what would be the savings to overall project costs produced by potential speed gains to offset against increased capital expenditure.
This is due to the complexity of assessing the ratio of cost of repetitive elements where pricing is relatively straightforward to the cost of adjusting elements or building in another method for the abnormal condition. Decisions to use innovative systems are likely to be made once designs are well progressed to enable teams to be more certain of costs. This can increase the potential for change or result in design compromise as the designer attempts to incorporate the specific limitations of a particular system in their design.
In an attempt to improve this situation, the MMC consultant and or clients could pull together a directory of MMC expanded to include cost comparison data. The huge range of variables involved inevitably makes this difficult, but a database of current construction cost information would be an invaluable resource.
Contemporary Building Facade
2. PLANNING PROCESS AND EARLY COMMITMENT TO A SYSTEM
The time it can take to obtain planning permission has obvious implications both for project cost but also, in some circumstances, for architectural design innovation.
Most of the more complex types of MMC have an impact on dimensioning, the choice of external finish and detailing may have some effect on the buildings mass. Therefore, the construction system should be chosen prior to a planning application to avoid abortive work, redesign or amendment, or even resubmission for planning permission.
However, developers whose money is at risk, frequently hold off deciding on the construction technique until the last practicable moment, in order to get any advantage from fluctuations in material or component pricing.
Given the potential for lengthy duration of planning applications, this means that there is little incentive to prepare initial designs for planning with a prior decision to incorporate MMC firmly embedded. In cases where the developer has a financial or business link with the supplier, this is less likely to be the case. As the majority of commercial or residential developments involve some kind of arrangement with a developer, agreement on construction systems is often left to the stage after planning.
3. TIME INVESTMENT
Another very significant factor is the time investment required at the early stages of projects. This is needed to develop the design when the project is still at risk. There is a direct relationship between the scale and complexity of MMC component and the amount of time required to develop a design at an early stage.
The introduction of advanced or complex MMC techniques into the design process is potentially costly to the design team. A significant amount of research is needed to explore alternative systems, to obtain verification of suppliers’credentials, investigate mortgage and insurance issues, visit previous sites, talk to system suppliers, obtain technical performance guidelines, understand junctions and interfaces, coordinate other consultants, obtain building control input and so on.
For a consultant, the only way of investing in this research is either through timely payment of increased fees by a visionary understanding client or through the anticipation of increased future productivity through repetition when a project is phased, or large enough, or likely to be followed by another similar project.
The potential of learning a system and then being able to repeat lessons learned efficiently is a powerful incentive for both client and consultant. By contrast, HTA’ s project at Basingstoke is an example of a phased project with a three to four-year duration allowed the design team to repeat various elements of the design, and the manufacturer to develop improved solutions to technical and supply problems.
HTA’ s project at Basingstoke
4. INSUFFICIENT COMMUNICATION
Improved dialogue at the outset of the project is vital if design quality is to be maximised. Constraints and opportunities implicit within a particular system are more easily incorporated into design if partners communicate pre-planning. Increased early communication can be fostered through improved long-term partnering relationships.
Clients should also partner with a range of suppliers and architects so that choice and flexibility is not restricted.
5. INEXPERIENCE
Generally, the inexperienced client or design team will have to do more research, with the result that there is likely to be significant design development without a specific system being incorporated.
This is a disincentive to using a more complex system involving a higher proportion of MMC, where early decision making and knowledge of a system’ s capabilities have a decisive influence on the nature of the architecture. However, encouraging the take up of MMC through the use of a dedicated funding mechanism may assist clients in finding time for research into suitable MMC techniques.
Dome Construction Berlin
6. SUPPLIER’S ROLE
Site capacity studies and early stage pre-planning design studies could be undertaken directly by system suppliers on behalf of clients, cutting out the usual procedure of commissioning design work by independent consultants.
7. ASSUMPTIONS
There are a number of assumptions that are generally held about certain types of MMC that may have been valid at one time but are no longer true today. There is a need for reliable and up to date information comparing system criteria, performance data, timescales, lead in times, capacity, construction time, sequencing issues, limitations, and benefits.
Therefore it would be helpful if a forum for discussion and experience exchange was set up.
8. DEMONSTRATING THE BENEFITS OF MMC
There is still a large amount of skepticism about the need to go very far down the line with MMC. This is reflected in the acceptance of the desirability of maintaining or indeed enhancing the pool of traditional craft skills throughout the UK.
A balanced view is that there is a demonstrable need for the wider use of MMC which is recognized by both industry and government. The best way for clients and the public generally to become more confident and knowledgeable about the quality of design achievable through MMC is to see it demonstrated.
9. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
There is no doubt that spreading the burden of investment through the life of a project helps to ensure a higher standard of specification and hence quality. In the Netherlands, a ‘ Green Financing’system has been developed by the Dutch government that provides favorable loan finance when certain sustainable standards are reached. In the UK, the Gallions HA has pioneered a study of this, based on a scheme in Thamesmead, ‘ the Ecopark project’.
Eco Park is an eco-friendly business park built on the False Bay coast. This business park is at the cutting-edge of sustainable design and offers a unique working environment in a secure, well-managed facility.
The advent of the ‘megaproject’ is truly upon us as such projects become a key feature of city landscapes.
The Empire State Building, the Panama Canal, the Regatta Hotel in Indonesia – these are just a few of the architectural and infrastructure wonders of the world that you probably take for granted. With the National Geographic putting images on the map and now the Internet fuelling easy access to pics, it’s easy to forget how difficult these projects are for engineers to build. Behind the scenes, much goes on to tackle the making of a magnificent bridge, building or highway and byway. Here are a few such projects that should cause you to sit up and have your breath taken away because of their grandiosity, complexity and stunning beauty.
New York Residential Building
DBOX for CIM Group & Macklowe PropertiesDBOX for CIM Group & Macklowe Properties
Still in the building stages, a residential towel at 432 Park Avenue is set to be one of the most expensive addresses in the U.S. Taller than the Empire State Building by 50 meters, the 426 meter building is considerably large, but plans to host just 104 apartments. Living in the building will cost you, though. If you’ve got $17 million you can start the process of bargaining for an apartment; however, the best apartments are the penthouses that will span an entire floor and go for $82 million or more.
The Panama Canal
Now that the Panama Canal has been in place nearly 100 years, we take for granted how it revolutionised trade and travel. The recent billion dollar improvement projects increased the length and width of the canal, adding more locks at both ends of the passageway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Now that even bigger container vessels can travail the Canal, neighboring Nicaragua is in the planning stages of building its own canal – to the tune of $40 billion. The best and brightest engineers harnessed real ingenuity to figure out how to tame Mother Nature to advance the cause of expanding travel.
Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge, China
Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge, China
Hong Kong’s bridge project is one of the largest most complex in the world and uses a series of tunnels and bridges to connect three major cities: Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau. Costing more than $10 billion to build, it will drive the freight land transport needs of the region as well as facilitate the movement of passengers between the cities. The three-lane bridge and tunnel roadway includes the construction of two artificial islands to accommodate the building of the various roads involved with the project.
These and other architectural projects that defy gravity, plunge the depths of the ground and cover the sea are a wonder to behold. They put the best of human genius to work to solve complex problems such as how to build a bridge over a considerable expanse of water and accommodate tunnels under the water. The creativity of the world’s engineers and architects are put to the test, and they come up as winners every time with projects like the Park Avenue residential building, the Panama Canal and The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. However, the human mind still can’t come close to understanding the vastness of the whole universe. But as we get better at it, we clearly see two things: how tiny and insignificant man is by himself—and just how huge and wonderful is the plan that God most have for us!
