Joeseph Strauss

Joseph Strauss caught my eye because he is the engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge. I realize that his title may not include 'architect' but it takes a great deal of architectural ingenuity to design and construct a bridge of such great difficulty.

"He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to an artistic family of German origin, having a mother who was a pianist and a father who was a writer and painter.^[1] He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1892, serving as both class poet and president. Strauss was a founding member of the chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity while at the University of Cincinnati. Strauss graduated with a degree in economics and business." (www.wikipedia.org)

After his graduation from Cincinnati, he began work on bascule bridges under the firm of  Ralph Modjeski. Besides the Golden Gate Bridge, Strauss designed the Burnside Bridge and the Lewis and Clark Bridge. Strauss died a year after the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge. He died in Los Angeles, California.

Joseph B. Strauss Memorial (flickr.com)

Final Exam Link

http://my.RCampus.com/tstonie11

Green Architecture

Green Architecture or Sustainable Architecture is a modern approach to architecture that deals with the environmental and political issues of the current time. The details include the ecological and efficient design of every bulding or structure as well as designing the buildings with energy and environmental concerns. This is a relatively new and fast spreading take on architecture.

(landscape-painting.org)



(robaid.com)

Frank Lloyd Wright (1887-1959)

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Wisconsin in 1867. His mother was a great influence on his thourough education encouraging him to learn art, music, and take intrest in nature. This intrest in nature is what characterizes Wright's work with his buildings encorporating the nature surrounding the building. Another intrest Wright took up as a young child was geometry which also characterized his work. This mastery in geometry allowed for Wright to expand common shaped of buildings and set the first form of American architecture. Wright did not like the fact that all previous and current architectural forms were originating in Europe and so he created the first true American form. Although he wanted a strictly new American form, Wright did draw some of his inspiration from Japan and visited frequently. Frank Lloyd Wright is the most influencial architect in history and set the standard for architectural excellence.

(en.wikipedia.org)

Post Modern Architecture

Post Modern Architecture was certified as a style of architecture in the 1970's but continues its influence into todays architecture. This style is heralded by the return of wit, ornament, and reference and is a sort of melting pot of previous styles of architecture. This mosaic of styles took familiar classic styles and twisted them to form a new style of uniqueness. "Perhaps most obviously, architects rediscovered the expressive and symbolic value of architectural elements and forms that had evolved through centuries of building which had been abandoned by the modern style." (http://www.wikipedia.org/) Post Modern Architecture is also well known as neo-eclectic and is characterized by unusual angles and textures. Modern architects think of Post Modern buildings as vulgar and resemble shopping malls, but nonetheless Post Modern Architecture was an important stepping stone in the design of our current world in the structural sense.

(engagingplaces.org.uk)


(activerain.com)

Bridge Structure (cont)

I have not made contact with Mrs. Lafasciano yet, im not sure if I will or not yet. I have all the materials I need but thank you!

Bauhaus Architecture

Bauhaus architecture, whose founding father was Walter Gropius, developed in Germany in the 1920s and later in the U.S., in the 1930s. The American form of this architectural style was dubbed the International Style after Gropius, Mies van der Rohe and other leaders of Bauhaus migrated to the U.S., with the Nazi’s growing influence. The Bauhaus school in Dessau was closed on April 11th, 1933, by the police, at the insistence of the National Socialist government. (jewishvirtuallibrary.org) Bauhaus buildings are usually cubic which means many right angles, they have smooth facades and open floor plans.

(thecornerreport.com)