Module 7 // Architecture

I viewed two videos:

• Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture
• Architecture: The Science of Design

I will answer the following questions pertaining to the two videos,

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

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

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

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

• In the first video, Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture, I learned quite a bit about what efforts are being made to make the built environment more sustainable and to have a low environmental footprint. Climate Change is catalyzing this process as it means we must address these issues, and we can do this while also adhering to architectural principles. We can do this by taking advantage of the natural elements, such as using natural light as much as possible or using solar and geothermal technologies to power and heat buildings. Repurposing old buildings, making them efficient or using local and renewable materials such as wood are also ways a building can lower its footprint. The goal is to create maximum efficiency while also using as little precious resources as possible. 
• The second video I saw was Architecture: The Science of Design. The video also discusses our modern society, how we tend to develop in dense urban centers, and that when our areas become so dense we must build upwards as land costs increase. I also appreciated the Smart Home segment, although this video is quite dated (I think 1990), I really was fascinated by the technology they used then. They had some very strong predictions and I think we are headed into a direction where we have the ability to control things in are homes easier. They featured a voice controlled client that can control lights and other appliances and I can't help but think about how we today have developed on that with technologies such as Alexa and Siri. They also discussed how buildings take advantage of computerized management systems in order to use resources such as power, heat and lighting as efficiently as possible. The video also discussed the importance of concrete, the different types of concretes and their applications and how it will continue to be an ever more important construction material in the future. Although the video was a little dated, I still found all of their points to be relevant.
• I found the points made in the video to be reflective of what was discussed in the textbook. Although the videos did not discuss much about the historical aspects of architecture, they did discuss things that were stated later in the chapter in the textbook. Especially when it came to modern architecture and the techniques we use today to increase efficiency and lower footprint. 
• I enjoyed the films, I think they give me insight as to what to expect in the future. As a planning student, sustainable developments and creating a built environment that is both enjoyable and efficient is very important to me and I think these videos provided good tips. 
• I chose the two films because I find the technical aspects to the subject, I also find the history of it to be fascinating but it is so interesting to see real world applications and how the are subjected to the natural environments.