jackbarrelvaultmaclean

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #17

First off, I think my favorite structure we saw in southern France and Spain was the OGC Nice stadium. I think it was cool to see the athletic and historic aspects of France combine into one structure. I also found the stadium and complexes around it to be very nice and visually appealing.

My favorite city that we visited was Barcelona. I think Barcelona differs from many of the other cities we visited prior due to the fact is resembles an American city. I reminded me of the US in a way no other city on this trip was able to.

I think I have been living up to my goals and embracing the cultures that each city has offered. Overall I think I have been embracing Europe well and taking everything in as much as I can.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #16

I believe the Madrid Park is a great investment for the city, and more cities worldwide should take after that sort of design in their city. I think putting a park in the city is a great thing, it gives people who live in small apartments a chance to go outside and enjoy the weather, socialize and get some sort of physical activity in. The park can be put to many uses and is a good thing for any city to invest in.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #15

The biggest difference I found when comparing Barcelona and Madrid was the purpose and meanings of the two cities for Spain.

Barcelona serves as a more tourist-centric city for Spain. The city's attractions draw more people in from around the world and is more of a leisure and fun city to travel.

Madrid is more of a historic and governmental focused city. It is the economic and political capital of Spain. Madrid is more important to the country for its locals, and Barcelona is more important for tourism and a bigger attraction for the international travelers.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #12

While at the Dali museum, one of the things I noticed there was how Dali was able to use an open room as a way of expressing art. In the main room of the museum, none of the sites are at eye level, making visitors look around and take in the space more than they normally would. Another thing I noted in the top picture was the usage of railings, stairs and a wall to help draw more attraction to the space than there would normally be. The rooms of the museum were used to enhance Dali's art and promote the visitor to acknowledge the space more.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #11

Montpelier was a very interesting city in my eyes. One of the things I noticed was the separation between the historical side and the modern sides of the city. The city has a historical area that pays respect to the history and famous cites of the city.

The city is also investing in its future, much like Nice, building housing in the center of the city and making transportation as easy as possible for residents of the city.

Lastly, the city is investing in its future also by trying to combine and innovate the modern area with the historical area, like adding office buildings and hotels in the area to maximize the historical side of the city and tourism.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #10

While visiting the Fondation Maeght, this piece spoke to me and brought me back to my childhood. At my elementary school where I spent 6 years of my childhood, there was a combination of trees that looked like this structure that kids would climb. I had not thought about my elementary school years in a long time, but this piece spoke to me and brought me back to my younger days.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #9

One of the aspects of sustainability I saw in Nice was the evolution of the separation between the road, sidewalk and bike lanes. Creating a safer bike lane and sidewalk will motivate more people to stop car usage.

Another aspect of sustainability in Nice is the building of new neighborhoods with all important stores and shops in walking distance. When discussing the new neighborhood being constructed, it appeared that that all amenities someone may need will be in close proximity to them in Nice.

Lastly, the storm sewage and drains being introduced in Nice are helping with preventing floods, which will improve sustainability in Nice.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog #8

These past few days visiting Italy for the first time, it was a new experience I am extremely grateful for. I would say my favorite city was Florence and my favorite structure was the duomo in Florence. I had heard lots about the city and the duomo prior to visiting and I had really high expectations for them and they did not disappoint. I think I have met my expectations for my trip so far, aside from the class expenditures I have been exploring on my own and immersing myself with the culture.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog Day #7

One lesson that I learned from this morning was how the addition of foliage to the outside of apartment/condo windows can help with boosting happiness and limiting depression. I do not know why more apartment buildings do not do this.

Another lesson I learned was how much the addition of patios/balconies adjust the frame of a building and how much of architects time can go into preparing for that.

The last lesson I learned about urban design is that the main point of urban design is to get people to connect with another. With things such as coffee shops, dog parks and shared areas surrounding all of these buildings, it makes much more sense as to why they are placed there.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog Day #4

While researching the differences between Florence and Rome, what I saw online and in writing I also saw in person while I was in the two cities.

One of the main differences between the two cities is the eras in history they represent. Rome is more known for its ancient history the city provides, which is evident in the Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, Pantheon and many other famous cites. Florence is more known for the Renaissance era history, such as the Duomo and the duomo museum.

A non-historical element of what I noticed between the two cities is that Florence seemed to be much more compact than Rome, with smaller roads and most places we visited being in walking distance, I felt that Florence was less spread out and there were more buildings in a smaller area.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog Day #3

The two structures I chose are the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.

The Trevi Fountain is a very bold and cool structure. One of the things I really liked about the Trevi fountain was how it was sort of built in to the city of Rome and, unlike most American landmarks. I also really liked how different the structure was compared to the buildings around it.

For similar reasons to the Trevi Fountain, I liked how the Pantheon was built into the city and was easily accessible. Another thing I enjoyed about the Pantheon, which is different from the Trevi Fountain, was how the structure sort of blended in with the buildings around it.

Overall, there are some differences and similarities between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, but they both provide a cool and unique style to Rome.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog Day #2

The palimpsest is expressed in the work of Renzo Piano by showing the true form of the work before he eventually worked on it. His architecture uses the palimpsest to show the prior forms of the structure before his work in the Flaminio district.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

Blog Day #1

3 Things I Have Noticed From My First Day in Rome

The first thing that caught my attention was the differences in the bathrooms. I have yet to see a urinal in the men's bathroom and some of the sink faucets are operated with a pedal underneath the sink.

Rome has very little skyscraper buildings from what I have noticed and is a lot less modern than US cities we are accustomed to seeing, it appears much more historic to the eye.

Another main difference from the US is the restaurants. I have noticed that the Italian restaurant's vibe is much different and a lot more of a hang out area than it is a place to get food.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

My favorite building on campus is the School of Communications. The main thing that I like about this building is the modernized look and open area in the middle of the building. The Snow Atrium is my favorite place to get work done due to the natural light it allows in and access to anything you need.

[jackbarrelvaultmaclean]

5 Objectives for Europe Trip

My first objective for this trip is to familiarize myself with all the cool, different types of architecture Europe has to offer and see new types of structures.

My second goal for this trip is to explore Europe and learn about a new culture. Personally, I have never been to Europe and being able to see these new countries is something I am extremely excited to do.

Third, I want to make new friends within the class. This is a cool experience and being able to share it with others will make it more enjoyable.

Another objective I have for Europe is to experience everything the countries have to offer. I am not sure how many times I will be back in any of the cities we visit on the trip and being able to explore all of them is a great opportunity to see and do new things.

Lastly, I want to have fun with the whole process. Like I mentioned before this is a really fun opportunity and a really cool way to visit Europe for the first time. Being able to enjoy the whole process is something I want to do.