Architectural English, Week 8: Sydney Opera House (May 26, 2016)
A. Study for the mid-term exam. The midterm exam will be on June 9.
B. Choose two buildings and write a five-paragraph essay comparing them in terms of three things.
1. The essay should be five paragraphs:
introductory paragraph + three body paragraphs + concluding paragraph
2. Topic: Choose three items from this list for the comparison.
Architectural English, Week 8: Sydney Opera House (May 26, 2016)
* Location
city, country, landscape, ground type, impression given by the location, difficulties in construction, relationship between location and design…
* Purpose
main purpose, other purposes, changes in purpose or use over time, degree to which the building fulfills its purpose…
* Style
architectural movement/school, design features, impression of style, purpose of choosing that style, difficulties in construction, awards or other evaluations, criticisms, structural features, foundation, influence on other buildings…
* History
connection to any famous people, connection to historical events, changes in use over time, landmark status, damage, renovations/reconstructions, influence on other buildings…
* Architect
name, country, brief personal history, importance of the building to this person’s overall work, reputation, criticisms, design philosophy
3. The essay must include the following information:
- architectural style
- name of architect or construction company
- at least two citations (quotes or paraphrase; NOT “Wikipedia”)
- two photos, with a citation for each (NOT “Wikipedia”)
Architectural English, Week 8: Sydney Opera House (May 26, 2016)
4. Forbidden! 禁止リスト!
* towers (Sapporo TV Tower, Eiffel, Tokyo Sky Tree, etc.)
* Hakucho Bridge
* Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge
* Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)
* Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family (SagradaFamilia)
* pyramids (Louvre, Giza, etc.)
* any building we’ve studied in class
5. Introductory paragraph example:
The Temple of the Buddha is a 12th century religious building next to the Irrawaddy River in Pagan, Myanmar. The Eiffel Tower is a famous iron tower in the heart of Paris. Here, I compare them in terms of location, architect and style.
C. Print out the essay checklist and complete it by hand.Hand in the checklist and a printed copy of your essay on June 9.
注意If you do not properly cite your sources, you will need to pick to other buildings and start again.
D. The checklist is below.
CHECKLIST
Your name: ______
Essay Checklist Due June 9
__✓_ 0. I typed my essay,gave a printed copy to Mike O’Connell and kept a copy.
_____ 1. My essay includesall of the following information: 1. architectural styles, 2. names of architectsand/or construction companies, 3. citations (quotes or paraphrase; NOT Wikipedia), 4. two photos,with a caption and citation for each (NOT Wikipedia).
_____ 2. My margins are 24 mm at top and bottom, and 26 mm at left and right.
_____ 3. My title is in 11-point Ariel bold font, centered at the top.
_____ 4. My name (Taro SUZUKI) is on the next line in 10-point Ariel plain font, centered.
_____ 5. My affiliation (Hokkaido University Department of Civil Engineering) is on the next line in 10-point Ariel italic font, centered.
_____ 6. The next line is a space.
_____ 7. My essay body is in 11-point Times New Roman plain font, left-right justified.
_____ 8. There is one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs and one concluding paragraph, with space between each paragraph.
_____ 9. The paragraphs are not indented.
_____ 10. Any foreign words are in italics, with an English explanation after them.
_____ 11. All sources of detailed information are cited, including sources of images.
_____ 12. My title matches my text.
_____ 13. The word count is at the bottom, and it is between 300 and 350 words.
_____ 14. I have used Microsoft Word spellcheck and grammar check.
SAMPLE ESSAY (note): This essay discusses one building, and the topic is slightly different. Your essay must compare two buildings in terms of three aspects.
House O, Sou Fujimoto
by Michael O’Connell
Hokkaido University Department of Civil Engineering
House O was a concrete vacation home dramatically positioned to take advantage of its location on a rocky coast in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The layout takes the form of a branching tree whose angles divide the interior space without the need for interior walls or partitions.
Hokkaido-born architect Sou Fujimoto says the idea was for each branch, or “box”, within the structure to give a different scenic view. “I wanted to create a feeling of looking out from the recesses of a cave,” Fujimoto told C+A magazine. This is the essence of Fujimoto’s style, which he describes as “‘primitive future’, a sort of primitive situation that relates to human ‘cave’habitation,” according to the Designboom website. “But at the same time, I like to create somethingnew for the future,” he adds.
A visitor to the site first encounters monolithic concrete without windows or doors. Taking a cue from the rocky location, the exterior uses rough-surfaced concrete that was cast in rough timber forms. As one advances into the building, one progresses from stone to white timber to straw tatami matting.
World Buildings Online quotes the architect: “One can say that the house is akin toa walking trail along the coast; one could happen bya panoramic view, sometimes feel the ocean at the back or find the ocean through a small gap. And comfortable spaces to settleare scattered along the trail. Those spaces are the original images for this project.” The white exterior has a clean look.
In the end, its location was its undoing. House O stood for only three years before being destroyed in the devastating 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. It shows that architects must consider the location not just in terms of appearance, but also in terms of dangers arising from the site conditions.
Architectural English, Week 8: Sydney Opera House (May 26, 2016)
Photo 1: Floor-to-ceiling glass for dramatic views (Source: Inthralld)
Photo 2: The “branching tree” layout (top perspective) (Source: Inthralld)
Architectural English, Week 8: Sydney Opera House (May 26, 2016)
(301 words)