Architecture

Towers, teepees, castles, and condominiums – some kind of planning goes into all buildings, no matter how big or small. Architects are people who design buildings, and the areas around buildings. Usually architects draw on a computer or a big desk (a drawing board). The plans show the dimensions of all parts of a building. Architects try to design with the purpose of the building in mind, but even buildings used for the same thing can look very different.

Normally buildings are a lot more than boxes. Architects use different shapes and materials to make buildings unique. Columns, arches, and different holes (windows and doors) give a building a personality while being useful at the same time. Wood looks cozy, while steel looks cool. Rounded shapes look soft, and angled shapes look hard. Architects use different shapes and materials to create a feeling or mood while keeping the building useful for people.

Be constructive – watch the “Architecture” episode.

The Big Ideas

• Architecture is the design of buildings and the areas around them
• Architects use different shapes and materials in their design
• Architects design buildings and spaces to be useful and to affect the senses.

Did You Know That?

• The biggest building in the world, Hong Kong’s Asia Terminals freight station, measures 865,930 square meters (9,320,867 square feet)?
• The West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, is the largest mall in the world? There are 800 stores and a parking lot for 20,000 cars.
• Strahov Stadium, in Czechoslovakia, is the world’s biggest stadium? It can hold 240,000 spectators and 40,000 performing gymnasts.

Books of Science!

• “Round Buildings, Square Buildings, and Buildings That Wriggle Like a Fish” by Philip M. Isaacson. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.
• “Architecture” by Richard Wood. Published by Thomson Learning, 1995.