Sacred architecture

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Larger than life structures remain at Karnak 3400 years later

Sacred architecture, formerly known as "religious architecture", is concerned with the design and construction of places of worship and/or sacred or intentional space, such as churches, mosques, stupas, synagogues, and temples. Many cultures devoted considerable resources to their sacred architecture, and their places of worship, religion and sacred spaces are amongst the most impressive and permanent monolithic buildings created by humanity. Conversely, sacred architecture as a locale for meta-intimacy may also be non-monolithic, ephemeral and intensely private, personal and non-public.

Sacred, religious and holy structures often evolved over centuries and were the largest buildings in the world, prior to the modern skyscraper. While the various styles employed in sacred architecture sometimes reflected trends in other structures, these styles also remained unique from the contemporary architecture used in other structures. With the rise of monotheism, religious buildings increasingly became centres of worship and meditation.

The Western scholarly discipline of the History of Architecture itself closely follows the history of religious architecture from ancient times until the Baroque period, at least. Sacred geometry, iconography and the use of sophisticated semiotics such as signs, symbols and religious motif are endemic to sacred architecture.

Home Insulation

by: Alex Perry

insulating your home well can save you a small fortune on your energy bills, by cutting the amount of heat you lose through your walls, doors and roof. But should you try to do this home improvement by yourself, or hire someone to do it? This article weighs up the pros and cons of using a professional contractor versus doing it yourself.

The Energy Saving Trust in the UK estimates that the average home can save several hundred pounds off its annual heating bills, and prevent the emission of over two tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, by installing insulation throughout. Insulation is the single biggest measure you can take to cut the amount of energy you use in the home. Plus this will also make the average home more comfortable by making it warmer in winter, and cooler in summer. It’s no wonder that hundreds of thousands of people a year in the UK are getting their homes insulated.

When thinking about insulating your home you are immediately faced with the choice of employing a professional contractor to do it, or attempting a bit of DIY. At first the DIY option can appear tempting. For example, some types of insulation, such as loft insulation, are not normally technically difficult to fit. The materials are readily available in most DIY stores. Plus many people automatically think that DIY is going to be cheaper than employing a professional contractor, because with a contractor you are paying for their labour.

However, in many cases they will be wrong because using a professional contractor is either cheaper or roughly the same cost as DIY. This is because installing insulation in the UK is now heavily subsidised by gas and electricity suppliers, in order that they can meet their carbon emission targets set by the government. These subsidies are funded by the power companies regardless of household income, and currently amount to between 50 and 70% of the cost of having the insulation installed. This usually means that using a contractor becomes price competitive, or in many cases even cheaper, than DIY.

Plus if you receive certain benefits from the government in the UK, you can get your insulation installed by a professional contractor completely free. This is because the government tops up the grants from the energy companies with its own subsidies to cover the entire cost of the work.

As well as financial considerations, there are other reasons why employing a professional contractor can be attractive. Firstly, some types of insulation do require special technical expertise. For example, to install cavity wall insulation – filling the space between your outer walls with insulation material - requires special machinery, as well as training. You should always use a reputable contractor for this. Although not technically difficult, installing loft insulation is often still a challenging DIY job. The working conditions in a loft are often cramped and unpleasant. Employing someone else to go up there is in many cases a much more attractive option!

As well as the technical challenges, DIY can also have a number of safety issues. For example, the mineral wool that is commonly used to insulate lofts can be hazardous. It is extremely important to handle it with care, as it can severely irritate the throat and skin. You need to wear protective clothing, including face mask, safety goggles and gloves. You also need to make sure that you do not expose the living areas of the house to the material, either when you unpack it, or dispose of any waste material.

If you use a reputable contractor, you can be sure that these issues will be taken care of, with much less hassle for you. You also know that the job will be done to a good standard, because of their training and experience. In fact, cavity wall insulation carried out by professionals in the UK comes with a 25 year guarantee if they are registered with the Cavity Wall Guarantee Agency, which most reputable firms are.

Given all of these advantages, we recommend that most people use a professional contractor to get their home insulated. It’s generally competitive on cost or cheaper than DIY, safer, less hassle, and will be done to a high standard if you choose the right contractor. There are many reputable firms who can be accessed through the Internet They will offer you a free no-obligation survey, after which you get a quotation. They also give you access to the attractive grants and subsidies mentioned above. If you like what they tell you, then you can simply go ahead and get a date booked for the work, and look forward to a warmer home and lower heating bills.

Source : www.articlecity.com

Bathroom Renovation Ideas – Preparation and Inspiration

by: Madonna Jeffries

Are you tired of the look of your current bathroom layout and feel that it needs a total upgrade? If so you are one of the many people who don’t particularly like the way their bathroom looks. The bathroom is probably the most overlooked room in your home because most people do not feel that the amount of time they spend there warrants the expenditure of money or energy on undertaking a renovation project.

This is in fact quite wrong as a recent study indicates that women will, on average, spend the equivalent of 2 years and 9 months of their lives standing in front of their bathroom mirror fixing their make up and ensuring that they look 'just right' before venturing out of the house.

In reality the bathroom home improvement is easily the best place to start you renovation work as you can accomplish quite a transformation with a little imagination, a splash of flair and, of course, a few basic building skills. If you are interested in upgrading your bathroom, but really don’t know where to start, do some research so you can consider the options that are open to you.

The ease of undertaking a bathroom renovation is due to the fact that the average bathroom is quite small in size and therefore a fairly modest remodeling program will have some marked results. Most bathroom renovation ideas are often centered on a replacement of wall and floor tiles as well as the inclusion of new fixtures and fittings. Don’t be put off attempting the project if one of your bathroom renovation ideas includes enlarging the space. The chances are that extending the area of you bathroom will not be too difficult as it could be as simple as removing an adjacent closet or a dividing wall. You will be amazed at how even a relatively small increase of the bathroom area can have a remarkable effect on the look and feel of the room.

Summon Up The Courage And Implement Your Bathroom Renovation Ideas!

Don’t be put off by the big jobs - stripping down the entire bathroom may look like a complicated job but, in all reality, it is quite simple and requires little more than some hard labor by you (and maybe a friend or two). If you are ever going to introduce some good bathroom renovation ideas then you have to get out of your comfort zone and learn some of the skills needed to undertake the work.

If you really are a novice when it comes to renovation work, then it may be in your best interest to engage a professional builder for some aspects of the job. This way you can observe how he approaches the job and you should also be able to throw a few relevant questions his way. Take time and study how to operate the particular power tools needed on the job. Quite often you can download from the internet some quite well presented instructional guides which show you how to use various power tools.

Before you start the bathroom home improvement ensure that you put together a realistic costing for your bathroom renovation. Check some of the online specialty bathroom websites and put together a pricing list for the fixtures such as vanity, light and toilet fittings. We all dream about having gold taps and features in our bathrooms, however, the reality check is that the cost for most people would be prohibitive and well beyond their budget.

When deciding on the look of your bathroom just remember that for many people the bathroom is a private get-away where they like to relax and have a little solitude. If you want to create a sense of tranquility then you should consider going with a classic style that incorporates crisp colors with minimal clutter. By doing this you can create a soft feeling of light and space so that your bathroom becomes a welcoming retreat. If, however, you want to make a statement and don’t particularly want to have to queue to get into your bathroom then go crazy with your creativity and splash around as much color as you like.

Before your bathroom remodeling ideas get the better of you be aware that the whole project will take some time and, unless you engage a professional or take time off from work, there may be some inconvenience while you squeeze the work in at night or during the weekends.

A Word Of Caution

Try to adopt a patient approach and don’t be put off if you initially make a few small mistakes. Even the experts make mistakes at times and even the best bathroom renovation ideas have some inherent problems that will need some corrective action at a later date. Be patient and most importantly, be happy with the thought you’re your workable bathroom renovation ideas are not so difficult after all. With a little forward planning and creativity your new look private oasis can transform before your eyes.

Source : www.articlecity.com

Gardening Herb Indoor

by: Tracy Ballisager

As winter sets in, you usually start getting worried about the plants that you have in your garden because they might not be able to fight the frost or resist the chilly winds. This holds true especially for herbs because they are delicate. Indoor herb gardening is the answer to all your worries regarding your garden. And you don't even have to renovate your home to start growing herbs indoors. A widow that faces the South or West direction and allows sunlight for 5 hours in a day will suffice your need for indoor herb gardening. If you are staying in a high-rise apartment and the only greenery that you get to see is the distant park, then indoor herb gardening is good for you and your apartment too.

Thyme, rosemary and mint are good options as starters for your indoor herb garden. You can grow them from cuttings or buy them from a florist. You can get these plants from a supermarket as well. If you want to start your indoor herb garden this way then you need to initially grow the herbs in a soil-less mix of perlite, peat and vermiculite. You get the directions for use on the package or the greenhouse from where you bought the mix.

If you prefer staying away from all that shopping, then you can start your indoor herb gardening with the seeds. To start, you need to get some pots in which you can grow your herbs. A pot with good drainage, especially terracotta or a clay pot is preferable. Small pots of 6" diameter are perfect for indoor gardening as they are small enough to grow compact plants and allow enough growth as well.

You should have pots of same material, shape and size to bring symmetry in your indoor herb garden. The contrast that you desire can come from the colors and shapes of herbs. Also you should plant different herbs in different pots, rather than 2/3 in the same one so that mint and basil do not taste the same. Herbs that can be directly grown from seeds are basil and Greek Oregano. You need to be careful while choosing the seeds. Buy the ones that are specified as 'compact' as the regular ones are difficult to grow indoors because of their size.

To grow your herbs indoors from seeds you need to fill the pots with potting soil that you can get from any florist or greenhouse. Then tuck the seeds in soil to a certain depth as specified on the packet and spray them with water. These pots should be kept on the window shelf facing the southern or western direction to soak up enough sunlight. You should also keep the soil damp, especially if you live in a dry or overheated apartment. You should not over-water your herbs once you see the sprouts, as the roots may rot.

If you have started your indoor herb gardening with cuttings or via transplant, you should allow the soil to dry out a slightly. Your indoor herb garden should get plenty of light but should not be exposed to extreme heat.

Source : www.articlecity.com

Easy And Thrifty Ways To Design

by: Shareen Aguilar

Designing a room for whatever purpose you want it for can now be done easily. You don't need to be an expert or a professional interior designer or decorator to be able to create a dramatic change with an artistic approach in your own space or probably, a room in your house. You don't need to really spend a big amount of money to get that million dollar look in to your own room either. You just have to maintain a good level of creativity and the passion to really achieve the look that you want for your room.

First of all, make sure that you clean the room that is involved. Throw out all the old stuff that you have and bring in the new ones. If you have new stuff together with the new ones, you can separate them or better yet; keep the old ones stacked in a room and leave the new ones behind. You really don't need to clutter a room with so many things. Sometimes, it's better to only see a few organized things. It creates a soothing feeling.

Play with the different colors and sizes of pillows. Put them on your furnitures. Fluffy throw pillows are a chair's or sofa's best friends. They never fail to emphasize a simple structure of a sofa for instance with their great patterns and color combination.

Organize the things you think you will always need. Since they need to be readily available for you, put them in a fancy container within reach. This way, it won't obstruct with the color or look of the rest of the room.

Rearranging the furnitures in a room also offers more option for you. Try out different arrangements before settling what you like best. Do a proper comparison. This way, you will see which arrangement is better for the makeover that you are trying to pull.

Rugs! Don't ever forget to utilize rugs to maximum level. That is, when you already have placed properly the necessary wall décor, curtains and even lamps to its proper places. Rugs, should also blend with the entire concept but it can also contrast with the furnitures. Whichever way you prefer, make sure that it does look good.

These steps aren't very difficult to do and don't even take an entire day to finish. Make sure you maintain this look until you decide on changing it again.

The most efficient way of designing a room in your house is to first experiment with the furniture and current decoration that you already have in it. Yes, experimenting with the different elements that are within your reach before deciding for a life-changing interior design is what any person should do first-hand.

The reason is simple. It prevents an individual from spending money on a concept that won't be as effective as the original idea. Play around and rearrange the furniture to different positions and angles. From there, think about how you would like the room to look. You can even conceptualize the entire look of a room to how it should connect to the next room so it doesn't appear as if it is the only furnished space in the entire house.

If you are planning to change the paint of the wall as well; you might want to test a small portion of the desired color to a small area. Doing it this way first is also convenient and cost-efficient because if the paint either didn't turn out the desired color you wanted (when dry) or meet your expectations in filling the room as desired; you wouldn't regret it for wasting your money on nothing.

Still related to colors but on lighting this time, take a look at your room. The windows and the doors will serve as passageways for the outdoor light to illuminate your room. This will also affect whatever color you want to paint your walls. Make sure, above everything else, that the color you want to use doesn't contradict the natural lighting of the room.

As for the right drapes or curtains, don't ever think that the color green or purple or white is enough to inform the sales person that it is the exact color you want to bring home. To make sure you don't order or purchase the incorrect color for your curtains, and to relieve you from any headache as well; simply bring with you a fabric that has the exact color that you desire. This will also lessen the problem for the salesperson you are going to deal with.

Materials that are used for interior designing nowadays are getting expensive and it does take a lot of thinking and shopping around to find the right one for your concept. The tips mentioned are going to help in making interior designing by yourself easier without busting your budget.

source : www.articlecity.com

Architecture Today

Part of the architectural profession, and also some non-architects, responded to Modernism and Postmodernism by going to what they considered the root of the problem. They felt that architecture was not a personal philosophical or aesthetic pursuit by individualists; rather it had to consider everyday needs of people and use technology to give a livable environment. The Design Methodology Movement involving people such as Christopher Alexander started searching for more people-oriented designs. Extensive studies on areas such as behavioral, environmental, and social sciences were done and started informing the design process.

As many other concerns began to be recognized and the complexity of buildings began to increase (in terms of aspects such as structural systems, services and technologies), architecture started becoming more multi-disciplinary than ever. Architecture today usually requires a team of specialist professionals, with the architect being one of many, although usually the team leader.

During the last two decades of the twentieth century and into the new millennium, the field of architecture saw the rise of specializations within the profession itself by project type, technological expertise or project delivery methods. In addition, there has been an increased separation of the 'design' architect^[a] from the 'project' architect^[b] within some architectural office collaborations.

One of most significant recent developments in the profession is the mainstreaming of sustainability. Sustainability in architecture was pioneered in the 1970s by architects such as Ian McHarg in the US and Brenda and Robert Vale in the UK and New Zealand. The acceleration in numbers of buildings which seek to meet sustainable design principles is inline with a growing world-wide awareness of the risks of climate change. It is now widely expected of an architect that they will integrate sustainable principles into their projects. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture) Photo by Santiago Calatrava

Modernism and Reaction of Architecture

The dissatisfaction with such a general situation at the turn of the twentieth century gave rise to many new lines of thought that served as precursors to Modern Architecture. Notable among these is the Deutscher Werkbund, formed in 1907 to produce better quality machine made objects. The rise of the profession of industrial design is usually placed here.

Following this lead, the Bauhaus school, founded in Germany in 1919, consciously rejected history and looked at architecture as a synthesis of art, craft, and technology.

When Modern architecture was first practiced, it was an avant-garde movement with moral, philosophical, and aesthetic underpinnings. Immediately after World War I, pioneering modernist architects sought to develop a completely new style appropriate for a new post-war social and economic order, focused on meeting the needs of the middle and working classes. They rejected the architectural practice of the academic refinement of historical styles which served the rapidly declining aristocratic order.

Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The approach of the Modernist architects was to reduce buildings to pure forms, removing historical references and ornament in favor of functionalist details. Buildings that displayed their construction and structure, exposing steel beams and concrete surfaces instead of hiding them behind traditional forms, were seen as beautiful in their own right. Architects such as Mies van der Rohe worked to create beauty based on the inherent qualities of building materials and modern construction techniques, trading traditional historic forms for simplified geometric forms, celebrating the new means and methods made possible by the Industrial Revolution.

Many architects resisted Modernism, finding it devoid of the decorative richness of ornamented styles. As the founders of the International Style lost influence in the late 1970s, PostmodernismRobert Venturi's contention that a "decorated shed" (an ordinary building which is functionally designed inside and embellished on the outside) was better than a "duck" (a building in which the whole form and its function are tied together) gives an idea of this approach. developed as a reaction against the austerity of Modernism. (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture)