Business and Sustainable Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business and Sustainable Development - Essay Example Thus, both government and business are faced with huge challenges of issues related to climate change and global warming across the globe. Changing climate and global warming Climate change broadly refers to drastic change in weather conditions that adversely impact the living conditions across the globe. The recent changes observed in the global climate have become a huge concern for the environmentalists. The last few years have seen long and hot summers in Australia and Europe. The rising of sea levels at alarming rate due to melting of Antarctica and arctic oceans and climate related disasters are few of the repercussions of using natural resources with little or no sense of responsibility. Pielke et al (2003) assert that climate change that causes extreme weather conditions and natural calamities is much greater in regions having poor infrastructure, huge populations etc. In the recent times, the huge damage to the coral reefs and their gradual decline has been a great concern t o the scientists. Wilkinson (2002) claims that about 30% of coral reefs are already seriously damaged and close to 60% may be lost by 2030. This is highly distressing because coral reefs are major facilitator of ecosystem services to the human societies. They contribute through industries like fisheries, coastal protection, building materials, new biochemical compounds, and tourism (Hoegh-Guldberg, et al, 2007). Thus, threat to their existence would not only have adverse impact on environment leading to climate change but would also have long term repercussions on the survival of human societies. Drivers of climate change Dyson (2005) says that economic development is correlated to the fossil energy – coal, oil and natural gas. The industrial revolution has been a catalyst to the exploitation of natural resources like coal, wood and other types of natural resources. The technological advancements and globalization has further accelerated the misuse of the same. The conservati on and preservation of natural resources become vital part of survival because they are important part of population dynamics as its sustenance depends on the available resources. Indeed, human threats to the environment incorporate significant factors that are intrinsic part of development process. Social scientists have contested that various drivers of climate change contribute towards sustenance of life forces and determine the characteristics of natural and managed system comprising of cryosphere, hydrology and water resources, marine and freshwater biological systems, terrestrial biological systems, agriculture and forestry etc. (Parmesan and Yohe, 2003; Thomas et al., 2004). Managed system broadly refers to systems that are dominated by considerable human input like agriculture, fisheries, health etc. Another important fact is that an unprecedented increase in population growth in the last quarter has introduced new challenges in its wake. While it has put great burden on the land resources, availability of the other natural resources like clean drinking water and fresh air have also been adversely impacted. Carbon emissions, green house effects etc. are also key factors that have direct impact on climate change leading to global warming and erratic weather schedule. Management

Feature of a just society Essay Example for Free

Feature of a just society Essay Assess whether an unequal distribution of property between individuals could be a feature of a just society? (50 marks) By a ‘just society’ we are referring to the principle of people getting what they deserve – or desert theory. Those such as Nozick believe that individuals have an absolute right to property of income that they themselves create; Marx outlined his belief in absolute equality; Rawls, however, is the only philosopher able to claim the middle ground and suggest a sensible solution: claiming that an unequal distribution of property can, with certain constraints, benefit the poorest in society. Nozick’s view on the distribution of property focuses on the issue of how it came about. Self-ownership of one’s own talents and abilities is key to his way of thinking. If, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo asked his football club to pay him 25p for each ticket sold, the fans being happy to pay the extra, and 400,000 people watched him play that season – then he would be ? 10,000,000 better off. This is perfectly just according to Nozick, since Ronaldo is using his own talents to make money; which the fans voluntarily gave to him. However, in some philosophers eyes, this would be seen as unjust is Ronaldo was allowed to keep all, or even any, of that money. Be that as it may, Nozick stated that people were ‘ends in themselves’ and any attempt to use them in ways they don’t agree to = even for some ‘greater good’ – would violate their liberty. Such as example would be taxation. People, thus, have a right to own what they produce: conservatives would even argue that property becomes part of a person’s personality. The only constraints Nozick places on property is that it should be ‘justly acquired’ (not stolen or gained via the forced labour of others), ‘justly transferred’ (fair price given – not cheated or robbed), and the ‘rectification of injustice’ (giving back property that was stolen or otherwise unjustly taken). If one were to accept Nozick’s view, the result would be a society with huge economic inequalities. There is also the problem with individuals, through no fault of their own, not being able to support themselves. Relying on philanthropy and personal savings that one has been able to save doesn’t seem ‘just’ – especially if one is a pauper and kept at the mercy of the bourgeoisie. In this sense a worker may accept a wage cut, but how much true liberty do they have in making this decision? It could be argued in a society which has no ‘safety net’ welfare system, very little. Nozick goes onto state that we have ‘self-ownership’ of the things we create. This would therefore suggest that the proletariat working in factories, and the like, would have a right to what they produce since they have mixed their labour with it. But in a capitalist society, which Nozick supports, this would be, and is, the case. There therefore seems to be a rule for some and another for others with Nozick’s idea of ‘self-ownership’, which seriously undermines the legitimacy of his justice. Furthermore, history shows us that a great deal of initial acquisition of property was unjust: based on theft, slavery and colonisation. All property that derives from unjust acquisition being unjustly held, one does not have the right to transfer said property, nor does the recipient have the right to what they are receiving. It would, moreover, prove very difficult, if not impossible, to rectify the injustice of the past, as Nozick thinks one should do, since we have no way of establishing what belongs to who in many cases. The conclusion we are forced to draw is that Nozick’s theory has no application if we cannot start from a just beginning. Marx, on the other hand, focused on the plight of the proletariat, who, having nothing but their labours to sell are exploited by the bourgeoisie; who are in turn protected by the state which keeps private property legal: allowing a small number of individuals to own the ‘commanding heights’ or means of production. In such circumstances people cannot make use of their right to ‘self-ownership’ as Nozick claims, for they are creating items for the profit of the bourgeois and not themselves. Marx therefor believed in a needs based theory of justice. This would entail the abolition of private property and see that every man, woman and child gets what they need and gives what they can. The principle can be summed up as thus, â€Å"from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. † Property does, however, seem to come naturally to human beings with philosophers such as John Locke claiming it is a ‘Natural Right’. When one takes the liberal view that we are rational, self-seeking, egotistical beings, it only seems right that the acquisition of property should follow. It is also true that the large percentages of the states in the world are run this way. Though this on its own cannot justify private property, it does heavily suggest that there will always be a place for private property no matter what your vison of the ‘prefect’ society is. Furthermore, one could argue that private property offers the allure of material success that motivates people to work. Even if one does not buy this argument, Rawls claimed that injustice in the distribution of property in society can work to the advantage to the poorest in society – via a welfare state etc. Rawls invented the ‘veil of ignorance’ to prove in the ‘original position’ what justice should be. As virtue of us, humans, being free rational beings, we would consent to a free market state, but only as long as rights were guaranteed and protection for the poor put in place. For the freedom to starve is no freedom at all. We would agree to these conditions for human life, since we would not know, in theory, what our race, creed, religion, talents, opinions or health would be in advance. In this sense it is reasonable to assume that we are rational egotistical beings, for it makes sense, and is in our own self-interest, to want these conditions. As for the capitalist free market aspect, wealth creation can be the only means by which the poorest in society can benefit; via the state taxing the rich and redistributing some of it to the poor. In this hypothetical situation we would have legal and foundational equality, as well as equality of opportunity. No one should be disadvantaged by the outcome of natural chance, the contingency of circumstances or choice of principles. In this light, the racist and the liberal would both be permitted to criticise each other; prevented from physically harming each other; and neither allowed to alter or remove foundational equality from the constitution. Importantly, Rawls thinks that once a certain level of martial wealth has been acquired (? 26,000 a year in the UK), then we would value such legal and foundational rights more; as well as basic liberties such as freedom of speech and association. Thus liberty will be preferred to less liberty, but greater wealth. This leads to Rawls’ ‘difference principle’, that we would choose to maximise the minimum level of welfare. This would create a society with a smaller gap between the rich and the poor, but also a smaller average wealth. One can object to this and state that it makes more sense to maximise the average level of wealth, especially if there is equality of opportunity meaning that one can improve oneself. However, one could imagine a society which is less prosperous, but more ‘just’ –something based alone the lines of Marx’s desert theory. Conversely, however, justice, in terms of the distribution of property, actually comes from prosperity and wealth creation gained and produced by some, so that others can benefit from the resulting taxation of said people. In conclusion, only Rawls can offer a theory of justice that appears sensible to the rational egotistical being; as well as avoiding the un-pragmatic approaches of Marx and Nozick. Even is one does not accept Rawls’ theory of justice – for one may be very rich and have lots of land – then at least it shows one what justice should look like.

Role of Computers in Architectural Design Process

Role of Computers in Architectural Design Process Introduction Outline Intentions The intention of my research is to investigate the role computers play as a visualization and representational tool in the architectural design process. The thesis proposes to ascertain an appropriate understanding of our experience of the emergent digital realms.This involves investigating the need to visualize a building before it is created in practice and the degree to which CAD programs are used as a design tool as a means of testing and evaluating architectural processes. As part of examining the benefits computers has in the field of architecture I assessed the degree to which they have distanced the practitioners in architecture from hand drawings and physical model making and how virtual architecture could be detrimental to the disciplinary field Involving the emergence of paper architecture showing theoretical proposals using visualizations. Many architects believe that the traditional hand renderings and conceptual sketches have now become a lost art to the cost of archit ectural design. The research examines how these digital technologies help architects to design and how visualizations act as a way of communication between client and designer. This involves researching into architectural graphics as a marketing tool and looking into the future of computational methods as a visual and development tool for building design. The question will therefore be proposed of whether architects and designers have maintained the hands on approach associated with the discipline, or whether this has been abandoned in favor of computer graphics as a visual tool. Are computers taking away from the traditional methods and if so what are their advantages to the discipline? Methodology To assess the degree to which CAD software helps architectural design firms, I looked at two firms which rely heavily on CAD software as a design tool and one firm, which not only believe in a traditional approach, but use predominantly models and hand drawings for conceptual stages. This involved assessing critics views, personal judgment and analyzing the pathways they took in relation to initial brief and concepts to construction stages. The three case studies selected are intended to show the varied use of computing software and its adaption to various styles of office organization and philosophies. A description of the three firms working methods is analyzed and comparisons drawn against these case studies focusing on the diverse working methods. The study then formed the basis of a conclusion in which a summary of the results is documented. Chapter 1:   Literature Review of Current Computation Trends What should be the exact scope of the computer involvement within the architectural discourse? This question has been present since the beginning of the use of computer aided architecture software. It is notable that many of the designs we see in todays architectural world could not have been achieved without use of computer visualizations and extensive 3D graphics, However the question of how much should computation techniques be used is always present. Will the age old two dimensional flattened image give way to the intelligent three dimensional digital models as a way of communication? As apparently simple as this question might be, the answers are considerably more complex. An architect throughout the ages has communicated via a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. They have quick ability to identify their projects functioning and particularities with a simple doodle.   This method of working has not changed.   However according to Vesselin Gueorguiev (2008, p.6) the architectural and design visualization industry is predicted to grow by 23% over the next 7 years'[2].   A new generation of structures and concepts is being created that recognizes the computer not only as a drafting and rendering tool, but also as a potentially powerful tool in the generation of designs themselves; in other words an intelligent drafting machine.   With the use of 3D modeling, renderings and visualizations, an architect has an excellent opportunity to play with your imaginations or thoughts, enabling the creation of pieces of architecture that could never have been rationalized with the use of pen and paper technique alone.   An increasing number of digital designs are now being published and praised by critics as meaningful and influential to the architectural field.   This emergence of paper and theoretical architecture is rapidly expanding with many architects adopting a research approach to practice, led dominantly by computers as a means of experimenting in forms, aesthetics and expressing the investigations achieved.   Helen Castle for instance describes how cities shapes might be grown in digital laboratories in order to aid evolved urban design (2009, p.4)'[3].   Evidence of this is shown in Figure 1 showing a digitally produced master-plan for a carbon-neutral resort and residential development on Zira Island in the Caspian Sea.   For a long time architecture was thought of as a solid reality and entity: buildings, objects, matter, place and a set of geometric relationships.   But recently, architects have begun to understand their products as liquid, animating their bodies, hyper-surfacing their walls, crossbreeding different locations, experimenting with new geometries.   And this is only the beginning (2005, p.22)[4]. It is undoubtedly evident that advanced rendering and 3D systems can help to envisage of what architecture might be, however the computer is not a human being and should not be treated as such.   Ultimately it is the architect who is controlling the ideas, programming and concepts and the computer merely facilitates instructions. Therefore the computer is just a way of copying, simulating or replacing manual methods of design, simply a tool to replace the pencil.   Kosta Terzidis concurs with the argument stating that unlike humans, computers are not aware of their environment (2006, p.37)[5].   In this computer age, architects are constantly striving to generate and introduce a new way of thinking about design.   The problem is that often neither the designer is aware of the possibilities that conceptual schemes can produce nor the software packages are able to predict the moves or personality of individual designers.   The result therefore is that the computer is used mor e as a medium of expression rather than a structural foundation for architectural experimentation.   Has the emergence of digital realms as a result of computer formulated design led to architecture being produced as a mass media image rather than a piece of beautifully crafted, functional and creative architecture? Architects such as Beatriz Colomina took the subject of media of architecture as an exhibition piece from the 1920s to the 1950s, therefore this fanciful image of architecture was not just brought to light by the digital age.   This notion of extremely visual 3D architecture has however been condemned by many critics, with many believing that the actual computer image is surpassing the reality of the building itself.   Branko Kolarevic points out the problem that; There seems to be a sense among the generation of school leavers that because they have mastered a software they are sufficient as architects, and they almost immediately seem to be leaving to set up their own practice, which usually turns into a graphics company for websites (2005, p.70).[6] The notion of using computers more as a marketing tool is very prominent in todays culture.   This is especially important in times of economic recession where every niche a practice has will be exploited to offer a more attractive service to the client.   Images sell buildings.   As a result, many architecture graduates are employed solely to use their skills of computer renderings rather than their knowledge of design; in effect turning into CAD monkeys and simply key based operators rather than architects.   The perception that computer graphics is enhancing buildings is viewed as a myth by many.   As [8] to simply draft the drawings required and preparing a project for construction and tender documentation.    For many designers, the computer is just an advanced tool running programs that enable them to produce sophisticated forms and to better control the realization of a design.   Critic Kosta Terzidis states that, whatever capabilities a computer may have it lacks any level of criticality and its visual effects are nothing but mindless connections to be interrupted by a human designer (2006, p.48).[9]   I agree with this point as to fully determine a solution; an architect should be intrinsically linked with their proposal via physical models, sketches and general hands on approaches.   A computer does not have the ability to reflect and respond to an environment set by the user; in other words the computer output is simply a response to the designers input.   Due to the nature of complexity in many 3D programs, architects can become lost in their designs with a loss of control over the fundamental solution to the problem.   Balakrishnan Chandrasekaran from Ohio State University states the very vagueness and ambiguity of sketches plays an important role in the early stages of design (2007, p.65),[10] see figure 2, which explains with the use of color to highlight the dominant architectural elements. It is vitally important that we do not loose this affinity with sketching that our architectural discourse has been built on.   In this digital age the benefits computers can bring to the design process is profound however, we must not let computers control architecture.   Let humans control architecture and allow a combination of sketches, CAD or virtual models and computation control our future worlds.  Ã‚  Ã‚   However the terms, concepts and processes that seem inconceivable, unpredictable and impossible by a designer can be explored, implemented and tested into new design strategies and solutions within the digital world.   This experimentation has given rise to new design processes and concepts such as genetic algorithms, parametric design and isomorphic surfaces.   Branko Kolarevic (2005) makes the argument that; Digitally driven processes, characterized by dynamic open-ended and unpredictable but consistent transformations of three dimensional structures, are giving rise to new architectonic possibilities (2005, p. 2).[11] CAD programs assist in helping an idea to be physically realizable creating a new dynamic solution.   Computers simply assist in reinforcing our creativity and making us capable of doing things, which would be considered impossible by traditional means.   This rise of algorithmic design as a result of digital design may be particularly beneficial to that of urban master planning for the future of our cities.   Michael Batty for example talks about algorithms stating: This new species has mutated the way man perceives architecture and his place within it.   It has allowed a different thought process to be applied to how we exist in this world, and how we build up the world around us, and how the world builds itself (2009, p. 47).[12] From this quote it can be said that 3D visual programs can help us understand and analyze our cities and enable the designers to navigate them in new ways and pave a better way for the future.   However this notion of a digital city is merely conceptual at this point with Planners being unaware of the possibilities of new interventions derived from 3D analysis.   Therefore the spatial development of a digital city at this point in time is still untried, considered unresolved and unaware if the digital mutations emerging from our computers actually work functionally. In conclusion this chapter has emphasized that;all that is digital need not be a Trojan horse of marketisation and all theoreticians and designers that have embraced computer based design and manufacturing need not be neo-capitalistic zealots; Anthony Vidler (2008, p.111).[13] The emergence of computer simulation programs can open up new possibilities of design and push architectural skills in a direction previously not possible via pen and paper.   It is enlightening to know that new CAD programs have implemented change in the design discourse in terms of freedom of experimentation.   The seemingly impossible is now very much realizable thanks to the computer.   However the worry by many critics is that architecture becomes more about novelty as a result.   It has become apparent that the image produced on screen can often be misleading and act as a misrepresentation of the actual materiality. To summarize Digital technologies act as almost organic rather than prosthetic and provide an extension to the hands of the maker, freeing up time for other important work to be done.   Problem solving is an action which we perceive in multiple modalities and so various methods should be encouraged to benefit the future of architecture.   However when and to what degree we should use CAD as a form developer, visual agent and general helper to the design process? The next chapters will use case studies to examine how three well known architect firms use CAD in their practices.   It will highlight the various positions and attitude towards the use of CAD software and determine the stages at which computer visualization software is used in the design process as a development tool. Chapter 2:   Caruso St. John Architects:   The attraction of tradition Since their inception in 1990 established by Adam Caruso and Peter St John, Caruso St. John architects have strove to maintain traditional qualities of architecture such as ornament and decoration, texture and color.   Caruso and St. John have learned from figures like the Smithson, Robert Venturi and Adolf Loos that architecture is good when it is enmeshed in the patterns of everyday reality and not virtual reality.   Over the last 20 years, the partnership has very much avoided the high tech, shiny newness associated with the modern world of architecture.   The trend of globalization and constant expansion is a route which this firm has not taken.   This non-heroic stance has involved rejecting new methods of technology engaging solely on the past as a generator for the future of the city.   As David Leatherbarrow states, originality is only genuine when it is unsought (2009)[14].   This rationality and belief in the architects hand, calling upon memory and feelings is what makes Caruso St Johns work remarkable in a modern way.   It should become apparent in the following case study that computer digital aids can be used sparingly and effectively to produce emotional, human led architecture. It is unrealistic and utterly frivolous to reject computer aided software completely and Caruso St John is no exception to this.   It is however more about the way in which they embrace the computer as an architectural design tool and at precise working stages that is of particular interest.   The computer does not rule their practice, rather the architect controls the decisions via skills intrinsically and traditionally linked with the architect.   Adam Caruso in a conversation with Paul Vermeulen states, Foreign Office Architects say that new overlaid programmes and, more bizarrely, new ways of working with computers will allow you to have new spatial urban possibilities, and that architecture, rather than being resistant to the forces of global capitalism, should respond, should represent it.   I still believe that architecture should be resistant (2002, p. 88).[15] It is clear that Caruso St John follow a framework of refraining from the extensive use of technology in a rhetorical way.   In their approach to a project, the firm use a lot of large models to visualize the projects internally, however they tend not to do many presentation drawings using CAD renderings.   Rather they take photos of models (evident in Figure 3), use sketches and perform verbal presentations with their clients.   They avoid at all costs the shiny visualizations associated with computer visual programs. Even with the negative feelings towards computer led architecture, the firm use CAD software quite early as a design tool and as Adam Caruso in an Architects Journal article states, we dont think it changes the form of our architecture.   Our production drawings are much like what they were when we were hand drawing (2006).[16]   Inevitably the partnership still use the hand as a design tool in which the architect creates spaces to which they are emotionally linked, while a tangible connection is made in relation to the computer at the appropriate stage of the design. Rowan Moore an architectural critic states the point that where other architects give primacy to technology, or the image of modernity or abstract form making, the consistency of Caruso St Johns work is in the attitudes behind it (2002).[17]   Caruso St John has no predetermined attitudes towards modern or traditional design methods but choose to select the appropriate at a particular moment in time.   The firm has carefully embraced CAD as a design tool within the office without it superseding their principles and beliefs where a pen and paper should sit comfortably beside a computer running CAD software. CAD drawings, graphics and photos were translated into machine milling instructions, allowing positives to be cut from resin board and hard latex moulds then made to form the faà §ade of the building.   Without the ability to produce a 3D computer model this would never have been achieved.   Caruso St Johns approach is not simply about knowing how to apply CAD techniques, but when to apply them to achieve the best response.   Models and sketch drawings will always lead the way within this office, however CAD software is consistently used to aid with ideas, facilitate construction drawings and to rationalize themes and ideas.   Its all about moving between the two worlds of the real and the virtual to achieve a homogenous whole.   Caruso St John often remark on how little computer technology has affected the development of architectural form and in their essay Frameworks the duo state they are doubtful whether completely new forms can exist (1996, p.41)[18].   For them, it is cheating to muck around with algorithms and mapping programs to generate forms.   Adam Caruso in Tyranny of the New states his distaste for computers used in this way condemning how the forms: lack the complexities and ambiguities that are held within the tradition of architectural form, these shapes quickly lose their shiny novelty and achieve a condition of not new, but also not old or ordinary enough to become a part of the urban background (1998, p.25)[19].   Effectively the belief is that computer generated forms have no place in our current urban context and lack any particular sense of place.   In Contemporary Architecture and the Digital Design Process Andrew Kane remarks that there is an increased belief amongst experienced clients that digital representation of design proposals is essential to close the gap between their understanding of the conceptual ideas and the realized finished form (2005 p.vii)'[20].   This is not the case in Caruso St Johns practice.   A multitude of models and a close communicative relationship with their clients ensures complete understanding of the project on both without the need for extensive use of computer generated form.   Through a physical and verbal understanding of design elements, a computer can have no advantage over a close relationship developed with a client. To summarize, it must be noted that this affiliation with traditional values and qualities is an admirable approach in the face of modernity in a high tech world.   The formulation of design within Caruso St Johns office involves a multitude of mediums with CAD software being one of those.   However, their use of it doesnt restrict the design formalities but merely assists them in engaging with the project more intrinsically.   Computers are used frequently within the office like every other architects business; however they do not use its powers as a form, plan or aesthetic generator.   Caruso St John avoid the extensive use of the computer image generation path and the stardom associated with this archetype in favor of being linked with the physicality, a model or a pen and paper can bring, rather than the autonomous production of a drawing filtered via a software program with no sense of personal touch.   To conclude it can be stated that Caruso St John have avoided the nostalgia of digital realms of visualization but have embraced the use of CAD software programs as a communicative tool with contractors, as an aid in production design and as an aid in visualizing their initial sketch idea in its contextual environment. The next chapter is the second case study of a practice with a different approach to the use of CAD in their everyday work.   Chapter 3:   Zaha Hadid:   Towards a new realm This chapter will use the practice of Zaha Hadid to examine how they use CAD in their working methods and allow an examination of the effect it has had on their design philosophies and the work they produce. Zaha Hadid has defined a radically new approach to architecture by creating buildings with imaginative geometry to evoke the hectic nature of modern life.   She transcends the realm of paper architecture to the built form creating archetypes never envisaged before.   Her work is known widely for the dramatic images produced of seemingly impossible pieces of architecture yet many of these complex images have been realized and built contrary to many beliefs. All of this would not have been impossible without the advent of computer-aided software to allow architects almost infinite freedom to create any shape they wanted.   In particular the use of computer aided manufacturing (CAM) has become increasingly popular in Hadids practice.   The ability to manufacture a physical model from a 3D computer model has allowed the firm to fabricate scale models using CAM technology and therefore allow an appreciation and review of what could be realized at full scale on site.   Subsequent ly full scale components are then created from the computer model.   It is through this extensive use of computers, that has enabled Zaha Hadid to minimize the need to dumb down her architectural wonders and requires contractors to build her works of complexity.   Her decision to virtually leave the drawing board in the 1980s in favor of graphic paintings to express her visions was a bold statement.   One of her paintings displayed in Figure 5 demonstrates the complexity of her ideas.  Ã‚   The emergence of computer visualizations simply begged Hadid to embrace it to express her bold, flowing spaces. The critic Aaron Betsky remarks how she does not invent forms of construction or technology; she shows us a world in new ways by representing it in a radical manner (2009, p6).[22] The influence of the computer in Hadids working method is clearly visible in the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, where the architects started the project at conceptual stages by deforming a hypothetical grid and depressing it at points using a 3D visualization program.   This push and pull of elements using CAD software is evident in Figure 6.   However often what happens in practice is that the more experienced architect such as Hadid will delegate the computer generative work to a younger colleague to visualize.   As Aaron Betsky remarks; she sketches and does all the precise lines that indicate her design objectives, her co-workers render the work at a larger scale and fill in the spaces between her gestures she now produces paintings that are only white lines on black paper, ghosts of a future city (2009, p.11).[23]   It is notable therefore that the perceived heroes of the architectural world such as Hadid still will connect with their spaces and concepts via a pen and paper before ever conceiving any manifestations on a computer.   The question that keeps coming back to us therefore is whether all architecture still stems from the simplicity of the hand?   Patrik Schumacher a partner in the office proclaims of the primacy of the computer, arguing that it is the technologies that rely on its power that are allowing us to create what we consider to be truly modern structures (2009, p.14).[26]   As her paintings and sketches disappear into computer renderings and forms, their imaginative qualities begin to disappear too as a flattened, sterile computer visual image can never be a substitute for the emotion a hand drawing can bring.   The digitally produced image can often be a misrepresentation of the actual building product The use of computer visualization programs in Hadids office however has enabled the emergence of reweaving reality.   Joseph Giovannini states that, In Hadids laboratory, the mediums of design were not tethered to representation but instead encouraged ways of seeing released from convention.(2006, p.23)[27]   Computers allowed Hadids office to break away from conventional architectural expression in favor of shifting simulations of representation.   The pedestrian bridge at Zaragoza, Spain is based on a computer procedure called lofting, a term used in the computer program Rhino.   It involves the continuous morphing of one architectural section into another as the initial shape transforms through the ends of its trajectory.   Figure 8 demonstrates this morphing shape achieved via this CAD process.   Something never possible via traditional means.   As Aaron Betsky states, The latest software allows her to take the existing landscape and unfold it, to pan, swoop, swerve, cut, slow down and speed up (2009, p.12).[28]   The software allows her to intertwine elements and shift forms too complicated to model quickly via conventional methods.   Therefore I would argue that the use of computational tools actually allows for speed of manipulation and not creation itself. Zaha Hadid has an extraordinary ability to transform perceptions and dream like paintings and drawings into representations.   The firm quite clearly relies on computer software to create fully integrated, large scale buildings and manage the process from conceptual stage to practical completion however, whether or not she can pull off many of these virtual worlds as realized functional buildings remains to be seen.   Zaha Hadid has an enormous catalogue of conceptual designs but surprisingly a small number of developed projects. Therefore this tendency towards graphic representation in the conceptual stage via computer has yet to be truly tested at construction stage.   This pastiche of virtual worlds created in Hadids studios is very much intriguing to the architectural world however pursuing the elusive commissions remains another matter.   In Hadids office, the computer acts as an enabler to model on screen, pushing and pulling objects similar to a hands on approach and a s Joseph Giovannini states, like all tools she has used, the computer helps Hadid become more Hadid (2006, p.32).[29] To summarize this chapter has shown that to create complex forms and shapes such as that of the work of Zaha Hadid, CAD modeling used in conjunction with CAM offers extraordinary benefits and acts as a communication tool to reassure clients and contractors that the design is possible.   It has emerged that computer software is more of a business tool, with the birth of a concept and design still stemming from the hands of the maker via a sketch or painting.   The problem identified is that the final computer images do not accurately reflect the finished product as the shiny, reflective and vibrant colors and textures viewed on the computer screen does not follow through in the finished building. The next chapter is the third case study of a practice with another different approach to the use of CAD in their everyday work, where working methods, beliefs and outcomes in relation to computers will be assessed.   Chapter 4:   Greg Lynn:   Architectural animation and the paperless office The majority of architectural practices produce paper drawings, then use design visualization software to assess the form and produce a full repertoire of working drawings, however Greg Lynns paperless practice located in California brings computers into the design mix from the start.   He is considered one of the most influential figures in computer generated architecture and has been named in Times magazine 100 innovators of the next century.   Considering he is the pioneer of computer designed architecture using biomorphic shapes and the creator of blob architecture, the architectural critics of CAD software can undoubtedly be impressed with his merging of science, calculus, art, photography, film, organisms and architecture all into one futuristic idea.   He envisages ideas of science fiction as Mark Rappolt states: Gregs work has become a form of porn pored over, leered at, and more or less successfully emulated thats resolutely hardcore in its use of the new digital technologies and pioneering exploration of new (architectural) positions in the latest special effects (2008, p.6).[30]  Ã‚   His use of computers and other advanced digital technologies as a design tool has paved the way for the future of the architectural discourse.   Undoubtedly graphic content in architecture has opened up the discourse to popular media; however Gregs use of visualization software goes beyond the mere formulated, repetitive and regular approaches to expand the possibilities of the building world.   For example in the design for Cabrini Green Urban Design Competition in 1993, Greg used adjustable triangles, a computer spreadsheet for dimensions, a ruler and a parallel bar.   Existing buildings in the Cabrini Green neighborhood were measured and drawn along a linear bar and then their shape and size averaged from one to another.   A technique subsequently adopted and used in new computer programs Alias and Maya 5 years later as blend shape tools.   The harmonious scales are shown in figure 9. This project was also one of the last achieved in his office by hand initially on a drawing board and simply extruded by the computer.   Everything is now done digitally.   His approach to projects involves the use of computers from the initial brief and one method adopted is testing the boundary of animation software called editing spline functions.   As Greg Lynn points out, the very first projects designed using animation software did operate through happy accidents:   the port authority competition and citron house, specifically (2008, p.280).[31]   Basically trial and error methods were used using basic CAD packages until a satisfactory outcome emerged from the screen.   In the port authority triple bridge gateway competition (1995) animation tools and splines were used as a design medium for the first time by any architect and was more a computer analysis outcome than a design project.   The project was produced in less than a week using dynamics and the pseudo-quantitative indexing of statistical data.   The outcome is shown in Figure 10. This then became a primary technique for Gregs future projects using blebs'[34]   It must be stated that in Gregs office computer design software is never simply used as a representative medium but more as an architectural tool to expand the possibilities and boundaries of architecture.   For example prototypes of concepts are built at Lynns office during the design phases using his own computer controlled 3D cutter known as Computer Numerical Control.   The intent as a result is to really focus on how these amorphical forms are created to achieve the maximum potential of a computer, as well as actual build-ability using CAM.   Full scale models are built of sections of buildings to allow a person to physically walk through and engage with a product not yet reality.  

Sun Imagery in Shakespeares Richard III Essay example -- Richard II R

Sun Imagery in Shakespeare's Richard III      Ã‚   Shakespeare's Richard III is a play pervasive in figurative language, one of the most notable being the symbolic image of the sun and the shadow it casts. In an examination of a short passage from the text, it will be argued that Richard is compared to a shadow in relation to the sun, which has traditionally been held as a symbol of the king. The passage is significant not only because it speaks volumes about the plots of Richard, but also because it is relevant in understanding the overall plot of the play, which in the first few acts is almost indistinguishable from the plot of the scheming Duke of Gloucester.    The comparison of Richard to a shadow is especially clear in an exchange between Richard and Queen Margaret: Richard Gloucester: Our eyrie buildeth in the cedar's top, And dallies with the wind, and scorns the sun. Queen Margaret: And turns the sun to shade. Alas, alas! Witness my son, now in the shade of death, Whose bright outshining beams thy cloudy wrath Hath in eternal darkn...

Love/Hate Othello Essay

In love comes an exponentially vast array of emotions that can all show themselves at one time or another. One of those emotions that comes with love is hatred. Walter Raleigh once said, â€Å"Hatreds are the cinders of affection.† If you can find feelings of hate towards someone you love, it is because you truly love them. This is why Othello has so much hate towards Desdemona in act III. In act III, Iago plants the thought in Othello’s head that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio. Iago acts reluctant to answer Othello when he asks him if he feels Cassio is trustworthy, but it is all a performance put on to get in Othello’s head. Thoughts race through Othello’s head on why Desdemona would ever cheat on him, bringing out his deepest insecurities. Haply for I am black, And have not those soft parts of conversation That chamberers have; or for I am declined Into the vale of years—yet that’s not much— She’s gone. I am abused, and my relief Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage, That we can call these delicate creatures ours And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad And live upon the vapor of a dungeon Than keep a corner in the thing I love For others’ uses. Yet ’tis the plague of great ones; Prerogatived are they less than the base. ’Tis destiny unshunnable, like death. (III.iii.267–279) The thought of these self proclaimed â€Å"flaws† makes him bring up feelings of anger and hatred, making him question if Desdemona ever truly loved him or lied to him all along. However, deep down, he still has nothing but love for her. Othello only wants to kill Desdemona and not Cassio because he feels as if she betrayed him. There was never any real relationship between Cassio and Othello aside from the military, so he doesn’t feel the same hatred towards him as with Desdemona. Othello feels that if he is not worthy to be with Desdemona, then nobody is. He loves her so much that he wants her all to himself. Selfish? Yes. Does it mean Othello doesn’t love Desdemona? No, the exact opposite. It is his great love for Desdemona which drives him to do such crazy things and have such insane thoughts. In the end, regardless of his actions, Othello loves Desdemona with all of his heart. Never before this was there any trouble in their marriage, only romantic, gleeful times. This shows that hatred and love can, in fact, coexist. Hatred and love may be polar opposites, but as they say, opposites attract.

If human nature does alter Essay

What is human nature? According to an interesting article I have read, humanity can be interpreted in three ways: mechanistic, mysterian and materialist views of humanity. A mechanistic view sees human beings largely as objects through which nature acts. A mysterian view suggests that there are aspects of human existence not knowable to mere mortals. A materialist view sees humans as exceptional because humans, unlike any other beings, possess consciousness and agency. In Judaism, human nature is the ability to make our own choice and we will all be held responsible for our actions. From a scientific perspective, human nature is the behavior of human being physically, socially and mentally. There are many different interpretations of human nature and it will never have a specific definition. From my point of view, human nature is how human beings interpret themselves as. Therefore, human nature does alter when we begin to look at ourselves in a new way. In this essay, I have chosen one play from â€Å"The Three Theban Plays† by Sophocles; â€Å"Oedipus the King† and â€Å"Death and the Maiden† by Ariel Dorfman. Looking at the two tragedies, I am going to illustrate how the writers make us â€Å"look at ourselves in a new way†. Searching for the truth is a human nature; because everyone has curiosity. For example, babies feel curious when seeing new items and try to figure out what it is. However, searching for truth is not always beneficial. Sophocles certainly did prove his point through his play, â€Å"Oedipus the King†. Oedipus basically assassinated his father, Laius, acquire his crown and ironically his wife, Oedipus mother, Jocasta. However, Oedipus didn’t have any knowledge of this. To save the city from the plague, he was desperate to track down the murderer of Laius, not knowing that he was the murderer. Throughout the play, Sophocles employs the repetition of blindness to associate with the spiritual blindness of Oedipus to the truth. He was not only blinded to the truth, but also the consequences of discovering the truth. Moreover, the repetition of blindness foreshadows that Oedipus will blind himself at the end of the play when he recognize the truth and what he had done. He is sightless to the advice of people attempting to stop him going down the road of destruction. At the beginning of the play, I have already noticed the wide use of blindness in the dialogue: â€Å"Oedipus: I would be blind to misery not to pity my people kneeling at my feet† (Pg. 159 L14-15) â€Å"Oedipus: You’ve lost your power, stone-blind, stone-deaf – senses, eyes blind as stone! † (Pg. 181 L421-422) From the quotes mentioned, I could see that the word â€Å"blind† often appears in the dialogues of Oedipus. He told his people of Thebes he wouldn’t be â€Å"blind to misery† and promised to save Thebes. However, he is blind to the truth and his identity instead. He insulted Tiresias’ blindness for revealing the prophecy and the truth about Oedipus’ identity which he doubted vigorously. Oedipus’ abuse to Tiresias has a huge contradiction to his own blindness to the outcome of the discovery. Although Tiresias is physically blind, he wasn’t blind to the truth and the effect of revealing it; whereas Oedipus wasn’t blind, but he couldn’t notice the purpose of Tiresias’ actions and ignore his warnings. The repetition of blindness draws attention of the audience every time the characters say the word. This emphasizes the idea of humans are often blind to themselves, the others and also the truth behind things. When they seek to search for the truth, the outcome can be catastrophic: â€Å"Messenger: He rips off her brooches, the long gold pins holding her robes – †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ he digs them down the sockets of his eyes,† (Pg. 237 L1402-1405) â€Å"Messenger: And there we saw the woman hanging by the neck, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ spinning, swinging back and forth. † (Pg.237 L1395-1397) In the exodus of the play, the ending is a disaster, Jocasta hanged herself and Oedipus blinded himself. Truth can be harmful sometimes, therefore it is better to stay the same and be ignorant. At least we could be better off and happier because truth sometimes doesn’t give us any satisfaction at all. This made us to have a whole new perception about the exploration of truth. After studying the play, I would be more objective about my actions and be humble to the others’ advice, to prevent anything destructive happening. But on the other hand, Oedipus is a man of great quality, he had the courage to seek for the truth even though people persuaded him not to because the truth was dangerous. If we are satisfy about the current state and choose to be â€Å"blind† to many truths on the world, there would be no improvement and development at all. There is certainly no an ultimate answer to the question whether or not we should seek for the truth. In â€Å"Death and the Maiden†, truth is also an important issue. The scene was set in Chile, which had just received democracy after years and years of dictatorship. Gerardo was appointed to be the Head of the Investigating Commission. The purpose of the commission establishes certain truths in a public way, to become part of official history. However, it only deals with the dead, not people suffered but still alive. Paulina, Gerardo’s wife, was one of them, she was put into torture and raped. Ariel Dorfman portrayed Paulina as a desperate person to find out the truth. Paulina is going to search for the truth by all means since she suffered so much pain and was haunted by the past. The only way to relieve her pain is to attain the truth. She had gained power by holding the gun and transformed into a totally different person. We can identify this by looking at the text: â€Å"Paulina: Besides you that if the police do show their noses her I’ll put a bullet through his man’s head. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ And then I’ll put the gun in my mouth and pull the trigger. † (Pg. 18) â€Å"Gerardo: My God, Paulina! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ she has never spoken like this in her life. † According to the quotes above, the gun has given power to Paulina and she had dominance over the man. Paulina had turned into another person, even the way she speaks, that Gerardo didn’t recognize anymore. This indicates what truth can do; it can drive somebody mad and turns them into a different person. Paulina was so obsessed about the truth that she is willing to sacrifice anything: â€Å"If he’s innocent? Then he’s really screwed. † (Pg. 29) In order to know the truth, she is willing to give up her morals. Even though she wasn’t sure if Doctor Miranda was really one of the people who tortured her, she had already assumed he is guilty and enforced him to confess by threatening to kill him. Paulina didn’t even care if he is innocent or not, she just wanted a confession no matter what, because this is the only way she could reconcile her pain. Perhaps Miranda is guilty, the truth is so thrilling that even me as an audience wanted to know it so badly. In the end, nobody knows if justice has been achieved by Paulina’s outrageous actions. The play also exemplify the idea of too much truth may be dangerous. On the way of searching the truth, Paulina didn’t realize that she is destroying many things, their relationships, and Gerardo’s trust to her etc. Gerardo had already warned her not to continue her pursuit of truth: â€Å"Gerardo: People can die from an excessive dose of the truth, you know. † (Pg. 36) Gerardo could foresee the disastrous outcome of the whole event and tried to stop Paulina continue to look for the truth. It is because Gerardo sensed that too much truth won’t do good to all of them. The idea of too much truth is dangerous in â€Å"Death and the Maiden† links back to the idea of the catastrophic consequences of obtaining the truth from â€Å"Oedipus the King†. Paulina and Oedipus are very similar, they strife for the truth which they don’t know is destructive. Paulina destroyed the relationship between Gerardo and herself; whereas Oedipus devastated his kingdom, his family and most significantly, he blinded himself. Both tragedies raised our caution to the pursuit of truth, acknowledge us that truth is double-edged, it can favour but also destroy someone. Human can’t be too ignorant and also can’t know too much truth. â€Å"It is better to settle for half. † as Alfieri puts it in the play â€Å"A View from the Bridge†.