Campus town/Green Street

March 17th, 2015

This week, we had the opportunity to expand our knowledge about an area we typically walk on; Green Street and Campus town. The bustling, commercial street that we as students walk everyday was once a underdeveloped land of single-family homes. This very street has certainly grown into the most popular and well-known street in campus town. Starting off as an area somewhat destroyed by overflow and flooding of the Boneyard Creek, it quickly built a new retention system and fixed its planning issues within the community. 

Once bars and apartments started being built on Green, the houses were strategically covered up, therefore leaving the original structures standing. In addition, high-rise apartment complexes and popular restaurants brought a new crowd of students and spectators. Although students complained that Green Street's urban appeal and feel decreased when walking westward, this problem was fixed by new regulations and modifications for the storefronts and sidewalks. 

Because of the booming popularity from restaurants, bars, and newly constructed apartment complexes Green Street and Campus town made a complete transformation from its original layout. By adapting to its changing environment and the college student life, Green Street and Campus town represent the ever-changing nature of urban planning and architecture. 

Downtown Champaign

March 10, 2015

Founded in 1855 and originally known as "West Urbana", Champaign eventually flourished and became its own individual city. Champaign started its roots with the Illinois Central Railroad and the railroad station. It has become the central hub of the city community and the rest of the roads extend from the station. A building that also serves as a central hub is the Champaign City Building or the city hall building. This building sits upon the continental grid that once separated the land into parcels meant to be sold. 

Around the 1980s city officials decided to close vehicular traffic on Neil Street to try and create a pedestrian mall, but once business drastically declined Neil Street opened once again. Another factor that led to the growth of downtown Champaign was the "north Prospect" shopping district and the opening of bars in the community. 

We ended our tour at the West Side Park. Originally meant to house the courthouse and other public buildings, it now serves as a wide open space for the community and its gatherings. 

Business Instructional Facility

March 3rd, 2015

I recently stepped into the Business Instructional Facility for the first time. Because I walk past the building everyday on my way to class, I have always admired the appealing exterior modern design. It is a building that stands out from its surroundings and is rightfully one of the most impressive buildings on campus. Designed by architect Cesar Pelli, BIF is one of fifteen buildings on campus that was awarded the highest rating of platinum on the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Certification exam. BIF's energy-efficiency and environmentally-friendly design allows the building to serve as an aspiration for future UIUC's buildings. 

Although there are several unnecessary designs included just to achieve a higher level of points, some of BIF's design features reflect modern architecture and its sustainable outlook for the future. For example, the main lobby welcomes an abundance of natural light through the massive wall windows thus decreasing the need for artificial electrical lighting. Because more windows means more heat, the large overhang of the roof is necessary to shade and try to eliminate the overheating of the atrium floor. In addition to the overhang, BIF has a high performance insulation running through the entirety of the walls and windows in order to cool the building when necessary. 

Another green and environmentally-friendly design component is the roof. We had the opportunity to look at the roof gardens on the side edges of the building roof. Apparently these plants reduce rain run-off and the impact of heat on the HVAC of the building. These plants were also specifically chosen for their regional use and ability to thrive without continuous irrigation and care. 

In the end, although the Business Instructional Facility is considered a platinum rank for LEED certification, there are several factors of the design that are considered to be useless or unnecessary. Regardless, BIF is a great example of a modern architecture that greatly considers sustainability and timeless design. It will continue to serve as a prime example of what future buildings should be designed in the upcoming years. 

Armory, Huff, and the Football Practice Facility

February 17th, 2015

Today we focused on observing structural systems within the Armory, Huff hall, and the Football Practice Facility. In these buildings we were able to view the steel trusses and girders that essentially hold up the entirety of the structures' ceilings. Not only do these basic elements provide necessary structural support, but they also provide additional aesthetic to the interior of these buildings.

We started our tour in Huff Hall and had the opportunity of entering the main gym. To accommodate the immensity of the gym itself, its trusses and beams met at their highest point in the middle of the gym, thus giving the roof an arching effect. Similarly, the Armory also had an arching effect in its roof. Because the Armory itself is much larger than Huff and the Football Practice Facility, its roof structural system included a large set of pins connecting the two extending sides. 

In the Irwin Football Practice Facility, the structural roof system is a little bit different than Huff and Armory. Being under a constraint of not having the building appear as a wall between the art and law buildings on campus, the architect had to create a severely sloped roof to allow for a shorter roof height. 

Through observing the interior of all three of these buildings, we are able to understand the purpose of the roof plans. The structural systems consisting of trusses, girders, beams, and joists all offer support and aesthetic for these buildings.

Career XPO

March 5, 2015

Today we had the opportunity to attend the architecture Career XPO at the Ihotel. At the XPO, we were to interview at least one architectural firm. The firm that I chose to interview was PGAV Destinations. Their stand immediately caught my attention for its bold orange color and its exciting pictures of zoos and roller-coasters. Obviously, this firm is not your typical architectural firm.

I had the chance to speak with two of PGAV's representatives' Emily and Ashley. PGAV Destinations is located in St. Louis, Missouri and consists of 70-100 employees specializing in a variety of jobs. Their mission is to create remarkable places for people, or in Emily and Ashley's terms, "No ugly shit". In their firm there are a variety of occupations such as individuals specializing in architecture, exhibit design, landscape design, environmental graphics, sculpture, industrial design, urban planning, and a multitude of other backgrounds. Because they are an ideas-based practice, PGAV Destinations works on all sorts of projects like roller coasters, zoos, aquariums, museums, space shuttle homes, and much more. This aspect of the firm really stood out to me because they are given the opportunities to have crazy, fun, and unique experiences while working. Their most recent project was a village hotel for the Biltmore Estate and other designs for the Grand Canyon. According to Emily and Ashley, when interviewing for potential employees they are most concerned with finding individuals who are comfortable with thinking out of the box, are well-rounded, outgoing, and adventurous. They also look for interviewees with internship experience and a creditable education.

Emily and Ashley both love their jobs because they aren't restricted creatively and get to experience the impact of their work in first person. Emily became interested in this career field at a young age, from when she started playing around with legos. This became a quick indicator of her creative design skills and passion for architecture. Ashley's father was a contractor, so design has always been an influence in her life. Interviewing this firm was very interesting and informative. PGAV Destinations seems to be a unique and great firm to work for.

Erlanger House

February 24th, 2015

Today we had the opportunity to tour the Erlanger House located right off of campus in Urbana. This unique house was designed by architect James Baker for a university dance instructor/professor, Margaret Erlanger. Immediately when approaching the house from the neighborhood sidewalk, you are puzzled by the all brick exterior facade of the house. It is irregular compared to its surroundings, for it has a modern, simplistic, and closed off design. There are no windows present on the exterior and conveys a blocked off atmosphere. In addition, the entrance is hidden and difficult to find. This design just serves as another component to the closed off ambiance. 

When entering the door, the visitor is greeted by an immense amount of light and open space. The entire house has an unadorned facade consisting of Chicago common brick, glass, steel, stone and wood. Emphasizing the simplicity of the house, Baker designed the house to only have a open living area, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a master bath. With such an open but small floorplan, the Erlanger house reaches a new level of simplicity. Another unique and modern component to the house is the amount of natural light. There are two expansive windows that showcase the closed courtyard and backyard. The brick of the house continues through the windows, therefore blurring the line between the outside and the inside of the house. The light that shines through these windows reaches the entirety of the house and serves as an advantage for minimal energy consumption. 

This house is designed to require minimal maintenance and energy consumption. This house is unique for its modern and simplistic design, especially compared to the surrounding historical houses. 

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

February 5th, 2015

Today we had the opportunity to take a tour at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Designed by Max Abramovitz, a University of Illinois alumna, the center has become the designated venue for the most spectacular performances presented at the university. Krannert Center is a complex including four main theatres; Foellinger great hall, Tryon festival theatre, Colwell playhouse, and the Studio theatre. Each performance facility has its own specific purposes and architectural components that complement the space. This center is named after millionaire industrialist and alumna Herman C. Krannert and his wife Ellnora, for they were the original donors to the creation of the center. After developing flexible cardboard, Krannert became a millionaire and soon became a donor to several different facilities in the country. 

In the Krannert Center lobby there are several architectural designs that are unique. The lobby extends about the length of 6 (?) tennis courts and its floors display a tile that is entirely unique. It is made of teak from Thailand and resembles the landscape of the midwest from a bird's eye view. 

Along with the distinctive wood tile, Krannert's touch was also found in the ceilings and walls near the theatres. The wall is lined with a texture mimicking the look of the flexible/foldable cardboard, therefore paying homage to Krannert and his invention.

 We moved onto the biggest auditorium in the space, Foellinger Great Hall. It has a nice lobby space that utilizes natural light and serves as a entrance into the theatre. I think that this natural light truly adds to the appeal and ambiance of this grand entrance. The Great Hall is well known for its acoustic ability and purposeful architectural designs. For example, there are no right angles or parallel surfaces in the entire auditorium which in turn allows the sound vibrations to reflect back to the audience. In addition, the design of Foellinger Great Hall is perfectly symmetrical (they even added a fake door to stay true to the symmetry). 

Overall I think that this tour was very valuable because it is an amazing and unique facility that our university is proud to showcase. All of the auditoriums and amphitheaters serve a specific genre of the arts and exhibit considerate designs pertaining to the purpose of the space.