Английский язык для архитектора и градостроителя. Учебное пособие по английскому языку

7.3.12 Study the dialogues, write down the sentences containing interesting information for you. Make up your own dialogues

Text 7 D

Training of Town Planners, Architects and Landscape Designers Abroad

A.: Could you tell me anything about training of architects abroad?

B.: With pleasure. Formal training of architects is of relatively recent origin.

A.: Is it really?

B.: There is no doubt about it. The first architectural school in America was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology opened in 1868.

A.: And what about other English – speaking countries?

B.: The first school in England which introduced architecture was Cambridge. This was in 1908. As far as I know in Australia the University of Sydney introduced architecture in

1918.

A.: I see, thank you very much indeed.

B.: You are welcome.

C.: Would you mind telling me where foreign would - be architects and civil engineers are

trained?

M.: Willingly. Today an official training is carried out in technical type colleges and universities.

C.: What are the general trends in modern training, I wonder? I mean the curriculum as a whole.

M.: At present there is evidence that both types of institutions are moving away from their traditional methods. They are tending to organize more realistic courses to cope with the changing and emerging condition of the construction.

C.: I see, thank you.

M.: It’s a pleasure.

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7.4 Audial practice

7.4.1 Listen to the text and render it either in English or in Russian

Text 7 C

The Modern City as a Symbol of Modern Man

The modern city has still to be built, and the first step toward sinking its foundations into the earth is to raise its ideal structure in the mind. It is obvious that the "modern city" cannot be created by mechanical improvements, especially if it is conceived in the childish terms used in the 1920s by various American skyscraper architects in portraying superskyscraper cities lived in largely under artificial light, zoned in horizontal layers according to incomes and utilizing every mechanical device. Even Le Corbusier's refinement of this picture - with wide green spaces, trees, sunlight, and sport-fields-though plainly more; human, is still naive, for it neglects the essentials of family life and neighbourly intercourse

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8 Unit 8 Supplementary Material

8.1 Architecture

Text A

Architecture

Architecture belongs to everybody. Unlike painting or music which can be avoided or denied, the history of architecture, the enduring remains of the past, is all around us. Our experience ofarchitecture is ofthe building, the everydayspaces oftowns andcities, that frame the lives ofordinarypeople.

Architecture can be seen as a response to the primary human need for shelter (and comfort). Different cultures have all produced different kinds of buildings. Variations in climate initially, and later in religious beliefs and economic systems, resulted in different 'traditional'or vernacular buildings, usingthe most easilyavailable local materials.

Architecture can also be many other things. Architecture as 'Art' with a capital A considers itself to be something more than mere building. Architecture as history illustrates the power of the institutions, namely the state, the crown or the church with their enduring, preserved monuments, their castles, palaces and cathedrals. Architecture might also be physical proof of scientific achievement, of technological progress, with the tallest buildings and widest spans. At a domestic scale, ordered and well-serviced livingspaces might be seenas representative ofa highlyevolved civilization.

Many histories of architecture have attempted to explain why buildings look the way they do. To understand even one building fully it is necessary to learn something of the culture that produced it.

So what is architecture?

On one hand, architecture, like any practical craft, looks to the past for tried and trusted construction methods and familiar and comfortable imagery; on the other it yearns for originality, and looks to the future, the daringand excitement of the new.

Architecture is the science — and the art — ofcreatingstructures like buildings, bridges, and stadiums. It begins as an idea inanarchitect's mind and grows into the reality of concrete or glass or steel. When you think of architecture, think first of its starting point: an idea. Every architect, modernor ancient, has drawnuponwhat has beenbuiltbefore. Architects help us learn

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aboutthe pastevenas theyshape the present.

Text B

Architecture and the Architect

Ruskin, in his Seven Lamps (1849), stated that architecture was the 'art which disposes and adorns the edifices raised by man ... that the sight of them' contributes 'to his mental health, power, and pleasure', which proposes aesthetic, beneficial, and spiritual aspects rather than a utilitarian or Functionalist agenda. He also opined, in the same book, that 'architecture' should be confined to 'that art which,... admitting... the necessities and common uses' of a building 'impresses on its form certain characters venerable or beautiful, but otherwise unnecessary'. He went on to note that 'no one would callthe laws architecturalwhichdetermine the height of a breastwork or the position of a bastion. But if to the stone facing of that bastion be added an unnecessary, feature, as a cable moulding, that is Architecture. It would be similarly unreasonable to callbattlements or machicolations architecturalfeatures, solongas theyconsist only of an advanced gallery supported on projecting masses, with open intervals beneath for offence. But if these projecting masses be carved beneath into rounded courses, which are useless, and if the headings of the intervals be arched and trefoiled, which is useless, that is Architecture'. Such a simplistic and prolix definition is revealing of Ruskin’s attitudes, which, to large extent, became the generalview ofthe subject for the next eighty years or so.

Architecture is concerned with the creation of order out of chaos, a respect for organization, the manipulation of geometry, and the creation of a work in which aesthetics plays a far greater role than anything likely to be found in a humdrum building. Sir Henry Wotton's (1568—1639) statement that ‘well building hath three conditions: Commodity, Firmness, and Delight' seems to have originated from Vitruvius, who insisted that architecture derives from order, arrangement, eurhythmy (or harmony of proportion), symmetry, propriety, and economy. Wren spoke of 'Beauty, Firmness, and Convenience' in architecture. These definitions suggest that there is much in the built fabric that falls into the category of nonarchitecture. Architecture might be described as the art and science of designing a building having qualities of beauty, geometry, emotional and spiritual power, intellectual content and complexity; soundness of construction, convenient planning, many virtues or different kinds, durable and pleasing materials, agreeable colouring and decorations, serenity and dynamism,

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good proportions and acceptable scale, and many mnemonic associations drawing on a great range of precedents. Doubtless there are many more aspects that some would consider essential other than those suggested above. Philip Johnson (1906), in the New York Times (1964), went sofaras toclaimthat 'architecture is the art how to waste space'.

Architect. Personcapable ofpreparingthe plans, elevations, andsections ofthe designof a sophisticated building with an aesthetic content and to supervise its construction in accordance with the drawings and specifications. Soane described an architect's business as that of making 'designs and estimates', directing 'the works', and valuing 'the different parts': he declared the architect as the 'intermediate agent between the employer, whose honour and interest he is to study, and the mechanic, whose rights he is to defend'. Soane emphasized the architect's position as implying great trust, being 'responsible for the mistakes, negligences, and ignorance of those he employs'. Ruskin suggested that one who is neither a sculptor nor painter could not be an architect, but only a builder, and Frank Lloyd Wright stated that an architect cannot bury his mistakes, unlike a physician.

Text С

Thesevenwonders of theancientworld

The ancient Greeks were probably the first to make up a list of Seven Wonders — those marvelousstructures that no traveller would want to miss. Throughthe ages, others added to or subtracted from the list, based on their opinions. Today, however, the followingwonderworks are most oftenreferred to as the SevenWonders ofthe Ancient World.

The Pyramids, tombs for the Egyptian pharaohs, are the oldest and best preserved of all ancient wonders. The three most famous pyramids were built at Giza about 2600 ВС. The largest of the three, the Great Pyramid, stands about 450ft (137m) high. Itsbase occupies about 13 acres (5 hectares).

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by King Nebuchadnezzar who ruled Babylonia from 605 to 562 ВС. Babylon, the capital of Babylonia, was located near the city of Baghdad in Iraq. The walls are in ruins today, but accounts describe beautiful gardens of flowers, fruit trees, and fountains. The gardens were laid out on brick terraces about 400ft (120m) square and 75ft (23m) above the ground.

The Temple of Artemis was built about 550 ВС in the Greek city of Ephesus on the

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west coast of what is now Turkey. Artemis was the Greek goddess of hunting. The temple was made entirely of white marble except for its tile-covered wooden roof. It was 377ft (115m) in length and 180ft (55m) in width. More than one hundred enormous columns, in a double row around the building, supported its huge roof.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece, was perhaps the most famous statue of the ancient world. It was made in about 435 ВС and dedicated to the King of the Greek gods. The statue was made of ivory, 40ft (12m) high, and showed Zeus sitting on a huge golden throne set withprecious stones.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was located in what is now southwestern Turkey. Itwas a huge,white marble tomb for a king named Mausolus. Its size and gold decoration made it so famous that large tombs are calledmausoleums eventoday.

The Colossus of Rhodes was a huge bronzed statue that stood near the harbour of Rhodes, an island in the Aegean Sea. The statue honoured the Greek god of the sun, Helios. It stood about 120ft (37m) tall— about as highas the Statue of Liberty.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria stood on the island of Pharos in the harbour of Alexandria, Egypt. The lighthouse rose from a stone platform in three sections: the bottom was square, the middle eight-sided, and the top circular. Light was provided by a bonfire burning continuously at the top ofthe tower.

Except for the pyramids at Giza, none of the ancient wonders is standing today. They were destroyed by humans or nature.

Text D

Iron and Steel

Architects, being as they were preoccupied withstyle, were slow to grasp the possibilities offeredbynew building techniques. It was engineers, excited by the potential of ironand steel, who first developed structural uses for the new materials. Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace was the turning point that aroused architectural interest in these materials.

Built to house the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, London, the Crystal Palace took just nine months to erect. It was pioneering in its use ofironand was assembled onthe site from a series of prefabricated panels. It was enormous, measuring 410 x 197ft/125 x 60m in plan and 72ft/22m in height. Built around existing trees, the novel spatial effect was

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heightened byits almost complete transparency.

TextE

Building Bridges

Cast iron had first been used structurally in England in 1779 for a bridge at Coalbrookdale,as wellas forbridges inthe US and in France. The intense competitionbetween the new railway companies spurred bridge-building as well as production of rails, which were also the first source of I-beams used in buildings. Thomas Telford (1757—1834) wasthe first to build arched bridges in cast iron, a material which works well in compression. Wrought iron, which works better in tension, he used for the chains on the Menai Straits suspension bridge (1819). Robert Stephenson's Britannia railway bridge, also across the Menai (1850), used an innovative systemofbox girders made ofwrought iron.

Text F

A.V. Shchusev

Aleksei Viktorovich Shchusev is known as a brilliant architect He has built scores of remarkable buildings, has worked out over 150 designs, has published about 170 scientific papers, has created a great number of drawings and paintings.

One of A.V.Shchusev's first designs was that of the Kazan Terminal in Moscow. The composition of terminal is quite wonderful; several separate pavilions joined by the architect into one building are subordinated to the clear-cut vertical lines of the main tower. The pavilions of the terminal are also joined together by forms taken from the 17th century Russian

The interiors of the terminal have been designed by the architect in the Russian national style; here one can see the cubic space of the waiting halls, the mighty arch lines, the typical created during 1918-1926.

It should be noted that a characteristic trend in Shchusev's creative work as an architect was his ability to make full use of national motifs. His bold use of red bricks andwhite stone's as building materials was especially to the liking of ancient Russian architects.

At the former Donskoi Monastery in Moscow there is the Museum of Architecture

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named after Aleksei Viktirovich Shchusev.

8.2 Landscape design

Text A

Create Backyard Landscape Design for Relaxation and Entertaining

Modern backyard landscape design takes the traditional, simple lawn and extends the enjoyable living space of your home into the natural appeal of the outdoors. Today’s outdoor living spaces incorporate all the elements of indoor living, from purposeful living areas to detailed accents, to create a true estate home that is enjoyable throughout.

The most important thing to remember when designing your outdoor living space is to blend the look and feel of your home’s interior into the exterior.

Choose a garden style that complements the style of your home and integrate the same color scheme, furniture style, and even add similar outdoor accessories.

Another way to define the unity between the inside of your home and your backyard landscape design is to connect the two with entrance ways.

A kitchen doorway may provide access to a sunny terrace with a fresh herb garden or the dining room could extend to an outdoor eating area. Consider connecting your bedroom to a romantic, fragrant flower garden.

Text B

How to Create a Functional Outdoor Living Area with Landscape Patio Design

Your landscape patio design is an essential part of an enjoyable and functional outdoor living area. Whether you’re entertaining, sitting by the swimming pool, or simply relaxing by the fire, you’re backyard patio is a prominent feature in your landscape design and can define the usefulness and enjoyment of your outdoor space.

Choosing the best patio design for your home requires careful planning and attention to various details.

The paving materials, furnishings, accessories, and even plant life can significantly influence the overall look and feel of your design.

These patio features are also used to blend the outdoor living area with the style of

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the home in many landscape designs. Planning Your Patio Design

An outdoor patio is typically designed for a specific purpose. Before selecting materials, accessories, or any other outdoor decor, consider what your patio will be used for most of the time.Think about the size of the space available for your patio and decide on the best features for the area you are using.

You may want a sunny terrace for poolside seating or a covered retreat to escape the midday heat or just a dining set with canopy. Outdoor kitchens are also popular patio options.

Text C

Creating Modern Outdoor Living Space with Contemporary Landscape Design

Contemporary landscape design is a relatively new garden style that complements modern architecture and is just as unique as the structures it surrounds. Near the end of the 1950′s, new styles in architecture brought about a more modern style of landscaping to match it.

Vivid colors and abstract patterns, combined with unique uses of lighting, textures, and space, create an outdoor space that magnifies the beauty of nature with the sophistication of modern living.

Diminishing yard space in today’s affluent communities and the rushed, fast-paced lifestyle of present day society have made trends toward modern garden design even more popular. Contemporary landscape design is creative and chic with a variety of options that are ideal for all types of yards.

Many modern landscapes incorporate extensive hardscape designs to minimize upkeep while creating a functional outdoor living area and plant life is integrated in several different ways, including trendy potted gardens for small outdoor spaces.

The most important thing to remember if you are planning a contemporary landscape design for your modern home is to create clean lines that complement the architectural style of your home.

Extend the materials, colors, and textures found within your home to your outdoor space and artistically include sculptures, water features, and other innovative additions to

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reflect your personal tastes. Modern designs take nontraditional outdoor elements and use them in just the right way to make the most of your home.

Text D

Materials Within A Contemporary Landscape Design

Regardless of the garden style you choose for your home, the materials used for landscape design and the types of accessories you select are key elements in blending your outdoor living areas with the look and feel of your house.

Contemporary garden styles are defined by a variety of synthetic materials that express the simplicity of nature in innovative, often unusual, ways.

•Simple wood beams in natural colors that complement the outside of your home look wonderful over patios and are a great way to blend your indoor and outdoor living areas.

•Canvas is a unique material to create shade around your outdoor living areas. Many modern gardens lack large trees and can become uncomfortable at certain times of the day.

•Terraces, patios, and pathways can be made from simple materials like gravel, ungrouted stone and tile, or intriguing pebbles in complementary hues. Some contemporary gardens are primarily made up of these landscape materials with limited vegetation.

•Raw concrete is another popular material for modern landscape design and is often used to create a vertical effect within the garden, especially with walls.

Text E

Laying the Ground Work with Landscape Site Design Plans

Carefully drawn landscape site design plans are the key to a beautiful yard that complements your home. Your site plan, or sometimes called concept plan is a preliminary layer and serves as a tool to layout the various features and components you want in your outdoor design. Before you begin drawing the plans, it is a good idea to consider what you would like the space surrounding your home to look like, as well as its function.

Think about the times you will use your outdoor space the most and decide on plants

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