From the architect. Located in a residential condominium in Barra do Una (a beach located near of São Paulo city), the project Pavilion Una signed by the brazilian architecture office Apiacás Arquitetos had the feasibility as a premise, considering the choice of materials and mainly focusing on the constructive details, capable of organizing the assembly system. Therefore, the structure is made up of standardized and modular elements: the foundation was executed in concrete, followed by pillars and beams in Cumaru wood, strategically placed in central axes in order to give greater freedom to the pivotal doors that make up the facade.
These closures consist of interspersed wooden slats that end up acting as vertical bricks, exerting a double function of protecting the construction and revealing the Atlantic Forest where it is inserted. The ground is suspended 50 cm from the ground in order to avoid any flooding due to its proximity to an existing stream. All the connections were made in metal parts in order to facilitate the assembly and guarantee better structural performance for the meeting of pieces. In this way, the wooden fittings consequently become simpler and faster in their execution. The roof, in metallic tiles, has a continuous shutdown, all around the perimeter, favoring the circulation of the air by convection, in addition to balancing the light filtered by the closing panels.
The set of furniture was also idealized according to the initial premises of the project: made of the same kind of wood, they follow the rigor and simplicity of the constructive logic designed for the work. Reaffirming our premise of looking at a tectonic coherence no matter the scale of the object.
You’re reading 4 Reasons To Choose A Career Helping Others, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Choosing the right job is challenging at the best of times. How did you choose your career? Perhaps you followed in the footsteps of your parents or siblings, or perhaps you simply pursued a subject that you enjoyed at school. If you’ve ever faced an existential crisis about your work, chances are that feelings of guilt were to blame. What am I doing here? What does this mean? Will this work mean anything when I’m done? These are all common questions that professionals will ask themselves on a daily basis.
The majority of careers are self-serving, and you have to look really hard to see how you are helping other people around you. But the career you chose out of school doesn’t have to the be the one you stick with. If you’re thinking about making a career change, or want some advice on choosing your career path, consider these five reasons that a career helping others can bring you the greatest amount of joy.
It’s easy to feel like a small cog in a giant machine, but helping other can combat these feelings and leave you with greater job satisfaction at the end of the day. By having a positive impact on the people around you, you’ll find it easier to get up and head into work every morning.
The verdict is in: jobs that make us miserable are actually killing us sooner. It’s a very basic formula, but people who enjoy their work are much happier, and happy people are healthier than their grumpy counterparts. A study by psychologists at the University College London revealed that people in a good mood were 35% less likely to die in the next 5 years. And this isn’t the only study that supports the link between happiness and a long life.
Industries founded on helping other people tend to attract an incredible range of people. Most industries attract the same sort of person, so you are surrounded by people who look, think and act just like you, but careers that focus on helping others will attract people from disparate backgrounds.
Helping others doesn’t have to mean completely changing your career – you could pledge your support for a local cause, or you could offer pro bono professional services to a local charity. If everyone pledged to help other people, even in a small way, imagine how much better the world could be? Simple steps like registering to foster a child can help you to overcome the darker days and remind yourself that there is so much good in the world.
Helping others isn’t always a walk in the park, which is why there is documented evidence of a condition called “compassion fatigue” in healthcare professionals. Imagine caring so much about people that one day, you are unable to do so anymore? You actually get worn down by caring too much. While this is an extreme case, moving to a career where you can help other people shouldn’t be seen as a simple fix, as it will still be work, and it can be trying at times.
You’ve read 4 Reasons To Choose A Career Helping Others, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
In a recent article for 99% Invisible, Kurt Kohlstedt explores how integrating microalgae into buildings can create a dualistic system of living and built, in order to perform services like create shade, generate power, and work with HVAC systems to modulate interior environments.
Projects that utilize such technology include bioreactors that produce oxygen and bio-fuel, a building with a bio-adaptive façade, and a street lamp that filters carbon dioxide from the urban environment.
Learn more about how microalgae pushes boundaries in building ecosystems by reading the 99% Invisible article, here.
News via 99% Invisible.
Winter at Bryce Canyon National Park brings new ways to experience one of Utah’s premier parks. Besides gorgeous views, adventurers can enjoy snowshoeing, skiing and sledding through a world of white. From November through March, the park also offers ranger-led full moon snowshoe hikes. Before you go, be sure to check with the park for conditions and closures. Photo by National Park Service.
From the architect. What can be done with a 18.000 m2 empty office building situated at the outskirts of the city and that has been deemed unsuited for redevelopment for the last 11 years? This is the big challenge faced with B.Amsterdam at the Johan Huizingalaan in Amsterdam. From the start, NEXT architects was closely involved in the transformation of this static cube-shaped building into a lively hotspot for startups, freelancers and creative entrepreneurs. Strategic interventions are used to strengthen the quality, experience and identity of the building.
B.Amsterdam is a new working space concept in the former IMB headquarters building in the Rieker Business Park in Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West district. Usually, this is the place to find monofunctional office buildings, lack of occupancy, and, outside office hours, a chronic absence of entertainment. It is exactly here that B.Amsterdam’s 5 stores building is re-thought as a lively and dynamic city. Just as with any city, different functions are present that grow and develop organically. People can go to B.Amsterdam for work, sports, dining, events, and, most recently, to enjoy lunch or dinner on the rooftop restaurant Bureau.
NEXT was involved in developing the vision of the building as a city, with a recognisable, industrial appeal and re-use of materials. An important intervention is the new entrance situation, which now focuses on the experience and the quality of the entrance space for dwelling and encounters. Likewise, the raising the external fire staircase with the characteristic orange top makes the building highly recognizable from the road.
The crowning glory on the building is without a doubt the recently inaugurated restaurant Bureau. The restaurant is situated on the rooftop of B.Amsterdam in IBM’s former installation space. Bureau is surrounded by a green roof park with a rich vegetable garden, daily providing the restaurant with fresh seasonal products, vegetables and herbs. For the roof’s transformation, NEXT used existing elements to preserve the place’s raw and dynamic character. The most eye-catching amongst these elements are the large industrial sliding doors to create continuity between in- and outdoor spaces, the use of shipping containers and the remarkable bathtubs to serve as flowerpots. The result is a successful transformation project where innovation and creativity are put centre stage.
Point Reyes National Seashore – California – USA (by Joe Parks)
One of the main difficulties encountered by students when looking for a job is dealing with a lack of professional experience. This fact is a paradox since people who apply for a trainee position have often never worked in the chosen area. Therefore, it is vital to invest in education and also to know the cultural diversity that’s available. Below we have 10 tips that serve as guidelines for students who want to build up their CV and get through the interview processes:
1. NETWORK
Networking means the ability to establish a network of contacts or connections with something or someone. It serves as a personal marketing tool whose effectiveness will depend on authentic communication, a proactive stance, and the ability to cultivate strong interpersonal relationships. In addition, it functions as a system of mutual collaboration for sharing services and information between individuals who have common interests. For example, hearing about a job opening through a colleague. Therefore, it’s important to participate in social networks related to your areas of interest and also to maintain regular contact with people who can contribute to your professional and personal development. Without a doubt, helping and being helped are rewarding experiences, resulting in beneficial partnerships for all involved.
2. VOLUNTEER
There are numerous NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that offer on-site collaborations with volunteers and the community, in order to achieve a specific objective (their mission). The projects they do emphasize teamwork and the importance of being civic-minded. In addition, it’s an opportunity to develop your technical skills and at the same time get to know other ways of living and contribute to the transformation of a place and the people who live there.
3. PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION GROUPS
If discussion groups meet in your area, try to attend. Usually, texts on current and / or relevant themes are discussed. In addition, sessions of documentaries or films that portray the problems and realities of the architectural universe may be shown. If no such group exists, organize one with your peers and ask for help from your professors so that they can suggest readings and films / documentaries related to the subjects they teach. The exchange of information and opinions with colleagues directly contributes to gaining professional knowledge.
4. TAKE MORE CLASSES
Just participating in the courses for your degree isn’t enough if you want to excel professionally. You should further develop your skill set through specialized classes that correspond to what interests you. There are several options offered by public and private educational institutions, among them: distance learning courses, technical vocational courses, seminars, certification classes and technical training courses.
5. ATTEND LOCAL EVENTS
Be aware of the calendar of events in your field (architecture, urban planning, design, landscaping and construction), including international fairs, forums, symposiums, conventions, round tables, architecture and urbanism week, regional / national / international meetings for architecture and urban planning students, etc. Choose which ones you’d like to participate in from the available options.
6. PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT COMPETITIONS
Participating in a competition means fully meeting all the requirements set out in the call for proposals, whose work will be evaluated by skilled and technically qualified judges. It’s essential that the project is presented in the requested formatting since any non-compliance is cause for disqualification. All these types of experiences are valuable, even if your project doesn’t win since participating demonstrates attention to detail, discipline, teamwork, and organization in order to fulfill all the requirements. In addition, the projects you make can be included in your portfolio (see tip 10) and also mentioned on your CV.
7. VISIT IMPORTANT WORKS OF ARCHITECTURE
Researching architectural and urban projects that were or are relevant to society allows an architecture student to expand his repertoire of projects. However, seeing the places you studied in person and getting to know them is an irreplaceable experience in the training of an urbanist architect. Being physically in a place stimulates the senses of the human body because it is possible to experience different smells, noises, tastes, textures and sights all at the same time. In addition, observing people interacting with a space provides critical analysis for the architect in decision making. If you can’t travel right now, try to get to know the history and the architectural structures in your own city or even your neighborhood. There are always at least a few interesting places to visit and in many of them are free. Oh! Always bring a notebook to write down your impressions and ideas.
8. PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Participating in research is the starting point for those interested in delving into a specific subject or pursuing an academic career. In general, the interested student integrates with some research group at an institution and develops a project together with the instructor, which in turn encourages him to participate in conventions and seminars, as well as to publish articles in newspapers and magazines. In addition, you can obtain research grants by sending in grant applications and project summaries whose relevance will be evaluated by the technical committee of the requested institution.
9. PARTICIPATE IN AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM
A professional who has already participated in an exchange program stands out in the job market because the experience acquired is associated with a series of challenges that the person has already overcome, among them: dealing with distance from family and friends, learning different customs, adapting to the reality of a new country and, above all, to communicate in another language. An exchange student learns the importance of teamwork and has experience with the cultural diversity of another country. Additionally, you make new friends and expand your network (see tip 1), you acquire new knowledge, responsibility, and independence and, again, can become fluent in a foreign language. There are different exchange programs, some of which offer scholarships and housing and food aid. It is important to thoroughly research the available information and look it over well to determine what destination and length of stay fit your budget.
10. MAKE A PORTFOLIO
Your portfolio is a kind of “display case”, whose main objective is to demonstrate the quality of the projects you’ve done. Students who are planning their careers should gather their work done both at university and from student competitions (see tip 6) so that the portfolio ends up being creative, organized, and well structured. Make sure you always keep it up to date.
Article written by Tarsila Miyazato, Master of Architecture and Urbanism – FAUUSP. She is currently a professor of architecture and urban planning and civil engineering courses at Cruzeiro do Sul University (UNICSUL) and works as an architect at Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM).
