Taliesin West - Organic Design in a Desert Garden

Taliesin West - Organic Design in a Desert Garden Taliesin West  began not as a grand scheme, but a simple need. Frank Lloyd Wright and his apprentices had traveled a long distance from his Taliesin school in Spring Green, Wisconsin to build a resort hotel in Chandler, Arizona. Because they were far from home, they set up camp on a stretch of the Sonoran Desert near the construction site outside of Scottsdale. Wright fell in love with the desert. He wrote in 1935 that the desert was a grand garden, with its rim of arid mountains spotted like the leopards skin or tattooed with amazing patterns of creation. Its sheer beauty of space and pattern does not exist, I think, in the world, Wright proclaimed. This great desert garden is Arizonas chief asset. Building Taliesin West The early encampment at Taliesin West contained little more than temporary shelters made of wood and canvas. However, Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by the dramatic, rugged landscape. He envisioned an elaborate complex of buildings that would embody his concept of organic architecture. He wanted the buildings to evolve from and blend with the environment. In 1937, the desert school known as Taliesin West was launched. Following in the tradition of Taliesin in Wisconsin, Wrights apprentices studied, worked, and lived in shelters they crafted using materials native to the land. Taliesin is a Welsh word meaning shining brow. Both of Wrights Taliesin homesteads hug the contours of the earth like a shining brow on the hilly landscape. Organic Design at Taliesin West Architectural historian G. E. Kidder Smith reminds us that Wright taught his students to design in kinship with the environment, admonishing students, for instance, not to build on top of a hill in dominance, but beside it in partnership. This is the essence of organic architecture. Lugging stone and sand, the students constructed buildings that seemed to grow from the earth and the McDowell Mountains. Wood and steel beams supported translucent canvas roofs. Natural stone combined with glass and plastic to create surprising shapes and textures. Interior space flowed naturally into the open desert. For awhile, Taliesin West was a retreat from the harsh Wisconsin winters. Eventually, air conditioning was added and students stayed through the fall and spring. Taliesin West Today At Taliesin West, the desert is never still. Over the years, Wright and his students made many changes, and the school continues to evolve. Today, the 600 acre complex includes a drafting studio, Wrights former architectural office and living quarters, a dining room and kitchen, several theaters, housing for apprentices and staff, a student workshop, and expansive grounds with pools, terraces and gardens. Experimental structures built by apprentice architects dot the landscape. Taliesin West is home of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, whose alumni become Taliesin Fellows. Taliesin West is also the headquarters of the FLW Foundation, a powerful overseer of Wrights properties, mission, and legacy. In 1973 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) gave the property its Twenty-five Year Award. On its fiftieth anniversary in 1987, Taliesin West won special recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives, which called the complex the highest achievement in American artistic and architectural expression. According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Taliesin West is one of 17 buildings in the United States that exemplify Wrights contribution to American architecture. Next to Wisconsin, gathering of the waters, Wright has written, Arizona, arid zone, is my favorite State. Each very different from the other, but something individual in them both not to be found elsewhere. Sources Frank Lloyd Wright On Architecture: Selected Writings (1894-1940), Frederick Gutheim, ed., Grossets Universal Library, 1941, pp. 197, 159Source Book of American Architecture by G. E. Kidder Smith, Princeton Architectural Press, 1996, p. 390The Future of Architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright, New American Library, Horizon Press, 1953, p. 21

Fruitadens - Facts and Figures

Fruitadens - Facts and Figures Name: Fruitadens (Greek for Fruita tooth); pronounced FROO-tah-denz Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Jurassic (150 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and 1-2 pounds Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Exceptionally small size; bipedal posture; possibly feathers About Fruitadens It happens more often than you think, but the fossil specimens of Fruitadens languished for over two decades in museum collections before being meticulously examined. What these paleontologists found made headlines worldwide: a tiny (one or two pounds max), late Jurassic dinosaur that fed opportunistically on any bugs, plants, and any small critters that happened across its path. Fruitadens has proven difficult to classify; it has now been pegged as an ornithopod, and is believed to have been a close (albeit much smaller) relative of the different-toothed dinosaur Heterodontosaurus. (By the way, the name Fruitadens is often mistakenly translated as fruit tooth, but this wee dinosaur was actually named after the Fruita region of Colorado, where its fossil specimens were excavated in the late 1070s.) How could a dinosaur as tiny and inoffensive as Fruitadens survive in late Jurassic North America, home to giant, multi-ton sauropods like Brachiosaurus and fierce predators like Allosaurus? Logically enough, this tiny ornithischian probably adopted a similar strategy as the comparably sized mammals of the Mesozoic Era, scurrying through the underbrush (perhaps at night) and, just possibly, climbing trees to stay out of the way of larger dinosaurs. (In case you were wondering, as tiny as it was, Fruitafossor isnt the smallest dinosaur in the fossil record; that honor belongs to the four-winged Microraptor of early Cretaceous Asia, which was only about the size of a pigeon!)

Fruitadens - Facts and Figures

Fruitadens - Facts and Figures Name: Fruitadens (Greek for Fruita tooth); pronounced FROO-tah-denz Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Jurassic (150 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and 1-2 pounds Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Exceptionally small size; bipedal posture; possibly feathers About Fruitadens It happens more often than you think, but the fossil specimens of Fruitadens languished for over two decades in museum collections before being meticulously examined. What these paleontologists found made headlines worldwide: a tiny (one or two pounds max), late Jurassic dinosaur that fed opportunistically on any bugs, plants, and any small critters that happened across its path. Fruitadens has proven difficult to classify; it has now been pegged as an ornithopod, and is believed to have been a close (albeit much smaller) relative of the different-toothed dinosaur Heterodontosaurus. (By the way, the name Fruitadens is often mistakenly translated as fruit tooth, but this wee dinosaur was actually named after the Fruita region of Colorado, where its fossil specimens were excavated in the late 1070s.) How could a dinosaur as tiny and inoffensive as Fruitadens survive in late Jurassic North America, home to giant, multi-ton sauropods like Brachiosaurus and fierce predators like Allosaurus? Logically enough, this tiny ornithischian probably adopted a similar strategy as the comparably sized mammals of the Mesozoic Era, scurrying through the underbrush (perhaps at night) and, just possibly, climbing trees to stay out of the way of larger dinosaurs. (In case you were wondering, as tiny as it was, Fruitafossor isnt the smallest dinosaur in the fossil record; that honor belongs to the four-winged Microraptor of early Cretaceous Asia, which was only about the size of a pigeon!)

LNG as Fuel for Aircraft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LNG as Fuel for Aircraft - Essay Example Conceptual Configuration 1.1 Liquefaction Cycle Liquefaction allows gas to be stored economically. Propane Precooled Multi-Component Refrigerant Cycle (Carson’s Report, pg 221) will be used to create the LNG from the natural gas feed. This process also known as the C3-MR system is used widely in today’s LNG industries. This system uses a multi-component refrigerant, usually nitrogen, methane, propane, butane, ethane and pentane to condense and evaporate natural gas in one cycle over a wide range of temperatures.( http://books.google.com.au/books?id=b14hnWUAOPYC&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=propane-precooled+multi-component+refrigerant+cycle&source=bl&ots=NyBe3x3X2H&sig=lGG5YDOJ9TkF_ntOmXjcG2Es2Fc&hl=en#v=onepage&q=propane-precooled%20multi-component%20refrigerant%20cycle&f=false) 1.2 Storage Facility In this section we will show our storage facility by calculating the storage capacity needed (table 1.2.1), studying the current LNG storage tanks and their capacity and choosing the appropriate facility for our project. Storage Capacity                Number of Flights per day    14                      Usage per Flight          LNG Density (kg/m^3)    455 Weight (kg)    26043.97 Volume(m^3)    57.23949                      Usage per Day          LNG Density (kg/m^3)    455 Weight (kg)    364615.6 Volume(m^3)    801.3529                   Needed storage capacity per day (m^3)                LNG 801.3529             Annual Storage Capacity (m^3)                LNG 292493.8    Table 1.2.1 Storage Capacity Calculation LNG is a cryogenic liquid. The term â€Å"cryogenic† means low temperature, generally below -73 °C. LNG is a clear liquid, with a density of about 45% that of water. The LNG is typically stored in double-walled tanks at atmospheric pressure. The storage tank is actually a tank within a tank. The annular space between the two tank wal ls is filled with insulation. The inner tank, in contact with the LNG, is made of 9% nickel steel, suitable for cryogenic service and structural loading of LNG. The outer tank is generally made of carbon steel or prestressed concrete. 1.3 Processing Facility This stage includes the requirements to sub-cool LNG prior to the loading into the aircraft fuel pods. Lng needs to be sub cooled to -161 degrees Celsius for it to remain in the liquid form. 1.4 Distribution Facility Our distribution facility will include pipings, pumps and hydrants required to deliver LNG from the storage tanks to the aircraft. Pipeline System As the liquefaction and storage facilities are within the airport boundary, the pipeline costs will be lesser than that of distribution and transportation through trucks. Sizing requirements to meet the distance from the storage tanks to the aircraft. To be able to simultaneously fill 2 aircrafts at one time. Under the ground (trench covered by open grating) to prevent he at penetration. Pipeline insulation by thick polyurethane to prevent heat infiltration. 2. Ground Systems Operating Procedure The primary operations that will be considered in this section: Receipt of gas for liquefaction Liquefaction Storage Delivery of LNG In our project, we will be receiving liquefied natural gas, which will eliminate the process of liquefaction. The reason for such an arrangement would be that the amount of LNG usage for our operation does not require a facility to produce LNG with a natural gas feed. Also, costs are not feasible to create a natural gas feed at the airports. With this, we move on to the

How to teach literacy and Multi-literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to teach literacy and Multi-literacy - Essay Example Multi-literacy requires students to integrate technological educational tools. One of the ways teachers can teach literary and multi-literacy is by integrating them teaching. This means that teachers should integrate four essential components of multi-literacy teaching. These are overt instructions, situated practices, transformed action and critical framing (Gambrell, Marrow & Pressley, 2011). Situated practice focuses students to meaningful learning through the integration of primary knowledge. Overt instruction directs students to systematic processes of learning. Critical framing enables students to learn how to approach the diverse environment in order to improve their learning experiences. Teachers can also use transformed action teaching to teach students how to apply lessons to real life experiences. Teaching literacy and multi-literacy can lead to the adoption of new ideas and practices. It can also help in overcoming the limitations experienced in traditional learning approaches. Teaching literacy and multi-literacy introduces teachers to new pedagogical approaches and practices, which creates opportunities for future learning and teaching. The four ways in which teachers can teach literary and multi-literacy are the use of situated practices, critical framing, overt instructions and transformed actions. These methods have the potential to guide teachers to provide equal access to teaching and learning

Employment Relations Essay Example for Free

Employment Relations Essay The dynamic nature of the business environment and the increasing global competition has prompted business owners as well as other stakeholders to pay more attention to the area of employment relations. This can be attributed to the increased level of awareness regarding the relationship between employment relations and productivity . Management teams in most organizations have taken a keen interest in employment relations now more than ever before. Today, human resource practitioners and departments in organizations have rapidly transformed into most vibrant people and departments due to their increasingly important roles. This paper analyses the role played by the management in regard to the formation and structure of employment relations in the context of the retail industry in Australia. Employment relations (ER) refer to the different systems and techniques utilized in managing people. Employment relations are a broad and all encompassing term that also covers human resource management and industrial relations (Guite, T. 1999). Human resource management revolves the directing and controlling of the work force in a particular organization to forge unity so that there can be harmonious relationship between the management and workers for maximum productivity (Nilson, C. 2003. ). Industrial relation has to do with the resolution with work related disputes between the employees and their organizations and the management (Guite, T. 1999). There have been significant reforms in Australia in the last decade in regard to industrial disputation. This has seen the reduction of inconsistencies in the area of dispute and conflict management. ER as a professional field includes the laid down rules and regulations, attitudes, cultures, policies and behavior surrounding the employment relationship (Cranny, C et al, 1992). It involves the participation of key players such as employees with their formal and informal organizations, employers with their associations and the government and its relevant institutions in regard to their employment concerns. Employment relationship refers to the contract between two parties one being the employee and the other the employer. The employee is the person in servitude to the other under contractual terms, which may be written or oral (Walter, J. 2006). In this relationship the employer has an upper hand in the decision-making and conceptually is the one who gives the direction, which is to be followed. Concept This leadership role is key to any organization and may be held by an individual (in cases of small and micro businesses) or a management team in cases of medium or large organizations. The management has the role of controlling and directing people towards achieving corporate objective. Team work is involved where one person is not able to produce what is actually needed in the company. Potential human resources, financial resources and natural resources are all deployed and manipulated through the management (Mullins, L. 2005. ). Management as a function in the organization involves the act of getting things done through people in the most efficient way on a regular basis. The management is also charged with the responsibility of initializing plans and action that ought to be taken by the organization in order to reach the corporate objective. The management therefore is involved in the planning, organizing, motivating, controlling, coordinating the resources in an organization in order to achieve the maximum possible productivity levels. There are different arms under which the management falls including human resource management, operations management, production management, strategic management, financial management and information technology management (Walter, J. 2006). In this section, we are interested in the human resource management where it is noted that the role of this arm of management has been changing and becoming increasingly important in organizations today. The human resource department in any organization has the role of understanding and developing the human capital as well as engaged in dissemination of good organizational culture among the workforce (Cranny, C et al, 1992). The key role of management in employment relations is defined as communication. Various aspects of employees’ relationship with the management are handled according to the laid down rules, policies, and practices of the organization. In the modern workplace the employees are encouraged to air their views and grievances through this important arm of the management. This has the impact of reducing organizational conflicts and thus saving organizations both money and time that would otherwise have been used in the follow-ups of litigation cases. Other specific areas of interest between management and employees include payments of wages, bonuses and salaries, workplace conflict resolution, work timetable, health and safety, productivity targets and general grievances that employees may have . It cannot therefore be said that the management plays a passive role in employment relations rather in this day and age; the management plays an all important role that has the effect of unifying all the resources of the organization especially the human resource in order to maximize productivity. The management ensures that all the employees are working together in harmony towards the cooperate goal. In addition to this, the management has to engage in dialogue with the relevant government institutions in order to ensure that all regulations pertaining to employment relations are adhered to. It can therefore be said that the management has a most central role in holding together the different stake holders in employment relations. That task requires different skills and knowledge of management and leadership methods. Retail industry in Australia The retail industry in Australia is by far the biggest employer employing about 12% of the working population. The retail markets consist of sellers of goods directly to consumers and other final users. This industry is also characterized by the highest number of untrained workers. The working conditions are most varied and working hours are not regulated but are determined by the individual retailers. Important changes to the retail work relations systems have been introduced in the work relations act of 1996 (Pocock, Barbara Masterman-Smith, Helen. 2005). One of the responsibilities for determining all matters touching on the employer/employee relationship is on the hands of these two key stakeholders at the work place. According to the new rules, and agreements employers and employees are encouraged to resolve their matters without relying on external mediators. However, the key areas such as minimum wages and working conditions standards have been established by the Australian fair pay commission as well as the parliamentary decree(Catanzariti, J. Baragwanath, M. 1997 ). There has been a major reform in employee relations in the retail industry in Australia. There have been conscious measures to regulate the work place environment in this industry with different variations sort in recognition to the changes made to the shop trading hours act of 1997. Some of these variations include the expansion and scope of working hours, the minimum wage upgrades (Creighton, B. Stewart, A. 994). There has also been a need for direction on the number of hours that employees should be given for leave. Additionally, when working at odd hours different pay terms have been negotiated. This includes working on Sundays and working at night. In order to ensure that employees are not overworked, it has been suggested that there be introduced a system of working shifts. The federal government in Australia is mandated by the constitution to make laws that regulate matters concerning conciliation and dispute resolution in order to prevent industrial dispute that would extent beyond anyone state (Teicher, J. Lambert, R. O’Rourke, A. 2006. ). Workers in the retail industry in Australia have enjoyed higher standards of living due to significant legislative reforms regarding the work place relation. These reforms have also served to increase productivity due to the lower rates of industrial disputation. However, more reforms are needed to increase the flexibility and options for both employees and employers. These interventions measures by the government are aimed at spurring economic growth as well improve global competitiveness. The retail industry is a good place to begin owing that it is the major employer in Australia. Today, there has been less dependence on awards by industrial tribunals that were used to negotiate and determine the environment as well as compensation and benefits for employees within the traditional work place relations systems. The management, has been empowered further by these new reforms since all matters and disputes that regard work place relations are first to be dealt with between the employees and employers before any further form of remedial action can be taken. The work place relations act of 1996 has ensured that the alias award system by industrial tribunals has a minimum role of determining minimum wages instead of its initial role of determination and prescription of employees’ wages, and conditions allowed by their employers. Decentralized agreement mean that negotiations are done between employers and employees or between employers and employees organizations (unions) and thirdly, between the management and government institutions. Employees have the option of requesting for a bargaining agent. The retail workers are also vulnerable to different forms of injustices. The comprehensive reforms in work place relations follow the introduction of work choices legislation in 2005 (Catanzariti, J. Baragwanath, M. 1997). Some of the changes touch on work place health and safety application, new dismissal provision, and new transmission of laid down regulations, buying and selling of businesses, union restriction and the scrapping of no disadvantage test among other changes (Creighton, B. Stewart, A. 1994). All these reforms have the effect of giving more responsibility to the management in this matter of employment relations than ever before. Employer obligations are made known to all in the varied business situations. The reforms have also resulted in employees enjoying more freedom and job securities because employers are required to take great care when effecting a dismissal since employees can now claim compensation against unlawful dismissal or discrimination. These laws are applied widely to even small businesses with less than hundred employees. These small businesses are mostly consisting of retail businesses. The importance of management in employment relation cannot be over emphasized. This is highlighted by the fact that the management as a key stake holder is charged with the responsibility of coordinating all the relations between labor unions and labor laws. This is done with the sole aim of improving the quality of produce as well as achievement of organizational goals. It has to be noted here that the management is responsible to the business owners and stakeholders if there is a slackening in productivity or if profitability decreases. Therefore, the management is under pressure to ensure that there is a conducive working environment as well as quality working life for its employees in order to make it possible for success to be achieved. In the retail industry, the management of these businesses is subjected to the obligation of comprehending the laid down guidelines regarding employment relations. Conclusion. It is evident from these discussions that the management is at the centre of all matters relating to employment relations. The management roles as key stakeholder in organizational structure ensures that the management has not only understand the broader concepts of employers obligations to the employees but also forge a working relationship with the labor unions while ensuring that all the legal regulations are adhered to. Since the last decade several reforms in the area of employment relations have been undertaken and they have served to empower the management and to increase its responsibilities towards its employees and towards ensuring that laws are followed to the letter. These increased responsibilities have helped to streamline the work place environment especially in the retail industry which had been earlier characterized by inconsistencies and to great extent injustices towards employees. The management is now required to be extra vigilant to ensure that employment relations systems in a particular organization are such that they serve to improve productivity and to ensure that the company utilizes all their human resources for the achievement of corporate objective.

Analysis of Richard Adams Watership Down :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hazel became the leader of the rabbits once they left their original warren. He was a very smart and tricky rabbit who won the respect and trust of the other rabbits by his courage and many great deeds. He always handled problems calmly so others would also remained calm. Whenever a plan was needed, Hazel would always come up with one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fiver, the younger brother of Hazel, was unique because of his small size and ability to foresee danger. He saved the rabbits from death by warning some rabbits of the danger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bigwig, a great fighting and courageous rabbit, was essential for the success of the traveling rabbits. He loved to fight and always did his best to protect the others. He was also the bird Kehaar’s best friend and enjoyed spending time with him. Blackberry was the most intelligent rabbit in the group. For example, he made a boat to cross a river although the others had never even seen or understood the floating concept. Blackberry always helped Hazel to think of ideas when problems arose. Dandelion, another smart rabbit, was known for his speed and for his great story telling of El-ahrairah, the rabbit folk hero. He could always tell stories which distracted and eased the rabbits from problems. Pipkin, a good friend of Fiver, was small like Fiver but acted as if he was as big as Bigwig. He always did what he was told and never complained. PLOT One day Fiver, sensing danger, convinced his brother Hazel that they must leave their warren. Hazel tried to warn the Chief Rabbit of the danger, but he did not listen. Hazel gathered a group and went along the brook until they reached another warren of rabbits. These rabbits were very strange and acted differently from other rabbits. Hazel and his group decided to leave after Bigwig got caught in a wire. The man would feed the rabbits so they would become big and healthy; then the man would kill them. After many days of travel, Hazel and the others came to Watership Down, which was an excellent place for a warren. The soil was perfect, and enemies could be spotted from many miles away. Here they dug a burrows where the rabbits were happy. Hazel made friends with animals such as mice and even a bird named Kehaar. Hazel then realized that the warren needed does to survive. He used Kehaar to find some does. They made a raid on a farm and brought back two does. Then three of four rabbits left to visit a big warren to ask for