Stuck out like a silver thumb
The first time I saw the new Devon Energy Center recently built in Oklahoma City, I was appalled. It looked imbalanced, sticking out above the rest of the skyline like a silver sore thumb. It may be the tallest building in Oklahoma, but it is ugly. What was the city thinking, allowing such an eyesore to dominate the skyline for miles around? Just look at it! In the daytime, it is visible for miles, a solitary bland structure jutting into the sky. At night, a mere glowing floating triangle. Whose idea was that?
Expertise nonetheless
My initial impression was probably rather hasty. In retrospect, I'm reminded of the initial complaints about the “useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower” when it was first built. The more I learned about the details of the tower, the more I recognize the expertise of Devon Energy and their architects Pickard Chilton.
Expertise in architecture is a tall order (no pun intended). The building must first of all be functional. The prettiest building in the world shows a dismal lack of expertise if it cannot serve its purpose well. The Devon Energy Center had a very specific purpose: provide a single workplace for Devon’s employees, who as the company grew were scattered in various buildings all over the city. As a result, the design started with the interior, considering communications between the departments and appropriate floor plans. The external building plans were also made with functionality in mind. The tower cross section, a modified equilateral triangle, is oriented to minimize unwanted solar gain - important for a high-sun location with months of 90 and 100ºF days in the summer.
Architectural expertise also requires a beautiful form. While my initial impressions were di...
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... Sheet Metal. 17 Sep 2013. http://mgmcgrath.com/devon-energy-center-achieves-leed-gold-certification/. Web. Accessed 13 June 2014.
Broome, Beth and Malone, Alanna “Corporate Green: An energy company's iconic headquarters symbolizes a renewed urbanism in Oklahoma City.” Greensource Magazine. Sep 2013. http://greensource.construction.com/green_building_projects/2013/1309-devon-energy-center.asp. Web. Accessed 13 June 2014.
[n.a] “Owner Resource 2012” Devon’s Owner Relations Team. Devon Energy Corp. http://www.dvn.com/royalty/Documents/2012%20Owner%20Resource%20Guide.pdf. PDF. Accessed 13 June 2014.
[n.a] “View of Tower through Rotunda Oculus” Design Intelligence. Aker Imaging. http://www.di.net/almanac/firms/pickard-chilton/. Web. Accessed 13 June 2014.
Crossbie, Michael J. Devon: The Story of a Civic Landmark. Images Publishing, Mulgrave, Vic., Australia. 2013. Print.
"Famous properties: Boston's signature skyscraper." Journal of Property Management July-Aug. 2004: 8. Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Koronowski, R. (2013, June 24). Houston to become ‘the alternative energy capital of the world’?. Climate Progress. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/06/24/2200781/june-24-news-houston-to-become-the-alternative-energy-capital-of-the-world/(2010).
...state and local governments to drastically revise the skyscraper building codes in the United States. It would cost far too much money to implement all of the standards that are being requested by state legislatures. In addition, there are many methods that have proven to be more effective means of reducing the threat of terrorism surrounding this country. Though some of the suggested codes have been passed and are now currently in the code, an instant change to building regulations is unlikely. The need for many of these modifications is still under debate and their fates are yet to be determined. Good has come out of the efforts to modify high-rise construction codes, but the potentially beneficial aspects are far outweighed by the negative. Skyscrapers stand tall despite the terrible events of 9/11 and should not be unnecessarily altered because of them.
Using the quote by Habermas as a starting point, select up to two buildings designed in the twentieth century and examine what ‘sudden, shocking encounters’ they have encountered, or created. Analyse the building’s meanings as a demonstration of an avant-garde, or potentially arriere-garde, position.
Why I feel as if this building is very pleasing is because for one, it brings a positive vibe to Saginaw’s downtown area. Being that the city of Sag...
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James F. O'Gorman, Dennis E. McGrath. ABC of Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Document. October 2013.
...er is still an economic boost to the city of London as a must see. Because the structure was so impressive, it brought quite a bit of tourism to the city. The designs were extremely important to the people because it showed the greatness of their country and still held the conservative belief that was once lost in the past. It just goes to show just how important it was to the church, the people, and to the commonwealth of the cities and towns that had such amazing structures erected.
front of the building, is covered with a huge order of columns that stretches across
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Jencks believes “the glass-and-steel box has become the single most used form in Modern Architecture and it signifies throughout the world ‘office building’” (27). Thus, modern architecture is univalent in terms of form, in other words it is designed around one out of a few basic values using a limited number of materials and right angles. In...
Last year, I was involved in designing a roof for a proposed Tate Modern extension in a project sponsored by architecture firm Ove Arup. For this, I gained a Crest 'Gold' Award but more importantly the opportunity to investigate something from a technical point of view, thus branching away from my mainly unscientific subject base.
Kats, G., Alevantis, L., Berman A., Perlman J., & Mills, E. (2003, October). The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California’s Sustainable Building Task Force. Retrieved from http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/News/News477.pdf
"A Renewed Commitment to Buildings and Their Social Benefits." U.S. Green Building Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. .