During a time when pollution and litter covered the United States, architect Michael Reynolds saw a an opportunity to turn this unfortunate situation into something positive. In 1972, Reynolds built a house comprised of over 70,000 beer and soda cans that he reused. This genius idea brought more attention to the serious litter/pollution issue that was present in America and is known as one of the most creative architectural ideas of all time. The environmental enthusiast has spent his entire architectural career focusing on eco-friendly ideas that benefit society and attract the eyes of many. Thumb house kick started Reynolds career and encouraged him to continue constructing houses and buildings with this ‘pro-environment’ mindset.

https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-reynolds-beer-can-thumb-house-2014-7

Make Architects’ the London Wall Place has created an easier area for people to walk through and enjoy without feeling too crowded. The London Wall Place incorporates the rich history of London by including a preexisting landmark into the design of the garden for their office building. Make Architects created a way to include a historic piece of London’s history without the need to tear it down or build upon it, the innovative technique of incorporating it into the garden has created a better environment for the office buildings it accompanies and the streets people walk upon.

Quai De Burgues was built by Make Architects for the HSBC company. They combined seven different previously independent buildings into one singular structure. The merging of historical exterior with modern interior works with HSBC’s image as a company. Not only does this building contain comfortable office space, it features a natural light courtyard. Within this atrium lies a nature wall that runs all the way to the top floor. The building has been complemented for its energy efficient design and its ability to use local resources.

The Innovation building is located at Oxford, UK, and was built by Make Architects. The building is known as the Bio-escalator to the Oxford University and lives up to its name with its innovative design that has helped create a better traffic environment or the campus with its car park. The design was inspired by a forest, as the car park and laboratory sections resemble tree’s and their leaves. The Innovation building offers lab and office space for scientists of the university and creates more opportunities for teamwork with its welcoming and comforting work-space.

The Cube building is an innovative design that adds an interesting touch to the city of Birmingham, England. The building was designed by Ken Shuttleworth, working under Make Architects, and created to bring people together, whether they were there to enjoy the dining experiences or go to work. The design is inspired by Birmingham’s history of cars and jewelry. The metal on the outside reflects the cars the city once had factories for, while the glass interior reflects the jewelry once sold in the shops of Birmingham.

This is a building created by Frank Lloyd Wright called Child of the Sun. This building was made in 1958 in Florida. I wanted to include this building because it was actually something he made for a university of Florida Southern College and I thought that would be something relatable to all of us as students. He created this in mind of it being the “college of tomorrow”. He worked on this building for almost two decades and I think it shows. This building seems very intricate and has many interesting design elements. I do however think some of the color choices and design elements are a bit outdated for the times now it is still a beautiful building and you can see the work that had gone into it.

This next building made by Frank Lloyd Wright is the Congregation Beth Sholom. This building was made in 1954 in Pennsylvania. This was the only religious building he designed and the elements he put in it I found very interesting. The pyramid-like walls are actually made of fiberglass and plastic which actually allow light to come through. It is said that during sunsets those walls actually create an orange glow in the building and during the day you can see the shadows of birds flying nearby. I think this would have created an amazing environment for those inside as well as creating an interesting space outside. Supposedly the outer tent shape of the outside is also a reference to Mr. Wright’s metaphorical take on religion.

David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.

The next building I will be talking about is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. This building was made in 1959 in New York, New York. I thought this building was interesting because it seemed very different from the other things he had been producing and what Mr. Wright was known for. His architecture style seemed very angular and rectangular with not many organic styles but headed in a more modern direction. Although this still has the very crisp clean lines that have that idea this building is much more rounded than his other works. You can still see his design of layers that create the building as a whole, but I just thought this one was very different for him.

For my first blog of this section, I am going to be speaking of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings and designs. This first blog is about the marvel that is Fallingwater. This building was made in 1939 which is amazing to me considering how modern it seems. I think looking at his work you can tell that Mr. Wright created buildings that paved the way for the aesthetics of modern architecture today. With this building specifically I think the layers and rectangular nature really make this building almost look like one giant cobblestone piece all together. Also the way that it is intertwined into the waterfall is very interesting to me.

Completed in 2011 the Martin Luther Church looks nothing like it sounds. Its contemporary shape sets it apart and made it the centerpiece of Hainburg, Austria. Its roof has 3 large holes in it that allow light to flood the sanctuary giving it a one of a kind look that can’t be mistaken. Actual photographs can’t really show the detail of the rood and surrounding area but the model allows you to clearly see the complex shapes derived from computer software that give it its wild look.