Video Review- architecure

Prairie Style:
From watching this video, I learned that the prairie style was developed by Frank Llyod Wright. Its design is centered on that fact that the houses represented the flat landscapes of the Midwest, where Wright first started his design.  It changed the face of modern architecture. He used a lot of horizontal bands, layering them to create the look that that they are “growing out of the land”. The main components of the design is centered on large open spaces, connecting rooms, as well as elevated living rooms and large windows for viewing outwards.  Wright's design was centered on the idea that the house becoming a part of its surrounding environment, and it should not take away from the site.  It depicted the organic relationship between the home and its surroundings.
 This video relates to the text because they both discuss the influence, and concepts of Wright's design, and his desire to make sure that the house blended in to it's surrounding environment. He wanted to “Echo” the designs of the prairies on which the houses were built.
 I thought this video was interesting because it described the basic components of Wright's concepts and principles, and it also showed how his influence on future generations of architects has continued. I also personally liked how he wanted the front doors to have to be “accessed”, for example, were not just stuck right in the middle of the house’s front. I chose this film because it called my attention. I  have heard Frank Lloyd Wright’s name often, but have never actually explored any of his work and found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

Last Call for Planet Earth:
 This video explained how the ideas of sustainability are being used in construction, as well as in restoration of old buildings to ensure that they are being built with renewable resources, and that they maximize their natural ability to heat and cool large spaces. The idea is to not rely on outside energy sources in order to maximize their efficiency as well as reduce carbon emissions.  The video also explores alternative energy methods, such as solar energy. This is an important part of  increasing buildings’ efficiency. Natural resources like water and wind also are being used for energy purposes effectively. The designs of the architects in the video were created to maximize their surrounding environment, and help large building structures reduce the amounts of energy used and waste created.  The architects used recycled materials/sustainable products like wood, instead of metal and steel.
 The video relates to the text because it describes the basic principles of green design.  They discuss how sustainable materials are important and why. They also discuss how design is centered around using natural elements to create light, as well as how design incorporates the elements to provide heating and cooling naturally.
 I thought this video was interesting because it focused on large green developments, and highlighted how simple changes can make a huge difference in how a building affects the environment. I chose this video because the concept of “Green” living isn’t something I personally having incorporated much in my life, but I think it really is important to be informed about.