Symmetry

ROOFS

Traditional buildings always had a pitched roof which was covered with slate or tile and, on very flat pitches, lead. All pitched roofs, if correctly detailed, last for hundreds of years and provide the best protection to the rain. In order to pitch a roof properly one needs a simple plan underneath because of the geometry imposed by the pitches at the hips and valleys. Traditional buildings therefore generally have simple geometrical plans.

Modern buildings generally have flat roofs covered in asphalt or roofing felt. The life of these materials is very short indeed and is generally regarded as being 20 years maximum before major repair is required. The advantage of a flat roof is that it imposes no discipline on the architect: he does not have to consider solid geometry as he works on the arrangement of the plan and section so his mind can conceive a building in any way he likes and simply cover it with a flat roof.

Symmetrical design is a characteristic of natural objects and is so obvious that it hardly needs to be described; everything that is beautiful is symmetrical. I do not mean that buildings must be identical about the centre line; and in fact, when you study human anatomy you will see that certain organs like the heart and liver are arranged on different sides, but the general physique of a building should strive at balance and symmetry. It is normal to have the entrance half of a house (or large building) in the centre with the front door in the middle. In modern architecture all these natural principles are rejected under the specious pretence that it restricts the freedom in design. In fact it imposes a necessary discipline. So many modern plans are really a diagram worked out from the client’s brief without being modified and assimilated into a consistent arrangement.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1) What kinds of roofs do you know?

2) What roof did traditional buildings have?

3) Why do traditional buildings have simple geometrical plans?

4) What can you say about modern buildings?

5) Are flat roofs covered in asphalt or roofing felt?

6) What is the advantage of a flat roof?

7) What is a characteristic of natural objects?

8) Must buildings be identical about the centre line?

9) Should the general physique of a building strive at balance and symmentry?

10) What do you know about the entrance hall of a house?

11) What is rejected in modern architecture?

12) Why is it rejected?

Exercise 5. Translate the sentences paying attention to the Passive Voice:

1) Pitched roof was covered with slate or tile.

2) Flat roofs are covered in asphalt or roofing felt.

3) The life of these materials is generally regarded as being 20 years.

4) Major repair is required.

5) This design is described here.

6) I do not mean that buildings must be identical about the centre line.

7) The heart and liver are arranged on different sides.

8) All these natural principles are rejected.

9) Many modern plans were considered at the conference.

10) It was modified and assimilated into a consistent arrangement.

11) This article is often refered to.

12) The child was looked for everywhere.

Exercise 6. Translate from Russian into English:

1) Современные здания строятся в этом регионе каждый год.

2) Виды бетона были изучены вчера на лекции.

3) Статья на тему современной архитектуры была переведена на прошлой неделе.

4) Чертеж был уже показан студентам.

5) Студентам показали схему на вчерашней лекции.

6) Магнитофон будет починен завтра.

7) За докладом последовало его обсуждение.

8) Наш разговор был прерван телефонным звонком.

9) Над ним всегда смеются.

10) Завод будет построен через год.

Exercise 7. Translate the following words and phrases:

pitched roof, flat roof; arrange; symmetry; entrance hall; modern architecture; restrict; discipline; human anatomy; untidy; in any way; geometry; impose; identical; material; natural object; balance; freedom.

Clay; cement; sand; lime; brick; stone; gravel; wood; steel; iron; timber; concrete; cooper; crashed stone, slate; granite; neoprene; glass; tin; lead; felt.

Exercise 8. Choose the proper Russian words (from B) to the English equivalents (from A):

A pitched roof; describe; obvious; hardly; mean; means (n); centre line; in fact; middle; principle; reject; arrangement; valley; protection; rain; properly; provide

B pазжелобок; должным образом; описывать; едва; защита; очевидный; центральная линия; дождь; предусматривать (обеспечивать); покатая крыша; значить; середина; отвергать; фактически; средства; принцип; расположение.

Exercise 9. Choose the synonyms:

erect; little; huge; transport; building; plant; supply; pipe; hoist; kind; allow; permit; shuttering; include; formwork; comprise; require; end; ask for; handle; works; provide; tube; lift; sort; build; small; enormous; structure; finish; similar; due to; because of; the same.

Translate some short texts without a dictionary.

Text 3B:

MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDING & ATHLETIC FACILITY

Completion: September 1998

Location: New York, New York, USA

Client: Trinity School

Area 3.716 square metres, 40.000 square feet

Structure: Steel

Materials: Brick, pre-cast stone, lead coated cooper

Cost: US$15 million

Founded in 1709 Trinity School is among the most prestigious and competitive independent schools in New York. Its urban campus includes two 19^th century school buildings that are now designated New York City landmarks.

The Middle School Building replaces a one-storey structure with a four-storey building that holds the street wall and roofline of its neighbours. Traditional in materials and contemporary in design it is sympathetic to the scale and proportion of the original school buildings. Linking the two is glazed entrance pavilion.

Within the Trinity complex, the Middle School Building is the critical link in the overall circulation of the campus. Stair towers at either end provide horizontal circulation to adjoining buildings as well as vertical circulation in the building itself. Academic facilities include 14 classrooms, a computer resource centre, a learning centre and facility offices.

The Middle School Building also incorporates a major athletic facility, including two competition size gymnasiums and a weight room and training facility. The two classroom floors are designed as a bridge over the long-span gym below.

The adjacency of the classrooms to the athletic facilities posed an unusual acoustical issue preventing structure borne noise from the gymnasiums from being transmitted to the academic spaces. The upper gymnasium is completely isolated from the structure. The floor floats above the structural slab through a specially designed system of neoprene slab isolation and isolator mounts. All walls are concrete block, also isolated from the main structure by braces and neoprene connection. In the lower gym acoustical sway braces on the concrete block walls provide similar isolation.

Words to the text:

glaze – остеклять

annex – пристройка к зданию

tangible – реальный, осязаемый

link – соединять, соединение

as well as – так же как

bay – пролет

transmit – передавать

float – быть в равновесии

neoprene – неопрен

brace (n.,v.) – связь жесткости, оттяжка, распорка; связывать, придавать жесткость, подпирать

Дата добавления: 2014-12-17