Portfolio

The major objective of the paper is to show how factory as a place is related to people and environment. A factory also referred to as a manufacturing plant is a building in which industrial works take place. Workers manufacture goods through operation of machines or manual processes. Factories are run under the supervision of individuals who offers work force through out the process of manufacturing.
Modern factories have large warehouses that hold heavy equipments used for production of goods. For goods to be manufactured by workers, there is need of raw materials usually obtained from the surrounding environment or other places. The bottom line is that a factory cannot run without the support of human work force and environment. The resources used in factory include workers, plant, raw materials and capital (Jim, 2004).
   
The environment in which a factory is established should be conserved and protected so as to safeguard the health of workers, individuals in the surrounding and other living organisms. There are different types of factories in the world such as manufacturing, processing, packaging and distribution. All these are categorized as per the goods being produced, for instance vehicle manufacturing plant deals with manufacture of different parts of motor vehicle.
                                              
A Volkswagen factory in Germany
A food processing factory employs experts in food and drinks production process like bread, beer, chocolate, fish processing and other types of foodstuffs.      
       
Fish processing factory
During the ancient period at the time of British colonies in the 20th century, factories were considered as mere buildings. Large number of workers gathered in such factories to perform their duties without protective clothes. In the modern world, every work is supposed to wear protective clothes while carrying on with factory duties.
                
A worker in a factory
Factory safety
Manufacturing environment is the most hazardous place in the work place and this call for incorporation of safety and health measures. Employees should not risk their health or life through exposing them into bad working conditions. Hazards in a manufacturing plant are usually many and differ from industry to industry. Workers in a factory are exposed into various hazards such as fire, injuries, cold, noise pollution and respiratory problems (Moses, Smith, 2007). The employees are supposed to undergo safety training so as to enlighten them on what to do incase such instances occur.

Fire is the most and common hazard that often occurs in many factories as a result of electricity fault.  Manny workers have sustained injuries and others died as a result of fire accident in factory. Each manufacturing factory should have spacious exit doors, fire extinguishers and fire drills should be performed more often. The health and safety of workers is the most important aspect in any manufacturing plant and should be protected.

A fire extinguisher
Protection of environment through proper means of waste disposal is another basic element of employees in a factory. Disposal of waste from the factory should be done in the right manner so as to avoid pollution of environment. Many factories produce carbon dioxide through smoke which is dissolved in the atmosphere hence global warming. This has had an adverse impact in the lives of many living organisms including the health of human beings. Protection of environment is the role of each individual within the factory irrespective of the position each person holds (George, 2005). A common way of reducing emission of gases from factory is through use of wind as source of energy. This will help to reduce carbon emission which has been a challenge in many developing nations.
                                
Gas emission from a factory
Relationship of factory to people, places and environment
Every country, nation or state has manufacturing plant known as factory to produce, package and distribute consumer goods in the market. The factories within a given location depend on the raw materials available, level of technology and target customers. Three basic elements are required to make a factory complete and this include labor provided through human work force, good and conducive surrounding environment, and locality the place within which the factory is established (Lai, Jeung, 2008). All these are basic factors of production and a factory cannot be complete without any of the three elements.
                
Employees at work in a textile factory
People provide labor that converts raw materials into finished goods and the same individuals purchase such products once they reach in the market. Human expertise in form of labor is needed in various factory departments.

Factory and environment are related in the aspect of work place that is to mean the surrounding in which the factory is established. The working environment should be conducive so as to provide good working conditions. When a factory has no ventilation or enough light, workers produce less that is expected. Ventilation makes employees to work without strain and in an environment of fresh and clean air. The factory should be spacious enough to create a good working environment (Rolin, 2001).
 Lighting is another aspect of working environment that should be considered. There should be no dark corners in a factory because this risks the health and safety of workers. Location or place of the factory is another basic that connects environment and people. The location of factory should be in a strategic place within market reach, close to raw materials and other amenities.

Calling all architects. I am a prominent business owner from London in search of the services of a fine architect. I will be commissioning the construction of a country weekend house for me and my family in the near future. The following is a description of my expectations for this residence.

After spending the better part of a lifetime in the busy city of London, I long for the peace and quite of the country. I have therefore purchased a large piece of land overlooking a slow flowing river. I am a simple man with high moral standards and I expect my new house to reflect this. I am not interested in the excesses of the Rococo style which I consider frivolous. Nor am I searching for the ribbed vault and pointed arch look of the neo-gothic trend which is now so popular with some of my more conservative acquaintances as well as our beloved monarchy, as the choice of architectural style for the Palace of Westminster is now proving.
I am very interested in the neoclassical architectural style. I appreciate the exploitation of symmetrical, geometrical shapes used for this style. This seems to express a level of high moral standards which appeal to my liberal personality. Though there are many characteristics pertaining to this style that attract me, I am rather partial to the full height, massive columns. These clearing indicate the high social standings of the inhabitants. After years of hard work to provide my family with higher standards of living, I expect our weekend home to reflect this, though without being over exuberant. 

As for the interior, I expect it to be conform with the grandeur of the house s exterior. I envision a classic, yet simple decor, with a tendency toward graceful curves rather than strict linear details. Finally, the only frivolous technological accessory I would be interested in is the new hand-turned dishwasher invented by Joel Houghton as asked for specifically by our cook.
All architects who feel they can achieve such standards should apply to me directly.

The British Museum in London, the Altes Museum in Berlin, and the Natural History Museum, again in London, all share at least one commonality, and that is their architecture. Those three museums all have prominent pillars surrounding the structure and if one looks at them from the outside, they appear identical, especially the British Museum and the Altes Museum. The Natural History Museum on the other hand is more like a castle with its two identical towers in the middle. It doesnt look like a public figure because of its size, style, and structural design.

The British Museum was designed by the architect Sir Robert Smirke in 1823 and just like the Altes Museum, it was inspired by Greek architecture, particularly the Greek Revival Style. This is very evident in the columns of the building. Also in 1823, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, a Prussian architect, designed and developed the Altes Museum. Altes in German means old and therefore is just appropriate for what it is already now. It was inspired by Durand which later became a favorite motif of museums. The long colonnades motif, which was also found in Robert Smirkes British Museum is said to have originated from Schinkels idea. Some of the items exhibited on the Altes Museum were antiques, on the ground floor, and paintings on the first floor.

As early as the later part of 1790s, elite members of the Prussian government thought of having a secured place where they can deposit their most precious collections. Furthermore, they believed that with a museum, a large value will be contributed to the states cultural mission. However, there were struggles and issues which delayed the commencement of the project. It was in 1882 when Schinkel took over the project and began to make realizations to the dreams of the Prussian people. Schinkel purposely located the museum on axis with the palace and adjacent to the Cathedral and arsenal, making it the center of the three pillars of the Prussian state. It is also remarkable that the architectural forms used in the museum are normally found in religious buildings where they are reserved. Years after, in 1871, the biggest London museum building came into being in the form of the Natural History Museum. It was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and it housed the appropriate collections of the British Museum.

The structure was symmetrical, Romanesque with much terracotta and a magnificent flying staircase inside. The idea of the grand staircase must also have been taken from Schinkels Altes Museum. Originally, as previously mentioned, the collections being housed by the Natural History Museum were those of Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and a natural collector, and are part of the British Museum. But as the years pass, the collections grew and required a much larger space, thus the need to create another museum. The location was in South Kensington, the previous location of what was considered as the ugliest building in London, the International Exhibition building. Amazingly, the architect of that building was the same architect who won the design competition for the Natural History Museum. As fate would have it, Francis Fowke, the architect died even before the project was started and so it was passed on to Alfred Waterhouse. Fowkes original design was Renaissance but Waterhouse altered it to German Romanesque.

The three museums namely the British Museum, the Altes Museum, and the Natural History Museum all had a touch of Romanesque architecture characterized by arches and are mostly used in religious buildings such as cathedrals. The reason being probably is because the architects of these buildings believed that art in itself is religion.

Futurists Manifesto Relates to Todays Architecture

Architecture itself is the art and science of designing and constructing physical structures for human use. The meaning itself illustrates that function and aesthetics are inseparable. Throughout the years people continually grow and innovate architectural designs. Buildings are not just there for function but they are also there to illustrate human creativity. The standard of architecture has undergone fundamental change over the past decades. If the old architecture was often simple and well bounded with a handful of bodies, the architecture now celebrates speed, machinery and technology.

There is now an apparent cultural evolution that motivates intellectual avant-garde. Contemporary architects with the help of technology are more experimental and innovative. The novel Futurist Manifesto,  written by the Itallian poet Filippo Tommaso Marineti  introduced an art movement that apparently rejects the past as he seeks to modernize and rejuvenate Italian culture. The vision of this book illustrates the contemporary architecture since it celebrates technology, machineries, speed and aggression. Futurist Manifestos vision is to break the old tradition of style where architecture is decorative, solemn and monumental. It says that architecture must perform a new start where calculation, simplicity and durability of materials are more significant than decoration.
   
In the contemporary architecture, I observed how style meets the avant-garde of Futurist Manifesto. If classical architecture is often pretty and pleasing, I can now see buildings that are simpler. Perhaps that what makes historical buildings a tourist spot because its style are often pretty and emotional. In terms of materials, contemporary architecture are now often made of concrete steel, glass and textile fiber instead of old wood, stone and brick.  The construction nowadays are smarter in terms of aesthetics, usefulness and simplicity. From the classic perpendiculars and horizontals, the oblique and elliptic lines of contemporary architecture are a hundred times more emotional and creative. In addition, the decorative value I observed depends whether it complements the buildings function and original arrangement. Instead of using immediate elements of nature, futurist architects often based on mechanical elements. 
   
Apparently, Futurist Manifesto wants to fulfill its vision that mans creation must endure. To ensure its longer mortality, the Futurist Manifesto aims to celebrates technology. The constant renewal and innovation  will contribute to the victory of Futurism which has already been continually affirmed today. Man according to futurism must be in harmony with freedom of expression through continually experimenting.

Art Nouveau is a style in the field of architecture that greatly influenced architectural work in entire Europe. The style is popular in many regions including New York City, Vienna, Munich, Turin Paris and France. In my opinion, the technique has greatly affected the quality in decoration. Ideas on how to apply the style are well explained in books, articles or beautiful designs that are designed in unique wonderful shapes. The style is mostly used to decorate buildings, walls, streets, furniture, textiles, clothes, jewelry and other land marks such as museums.

Art Nouveau as a style
Art Nouveau is commonly used by building designers who are specialized in decoration and beautification of buildings. The decoration styles are not similar in most cases and the quality of the decoration depends on how a person apply the skills and therefore require training and practice in order to be perfect. In Europe, many institutions have been developed to train people on the style. The style is common as a result of expansion of institutions to train people on arts and decoration.

Benefit of Art Nouveau to architects
It has enabled many architects to earn their living and expanded trade within the cities in Europe as a whole. Most of the modern buildings have adopted the style in such a way that there is minimal difference with the original style. I also believe that, apart from encouraging innovation in Europe, the style applied most especially during the civilization period in Europe and industrial revolution in Northern Europe, most buildings were built and decorated using Art Nouveau style. This resulted to the spread and the use of the idea positively and many architects adopted the style to decorate buildings and walls.Eventhough most of the people valued nature art nouveau was leading in most cities, streets, attires and walls (Chilvers, pp 171).

Cities that adopted the Art Nouveau
In most cities in Europe, the style was common though it was dominant in Paris due to the fact that artistic work was appreciated by many people who lived in the city. Paris is a major city in relation to art work and even hosted Art Nouveau in 1900. However, other cities such as Brussels, which was considered to be the center for development of art work and beautification, the style was popularly used in Brussels especially in major buildings and walls. Brussels city underwent many changes in design work and many architects acquired new skills for instance, Henry van de Velde expanded the style by decorating Tassel house in Brussels making it a more attractive place in the city, though the style was also popular in other cities including Glascow in England. Charles Rennie Mackintosh did a great work in decorating several buildings in Europe.  In most cases, he applied the style in his work However, Illinois, Chicago, New York and Denver were not left out as the cities that adopted the style (Chilvers, pp 121).

The pictures and the designers
Even though most buildings, items and structures were decorated using the style, few were recognized and categorized as attractive. The first picture represents a well decorated chair by Henry van de Velde who was born in 1863 and died in 1957. He was a painter, architect and was also good in interior designer. He spent most of his time in decoration and painting. The picture of the chair represents the use of Art Nouveau style in decoration he designed the chair not for sale but for his own use in his house in Brussels.
In 1906, the family of Victor Eugene Feller by the help of imperial royal architects contributed to the decoration of the house using the style (picture 2). The house was well advertised and was located at Zagreb which is today European house. The picture further portrays the fine art and proper application of the style.

The last picture (3) symbolizes a human face designed on the wall of a house it was designed in 1911 by Mathias Feller, an architect from Munich and Eugene Viktor, his half brother. Even though most houses and structures were built and decorated using different artistic works few could be noted and grouped as modern attractive buildings. In Europe for instance, Empire State building, is one of the buildings that was well decorated and furnished to the standard. It became one of the most expensive buildings and the most attractive of all. Finally, it is worth noting that Art Nouveau has led to an increase in employment, trade, attracted tourists and made many cities look more attractive and modern

The Portals of the Chartres Cathedral

In the medieval times, incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring cathedrals were built in Europe as vast monuments dedicated to the glory of God. Notre Dame of Paris and Notre Dame of Chartres (the Chartres Cathedral) are among the most famous cathedrals, both these magnificent constructions are also among the earliest and the finest examples of Gothic architecture. 

Gothic architecture was first worked out and defined in France in the first quarter the twelfth century. It is a grand and imposing style of architecture prominently characterized by such features as pointed arches, flying buttresses, ribbed vaults, the use of stained glass (especially in large windows), and lavish artistic detail. Although palaces, castles, town halls and universities employed Gothic architecture, this religiously-inspired architectural style is particularly suitable for ecclesiastical edifices since it is an artistic approach that seeks to invoke the power of the divine in stone and glass. It is in cathedrals that Gothic architecture fully blossomed and reached it highest potential. Today, gothic architecture is readily associated mostly with cathedrals, and a study of gothic architecture largely amounts to a study of cathedrals.

Chartres is located about 80 km southwest of Paris. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, is the epicenter of this town. The Chartres Cathedral is celebrated as the high point in Gothic architecture and also as a testament to the artistic creativity and engineering ingenuity of the Middle Ages.

History of the cathedral and some of its salient features
The humble beginnings of the Chartres Cathedral date back to the fourth century when the first Christian church was built on a druidic site. In 743, the original church was razed down by an invading duke. A new Church of St. Mary was then built on this spot. In the ninth century, this church acquired a holy relic, a tunic supposedly worn by St. Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. It is preserved to this day in the cathedral treasury. This church was destroyed by Danish Vikings, but was rebuilt soon thereafter. However this too was destroyed in two major fires. In 1020, there was a massive initiative to build the church again and on a larger scale. It was commissioned by Bishop Fulbert, and was built in the Romanesque style. Some parts of the present-day structure date back to this period before the first crusade (Adams 62).

Around the 11th and 12th centuries, the town of Chartres developed into a hub of learning and thought. It became one of the active centers of the phenomenon known today as twelfth-century renaissance. This cultural efflorescence forms the backdrop from which the great cathedral came to be. 

In 1134, a conflagration ravaged the whole town, and a considerable part of the cathedral too was devoured in the flames. Rebuilding began in 1145. Many extant structures of the cathedral date back to this period. In 1194, the cathedral was once again subjected to devastation by fire. But once again it rose from the ashes. The work on it was almost completed by 1235. The cathedral was consecrated in 1260. The Chartres Cathedral as we know it today essentially belongs to the 12th and 13th centuries, even though minor work continued on it sporadically until as late as 16th century.

Among other things, the Cathedral of Chartres is noted for its iconography as seen in its imagery-laden windows and the porches adorned with fine sculptures. It has to be noted though that the vast iconography embedded in stained glass and sculpture was meant to be much more than an embellishment. In general, medieval church art had the purpose of instructing people in religious matters. 

There are three large rose windows, the one in the west is dedicated to the theme of the apocalypse and the Last Judgment, the one on the north-side portrays Virgin Mary and the Old Testament prophets, and the south window is devoted to Jesus Christ and the stories of the New Testament.

A plethora of statues populate the portals and the porches. The most prominent of these portals is the Royal Portal on the west faade. It has sculptures that depict New Testament stories and various motifs from them such as infant Jesus in Marys lap and Christs ascension to heaven. Below these statues based on religious themes are the statues of various historical kings and queens, which is what gives the portal its name. The implication of placing the royal statues below the religious statues is that there is a divine connection between the Ruler of the world and its rulers. 

History and the layout of the portals
Chartres has three triple portals or totally nine portals in all, a triple portal on the western facade, a triple portal on each of the northern and the southern transepts. The three portals of the west front, which constitute the Royal Portal or Portals, are the most famous. The transepts have three sculptured portals each along with large rose windows and flanking towers. The triple-portal layout is unique to Chartres, although the design of the rose-windowed transepts as well as some of the iconography at the Royal Portal was based on the cathedral of St. Denis built earlier at Laon which was mostly destroyed during the reformation.

The 1134 fire destroyed the town and the west front of the then existing cathedral. When reconstruction on it began over a decade later, a new west faade was raised. The design of two flanking towers along with a tri-partite portal zone full of beautiful sculptures and a rose window above it is based on the model of an earlier church elsewhere but whereas the three portals were distinctly separated from one another in the earlier model, in Chartres the three doorways can be considered to form a unified structure, being connected by a frieze of sculptures and reliefs running across all the portals. The work on the west faade and its sculptures was most probably carried out between 1145 and 1150.

The fire of 1194 destroyed most of the town and the cathedral, but it almost miraculously spared the recently erected west faade. Although at first the citizens of Chartres considered the repeated fires that were destroying their cathedral as a sign of the divine wrath, the majestically standing west faade inspired them to look at the issue in a positive light, and they then thought they received a divine message in the form of the fire to build a bigger and better cathedral that matches the grandness of the west faade (Kleiner 343). Within the next 25 to 30 years, most of the new cathedral was completed. The magnificent new structure included the 3-aisled nave, the 5-aisled choir and its adjacent chapels and the transepts. The porches of the twin transepts were furnished with lavish friezes and sculptures. The high nave is supported by three-tier flying buttresses on the outside.


A closer look at the portals
The north portal is mostly dedicated to themes from the Old Testament, the south portal is dedicated to themes from the New Testament, and the Royal Portal is dedicated to the glorification of Christ and Mary.

North Portal This was constructed in the third decade of the 13th century. Christians view the prophets of the Old Testament to be precursors of the Christ and many of the happenings in OT to be preparations to lay the groundwork for the coming of the Christ. This is the view that is conveyed in the sculptures of the north portal. Here, Virgin Mary also features prominently (Janson  Janson). The central portal has the statue of St. Anne with infant Mary in her hands. The central statue was probably a token of honor to a relic of St. Anne received by Chartres from Constantinople.   

Some of the statues in the north porch are those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Simeon, John the Baptist and St. Peter. Moses and other figures from the Pentateuch do not feature, though there are a few statues depicting Adam and the story of creation.

Isaiah is the most famous of the prophets of Israel. He declared that there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots (Isaiah 111). Here he is shown as holding the flowering stem, although the actual flowering stem has disappeared. There is also a small figure of Jesse below him.

Jeremiah spoke about things which could be interpreted to be references to the Passion of Christ. Here he is depicted as holding a Greek cross and has listener beneath his feet.

Simeon is not a character from the Old Testament but a priest in the temple to whom infant Jesus was presented. He is depicted as holding the infant in his arms.

John the Baptist of the New Testament forms the immediate background from which Christ arose. He consciously paved the way for Christ to come. He is depicted as a thin figure, presumably emaciated from fasting and practicing asceticism, with a camel hair tunic. He is pointing in the direction of a medallion which is engraved with the Lamb of God. There is a dragon beneath his feet.

Then there is Peter the apostle, but dressed as a pope. He is supposed to be holding a chalice and a set of keys, but this part of the imagery is lost.

Elijah is one of the most interesting characters of the Old Testament. Reportedly he was abducted to heavens in a fiery chariot. Some researchers believe that this is a veiled reference to a UFO encounter. Here he is shown standing on the wheels of his chariot with his disciple, Elisha, catching his mantle from below.

Among the other statues are those of King Solomon, appearing corpulent, and Holy Modesta, a smiling female figure. Also, a conceptual depiction of the origin of mankind, which shows Adam emerging from behind the head of God  the divine idea and the image of God molding Adams head into shape as a sculptor moulds clay.

South Portal The south portal was carved between 1224 and 1250. It is based on the themes of the New Testament, with a focus on the Last Judgment. There is the central image of Christ which has come to be known as the Beau-Dieu, the beautiful God, because Jesus appears mild and charming. There are the sculptures of the martyrs on the left bay, and images of other saints known as confessors (implying those saints who were not martyred) on the right side.

Royal Portal The Royal Portal on the west front was carved by 1150, it is the earliest and the most intricate of the Chartres portals (Hearn 197). The central theme is Mary and Jesus, but the recesses of the portal are adorned with statues of kings, queens and figures from the Old Testament. These statues have expressive faces, their attitude could be interpreted as a form of condescension for the visitor. At some places here one can also clearly discern the transition from Romanesque architecture to Gothic. For example, the emotive faces belong more to the latter tradition, while some kind of elongation of the figures is part of the earlier style.

The central Royal Portal presents the theme of the Last Judgment.  The Christ in the tympanum is surrounded by the four beasts of the Apocalypse. There is an almond-shaped halo (known as a mandorla) around the Christ, his right hand is raised in blessing, and in his left hand there is the the Book of Life. The image of the Christ here stands out of the rest of the cathedral sculpture for its central position and intrinsic beauty. It is especially known for subtly bringing together the divine (Christ) and the human (Jesus) in Jesus Christ.

To the left of the central portal, friezes on the capitals reflect the life of Mary. There are also the images of Anne and Joachim, Marys parents. To the right, scenes depict the life of Christ.

The left doorway features the Ascension of the Christ. The Christ is standing on a cloud, flanked by two angels. There are four more angles below and further below are ten seated men, the apostles, with scrolls in their hands and looking up at Christ. The archivolts present signs of the zodiac.  

The right-hand portal depicting the descent of Christ unto the earth complements the Ascension on the other side. The bottom register shows scenes from Marys life, including the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, and the Annunciation to the Shepherds. The middle register depicts Presentation at the Temple. The upper one has the Virgin and the Child seated between two angels. The inner archivolt contains angels, and the outer archivolt has two signs from the zodiac and some other secular symbols.
 
The Cathedral of Chartres is one of the foremost architectural wonders of the world. It perfectly captures splendor and sublimity of the Gothic style. But it is more than a work of art and a marvel of engineering. Being the epitome of the Gothic cathedrals, Notre Dame de Chartres
encodes a far-reaching shift in the way medieval thinkers perceived their relationship with their world. For the first time, they began to believe in an orderly, rational world could be investigated and understood. This change marked the beginning of Western science and also the start of a long and, indeed, unfinished struggle to reconcile faith and reason. (Ball, front flap)

In other words, the entire Cathedral of Chartres can be seen as a grand ancient portal to the Age of Enlightenment and the modern times.  

Art Nouveau is the name of a style in the field of architecture that originated from Europe and most parts of Northern Europe. The style emerged at the eve of World war One, it was the style that was mostly preferred by majority living in different states such as New York City, Paris and France. The idea was further developed in different books, articles, beautiful designs and wonderful shapes that attracted many of the viewers. The Art and Craft movement was pioneered by an English man known as John Ruskin who published many books on Art Nouveau. This influenced the spread of the idea positively and many cities adopted the style to decorate buildings and walls.Eventhough most of the people in 19th century appreciated nature, the style Art Nouveau was predominant in most cities, streets and walls although the style was not similar to each other regarding the citiesurban centers (Strieter, pp 21).

Which cities were decorated using the style
In Europe, the style was dominant in Paris where most of the artistic work was the order of the day. Paris acted as a host for world fair in 1900 to demonstrate Art Nouveau and this led to commissioning of Parisian art designer to design entrances for the subway system. In Brussels, which was also known as the center for development of art work, the style was commonly used in major buildings and walls. The city underwent many changes in design and Belgian designers such as Henry van de Velde and Gustave Bovy expanded the style by decorating Tassel house in Brussels making it a major town.

The style was also common in small cities such as Glascow in England through the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and other designers and consequently adopted in cities like Vienna, Munich, Turin, Chicago and New York. In Chicago for instance, Louis Sullivan did a great work in exposing the style by building sky scrappers that symbolized advancement in technology and modernity (Strieter, pp 44).

How is the style embraced in America
The style was highly welcomed in America even in times of economic depression and times policy modifications such as prohibitions. It was used to decorate bars, restaurants, ships, palaces, streets and amusement centers. The style is common in most cities such as Illinois, Chicago and Denver. On the positive side of the style, it has created job for most people who are interested in art work especially in Europe, North America and the rest of the world. It has increased tourism and advanced decoration of structures hence increased beautification of modern cities and structures (Strieter, pp 66).

Most noted buildings that are decorated using the style
Even though most buildings are decorated using different artistic works, few can be noted and grouped as modern attractive buildings. In Europe for instance, Empire State building, is one of the buildings that was well decorated and furnished to standard. It became one of the most expensive buildings and the most attractive of all in 19th century. Manhattan located along Lexington Avenue, was also well designed by William Van Alen in 1928 and hosts one of the best companies such as Chrysler motor company and major automobile companies hence making it an expensive place and a centre for trade. The style is even used in New York at One Wall Street the home of the Bank of New York. It is therefore evident that the style has expanded greatly and added great value to different buildings and structures allover Europe and America. It has also improved tourism sector in Europe, expanded trade and created employment through development of art work.

Title Architecture

The neo-traditional neighborhood designs of New Urbanism were established with the goal of reforming real estate development and urban planning (Steuteville Langdon, 2003). The success of New Urbanism is evident in the proliferation of these kinds of developments throughout the United States and internationally. New urbanism has its origin in United States early 1980s. New urbanism is an urban design that aims at promoting living conditions of people by giving them walk-able neighborhoods that has a range of job types and housing conditions. The main mission of neo-traditional neighborhood designs is to give more people more choices about how and where they want to live. Mesa del Sol in one community planned to be built with new urbanism plans in order to give New Mexican residents more choices about how and where they want to live

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 1993, the Congress for the new Urbanism was founded. The Congress advocates for development practices and a public policy for restructuring that would ensure that
The neighborhoods are diversified both in use and population
The neighborhoods are designed to serve the pedestrians, cars and transit
Cities and towns are designed in such a way that community institutions and public spaces are universally accessible and physically defined.
The landscape design and architecture framing urban places celebrates the building practice, local history ecology and climate.

The Congress mainly supports context-appropriate architecture and planning aimed at improving regional planning for open space which in turn balances the development of jobs and housing(Katz, Scully  Bressi, 1994).The Charter of the New Urbanism set strategies that could increase the supply of affordable housing, reduce traffic congestion and rein in urban spread out. Other issues covered by the Charter include green building, promoting safe streets and history preservation.

The new urbanism which uses the Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) and Universal Design (UD) does not eliminate on history and culture of the community but aims at giving the sense of community first when designing the desirable attributes of their design. They aim at improving the neighborhoods in such a way that the housing developments adopted contains the spirit of the older neighborhoods (Katz, Scully and Bressi, 1994).The designs encourage people to know their neighborhood through creation of sidewalks, narrower streets, corner stones, front porches and plenty of mature trees that make the place feel as though it existed for a while. The New Urbanism planners have used preceding medium houses of the past to understand the features that the modern houses are missing as compared to old villages and towns. In their research they are trying to learn the scale, inter-relationship and proportion.

FEATURES OF NEW URBANIST TOWN
 According to the two founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism and town planners, Andrs Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, new urbanism design can be defined by the following elements.
The neighborhood that has a green or a square distinctive center that contains a memorable and busy street corner. At the distinctive center there is a transit stop.

The residential houses and dwellings surrounding the center can be approximated to be 0.4 Km away or a five-minute walk.

The dwelling types usually comprise of apartments and houses where all types of people and class find a place to live. For example married, single, young, old, poor and wealthy can find a place to live in the neighborhood.

There are diverse types of shops and offices at the edge of the neighborhood that sufficiently supply a variety of needs to the households.

A garage apartment or an ancillary building is allowed which is usually located at the backyard of every house. The garage apartment is often used as a rental unit while other people convert it to an office or craft workshop.
In this neighborhood most children can walk from home to school since elementary schools are close to homes.

To ever dwelling, in a distance of less than a tenth mile away there is a small accessible playground.
The neighborhood is safe for pedestrians and bicycles as the streets are narrow to slow down traffic. The streets are shaded by rows of tree to create a cool and friendly environment.
All the routes in the neighborhood are inter-connected in such a way that there are a variety of vehicular and pedestrian routes to any direction. This street network disperses of traffic.
There is a well-defined outdoor room in the neighborhood created by placing the building in the neighborhood center close to the streets.

The parking and garage doors are accessed by alleys because they are usually at the rear of the buildings.
In the neighborhood center or termination of street vistas, sites that are prominent get reserved for civic buildings. The buildings are often the venues for religious, cultural and education activities in addition to holding community meetings.

The neighborhood self-governs itself with the help of a formal organization which governs matters of security, maintenance and physical change. The larger community deals with complex responsibilities such as taxation.

NEW URBANIST COMMUNITY OF MESA DEL SOL  
Mesa Del Sol is a mini city in Albuquerque in New Mexico a few minutes from downtown, Albuquerque International Support and the University of New Mexico (Leatherwood, 1997).The city has an extensive land of around 12,500 acres which are planned for development. Approximately 1400 acres are set for commercial, industrial and office development and 4400 acres for retail use and residential development. More than 3400 acres are set aside for parks, open space and xeriscaped buffer zone while around 800 acres are for building schools and universities (Leatherwood, 1997).
  
 Mesa Del Sol is one of the new communities that have been chosen for new urbanism development because it has the quality of life necessary in building a good neighborhood. The city consists of an educated workforce, motivated political leadership that forms the key ingredients and is potential for economic success and development. Albuquerque qualifies to be a New urbanite City because it is ready. The city has a metro population of approximately 750,000 people and excellent quality of life that is thriving with time. The city holds one of prosperous industries and business empires from softwarehigh-tech companies, aerospace and cutting-edge aviation companies, call centers, film and digital studio facilities, manufacturers and research operations among others.
   
In the rankings, Albuquerque was named one of the most creative communities in the country. The city gets business support and incentives from the community and state leaders. The city has technology and artistic roots and wishes to be a major business center in the 21st century. Albuquerque, Los Alamos and Santa Fe the surrounding cities have engineering industries that contain highly competitive technology. Sandia and Los Alamos two of the three laboratories in the nation, one of the Intels largest manufacturing plants are found in the region (Leatherwood, 1997).The presence of state Universities in the region generate talented top-rated medical, technical and engineering expertise.

MESADEL SOL FACTS AND FIGURES 
New Urbanism aims at improving the living conditions of people by giving them walk-able neighborhoods that has a range of job types and housing conditions. Mesa Del Sol is a target of new Urbanism because by 21st century it has created a sustainable community which incorporates the very best practices. The community offers sustainable urban community planning, job creation, economic objectives, and social amenities and provides a strategic balance of environmental resources. As required by the Citys planned communities criteria, Mesa de Sol will be developed with the growth paying for itself formula also known as a no net expense formula (New Mexico Business Weekly, 2010).
   
Apart from good business climate, Mesa de Sol just like New Mexican communities have the best climates in the United States (Beatley, 2004).It enjoys four true seasons with mild summers and winters as well as high desert climate. Each year the city enjoys 308 days of sunshine. People living in this community enjoy outdoor actives such as hiking, biking, skiing, fishing, snow boarding and even gold all which are within their reach.

FOREST CITY COVINGTON  
The planners behind Mesa de Sol known as Forest City Enterprises, Inc., is a real estate company that engages in acquisition, development and management of residential and commercial real estates in U.S.The company has a goodwill in developing apartments communities, retail centers, hotels and office buildings in most states in America. Forest city Covington has been chosen as the master planner for the following reasons.

The company is reliable and can be trusted to successfully complete mixed-use project despite the barriers it encounters along the way. The company has been entrusted with long term value projects and through its commitment has built superior developments such as University Park at MIT among others.

The company can invest in high value properties which are long-term based on their portfolio and experience.

The company was founded by three generations families making it have a visionary and experienced management team.

The company has a growth potential and opportunities and due to the unyielding entrepreneurial spirit, it keeps development exciting.

The company has a competitive edge because it is dedicated in balancing economic objectives, environmental resources and social systems strategically.

REASONS BEHIND NEW URBANISM IN MESADEL SOLS   
Albuquerques potential is represented by Mesa Del Sol. With the help of Forest City Covington as the development partner in its New Urbanism, Mesa Del Sol will make New Mexico earn financial support and respect of the states project because of the proposed mixed-use and large projects. Mesa del Sol is also regarded as wedge development because of the grand development planned, which is the largest in U.S coupled with the fact that it has the most appealing environs.
   
New Mexico has a chance to develop economically though Mesa del Sol this is because it already has an incentive package that presents it with an incredible opportunity. Albuquerque has low cost of living and doing business, is a city of vast potential, has a motivated political leadership all the aspects necessary for economic success. The planned Mesa del Sol will be a great community where the residents with have it as a distinct centre with the dwelling surrounding it and the schools, jobs, transportation venues and business centers surrounding it.

MESADEL SOLS PLAN
Forest City Covington plans that in the span of 35-50 years approximately 37,000 homes will be built that will hold a capacity of 100,000 residents. This plan will take place in three phases (New Mexico Business Weekly, 2009).After the completion of the plan, Mesa del Sol is projected to create around 40,000 jobs as well as industrial retail and office space of approximately 18 million square feet. The list of the proposed buildings to be erected includes apartments, town homes, condominiums, semi-custom homes, single-family houses among others. Community centers such as family parks and schools are also included in the plans. The new community will have a town center with an Urban Center and four village centers (Katz, Scully and Bressi, 1994).The Town Center will include restaurants, big-box store retailers, housing, entertainment venue and jobs. The plan includes neighborhood commercial are that will comprise of facilities such as Banks, Gas stations, Fast food, Dry cleaning among others.
   
Mesa del Sol will have social and recreational facility known as Bernalillo County Recreational Complex comprising of three large multi purpose fields that will be used for baseball, soccer and football. This Complex was stated in 2009 and is due for completion any time. A 12,000 seat Amphitheater known as Journal Pavilion is a Mesa del Sol project.
   
Mesa del Sol plans to have an improved infrastructure. The project that started in 2009 by a New Mexico based company known as Franklin Earthmoving has been installing underground utilities for Mesa del Sols first homes. The underground utilities include gas, sewer lines, water, fiber and electrical lines. The first 250 residential lines are ready in line with these facilities. In June 2008, a water tower, 175-foot deep was built to supply the new community with water. There is a proposed 1-25 interchange project propose for Mesa del Sol.
  
The other amenities in the proposed plan are amenities such as schools. The first public school in Mesa del Sol known as The International School (TIS)opened in August 2009.In the new communities plans the proposed schools to be built include 4 or 5 middle schools, three mixed highmiddle school and 14 or 15 elementary schools Ne.The University of New Mexico a large project in Mesa del Sol has been allocated 440 acres of land, the university requires 40 addition acres in phase two or three of the project where it plans to develop a satellite campus by the Urban Center.
   
As means of improving its environment, Mesa del Sol plans to reduce green house emission by incorporating product selection and design techniques. Among the plans include use of non-toxic recycled materials and energy saving systems. In addition, the new community plans to engage in water and energy conservation as well as recycling projects. As a way of improving the landscape, Mesa del Sol plans on organizing for a desert revival that will engage people in tree planting exercise as well as wild flowers, native plants, rocks, palm trees and shrubs. Instead of using traditional grass strips, Mesa del Sol plan to that trees lining on the streets. Greenways and pedestrian path would be preserved drainage areas.

Water reservation methods such as water harvesting and conservation as well as recycled water will be used to provide water that would irrigate greenways, parks and public areas. The other development project in Mesa del Sols plan includes a commuter rail station known as the New Mexico Rail Runner Express. The new community has already attracted major business projects such as Sony Picture Image works, Advent Solar, Albuquerque Studios, Molina Healthcares facility and SCHOTT Solar (Beatley, 2004).The companies are currently offering approximately 3000 jobs which are foreseen to grow to 5000 by 2010.

A new urbanism city is described as a community that serves the pedestrians, cars and transit. The neighborhood is diversified both in use and population. The city is designed in such a way that community institutions and public spaces are universally accessible and physically defined. The landscape design and architecture framing urban places in the community should celebrate the building practice, local history ecology and climate. Mesa del Sol has all the feature of a new urbanite community. Mesa del Sol community has sustainable urban community planning and also helps in job creation. These are the two characteristic of new urbanism. The neo-traditional neighborhood designs of New Urbanism of Mesa del Sol gives people more choices about how and where they want to live because the dwellings are varied to cope with different type of families and household. The new community plans adequate environmental resources, social amenities and economic objectives that define a great community.

Relationship between digital Technology, dwelling and community

Chuck Geschke (1939), a U.S.business executive and computer scientist spoke on the issue of technology and said that technology travels with people. One cannot expect to throw it over the wall and expect another engineering organization to pick up the good idea and continue with it. The term technology often refers to the processes by which human beings fashion tools and machines for the purposes of increasing their understanding and control of the surrounding environment and material (Merritt, 2006). Technology has simplified things around the globe and more specifically, at home.  It is doing wonders. This paper therefore intends to look more into technology at home, its effects and how to cope with it.
   
There have been serious inventions which have employed the most recent technology at home and yet few people seem to realize that its technology at work (Gale, 2010).  Recent fashions of clothes with amazing features have been produced.  These includes pants without lines, stainless shirts, fungal-disease-fighting socks, comfortable sheets, firm and lighter racquets for tennis players among others that are products of technology. All these use the nanotechnology which is a technology based on tiny things. This technology has been so efficient at home and also beyond the home compound. Fridges, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and air conditioners have nanosilver particles which have been embedded in the coatings for the purposes of preventing or stopping bacterial growth. They also prevent bad odors from forming in these appliances (Gale, 2010).
   
The use of robots has become a common feature in many homes and manufacturing industries. Robots or the use of robotic technology has been employed in carrying out home chores such as cleaning of utensils, security enhancement as well as entertainment purposes (BBC news, 2004). Other tasks which have been assigned to these robots include lawn mowing, cleaning of pools and washing of windows. On some advanced levels, these robots are made in a way that other than the duties outlined above, they have fully working educational functions and message delivery capabilities hence they can be used as a source of information for teaching and training.

Effects of technological advancements on the quality of living
Robots have been used in carrying out non-human friendly tasks or more hazardous jobs. Some of the tasks involve clearing of mine pits, defense and surveillance, as well as research in the medical field (BBC news, 2004). This has saved people from some of the dangers which were initially a threat to the human race. The PlayMobil dolls house which was a model of technological control of a house operations has been an important platform from where the much has been discovered and utilized.

Several buildings now can be controlled from a safe control room where the opening of door and material entry into the building are now being computer controlled (Graham, 2008). Sensors and other electronic gadgets are placed in strategic areas. The house is then controlled from this point. This system has brought about many advantages. For instance, it requires several people to keep watch or to guard a building. This is always tedious when all these watchmen have to be coordinated for a large number of buildings, say four thousand. With this technology however, centralization of the point of control can be done and this means fewer resources which at the end of the day reduces on the cost. Therefore, it is possible to guard several residential and commercial buildings at the same time which is effective and less tedious.

For those who are elderly, technology has enabled them to live a better life. Life always becomes scaring at old age and therefore, care has to be provided for the elderly and those with chronic diseases. So, for the safety and health concerns of those who live alone, temperature and heart rate sensors have been installed in their homes. This is monitored from anyplace in the world and in case anything happens for example fainting as a result of heart attack, it would be easily realized and attention given immediately (Graham, 2008). It is expected or rather assumed that this way of assisting people to live may add up ones life expectancy by about seven years. There lies one challenge which remains a great obstacle and which has not received any viable solution. This is the challenge on privacy of the members in the house since people elsewhere can be monitoring whatever is being undertaken (Graham, 2008).

Every advantage is always accompanied by some degree of disadvantage. Though the above issues appear to be appealing and many people would rather go for such options, the problem of communication barriers created by these technologies continues to escalate. The bandwidths required to carry out such monitoring will definitely interfere with the process of communication and this would mean that even airplanes which rely on radar communication will also be tampered with. This rise in technology tries to come up with a solution to one problem but on the other hand ends bringing more problems to rest of the world. (Graham, 2008)This technology would be viable for small undertakings such as switching on the oven, twitching the curtains or switching off the lights while some one is far.  

This new technology has been effective in germ fighting without causing harm to the users. In nanotechnology, silver, which has well been known to naturally have some antimicrobial properties, has been used as nanosilver for a variety of applications. Some of these applications include the textiles, kitchenware, personal effects, and pharmaceuticals amongst others (Gale, 2001).

Although the new technology has presented inventions of improving our daily lives, the abuse of this technology in homes leaves one with more disadvantages than the intended advantages. For instance, the mobile phone was an invention which simplified communication between persons guaranteeing connectivity for twenty four hour in a day. The mobile phone offers a variety of services such as receiving and making phone calls, text message services incase the other person cannot be reached, media services such as radio and television, internet services such as email and browsing, videos and audio files. Of a more recent invention is the transfer of money through the phone, a deal which has simplified banking, sending and receiving of money as well as making business transactions. Many bills can now be paid through the phone and the innovation is quite interesting (Malaney, 2004). However, the phone with all the interesting features in it has not been a good device to some. This technology has encouraged great lying and thus distrust among people. With the internet enabled phones, the once known to be good morals have deteriorated by some people browsing sites whose content is not acceptable to the society. This has lead to decay of morals right from the home to the entire society. The negative side of the phone doesnt end in these issues. Many lives have been lost through accidents caused by people driving while at the same time answering these calls (Malaney, 2004).

The computer operates just the same as a phone. However, it has some additional capabilities such as the option to print, scan and other advanced applications such as faxing and design. This is an important tool in simplifying the mental and mechanical work done by mankind. It should not be concluded that the computer is wiser than the human being using it. These computers rely on whatever information which is fed into it by the user. It will never substitute the human brain in this act of thinking. File storage and management of files can be made better at the home library (Goddess, 2007)

In matters concerning leisure, gaming stations are there to keep one busy and in a relaxation mode. These play stations are not meant for kids any longer but anyone can play them. This helps in reducing stress and managing it. While relaxing, the play stations offer the opportunity for entertainment for the length of time which the user has decided to spend for his leisure (Goddess, 2007)

It is important to keep up to date with technology issues because they affect our lives in one way or another. A good example is the invention of the digital television. Though it may be interesting to have these gadgets, the average public member will one day switch on his analogue television only to find that the signal is no longer working. Therefore, as technology advances, the average public member may be at a disadvantage for he may not have the capacity to own these highly priced gadgets (Pretty, 2008).

Before the onset of the internet phase, the media used to be a very good source of information regarding what was taking place in the world. Every single move in technological advancements was presented on the media especially the television and the print media. However, the internet has taken over the interest and now those who have the news on any technological issue are posting them on the World Wide Web where the information can be accessed from an internet connected laptop, a phone or a desk top computer. This brings the disadvantage at home where some of the people have little knowledge on internet application. Though the home might well be linked via the internet, without the knowledge on how to go about searching for the information, it is as good as nothing (Pretty, 2008).

Another effect the computer or the microchip age has brought into our homes is the overdependence in its use. The only thing that may be said not to be affected by technology is faith (Tokidoki, 2008). It is impossible to separate our lives from the present computer age because right from the word go, technology is there with us at the door. We can only read a book not because it is a result of low technology, but the print itself is complete new technology. We have become so dependent on the computer such that the basic principles are no longer with us and to that effect without the computer we will all be lost (pretty, 2008).

Over the past years, access of computers at home has become a common phenomenon. The young people at the ages of 12-25years can now enjoy the broadband connection at home to do their home works. This has caused a great change in the education sector and will continue to do so thus forcing to be an educational system corresponding to the fast changes in technology. Information technology has therefore increased learner effectiveness, efficiency and better attitude towards learning. This technology has been a source of information for many students (Becta, 2009).

Technology advancement has meant that one does not need to go to workplace daily. Since work is sent online, one just need to open his email and after completion, send it back before the end of the day. For those who want music audio and videos, they will just need to stream and enjoy. Home theatres and studios have been established in homes and this has brought life with it. Technology has made things easier in a home, raging from entertainment, business and communication. There is now no need to walk for long distances looking for services and products with the technology, one just needs to sit down at home and get it all.

Correlation between the physical and virtual community
A virtual community may be viewed as a network of individuals who interact socially through some specific media while in the process of pursuing mutual interests. These may be termed on another note as the online communities. The physical community on the other hand is the kind of relationship where the people can meet, talk and share issues affecting them face to face. These two kinds of communities have some degree of correlation. One if affected by the other and vice versa (Matei, 2001).

Mostly, these virtual communities are established for mainly social and professional purposes. From the early years of 1890, visiting other people began to be slowly replaced by making phone calls. As it is their nature, a phone call is normally brief and less detailed. Also, phone conversations lack the visual expression of the people conversing. Because of this system of operation, it may be easy to draw a conclusion that, human beings are becoming alienated day after the other from each other. This gap which becomes wider draws machines to fill it. To this effect, networking on the computer age substitutes the human to human contact thus forming what is be called a virtual community (New Media  Society, 2005).

Rather than people staying bored in their houses, many opt to go online to see who is available. Isolation of users in the virtual is not the solution to avoiding formation of the virtual communities. The internet offers connectivity between the two communities thus putting them to a flexible network rather than a rigid one. Some people tend to do whatever is fulfilling to them and thus, because of this networked communities, some dedicate their lives, money and other precious things to serving people in the other community. This gives them satisfaction and joy in whatever they do hence find a meaning in life (Bugeja, 2005).

However this may be important, the part of ones relationship with the immediate family members cannot be overlooked. There have been problems with internet at home which has been viewed as a detriment to the family at large. Many hours are spent in the internet surfing and chatting with online friends other than the time been spent with the beloved ones. Internet in the office is seen to be having no much negative impact compared to internet at home. The time spent on the internet is taken as a serious competitor other than a complement to the other community. This therefore illustrates that the use of internet affects the interpersonal relationship with others. However the extent and magnitude depends on the time allocation on the internet (CNN, 2006).

Continued internet use always has some negative attributes associated thereof among some people. Some behaviors learned from the internet become addictive to them that have learned the behaviors. Such facilitates virtual relationships which lead to loss of genuine personal relationships. Michael Bugeja in his book Interpersonal Divide says that, interpersonal divide is a gap created from the misperceived reality arising from media use and technological misconceptions due to its use. Living in virtual communities always leads to loss in values and subsequent ignorance of the people around them. As a result, many young people grow irresponsibly and finally the negative impacts outweigh the positive ones (Linrdos, 2006)
   
Before the explosion of the internet age, natural parks used to experience large numbers of people coming to keep off from the noise of the market, boredom in the house and so on. The internet age has come up with some more simplified but lazy way of relaxing even of bringing up children. Before, children would meet and play the ball while their parents or relatives watched at the park. This has however changed because, with a computer in the house and internet connection, the children can play their games in the virtual community. This makes the child lose sense in what neighborhood is all about and there are greater chances of growing inclined to one side of life (Nie, 2002).

It is hard to teach, instill some good manners in a child in the virtual world. The physical community is an essential tool for moral and ethical training. Proper discipline is achieved in the physical community which may be the home, schools, and neighborhoods among others. On the other hand, the virtual groups lack structures socially and therefore, they cannot be considered true communities.  It is not worthy to conclude that internet connectivity is bad. There are advantages associated with the internet.  Some people may not afford to talk face to face or communicate via the phone. The internet through emails, instant messaging and chat groups has been able to unite and keep contact between persons who are close in relationship (Nie, 2002).

Keeping community qualities in the new age
It can be said that currently the computer has become part and parcel of the daily life because of its increasing important to peoples lives. There are reports of addiction to computers and the handhelds, an issue which is so surprising to many. Technology has gotten too much in people that they feel that they cannot unplug themselves from it (Pretty, 2008). It is becoming hard to maintain community values in this technology era. This is because, while communities try to do their best in matters concerning their value preservation and culture, the governments and other institutions are busy inventing weapons of mass destruction using the same technology (Pretty, 2008).

Community values need to be preserved as integration between the old and new technology takes place. People will need to marry and get married which is only through the physical and not in the virtual community. To ensure proper insemination of community values to the young ones, the schools, churches, neighborhood and other communities where people aggregate need to teach and train the young on how to undertake this issue while preserving their culture. This means that there is the need to train the young on the culture of their community. The effects of the use of technology have to be closely given attention and whichever is not of benefit to the society needs not to be given chance to ruin the people.

Since many people have been faced with fear about this technology issue, there is need for the community to make a change from its fears to love so as the technology can be helpful to them. By doing this, they will be able to meet their needs without any of them being impacted negatively by it. The effects of technology should give hope to them being affected. It should be taken as positive source of influence where people can share their challenges as well as find solutions to problems that face them (Lindros, 2006).

In conclusion, technology if well handled can be a benefit to education systems both at home and in the school. This is because the students can have full access to information twenty four hours a day. Book searching is now easier online than the manual way that is done in the library. Also, despite the rise on internet usage, there still remains the fact that phone usage will never be overtaken by the internet usage. Phone usage remains the primary and basic source of communication for relaying quick messages.
As the world continues advancing technologically, more needs are rising up which require technological assistance. For instance, many are hoping for cheaper robots than can do more duties at their homes like lifting heavy goods, taking things to upstairs rooms among others which have encouraged laziness among the community.

The increased use of technology which has resulted to different actions has no group to spare on terms of the consequences. There is no group which remains immune from the effects of technology while the other remains at risk. At the end of the day, people are being influenced so much by machines such that even their emotional and spiritual part of live is affected. The internet is causing breakages in the family and this is a serious matter to handle.

Decent Council Housing Policies and Standards

In 2005, there are 20.5 million residential dwellings in England. Out of these are 3.6 million that are classified as under the social housing scheme. Social housing is a government or a non-profit organization program that provides support for those who are unable to gain access into the expensive housing market1.
   
The system of social housing in the United Kingdom is essentially decentralized that is building and operations are headed by local councils. Hence the term council housing is given to the program.
   
Peter Lee and Alan Murie2 used the 1991 census to explore how far national patterns for social housing are replicated at the local level. This was done in the effort of knowing whether or not national policy solutions are appropriate for the individual councils. They saw that the national trend for disadvantaged household tend to gravitate towards council housing and the social rented sector applies to local level.
The most disadvantaged areas are typically associated with areas of council housing. However, many of the most disadvantaged areas include tenures other than council housing. There are also differences in the distribution of poverty and its relationship with housing tenure in different cities. The results of this study have implications for policies regarding the efforts on council housing that is the results are telling of where the government should focus its efforts on2. Deprived areas however are not exclusively areas of council housing. It has been discovered that the housing policy and regeneration activity targeted exclusively at areas of council housing exclude some disadvantaged groups. For instance, targeting council areas in Edinburgh would be an effective way of targeting deprivation.

On the other hand, targeting resources purely upon council estates would seriously neglect the problems of deprivation that exist in other tenures.
Social exclusion is relatively new to the housing debate in Britain. Despite this, it is relevant in a period where there is increased evidence from studies that housing is indeed related to and contribute to and contribute to problems of social disadvantage more generally. Housing and Housing policy should assist people in increasing their opportunities and life chances. Rather than doing so, it seems that they contribute to the process which disadvantage them more. The experience of homelessness and of living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are key elements in the process through which people are disadvantaged2.

Lee and Murie concluded that their work shows that it is essential that approaches to regeneration do not focus exclusively on council housing. The implication for policy is the need to develop local strategies which are based on detailed analysis of local circumstances and which will enable the different elements, both in patterns of deprivation and patterns of housing, to be taken into account in decisions about resource allocation, policy and practice2.

From 1981 to 1990, the gap between well-off areas in cities and those most deprived have widened. Those deprived living under social housing may suffer under terrible living conditions as a result of substandard construction of their homes. The result may be directed towards an urban blight. In 2000, over 1.5 million social homes were not considered decent. Hence, in the same year, the Government introduced the Decent Homes Standard. The standard is a target to be met by all social housing by 2010. The following are the characteristics of a decent home3

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHRS), a statutory minimum standard should be met
It should have reasonably modern facilities and services
It should be in a reasonable state of repair
Ensures the provision of reasonable degree of thermal comfort. This means that the place should be properly insulated and should have an efficient heating system.

There are differences in efficiency between gasoil heating systems that is why  the level of insulation should be matched with the system. For dwellings with gasoil programmable heating, cavity wall insulation, if possible, should be installed. Another option is that at least 50 mm loft installation (if there is loft space). For dwellings with

For the local authorities to fund and manage improvements to meet the Standards they could do four things. First is retention. This option means that the local authority will use existing levels of financial resources to bring housing up to decent homes standard. Second the management and ownership of council housing will be transferred from the local authority to a Registered Social Landlord (RSL). Next, they could also set up an arms length management organization (ALMO) to deliver its housing management services and improve homes to meet the decent homes standard. Lastly, they can install a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
Although the original purpose of the social housing projects is to merely give shelter to the homeless, some people contend that the typified houses are unimaginatively design and that rigid council rules often forbade tenants from personalizing their houses. Moreover, tenants also had difficulties transferring from one property to another4.

Multi-storey housing, where tower blocks are categorized into, provides an economy for space but present intractable problems for urban policy. These multi-storey housing are structural failures or they present poor value for money. Regeneration projects have therefore commenced. These projects involve design solutions that should be technically and socially appropriate. Tenant participation in the design process has since then been valued. The personalization of social housing has been, to an extent allowed because of this.
A factor that affected social housing from the 1980s began around two decades earlier. In the late 1960s, a few tenants began to show signs of dissatisfaction and anger with their councils. Their opinions were never sought in any meaningful way. For them the developments were disappointing. Coupled with this disappointment was a series of proposed rent increases.

Despite movements from tenants, tenant action was the exception rather than the rule. Post-war reconstruction plans were just accepted by the people benefitting from the housing projects. From the late 1960s and throughout 1970s there was increasing rise of consumer rights. Gradually, welfarism was recognized and the people were more ready and willing to question authorities about decisions that will affect them. These changes paralleled an increase in tenant action across the country. A case in point is the protest of 23 tenant groups in Sheffield. Their complains ranged from the lack of recreation facilities to rent rebate schemes3.

Tenants had no choice. They did not have any of the options indicated in Professor Hills recent report. This is what created so much of the underlying frustration. Tenants knew where they wanted to reside and the type of homes in which they would like to live, but they were ignored. Again, the scale of the problem facing local authorities made consultation difficult, but this top-down approach was creating long-term problems. People were forced into homes they had no say in designing in areas with which they had no connection. Tenants were placed in areas according to the local authorities criteria. If a tenant refused an offer, they could be placed at the bottom of the waiting list or made increasingly worse offers, which would eventually have to be accepted because of the threat of eviction from their condemned property. They could even be taken off the list. For families who did not qualify for immediate re-housing under a clearance scheme, the situation was even worse. People dealt directly with the housing departments and councillors, but they were lone figures and, as such, unable to organize and act. Power lay with the council.3

Poor policies, management and maintenance records ruined public confidence in the council. Tenants did not have a chance in participating in the decision-making process, but they had to live with the consequences. Changes in the political climate gradually heard the various protests from different groups. Tenants wanted to have decent homes and services in their areas. Local authorities began to recognize that this was not necessarily an ideological issue and were much more aware of the possible benefits of developing participation schemes. Some departments in London began this movement of showing genuine interest in the development of tenant-participation schemes. Annie Richardson in the mid-1970s researched and produced a handbook entitled Getting Tenants Involved. The handbook was meant to promote tenant-involvement schemes across the country. In turn the quality of service is improved. Richardson recognised that participation schemes provided a vital bridge between the council and tenant. This allowed local authorities to gauge and absorb tenant opinions. Some local authorities tried out different schemes by holding discussion meetings, including tenants on advisory committees or giving them a place on the housing committees. It was a slow and fragmented process across the country. By 1975, a total of 46 local authorities had at least one tenant-participation scheme, including 70.6 per cent of all London boroughs but only 27.8 per cent of metropolitan councils. Only 11 schemes had existed prior to 1970.

Despite the positive changes, many local authorities still resisted the development of any schemes for tenant-participation. Some merely gave lip service to the ideal of participation. However, throughout the 1980s, the political climate continued to change for the benefit of the tenants. A moratorium on council-house construction effectively marked the end of large-scale local-authority house building. Responsibility for social housing was transferred to other non-profit-making organizations such as housing associations. Tenant rights were more protected at this time than the past. Central-government legislation and finance often demanded greater levels of consultation from the tenants. The City Challenge, implemented in the 1990s, depicted the value and benefits of extensive consultation and participation. In 1991, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, unveiled the scheme which would guarantee 7.5 million a year for five years, given to ten local authorities with the purpose of regenerating a run-down inner-city area. Fifteen cities had to compete with each other for the money.
    
From 1979, 1.6 million council houses have been sold to occupiers  as a part of Right to Buy sale schemes1. The land still belongs to the local authority. The properties are sold leasehold. The housing providers are required to involve them in decisions concerning their environment and their proximity to other tenants. 
   
A recent trend in housing in general is the development of environment-friendly homes, zero carbon homes. In an effort to cut down greenhouse gas emissions, the Government set a progressive minimum standard for new homes built between 2008 and 2016. The standard is the
called the Code for Sustainable Homes. An example of zero carbon home is the award-winning Baratt Green House which has the following features5
High thermal mass with the use of aircrete wall panels and pre-cast concrete floor slabs.
Heating from an air source heat pump and hot water from solar panels
Special provision for drying clothes at the top of the stairs using the rising warm air
Automatic window shutters to minimize over-heating in hot summer weather
Rainwater harvesting system
Although there are no explicit news that the Barratt Green House will be used for social housing, its features, its affordability makes it a good candidate in becoming a standard for council houses.

The move towards the personalization of public space for its tenants and the mobility given to them is socially sustainable. Economically, one may say that personalization may be a waste because of repeated renovation for personal whims or needs. Moreover, if a new family comes in the place, it may not be that easy to make changes. The multi-storey housing mentioned earlier conserves land uses and is very good for countries with limited land area such as Singapore. This type of housing is economically sustainable as land area usage is reduced yet maximized by the number of tenants it can accommodate. Although structure failures plague its existence, Government measures on the creation of decent homes suffice to curb the possibilities of an urban blight. There have been stricter measures regarding the assurance of quality service and construction of council homes. Another step that the government has been taking is the movement towards environmentally-friendly houses. The move towards zero carbon homes is something that should be encouraged as the effects of Climate Change are taking its toll. Although there is no global binding agreement in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in each country, the United Kingdom Government recognizes the importance of participating in the fight against global warming.

Social housing can be seen as a means to merely give shelter to those who cannot have one. Perhaps amongst all the factors that shaped the current form council housing, it is the recognition that what people need is more than just a shelter, but a home they can call their own is the strongest in terms of effects in social policies and design.

My journey to this juncture in my life begins with my views and passion for architecture.  Having grown up in Indonesia, I have a different perspective on things.  Indonesia is a place that has grown significantly over the past few decades and with this growth and prosperity so has advances in design and in thinking.  While Indonesia has always had admirable architecture, even in the previous years, the last decade or so has seen the growth of breathtaking and amazing designs that are a product of Asian and Western influences.  The new skyscrapers and towers that now adorn Indonesias horizon reflect the growing spirit and influence that architecture has had on me and my future.  I see architecture not only a combination of art and technology but an expression of the life and spirit of people. 

The streets of Indonesia would not feel as vibrant or as lively were it not for the architecture and design of some of the buildings.  In fact, based on the architecture of a place, the people who visit and walk around have different sentiments or feelings based on the designs. 

Having seen the world from this view, I believe that KMD Architects is the best place for me to get my education because it has been said, however, that desire and natural talent are nothing if they cannot be harnessed properly.  In order to harness these talents, I firmly believe that taking my internship in architecture at this firm would be the best way to achieve this.  One of the many wonderful concepts I have learned from my parents is to strive for excellence while balancing life with other activities and contributions.  It is this fine balance that I feel will be provided if I am accepted in this program.  I strongly feel that in order to reach my full potential I need to be in an environment that best caters to my interests and goals.  Given the global reputation that this firm enjoys as being one of the leading architectural firms in the country, it would serve me well to be able to gain the knowledge that your architectural firm can impart upon me. 

In line with my decision to pursue my internship with this firm, I understand that there are more opportunities for those who receive the extra training necessary to be ahead in todays competitive world.  I feel that in order for me to gain an advantage in the field of architecture and design, I need to devote more time and energy in learning more about the recent developments in this field.  This will enable to pursue my career as a successful artist and architect.

There are many qualities and accomplishments that I can mention as being the keys to my success.  In the realm of the academe I have overcome several challenges and maintained respectable grades in several subjects.  In the realm of extracurricular activities, I have managed to keep myself involved in several activities off and on campus.  In the realm of personal matters, I have managed to maintain friendly and strong relationships with several people.  I guess the one thing that brings all of these accomplishments and achievements together comes from the fact that I have worked hard for all of these.  These things did not just happen over night and neither did I just get lucky.  All the things that I am proud of and have accomplished, I have achieved through my hard work and perseverance.

This is why I would have to say that with my work ethic I will be able to succeed in this task.  I have always believed that there is no task too difficult that one cannot accomplish as long as one tries hard enough.  There are no mountains to high to climb as long as one has the heart and the determination to succeed.  It is this indomitable spirit which I possess that I consider as my greatest asset and it is this asset which I hope will allow me to become a valuable and valued member of this campus community.

I feel that my narration of all these experiences and characters strengths serves to outline my personality and the contributions that I can give to this firm.  I am well aware that there may be other individuals who are vying for the same slot but I am also confident that given my determination and my qualifications I will be given this unique opportunity to enrich my personal knowledge and the educational experience of others.

The Socio-Cultural Vortex

Now more than ever, the need for socio-cultural sensitivity and responsiveness has never been more critical. Geographic borders are being bridged by advances in information and communications technology and cultural experiences have never been more diverse or complex. Therefore, there is a need for personal and professional awareness for the implications of these trends so that they can be positively maximized. For architects, this issue can become even more critical because of the nature of their craft. Infrastructures often serve as the hallmarks of civilization, as the pyramids are to Egypt or the London Eye is to the UK. Aside from the technical or functional requirements of architects design, there is also the incorporation of the social and cultural dimensions. At the same time, because of the lifespan of architecture, they become indelible to their settings and often, the life of the infrastructure becomes inexorably intertwined with its community (Jencks, 2004). Sensitivity to the socio- cultural vortex has also prompted the recognition and incorporation of indigenous cultures even in modernization. Rapoport (2005) believes that the socio-cultural sensitivity is an integral to architecture but can be easily overshadowed by modernization efforts. This paper is a critical analysis of the socio-cultural vortex as it is being tackled by a leading architectural company. In doing so, the paper will be able to determine whether current efforts to respond to the socio-cultural vortex can impact architectural design perspectives.

Some also suggest that socio-cultural sensitivity can be considered to social responsibility, which in turn is an active response to the social-cultural vortex (Ban, 2010). Based on this perspective, socio-cultural sensitivity should be part of corporate considerations because it can yield or result into business and competitive advantages. If so, then it is critical that companies consider their current level of socio-cultural sensitivity and if they are able to gain benefits from adapting policies that will support such an ideology. Some new architectural firms seem to have taken to heart the importance of this issue (Docimo, 2010). Partners For Architecture (PFA), an architectural firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, USA has been active in its involvement in socially responsible architecture, notably in incorporating indigenous elements to its designs and constructions. Thus, the company can provide insights on why and how companies are answering the call for socio-cultural sensitivity and responsiveness. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the efforts of the company and determine if their actions can be considered as sensitive and responsive to developing socio-cultural issues.

Critical analyses of the companys activities suggest that this is recognition of the socio-cultural vortex and how it can influence urban and rural conceptualization and deign which can be particularly significant in architecture. According to Gill (2007), cross-cultural interactions in particular illustrate how the global socio-cultural vortex is redefining design perspectives he cites the example of Londons urban planning which preserves the historical areas of the city, special economic areas for small businesses and placing restrictions on the height of infrastructure to preserve the citys skyline. Essentially, this emphasizes socio-cultural perspectives that extend architecture from a purely functional perspective to be able to develop value and significance, architecture has to be able to establish itself socially and culturally (Johnson, 1993). In todays setting, this reference is not only limited to a local level but must be global in nature due to the nature of social and cultural exchange and interaction today. This implies that architecture has to be able to accommodate a global socio-cultural perspective in response to a socio-cultural vortex. According to Jones (2009), one positive manifestation of the recognition of socio-cultural vortex is the development of international social responsibility since it allows for the positive interactions that can transfer technology and reinforce positive social bonds.

According to its company website, PFA was inaugurated in 1999 with a combined professional experience of seventy five years in the industry. Its current social responsibility efforts include environmental protection, alternative energy and socio-cultural concerns including supporting architectural and infrastructure research and technology. The most notable of its current efforts for social responsibility, socio-cultural responsiveness is the UNICEF Child Friendly School Design. The project combines its Green Architecture perspectives in combination with socio-cultural sensitivity. Aside from the constructions using local traditional materials, the project also made use of the local topographical conditions in the area making the maintenance of the structures efficient and low-cost. According to Docimo (2010) this ensures not only the success of the current initiatives but also increases the potential for replication and scalability to other projects similar projects in other areas in Africa or other social development initiatives. Though initial project was only focused on the development of educational infrastructure, the PFA has extended its efforts to support agriculture and cottage industries. Docimo characterizes the efforts as the realization of utopian concepts in only six weeks.

Seen in Figure 1, classrooms allow students to sit in a circle, a design element that is consistent with traditional gatherings where communities would sit around a fire to decide tribal issues. Sustaining such an orientation reinforces indigenous traditions in the context of modern educational curriculums. This also legitimizes the continuation of indigenous traditions and values (Architecture for Humanity, 2010). At the same time, Figure 1 also illustrates a fundamental element of African society Africans live outside their lives revolve around the landscape and (they) see architecture as shelter from the sun (Docimo, 2010, par 5). Unlike Western perspectives where function or purpose is contained in a room, African perspectives shy away from making boundaries from the environment. This became apparent to the architects form their observations on the type of housing common in the area which were mainly made of circular adobe and grass thatches, the walls finished with mud for insulation, blending into the earth. This perspective is extended to the hallways of the school which are also open air (see Figure 2).

In addition to maximizing the use of local materials in construction, the architects also endeavoured to make use of local technologies. Consider Figure 3. The shape of the roof mimics the fall of thatched roofing and the windows are oriented in counterpoint to the position of the window. The buildings are also oriented in to minimize exposure to the sun and central open field dissipates the heat absorbed by the building. The design does not only afford maximum protection against the strong African sun but also maximize air flow by utilizing air convection or dynamics. Again, the inspiration of this design was developed from traditional infrastructure which was in turn inspired by the natural worlds own ingenious designs such as that of termite mounds which are common to the area. For contemporary architectural design, this highlights the perspective of the value of being integrated to nature or the environment instead of having infrastructure apart demarcated from the natural world. Another way of viewing this is to consider nature as the landscape which architecture accentuates. Ultimately, the design can be considered to be humanistic. This is not only because the building is designed to ensure the comfort of students and teachers but also it seems to effortlessly combine indigenous building traditions into very modern structures.

The following section is a commentary of the PFAs activities, the perspectives that they have utilized as well as the evaluated motivations behind the activities undertaken. The emphasis on responding to the social-cultural vortex through social responsibility developed soon after the intensification of globalization when it became evidently clear that rapid globalization had consequences. It should be noted that this response is not normal behaviour and can be characterized more as recursive (Anderson, 1996 Bachelard, 1994, Bickerton, 1996). However, Saether and Aguilera (2008) that social responsibility remains to be a relative concept.

Combined with incorporating socio-cultural vortex perspectives, this can become and even more open-ended outlook. In the case of the PFA and all other companies that are undertaking corporate social responsibility efforts, one of the criticisms is that such efforts are not altogether altruistic. Most of the time, these activities are coordinated with public relation efforts of the organizations. In a similar manner, the call for greater socio-cultural sensitive became a critical concern with the rise in intercultural conflict associated with globalization (Campbell, 2006). Though the principle of tolerance, predominantly recursive behaviour, is considered to be a recognized value, in contemporary contexts, there has been an emphasis that efforts should promote socio-cultural accommodation and assimilation (Anderson, 1996 Bachelard, 1994, Bickerton, 1996). This is considered particular important sine the socio-cultural vortex perspectives essentially suggest that regardless of whether it is recognized or not, there is an effective globalization of societies and culture. The implication is that social and economic developments should not just be limited to the tolerance but actually endeavour to support their continuance (Bos et al, 2006).

Other commentaries have also a similar theme. Based on Rapoport (2005), this also shows sensitivity to the socio-cultural vortex because in adapt varying social and cultural contexts into a singular concept that can highlight the socio-cultural value of either party. In the UK, the recognition of architectural socio-cultural vortex has been made primarily through educational institutions such as schools and museums but has since extended to public policies such encouraging cultural expression in architecture even in public-owned or managed housing (Jones, 2009 Ban, 2010). At the same time, Inglis and Hughson (2003) also believe that greater recognition of indigenous cultures gives significant competitive advantages. This proposition is based on the idea that what survives to be part of cultural heritage has been tested over time and different contexts. Thus, as illustrated in the roof and window design of the UNICEF school, it can be assumed that they will be able to cope more effectively with local conditions.

At the same time, the incorporation of cultural elements capitalizes on the existing social significance of a structure or design which makes is easier to incorporate into pre-existing social and cultural contexts. In addition, there is also evidence that infrastructures that are successful in combining multiple cultures have greater social value. This is mainly attributed to the degree by which personal and social reference can be attached to them.  Take for example the case of Stonehenge, one of the most iconic structures in the UK. Without the social and cultural reference that is attached to it, then it could easily be considered as a pile of rubble. Extending this to a global level or in consideration of social cultural vortex, the regard for Stonehenge is similar to the regard of other societies develop for architecture over time such as the regard of Christians would have for St. Peters Basilica, Muslim regard for the Kaaba or the French regard for the Eiffel Tower.
  
As highlighted by Rapoport (2005) cultural input is so strong in architecture because of the resources needed to produce them as well as because of its expected life span and social function. Architecture represents the culmination of the scientific achievements of a civilization. However, as much as architecture should be able to showcase the best of a civilization, it should also be something that someone from another civilization or culture can relate to or find value in so that it wont become a focus of conflict. In the case of PFAs efforts in Africa, they were able to achieve their success because of their effective incorporation of local building techniques, materials and cultural perspectives. In contrast, a number of similar earlier efforts by UNICEF which suffered failure some failed because of insect attacked the wooden infrastructure, the buildings were not able to cope with the extreme weather conditions, and some simply did not fit the social and cultural fabric of the communities they were supposed to serve. For rural communities in the UK, this has been clearly apparent in t efforts to preserve local heritage sites which are considered not only as significant to local communities but also on a national level and serves as the core of local tourism industries. Much of the development that has been developed has been aimed to support tourism industry which entailed the development of facilities that accommodate foreign social and cultural contexts (Coleman, 2005).
  
This is not to say that that urban planning has been less sensitive to such issues but rather that it such efforts has been reflected very differently. This paradoxical challenge suggests that there are different interpretations on how cultural and social issues should be responded to. According to New London Architecture (2010) many of the new infrastructure that have been designed in the UK capital is utilizing new design perspectives which has enriched the architectural landscape of their respective cities. The conference they are sponsoring throughout the year feature greater socio-cultural diversity which is creating new modernized landscapes of the city, highlighting contrasts with the citys historical districts.  This has made the city able to effectively retain its cultural heritage and at the same time responding to the socio-cultural vortex by creating access to extra-cultural design influences. In this manner, architecture then effectively participates in intrinsic links with the environment and other sentient beings beyond the infrastructure itself. Moreover, this also highlights the relationships that are built from the interaction of objects, their contexts and the cultural intention of their design. This also encourages the transition from object-based to learner-based perspectives which emphasize greater tolerance, accommodation and transitional conceptualization.
  
This shows the need for architects to develop social and cultural sensitivity. Earlier efforts failed to utilize the local knowledge and experience to the constructions. Though there is no arguing that most African communities have less technological competency the wealth of knowledge that they have been able to accumulate over ten thousand years of living in the locales is a resource that cannot be easily denied. As Forty points out (1995) architecture has an inclusive component and thus, serves as a channel for unification and intercultural reference the designer is one who does indeed bow to several influences, including cost and popularity, thus the designer is not such an innovator in the way of the artist although the artist signifier, the label artist, may be applied to part of what the designer does. In the process of PFA trying to adapt local perspectives in their design, they realized that the process of designing than actual plan created the best opportunities to explore and respond to the socio-cultural vortex because there is greater freedom in exchange of information and perspectives and greater opportunity for humanistic response to socio-cultural issues raised.
    
Moreover, this shows that developing social responsibility efforts that epitomize socio-cultural sensitivity requires recognition of its philosophical value which in turn builds the professional commitment of doing so (Coleman, 2005). However, the research also shows that incorporating social and cultural sensitive principles in architectural projects require significant investment and commitment from companies (Architecture for Humanity, 2010). At the same time, the publics recognition of the value of sensitivity and responsiveness to social and cultural issues cannot be assumed (Brown  Jennings, 2003). Though there has been an increase in public demand for companies to become socially responsible, they have not been willing to participate in collective action to obtain greater compliance. In the case of countries like Africa who are desperate for aid, they are likely be even more at a disadvantage to get recognition of social and cultural issues that are important to them even if recognition of such factors can make initiatives more successful (Yahya, 2003 Hoffman, 2008).
  
In the case of PFA, it has had a history of successful similar projects, has financial and professional capacity, and has been able to partner with an organization that has established access to a beneficiary. However, it should also be noted that the capacity of doing so is not without challenges. The companys cause of socio-cultural sensitivity and recognizing the implications of the social-cultural vortex developing today should be recognized as a particular challenging choice for its social responsibility efforts. It has been not only operationally successfully but is able to truly recognize the significance of the socio-cultural vortex that has become evident with the intensification of globalization.

The socio-cultural vortex emphasizes how different societies and cultures are becoming more and more intertwined (Coleman, 2005). Though there is a degree of deliberation in the development of this phenomenon, it can also be considered as a natural process of social interaction. Considering the current development in communication and transportation, there is even greater opportunity for the social-cultural vortex to become even a more recognized significant factor in daily life. Since the basic value of architecture is its functionality, then there is a need for architects to be sensitive to it and reflect its perspectives in their design so that their work can continue to serve its purpose and grow beyond it as well.