symbiotic house by r.e.a.d. & architects is a minimal residential villa in the area of minami-karuizawa, in nagano, japan, designed for a couples new life after retirement. located on a long site area, the project comprises two buildings, one for the owners and one for guests, topped with two sloping concrete roofs that harmonize with the surrounding mountains. the two buildings are connected via corridor, while all living spaces are surrounded by a rich landscape of seasonal gardens, which are visible from the large windows of the rooms.all images by masaya yoshimura, copist

drawing by r.e.a.d. & architects

what is a life after retirement in the 100-year life?, asks r.e.a.d. & architects. taking inspiration from the ancient japanese way of life of symbiosis, we thought of a house that snuggles up to the couples life. located on a corner site surrounded by fir trees with a view of mount asama, the project makes use of the surrounding environment unique to karuizawa. its two buildings are arranged along the elongated site shape: the main building, where the couple lives; and the guest wing, where guests are invited to stay when they visit. a corridor clad in floor-to-ceiling glass connects the two buildings while offering views of the seasonal gardens that surround the property.

the two buildings are topped with sloping concrete roofs that harmonize with the surrounding mountains, while the same form and material can also be found on the ceiling inside the house. the interior is characterized by spacious rooms with high ceilings, which allow the couple to maintain a proper sense of distance, as r.e.a.d. & architects explains. natural materials that will blend into the surrounding landscape over the years have been used throughout the project, while all hardware is handmade by craftsmen. it is a setting that allows them to feel that you are living with nature and the passage of time in their daily life, concludes the japanese architecture studio.

Link:
read & architects tops 'symbiotic house' with sloping concrete roof in karuizawa, japan - Designboom

Image courtesy of Lesley Lokko

Lesley Lokko, an architect, academic and bestselling author, will present the virtual lecture "Look Back in Anger," on Oct. 26 as part of the fall lecture series in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. Lesley Lokko will present a virtual lecture at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, as part of the fall lecture series in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Lokko is an architect, academic and the author of 11 bestselling novels. She recently stepped down asthe dean at The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at The City College of New York, effective at the end of January 2021.

Lokko is the editor of White Papers, Black Marks: Race, Culture, Architecture (University of Minnesota Press, 2000); editor-in-chief of FOLIO: Journal of Contemporary African Architecture; and is on the editorial board of ARQ (Cambridge University Press).

The Fay Jones School's fall lecture series focuses on issues of equity and justice in the built environment. The series is presented in collaboration with Places Journal, an internationally respected online journal of architecture, landscape architecture and urbanism, and the University of Arkansas Office for Diversity and Inclusion. The series is also made possible in part by a gift from Ken and Liz Allen of Fayetteville, part of an overall set of commitments the Allens have made to the school's programs and initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Registration for the entire lecture series is available on Zoom.

In her lecture, "Look Back in Anger," Lokko will discuss how the world is reeling in 2020. From environmental catastrophes to bitter political dog fights, the war on terror has morphed into a war on health and there's no end in sight. Collectively, people seem to be the angriest they've ever been and certainly the most vocal.

At one level, a school is a collection of learning spaces and environments. But it is also the place where people learn how to distinguish between their private and public selves, where they practice what it means to be civic and civil. So what will this year teach us? When the curtain comes down on this double-digit year, what will we have learned about ourselves and the capacity of our institutions, like schools, to make sense of what has happened and prepare us for what may come next?

Look Back in Anger is the title of a 1956 play by the British writer John Osbourne, whose real genius lay in the way it liberated theatrical language from its conventions, allowing a new and more accurate interpretation of events to flourish. When we, as architects and educators, look back at 2020, what new languages of place, space, program and form will we have helped emerge during this time?

Before arriving at The City College of New York, Lokko served as the Head of School at the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

In 2004, she made the successful transition from academic to novelist with the publication of her first novel, Sundowners (Orion, 2004), a UK-Guardian top 40 bestseller, and has since then followed with 10 further bestsellers, which have been translated into 15 languages.

The school is pursuing continuing education credits for this lecture through the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

This virtual lecture is open to the public. For details on watching the lecture, please visit the Fay Jones School's lecture page. To register for the entire lecture series, complete this form on Zoom.

For more information, contact 479-575-4704 or fayjones.uark.edu.

Read more here:
Architect and Academic Lesley Lokko to Present 'Look Back in Anger' Lecture Online on Oct. 26 - University of Arkansas Newswire

Fred Ortiz talks about his El Paso background Wochit

Fred Ortiz juggled two life goals as a fourth-grader atStanton Elementary Schoolgrowing up in the Lyndon B. Johnsonprojects in Northeast El Paso in 1977.

One was common for boys his age, particularly ones good enough to earn a college football scholarship. Ortiz wanted to play tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.

The other goal was a path less dreamed.

"I remember in fourth grade being asked, 'What do you want to do when you get older?' " Ortiz, 53, recalled from his home in the Dallas area. "I said, 'Well, I want to be one of those guys who draws buildings.' "

El Paso native Fred Ortiz is a director of sports at the HKS Inc. architecture firm.(Photo: HKS Inc.)

Ortiz draws great big buildings now. A director of sports at the HKSInc. architecture firm, one of his newest works, Globe Life Fieldin Arlington, will be in the spotlight this week when it hosts the World Series.

Instead of playing on one of the biggest stages in the world as an athlete, Ortiz designed one of the biggest stages in the world for an architecture firm that has drawn up many of those venues.

"You work so hard on these projects and when they are actually done, serving their purpose, it's a great feeling," Ortiz said.

Ortiz is the embodiment of the American dream, both his and that of his parents, Aniceto and Teresa. The factory workers emigrated from Jurez to El Paso on April 23, 1969, with their son, two years after Fred was born in an El Paso hospital.

The Ortizeswere looking for a better life for a family that would soon grow to five boys, and that began to take shape in 1975 when the LBJ projects opened.

"I was blessed with the right people," Ortiz said. "I've been reflecting a lot on my past and one of the special moments was when my parents had an opportunity to move to the Northeast. We lived in little apartments not far from the border, but they had this opportunity first-come, first-serve to live in these new government-owned projects.

"They got their name on the list and there we were. It was a new beginning. That's where the right people were able to guide me, influence me and mentor me, whether it was working me as hard as they could or educating me in the classroom, it all made the difference."

One of those people Ortiz credits for his success was Irvin High School football coach Tony Shaw, himself an architect of powerhouse Rocket teams in the mid-1980s, who saw how special Ortiz and his family were. Ortiz, the oldest of his parents' five children, is a 1985 Irvin graduate.

"He was dedicated, he was a hard worker.I would give a pep talk and the Ortiz brothers would have tears in their eyes," Shaw said. "They drank the coach's Kool-Aid."

Ortiz agrees.

"We drank the Kool-Aid," he said. "On the wall in the locker room there were words that to this day I can recite: Poise, character, leadership, dedication, attitude. Our motto for everything was, 'What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.'

"I took that and I ran with it, not just through high school but into college and to now. If I have a vision and an idea, I work it through my team. I don't hesitate to push ideas out there.

"Now it's my turn to be a mentor. I've taken pride over the years offering to spend one-on-one time with young individuals who are inspired to be in the position I'm in."

Fred Ortiz (in blue jeans) and his four brothers with father Aniceto Ortiz in the LBJ projects in El Paso.(Photo: Courtesy photo)

Although Ortiz didn't know what an architect was in elementary school, he showed a fascination from a young age for the skills that would define his life.

After sharing his dream of drawing buildings,"teachers said, 'OK, when you get to high school, be sure and take drafting,' " Ortiz said. "I get to Irvin and loand behold, I'm taking drafting. I'm learning how to visualize, how to draw in two dimensions. All the while I'm doing my own personal investigations into drawing freehand, drawing anything I can get hold of."

He also was taking a star turn for the Rockets football team, as a tight end, deep snapper and defensive end, and that opened up another door. That's when the dream of becoming an architect took a step forward.

"When it started becoming reality was when my high school coach understood I wanted to go to college, I aspired to be an architect," Ortiz said of Shaw. "He came to me one day and said, 'Here are the list of schools in Texas that offer architecture;this one is coming to see you tomorrow.'

"It was the University of Texas at Arlington. Loand behold, I was offered a full ride and they had a great architecture program. That's how it evolved."

Fred Ortiz is a director of sports at the HKS Inc. architecture firm. He fulfilled his childhood dream of drawing buildings, designing some of the most iconic sports venues in the nation.(Photo: Daryl Shields/HKS Inc.)

That's also where the dream of playing for the Cowboys died. Ortiz wasinjured his freshman year, then UTA killed its football program. One of the UTA coaches got a job at Louisiana Tech and Ortiz had a scholarship offer there.

"I turned to coach Shaw. I was literally crying: 'Coach, what do I do?' " Ortiz said.

Shaw knew what he should do.

"You've got a bum knee, you're one of the best architecture students in the country, Louisiana Tech doesn't even offer architecture," Shaw said. "Get your education."

Ortiz took UTA up on its offer to honor his scholarship, he got his degree and by the early '90s was working his way up through small architecture firms.

In 2007, he moved to the big time, taking a job as director of design at HKS Richmond, Virginia,office, where he began working on sports projects. HKS has built, among many other things, the football stadiums for the Dallas Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings, the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams.

In 2017, HKS was formally awarded the rights to design what has become Globe Life Fieldin Arlington.

"As much as I love being a generalist, working on all kinds of projects, I feel deep down inside athletics were very important to me growing up," said Ortiz, whose current projects include the Socorro Student Activities Center II, set to open in 2023.

"They motivated me, they shaped me, they made me who I am today. Now I love knowing not only was I a player, I became a dad, I coached, I became an architect and I'm able to choreograph incredible experiences for fans around the world."

In fact, one project he did was the athletic facilities at Virginia Military Academy when his oldest son was attending. His two youngest sons, twins Antonio and Marco, are currently third-year deep snappers for the TCU and Florida football teams, respectively. By moving back to the Metroplex two years ago, Ortiz gets to be closer to Antonio.

A general view of Globe Life Field is shown during batting practice before a baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020.(Photo: Ray Carlin/Associated Press)

In the disappointment that is 2020, the 40,300-capacity Globe Life, which opened this season, didn't host fans through the regular season. Itwill be at 25%capacity for the World Series, like it was for the National League Championship Series it hosted the past week.

On the plus side, it wouldn't have hosted the World Series in a normal year, but Major League Baseball opted for a neutral-field bubble for this year's Fall Classic and baseball's newest stadium was selected.

For Ortiz, getting to see fans come into the park began to make his design visions come true. Ortiz describes his creationin an almost mystical fashion, as if it is aliving thing.

A view of the field is shown as the Atlanta Braves work out at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Oct. 11, 2020.(Photo: Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)

"Finally, the doors were open, finally, the fans were roaming through the concourses," Ortiz said. "The comments they were making, the selfies they were taking, the game (hot) dog, the nachos in the air, then lo and behold the roof starts to open it was awesome. It was awesome.

"It's the kind of stuff you look forward to. You work so hard, in this case four years, to design and build something, and you want people to look through it, you want them to experience it. It's almost like a form of testing, whether or not all the moves you made were going to happen the way you intended it to.

"And I think in a very serendipitous way it's awesome to find them using it in a way you never thought. As simple as an aperture or view to the field you didn't anticipate. ... Maybe it's lighting, maybe it's an audible aspect to it. It's tapping into a lot of the senses and it can be a simple little platform someone has found and fans will congregate."

When he's describing his creation, Ortiz sounds like a proud father. There is, of course, another proud father to consider. Ortiz was able to give a tour of Globe Life Fieldto his parents early this year, shortly before the COVID-19 shutdowns.

"My father's a very quiet man, but his smile was ear-to-ear, full of pride," Ortiz said.

Aniceto Ortiz said: "I don't have the words. I'm very, very proud of him. 'You're my man.' I almost cried, I'm so happy."

His son created a venue where dreams come true, including the dreams of an El Paso family.

Want more news like this? Click here to subscribe to elpasotimes.com.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2020/10/19/irvin-globe-life-park-architect-ortiz-lives-dream/3699897001/

Read more here:
From Irvin High to Globe Life Field, architect Fred Ortiz lives his life's American dream - El Paso Times

The coronavirus pandemic is already shaping home design trends, with special-function rooms and products that serve needs particular to the pandemic rising in popularity, according to a recent survey by the American Institute of Architects.

Every year, the institute surveys about 425 individual architects or firms in the business of custom-home building or renovation. Participants are asked to indicate whether requests for certain types of rooms and products are increasing, decreasing or stable. Trends are identified by noting the increases and offsetting them by the decreases. This years results were gathered in July.

I wont say it was unexpected, said Kermit Baker, the organizations chief economist and a senior research fellow at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Id say surprising in the sense that the pandemic response was happening faster than we might have expected.

In this years survey, 68 percent of respondents cited increasing client requests for home offices, and none reported a decrease. Compare that with the 2019 results, which showed a 33 percent increase and 4 percent decrease. A related feature, enhanced or task lighting, also gained popularity.

Specifically, there were more requests for sunrooms or three-season porches (rooms that bring nature indoors) and mud rooms or drop zones (areas to isolate contaminated items from the house at large). Tellingly, in the midst of a pandemic caused by an airborne virus, products for improving indoor air quality were newly popular: 41 percent of respondents cited an increase for such requests, while 2 percent indicated they were on the decline, compared with 27 percent increasing and 2 percent decreasing last year.

Other new trends included exercise or yoga rooms and flexible spaces for home-schooling or other needs. Other special-function rooms (outdoor living spaces among them) maintained their popularity or edged up, as did products that were low maintenance and energy efficient.

This weeks chart shows which home features were the most popular and how requests for them rose or fell in 2019 and 2020.

See the rest here:
Coronavirus and Home Design - The New York Times

The Architect and the Public: On George Baird's Contribution to Architecture

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Whatsapp

Mail

Or

The event is the first of a series of conversations to launch the recently published book The Architect and the Public: On George Baird's Contribution to Architecture (Quodlibet, 2020). The first group of speakers moderated by Roberto Damiani, the book editor, includes Brigitte Shim as a discussant and the volume contributors Joan Ockman, Richard Sommer, Hans Ibelings, Michael Piper, and Andrew Choptiany.

Discussant: Brigitte Shim (Daniels Faculty)

Moderated by Roberto Damiani (Daniels Faculty)

This event was submitted by an ArchDaily user. If you'd like to submit an event, please use our "Submit a Event" form. The views expressed in announcements submitted by ArchDaily users do not necessarily reflect the views of ArchDaily.

See original here:
The Architect and the Public: On George Baird's Contribution to Architecture - ArchDaily

Globe Life Field steps into the brightest spotlight in baseball when the World Series starts tonight in Arlington.

Its also a big moment for an architect with Dallas-based HKS.

Been with the firm for 12 years and very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on something as significant as Globe Life Field, said Fred Ortiz, principal at HKS.

The latest news from around North Texas.

Ortiz was the lead designer on the billion-dollar ballpark - the largest project to date for a man who grew up wanting to do two things: play football and be an architect.

Ortiz was raised in El Paso, the oldest of five brothers born to parents who immigrated from Mexico. He played baseball with his brothers and other boys in his neighborhood. It was high school football, though, that led to a dream that someday he could be a tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.

He got close. He got to Arlington where the University of Texas at Arlington awarded him a football scholarship. He was in his freshman year when a knee injury sidelined him then the program was sidelined permanently. It was the last year UTA had football.

Ortiz stayed in Arlington and earned a degree in architecture. Now years later, he's the star player on the HKS team that designed the ballpark where the new World Series Champ will be crowned.

A moment of pride, right? Satisfaction. And we tend to put a lot of time and effort into these things. So, once they're built and you see it come to fruition, it is just amazing and more gratifying when you see it being used as it was intended to be used, Ortiz, 53, said.

The architect and design director finally got to see it in use last week and watch a limited number of fans take it all in. As he watched them, his mind also went back to his childhood and an understanding that this accomplishment was not his alone. I thought about how I wasnt just doing this for myself but also for my family, Ortiz told The Dallas Morning News. My dad always pushed us to take pride in our name. Yes, there was personal pride, but it was an overarching family pride.

With coronavirus blowing the big debut of Globe Life Field this season and now capacity limited, most people can along see the ballpark on TV. While there's generous praise, the designer looks forward to the day people can see and appreciate all the work that went into it.

I continue to get notes, texts, 'Wow! It looks great on TV, Ortiz said. Theres so many great things about the project and one of my favorites happens to be the 1,000-foot long, 100-foot high wall that fronts onto Nolan Ryan Expressway. It has a really beautiful plaza and there's these beautiful arches and you get a different vantage point not only into the ballpark but out towards the district and it has these awesome balcony seats that give you great views of the field.

Just as he relied on teammates on the baseball and football fields, Ortiz is quick to credit the players who executed the plans.

Ive been practicing for over 30 years and, it never fails to amaze me, that for me, its so easy to draw things on paper; to come up with ideas, he said, but it's very humbling to see the contractors, right? All those individuals that actually have a hand in building, physically building these structures we create and visualize.

As a designer, Ortiz creates big vision ideas and sketches them all the way down to details. Its a metaphor for his life. His big vision all those years ago growing up in El Paso was to be an architect. His career took him to other firms and in 2007, it brought him back to North Texas and the project just miles away from the university that helped him believe the dreams of a boy drawing in the dirt all those years ago could come true.

I was blessed with an ability to draw, right? And so, I did that quite a bit, he said. Somehow to think over 40 years later, here I am having been a part of a huge team that's doing great things for Major League Baseball. Im thankful for opportunities such as this. Its a blessing. Its not just one guy leading the entire thing. There are several players.

Read more:
Architect Designs Career Connected to Love of Sports - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

SEATTLE, Washington According to the United Nations, more than 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing, including slums and informal settlements. Densely packed and increasingly gentrified urban spaces have created a global housing crisis. A 2018 report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy sampled more than 200 global cities and cited only 10% as being affordable. The cost of accessible housing is directly correlated to povertyboth aggravating and mitigating it. As such, many cities are attempting to stem soaring real estate prices and increase housing accessibility in a myriad of ways. Examples of proposed mitigation have included acquiring more governmentally owned land in the case of Chengdu, China, or encouraging private sectors to finance projects such as the Urban Wealth Fund in Hamburg, Germany. However, architects themselves may play a critical role in solving the global housing crisis.

Although the novel coronavirus has dampened the decade-long trend of moving from suburban or rural areas to citiesoften perceived as the soul of real estate, commerce and culturethe percentage of people residing in cities is predicted to reach 68% by 2050. In addition, some of the fastest-growing mid-sized cities, which the U.N. defines as having fewer than one million inhabitants, are in Asia and Africa.

This may appear to be encouraging news as sub-Saharan Africa is home to 27 of the worlds 28 poorest countries and has an average poverty rate of approximately 41%. Logically, urbanization could act as a catalyst for economic growth, increased job opportunities, higher incomes, access to education and a higher demand for food grown in poverty-stricken rural areas.

However, the number of the urban poor is rising as prices for rent, food, transportation and energy consumption in cities soars. For instance, a 2018 study on urbanization showed that in African cities, 39% of renters are insecure about losing their property. Moreover, urbanization also directly impacts the environment. Air pollution, traffic congestion and higher temperatures are the result of previous urban designs, traditionally employing massive tracts of concrete and steel.

The combined factors of insecure housing and environmental risks exacerbate issues of poverty and can correlate to negative health-related issues. Many experts suggest that the housing crisis, specifically the urban housing, is a result of a century of reactive housing policies instead of proactive policies. Evictions have led to mass human rights violations and current designs are unsustainableboth in a literal and environmental sense.

How can architects and architectural firms play an integral role in addressing this growing crisis?

The role of the architect was previously that of designing and completing infrastructure projects. However, the architects role has evolved over the years and now encompasses different aspects of a project.

Luxury high-rise buildings made for mega-companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Coca-Cola have ushered in attractive and career-defining contracts for architects and firms, and many have followed suit. Yet, this comes at the cost of a global housing crisis.

While some experts cite that giant corporations and private equity firms primarily drive housing markets, some architects are making a change by embracing social responsibility for the environment and the growing renter population.

Some of the leading architect figures and firms around the globe, including Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena, MVRDV and MASS Design Group, demonstrate that there are innovative ways to build affordable, high-quality and environmentally conscious structures.

Today, urban architects face a hefty challenge. Not only are their designs constrained by the aesthetics of an existing neighborhood and limited budgets, but past failed attempts at creating affordable housing make investors wary.

Architects began to move away from mass affordable housing projects due to criticisms of modernist structures being dense, uniform and dysfunctional structures. As such, architects began favoring aesthetics over residents actual needs. These include public housing projects ranging from Les Bosquets in Paris to Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis.

Social responsibility as an architect is not a clearly defined role nor is it new. William Mangold, a professor of interior design at Pratt Institute, broadly defines architectural social responsibility as characterized by attitudes that value justice, equality, participation, sharing, sustainability and practices that intentionally engage social issues and recognize the consequences of decisions and actions.

Architects such as Alejandro Aravena are prime examples of the ability to both deliver aesthetics and adopt the role of a socially responsible designer.

Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2016, one of the most prestigious awards in the architectural world. What is unusual about Aravena is that architectural experts respect his aesthetic form but Arvena has also designed more than 2,500 low-cost social housing structures. He also coined the idea of half of a good house which consciously stayed within the limited governmental budget to build half a house where families could reside in and then allowed them to build or invest in the second half at the pace that worked for their budget. This gave families a home while enabling them to expand the space beyond the bare minimum governmental mandate.

MVRDV is a firm based in Denmark that has designed projects for cities in India such as Pune in 2018. Their low-cost high-rise structures accommodated around 5,000 residents and took into account the diverse structures of families. Each unit ranged from 45 to 450 square meters based on resident needs and is part of a larger, communal complex that includes public courtyards and green spaces.

A final example is a U.S.-based firm, MASS Design Group. While the design firms work in Burera, Rwanda was not a housing project but instead a hospital project, the co-founder Michael Murphy succinctly affirms the evolving role of the architect: Architecture is an expansive fieldbut too often it has been narrowly considered, ignoring the social justice inherent in appropriate design.

The growing interest in socially responsible architecture for the environment and residents extends beyond individualistic pursuits. Universities are also beginning to offer increased course offerings in ethical design. Conferences are occurring on levels as large as the 2016 U.N. Conference on Housing and Sustainable Developmental (Habitat III) and between stakeholders, designers and local residents that provide platforms for dialogue. Additionally, institutions such as the Smithsonian are collaborating with design students and highlighting the need for socially responsible architecture.

With a new wave of conscious design and direct collaboration between architects and future residences, addressing the growing housing crisis may not seem so monumental. Creating affordable housing addresses many of the underlying issues of global poverty. Studies have shown that stable and secure home environments vastly increase the mental well-being of a person which can translate into areas such as job stability, curbing homelessness, drug abuse rates and health consequences. The overarching fact is that unless cities radically dissipate or design models change, there will be finite space to house the growing global population. As such architects, architectural firms, global organizations and governments need to work together to address the global housing crisis.

Lily Poppen Photo: Flickr

Read the rest here:
How Architects Can Ease the Global Housing Crisis - BORGEN - Borgen Project

Solutions Review compiles the most essential books that any network or IT architects need to add to their reading list.

Are you a network or IT architect looking to gain more knowledge in your area of expertise? Books, whether hardcover or digital, are an excellent source for people looking to learn about a specific field of technology, and network and IT architecture is no exception. Weve listed the eight most essential books for network and IT architects that you should add to your reading list. These books are intended for beginners and experts alike and are written by authors with proficiency and/or recognition in the field of network and IT architecture.

If youre looking for resources on network monitoring, our free Network Monitoring Buyers Guide has you covered. It contains profiles on the top network monitoring providers in the market today, including descriptions of the tools they offer and noteworthy features of each. The guide also features 10 questions you should ask prospective vendors and yourself before buying a network monitoring solution. You can check out that guide here!

by Dimitrios Serpanos and Tilman Wolf

Architecture of Network Systems explains the practice and methodologies that will allow you to solve a broad range of problems in system design, including problems related to security, quality of service, performance, manageability, and more. Leading researchers Dimitrios Serpanos and Tilman Wolf develop architectures for all network sub-systems, bridging the gap between operation and VLSI.

by Russ White and Denise Donohue

Two leading enterprise network architects help you craft solutions that are fully aligned with business strategy, smoothly accommodate change, and maximize future flexibility. Russ White and Denise Donohue guide network designers in asking and answering the crucial questions that lead to elegant, high-value solutions. Carefully blending business and technical concerns, they show how to optimize all network interactions involving flow, time, and people.

by John Day

Beginning with the seven fundamental, and still unanswered, questions identified during the ARPANETs development,Patterns in Network Architecture returns to bedrock and traces our experience both good and bad. Along the way, [John Day] uncovers overlooked patterns in protocols that simplify design and implementation and resolves the classic conflict between connection and connectionless while retaining the best of both.

by Orhan Ergun

This book will give you a High Level of overview of the Service Provider Network Design and Architecture. It talks about the unique aspects of Service Provider networks, different types of Service Providers and the business relationships between them. It covers the Service Providers services, different last mile access offerings and transport networks, and their subscribers and services.

by Edward Crawley, Bruce Cameron, and Daniel Selva

System architecture is the study of early decision making in complex systems. This text teaches how to capture experience and analysis about early system decisions, and how to choose architectures that meet stakeholder needs, integrate easily, and evolve flexibly. With case studies written by leading practitioners, from hybrid cars to communications networks to aircraft, this text showcases the science and art of system architecture.

by Stephen D. Burd

Discover the most comprehensive introduction to information systems hardware and software in business today with SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE, 7E. This new edition remains an indispensable tool for your strong foundation in IS (Information Systems) as the book emphasizes a managerial, broad systems perspective that provides a holistic approach to systems architecture. Thorough updates throughout this edition ensure all concepts, examples and applications reflect the very latest new technologies.

Looking for a solution to help you improve your network performance? OurNetwork Monitoring Buyers Guidecontains profiles on the top network performance monitor vendors, as well as questions you should ask providers and yourself before buying.

Check us out onTwitterfor the latest in Network Monitoring news and developments!

Dan is a tech writer who writes about Enterprise Cloud Strategy and Network Monitoring for Solutions Review. He graduated from Fitchburg State University with a Bachelor's in Professional Writing. You can reach him at dhein@solutionsreview.com

Follow this link:
The Six Essential Books for Network and IT Architects - Solutions Review

It was an odd marriage and it wasn't always perfect.

There was missing team buses after games on occasion, the 'ass-chewing' against Western Kentucky, the personality differences, but in hindsight, they both probably needed each other.

When University of Alabama coach Nick Saban hired Lane Kiffin as his offensive coordinator in January of 2014, he was ready to evolve.On the other hand, Kiffin was looking for a new home, a place to rejuvenate his career following a failed stint as head coach at USC.

"We always had a tremendous amount of respect for Lane," Saban said on this week's SEC coaches teleconference. "Hes a great coach. Hes a very good offensive play-caller. Hes got a great feel for the game, really understands what the defense is trying to do and how to take advantage of it. We wanted to get more in the spread but keep a pro-style passing game, and Lane was well-versed in the pro-style part of it. I think we all grew together in the whole RPO-spread world. That was new for all of us. Did a lot of research on it, did a great job of implementing it and learning it and hes doing a great job with it right now and he did a great job for us here.

Kiffin's dynamic play-calling turned Blake Sims, a running back and scout team player when he arrived at the Capstone, into the school's single-season passing leader at the time in 2014 with 3,487 yards and 28 touchdowns.

In year two of Kiffin's offense, a Heisman Trophy winner was produced with Derrick Henry, who rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns, propelling Alabama to its 16th national championship in school history.

Then, in his final season in Tuscaloosa, we saw just how special of a player Jalen Hurts could be with Kiffin. Hurts, who ultimately lost the starting job to Tua Tagovailoa, dazzled in 2016, completing 63 percent of his passes for 2,780 yards and 23 scores, while adding 954 yards on the ground and another 13 additional touchdowns.

That offensive revival helped pave the way for what Crimson Tide fans saw with Tagovailoa, and now Mac Jones under assistant Steve Sarkisian an offense that continues to hum, scoring 45 points a game through two games in 2020.

And the offensive unit, led by Jones, is a far cry from what Kiffin saw in 2009, when he was the head coach at Tennessee, squaring off against Saban for the first time, which the Crimson Tide won, 12-10, scoring all its points on field goals.

"I wish it was the old one like we played at Tennessee when they didnt score any touchdowns," Kiffin said earlier this week. "Its very different. Its why Coach [Saban] changed. Theyre explosive, they attack, they pass first. Tons of shots down the field. Way harder to defend."

Kiffin is now getting his first shot at Saban as a former assistant on Saturday when the Ole Miss Rebels host the Crimson Tide at 6:30 p.m inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.

He will join the long list of former assistants who have tried to bring down the master and all, up to this point, have failed going a combined 20-0 against Saban.

"First off, it gets rid of this whole, 'I know him, so thats an advantage' thing," Kiffin said. "That things kind of shot down because theres been 20 games where the coaches knew him and they went 0-20. I think that just shows that you cant duplicate somewhere just because you worked there. What Coach [Saban] does is very unique. It works for him. I dont think it works for many other people, his style. He has it nailed, and everybody knows what it is when they get there. Its why it works. On the same token, too, the guys undefeated against 95 percent of coaches except for, what, Gus (Malzahn), Dabo (Swinney) and Urban (Meyer) or something?

"No one else has beat him. Hes got that record against everybody."

The first-year Rebel coach poked fun at Saban earlier this week when asked about their matchup, saying that the soon-to-be 69 year old couldn't cover him in a one-on-one situation.

Saban's response was golden and brought a big grin to his face, but the problem for Kiffin is, he isn't the one playing, he's gotta coach against him, which, for former Saban disciples, that continues to be one of the tallest mountains to climb in all of college football.

"I think he's probably right," Saban said. "I wouldn't disagree with him. I guess what I would ask is when he's my age, what's he's going to do? I don't know. I mean, it's a little bit of a disadvantage to be my age and have had a hip replacement. But I still pride myself on my ability to cover. I just don't think I can cover him."

See the rest here:
Nick Saban vs Lane Kiffin: The Once-Architect of Alabama's Modern Offense Is Now Tasked With Dismantling It - Bama Maven

New research commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) reveals the significant impact of the coronavirus pandemic on how people want to live and work at home.

UK homeowners are increasingly demanding environmentally efficient properties that better support their new ways of living, as well as their mental health, happiness and family cohesion.

The RIBAs research exclusively reveals that the majority of homeowners (70% of survey respondents) believe the design of their home has affected their mental wellbeing during the pandemic.

Spending more time in their home has made people more stressed (11%), anxious (10%) and depressed (10%); theyve found it harder to relax (9%) and its negatively impacted their productivity (6%).

The RIBAs research sought to understand the mental and physical benefits of living in a better-designed home. The findings highlight that 23% believe a better-designed home will increase their happiness; theyd be able to relax more (31%) and sleep better (17%).

Insights also revealed that with working from home now the new normal for many, 15% want to improve the design of their home to help them be more productive. And with families spending more time together at home, more than one in 10 (11%) believe making changes to the design of their home would help them to live more harmoniously with others in the house.

Environmental Psychologist and Lecturer at University of Surrey,Eleanor Ratcliffesaid: For many of us our home is our favourite place and an important part of our identity. Over recent months our homes have had to become the workplace, school, and gym, and yet still be a place to relax and recover from all the everyday stresses and strains impacting entire households. The RIBAs research demonstrates that many people realise that their home in its current form does not cater for all these different uses and users.

A home design that reflects who you are your values, needs, and interests can make people feel good about themselves. A home that meets ones needs because it is appropriately designed can also make people feel more in control, and that is especially relevant when life feels uncertain.

Eight out of 10 respondents (79%) identified one or more of the changes that theyd now like to make to the design of their home after lockdown, these include:

Ben Channon,RIBA Chartered Architect, Head of Wellbeing at Assael Architecture and author of book, Happy by Designsaid: As architects, we understand that every family is unique and the design of their home must be tailored to fit their specific needs. Were trained to be creative and practical problem solvers and will add value, not just financial, but also to your quality of life ensuring that your most sacred space works for you and your loved ones. We will help you to make your home more usable and, put simply, a nicer place to live ultimately making you happier and healthier.

RIBA PresidentAlan Jonesadded: Its clear that the impact of COVID-19 will affect how and where we choose to live for years to come. For many of us, our homes are our sanctuaries, and this new research commissioned by the RIBA clearly indicates that many people are keener than ever to adapt and improve their homes.

I strongly encourage homeowners to seek professional expertise to make their dreams a reality. RIBA Chartered Architects and Chartered Practices offer the highest standards and assurance in the UK. They can support homeowners every step of the way, whether they are extending their home or building a new one from scratch.

Did you like this? Share it:

More here:
Architects reveal the impact of Covid-19 on housing design Show House - Show House News