Minecraft | An Update on Lionel and the Cali Project

    As you have probably noticed, I haven't posted in more than a month on Lionel in Minecraft.  It's because the project manager has been gone from the server for more than a month and I personally have taken interest into something else.  (The Cali Project)  I would have finished The City of Lionel, but considering it is not my own project, I'm going to leave it alone until the project manager comes back on the server. 

    So what will you guys be seeing soon?  It will be an update on the Cali Project.  If you recall from my Minecraft Creations post about the Cali Estate, I said there would be more updates soon after.  We have recently been working on the neighborhood around the estate called Adobe Hills Estates.  It is a big, gated community.  Past the gate is a market called the "Upper Marketplace."  ("upper" as in higher class)  We have planned to make a town hall, church, and a lot more stuff I won't disclose yet.  That's enough talking for now.  So until next time, enjoy the ARCHITECTURE!

*SIDE NOTE*
The "Special Post" on the future of Dubai will be coming either tomorrow or Sunday!  Stay Tuned! 

Dazzling Designs | St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

BEFORE

Photo: Marlon Blackwell (Architect)

AFTER

Photo: Timothy Hursley

    (Talk about inventive!) Welcome back to Dazzling Designs!  The St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church is a great example of a very inventive architect.  This church used to be one, big metal box, but Architect Marlon Blackwell made a church out of it!  Overtime, this church has become a "3,600-square-foot local icon" for the residents of Springdale, Arkansas, with its boxy steeple and a metal shell.  If you look carefully, you will be able to see three very symbolic colors.  A red cross, a blue window on the left, and a yellow window on the right create the colors of the Trinity.


Photo: Timothy Hursley                                                                                                                               

    The architect heard that people needed a new church, but the congregation couldn't afford it.  They found an empty metal shed that was big enough for a church but had a lot of shaping up to do.  Jonathan Boelkins, the project manager, thought about tearing the shed down but apparently, "it had structure and it had a roof, and so we thought, well, we'll see what we can do with it."  Although Springdale usually prohibits metal panels as a new building material, he wanted a chance to raise questions about architecture as a spiritual offering.  They kept everything in the building's original structure, but his team wrapped it in metal panels.


Photo: Timothy Hursley

    The meeting space is separate from the sanctuary by a movable wall, but they used the steeple to mark the interior entrance to the sanctuary.  Although domes are an important part to Orthodox churches, Blackwell decided to keep the roof flat.  Instead, he traded beer bottles with a satellite dish to skim-coat it with plaster and embed it in the ceiling.  (Unconvential but practical!)  “We can still make architecture anywhere, at any scale,” says Blackwell. “That's been one of our missions: to say, hey, architecture can happen here.”


Photo: Timothy Hursley

     “A lot of people are turning churches into metal buildings,” he says. “We turned a metal building into a church.”

>> Read more at archrecord.construction.com

Today's ArchiPic #74

Photo: Amit Geron

    Today's ArchiPic is the Cargal Group Offices in Lod, Israel.  They are a group of offices made inside of a noisy cardboard factory.  The amazing thing with today's archipic is that it provides a "quiet retreat" from the hustling and bustling of the factory.  Designed by Architect Irit Axelrod, the offices uses materials like concrete, glass, and stainless steel to emphasize the industrial roots and sophisticated finishes.  To get to the entrance of the Cargal Group Offices, visitors must go through an indoor walkway above the factory floor.  “When the project was completed, I realized I had created a serene bubble in the middle of a factory,” Axelrod says.  She also says that she grew up in Tel Aviv, a city that uses an international style of architecture, which influenced her design. 

    On the inside of the offices, the fluorescent lighting system provides an efficient way to brighten up the interior.  Axelrod also used a very ingenious way to make the space feel bigger.  She carried views from one space to another.  At archrecord.construction.com, they said, "In a conference room at one end of the suite, she inserted a thin vertical strip of glass between perpendicular walls so they don't quite touch. And she attached stainless steel handles and hardware directly onto glass doors so they seem suspended in space."  Again, I think the Cargal Group Offices are an ingenious way to put work spaces into loud, factory type environments. 

>> Read More at archrecord.construction.com.

Today's ArchiPic #73

Photo: James Haefner

    Today's ArchiPic is the Microsoft Technology Center in Southfield, Michigan.  Featured under the "Lighting" tab at archrecord.construction.com, the new center is a masterpiece that uses some of the recent advancements in lighting products.  Sleek and modern, the Microsoft Technology Center was completed by SmithGroup.  After they designed four other centers for Microsoft, they were asked to make a fifth.  Its 16,300 square-foot space has the most intricate lighting design, and SmithGroup's goal was to "choreograph movement with lighting."  They sure accomplished that.  LEDs in the ceiling are hidden behind a cove, and Microsoft's servers shine behind the glass in the lobby.  There are a series of dropped ceilings with a linear strip of LEDs that guide the visitors to important areas.  Matthew Alleman, the lead lighting designer, said, "The LED technology for us, it was a no-brainer. It’s easy to maintain, elegant, and fits into tight spaces.  It’s also a simple solution in this case.[Microsoft] wanted to have a great space to show their clients, but they also wanted to be able to maintain it to keep it at its peak performance."

ME WANT SPECIAL POST NOW!!!

   I've been thinking hard about what to put on that "SPECIAL" post.  I'm not sure though.  I was especially thinking about doing a "Future of Dubai" topic, and I think I might stick to that.  Besides, you guys haven't seen anything on Dubai here at my blog in a long time!  So this weekend on my blog, be prepared for a very long post on the future of the great city of Dubai.  I know I did this before, but this time I think I will step it up a notch and go more in-depth.   The old ones were two parts called "Special Editions | The Future of Dubai" and they were a good size.  More posts are coming tonight though.  Enjoy the ARCHITECTURE!

Today's ArchiPic #72

   

Joe and Rika Mansueto Library from architectmagazine.com

    Today's ArchiPic is the Mansueto Library in Chicago, Illinois.  It is utterly breathtaking and a for sure advancement in the style of architecture used with libraries.  On the campus of the University of Chicago, Jahn Architects designed this massive library that can hold up to 3.5 million volumes of books.  The Mansueto Library's basement, which is climate controlled, is 55 feet high.  (mostly because of the massive storage area inside)  Jahn Architects' main goal was to make it a beautiful and attractive place for the students to experience.  It boasts a massive, transparent glass dome that consists of a ceramic frit that helps to reduce glare.  You can read mroe at www.architectmagazine.com.

An Update on that SPECIAL Post

   As I said yesterday, I am planning on doing that SPECIAL post when I reach 10k in page views.  I just checked and I have reached the goal.  But this special post won't be posted until this weekend.  I won't have time to do it tonight or tomorrow, and remember that this post will be all about something awesome in architecture.  I can't wait!  Until next time, enjoy the ARCHITECTURE!

Who's Ready for a Special Post?

    As I am nearing 10,000 page views, I was thinking I should do something cool.  Doing something special everytime I hit the ten-thousandth digit in page views just for fun sounds really fun!  (10k, 20k, 30k etc.)  So whenever I hit 10k, be prepared for an especially long post.  What will the topic be?  I'm not sure yet, but I'll be thinking.  And don't worry!  It will be directly related to something awesome in architecture.

    On a side note, this blog has turned into an amazing part of my life.  It has grown so much in such a short amount of time.  I love sharing architecture with people around the world, and especially sharing architecture that isn't even real.  (Minecraft)  Thanks to all of you who follow my blog and keep up with it.  So until next time, enjoy the ARCHITECTURE!  

FyreUK Timelapse

    This is a video of the FyreUK Dwarven City time lapse.  In this build, Matt, Phil, and members of the server come together and build FyreUK's first real underground build called Dwarven City.  They always impress me with their creativity and never cease to amaze.  On our server, I plan to do a mega build within a month or so.   When I do, I will make a time lapse of it and hopefully share it with you guys.  I will also do an in-depth tour of the build.  If it is really big, I will probably do it in parts.  I don't have my own YouTube account to post things on, but if I can get access to one, I will be able to show the time lapse here on blogger.  Once I get the software for the time lapse and get access to a YouTube account, be prepared for an awesome new series.  It will probably either be a spin-off of Minecraft Creations, a totally new series, or a continuation of Minecraft Creations.  I have yet to decide.  Don't forget to checkout FyreUK and their awesome channel here.

Minecraft Creations | The Cali Estate

*Be Warned!  This post is long!*

    Welcome to back to another Minecraft Creations installment.  Today is probably going to be one of the best residential Minecraft Creations post yet.  Last weekend, Friday through Saturday, we worked on something massive on the server.  In appreciation of the HOUSES 101 Art-Filled Californian Home last Wednesday, we decided to make a house that looks relatively similar.  We also had alot of inspiration behind it and with Ornate 5 as our texture packs, we created a huge estate on a beautiful, Californian like vista.

    The Cali Estate, as I named it, is short for California.  (Very creative!  *big grin*)  A friend and I started this on Friday, making it as similar as we could to the front of the Art-Filled California Home.  As we kept building, the house started to take shape.  We first thought that we would keep it a single-story house, but as it grew we realized we wanted to make it bigger.  (2 more stories to be exact)  The final outcome was breathtaking to say the least.  Here is the front of the house and after these couple of pictures, I will start the in-depth tour of the interior.

  

    Walking into the front of the house, you will find an awesome looking chandelier made out of glowstone.  In front and both sides of you are walkways into that lead you into different sections of the house.  By the way, most of the house is made out of wood, stone, and sandstone.  (Sandstone for the window and door frames.) 

   When you take the hall left of you as walk into the front entrance, you will find the master bedroom's iron doorway that is almost camouflaged in the iron block wall.  It almost looks like a vault.

    Inside the bedroom, you will see a queen size bed with a beautiful painting above it.  Also in the room, you will see a massive curtain.  Behind it, is the window looking into the dining hall.  But I think I'll keep the curtain down.  (I like privacy)

   If you take the main hall from the front entrance, you will find the magnificent dining room.  It consists of two sides with 3 chandeliers.  In the very middle is where it is split, and past that is the beautiful outdoor deck looking over a massive lake, which includes a ship called the Falcon II.

    The outdoor deck is empty for now.  Besides, we still aren't done with the house!  Most likely, the deck will include a fire pit and some lounge chairs.  On the picture above this one, you can see the magnificent Falcon II; and it's bright, white and blue checkerboard sail.  The picture right above is a very cool design, and below it is a mini-dock.  (used for the small in-game square boats)  The dock is accessible from the basement, which isn't done yet.

    Walking up to the 2nd floor staircase, you will find some beautiful greenery.  There is no arch or door here going to the second floor.  What separates the stairs and next floor you ask?  It's the vines.  Green vines hang from the ceiling, creating a true nature affect.  It also comes with a fountain.

     In the 2nd floor's main hall, there are entrances to the bathroom, balcony, and library.
 

   The bathroom, especially at night, makes you feel like you are in an Arabian castle.  Mostly because of the Ornate 5 texture pack's extreme detail on each block.  The sandstone has a very strong Arabian feel to it.  On the right, with a little gate, is the tub.  To the right of that is the toilet.

   The sink is on the left and to the middle is the shower.  It has the bright glowstone in it forming a cross. 

  Entering the main hall on the 2nd floor, if you turn right you will find 2 empty, long hallways.  These are obviously unfinished and lead to the library on the other side.  We had the idea to put trapdoors on the glowstone where that big sandstone wall is in the picture.  I thought it creates a great glowing affect and matches the theme of the area.

    To finish this LONG post, is the library.  Again we used the trapdoor/glowstone method as you can see at the bottom right of the picture.  In the library, we have 2 tables with 6 seats each.  (Tongue twister at the end there.  Try saying "with 6 seats each" 5 times fast!  *big grin* )  I still can't believe we don't have all of it done.  Besides, we worked on it for two days straight!  I feel the rooms in the house are very out of place.  (For instance, the bathroom is on the 2nd floor away from the master bedroom, and there is no kitchen yet.  Also, I have no clue what to do with the two hallways leading to the library.)  Next time we will try to plan the room layout alot better.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the tour of the great Cali Estate.  Remember, it's not done yet and be looking out for a completed update some time soon.  Enjoy the ARCHITECTURE!