Alberti and urban context Free Essays

Among Renaissance architects, Leon Batista Alberti was perhaps the most visionary authority on urban context and city planning. Though he was not an urban planner in the modern sense, he had a keen understanding of the city as an integrated, organic whole, and his designs and writings reveal his view that cities should be well-ordered and buildings should integrate themselves smoothly into that overall fabric.   In this regard, he was well ahead of his time and anticipated the ideas of urban context that exist today. We will write a custom essay sample on Alberti and urban context or any similar topic only for you Order Now Despite his visionary skill and prowess at architecture, Alberti (1404-72) was actually not a professional architect and seems never to have actually even supervised the construction of any of his works.   He was a polymath, or â€Å"Renaissance man† – cultured, well-educated, and well-versed in various academic fields, from art and religion to science and mathematics. According to art historians Ludwig Heydenreich and Wolfgang Lotz, Alberti â€Å"remained to the end the adviser who laid down the general lines and occasionally gave instruction for details . . . but he never set one stone on another.†[1]   Biographer Anthony Grafton’s description is even more to the point – â€Å"an impresario of society and space.†[2] Indeed, Alberti lacked the practical building experience most contemporary architects had, mainly because he was trained to advise and administer rather than actually build.   Born illegitimate but privileged in Genoa, he was well-educated as a youth and in 1428 took both a degree in canon law and orders in the Catholic Church. For much of the remainder of his life, Alberti served as an administrator and advisor to the popes, most notably Nicholas V, a friend from youth, who hired him to consult on major building projects in Rome.   Though mostly a career church administrator, Alberti pursued a wide array of intellectual interests and â€Å"presented himself as a master of all the rational arts of living upon which his contemporaries set great store.†[3] In accordance with the Renaissance’s reverence for ancient Greek and Roman models, Alberti drew heavily from antiquity – not merely for decoration (which he believed should be used sparingly and tastefully, not simply for the sake of decoration alone), but for proportion and, more importantly, placement within a given physical and historical context. For example, in one of his first major works, the church of San Francesco at Rimini (whose renovation and redesign he supervised around 1450), Alberti used exterior motifs drawn from the area’s ancient monuments, varying these to suit the building itself and thus let it reflect the local architectural, cultural, and political contexts. The church’s faà §ade uses simple forms and a scale suited to the buildings around it, because, says Heydenreich, no single person’s vision would dominate that setting: â€Å"[It] was the product of a collaboration between patron, adviser, and working architects. . . . ‘Local styles’ of this kind occasionally appear, but only where the political structure of the region favours them. . . .†[4]   In this sense, he heralded the post-modernists of the late twentieth century, who believe in urban fabric and context rather simply in designing buildings with no relationship to their surroundings. Alberti’s works in Florence between 1455 and 1470 demonstrate, in Heydenreich’s words, â€Å"[how] deeply the traditional forces in a city can influence the idiom of an architect.†[5]   There, his church of Santa Maria Novello draws heavily from local Tuscan styles and fuses them with a large Roman scale (as mandated by the Pope), making a distinctive building that fits with its prominent neighboring structures. (Though he used local elements freely, Alberti rarely directly imitated other buildings; when he borrowed forms or elements, he tended to fuse them with those on nearby structures.)   Also, and perhaps more importantly, it embraces a unity of design, both within itself and in relation to the buildings around it, so that it does not appear incongruous or artificially imposed on its immediate context. Alberti also aimed to site buildings according to surveys he conducted, in keeping with his mathematical and cartographic skills.   Using a measuring disk he created, his survey of Rome (conducted around 1444, when he first entered architecture) â€Å"allowed him to establish the radial coordinates of Rome’s main churches and the towers on the city walls and to plot those in plan.† [1] L Heydenreich W Lotz, Architecture in Italy, 1400 to 1600, Penguin, London, 1974, p. 27. [2] A Grafton, Leon Batista Alberti, Hill Wang, New York, 2000, p. 263. [3] Grafton, p. 21. [4] Heydenreich Lotz, p. 32. [5] Heydenreich Lotz, p. 33. [6] R Tavernor, On Alberti and the art of building, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1998, p. 13. How to cite Alberti and urban context, Papers

Automobile Essay Example For Students

Automobile Essay HistoryAfter the steam engine was invented in the early 17th century, various attempts were made to apply this source of power to self-propelled road vehicles. Early efforts were unsuccessful, except for those that produced interesting toys such as the machine developed about 1680 by the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton, wich was propelled by the back pressure of a jet of steam directed to the rear. The first successful self-propelled road vehicle was a steam automobile invented in 1770 by the French engineer Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. It was designed to transport artillery, and it ran on three wheels. The British inventor William Symington in 1786 built a working model of a so-called steam carriage. The 19th centuryThe first automobile to carry passengers was built by the British inventor Richard Trevitchick in 1801. In December of that year, Trevitchick conducted a successful road test of his vehicle, wich carry several passengers, on an open road near his native town, Illogan. His success was due to the greater efficiency and smaller size of his power unit, wich was the first to have the piston moved by steam at high pressure. In the United States, the inventor Oliver Evans obtained the first patent on a steam carriage in 1789. In 1803, he built a self-propelled steam dredge, wich is regarded as the first self-propelled vehicle to operate over American roads. In France and Germany, meanwhile, attention turned to the development of the internal-combustion engine. By 1980, more than 300 million cars and 85 million trucks and buses were operating throughout the world, forming an indispensable transportation network. Germanys Volkswagen sent its first shipments of autos, popularly known as Beetles, to the Unites States in the early 1950s and eventually became a major force in the U.S. auto industry. The first Japanese imports to the United States was 16 compact pickups arrived in 1956. Ten years later, Japanese vehicle imports reached 65000 units. By 1980, the Japanese claimed 2.1 million sales in the United States. The Japanese firm Honda built an assembly plant in Ohio that began production in 1982. And othe r Japanese firm, Nissan, constructed a plant in Tennessee that began producing compact pickup trucks in 1983. In conclusion, we can say that automobile become better and better every year. In the future, the automobile will become more performant and less polluant and the automobile will use the highest technology that well have ever seen before.

Aristotles’ Philosophy of Man †Self-Realization Essay Example

Aristotles’ Philosophy of Man – Self-Realization Essay Aristotles’ Philosophy of Man – Self-Realization Brief History about Aristotle Aristotle (384 BC 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher. He was a student of Plato and a teacher of Alexander the Great. Aristotle wrote a lot covering subjects which include physics, metaphysics, theater, poetry, music, linguistics, rhetoric, logic, politics, ethics and biology. His writings were among the first to be considered a comprehensive system of Western philosophy encompassing logic, morality, politics and metaphysics. Along with Socrates and Plato, Aristotle is one of the most important founding individuals in Western philosophy. Aristotle’s father was in the medical profession. This perhaps made an impact on Aristotle as his philosophy laid its principal stress on biology unlike Plato whose emphasis is on mathematics. â€Å"Aristotle regarded the world as made up of individuals (substances) occurring in fixed natural kind (species). Each individual has its built-in specific pattern of development and grows toward proper self-realization as a specimen of its type. Growth, purpose, and direction are thus built into nature. Although science studies general kinds, according to Aristotle, these kinds find their existence in particular individuals. Science and philosophy must therefore balance, not simply choose between, the claims of empiricism (observation and sense experience) and formalism (rational deduction). ?One of the most distinctive of Aristotles philosophic contributions was a new notion of causality. Self-Realization Explained Merriam Websters dictionary defines self-realization as â€Å"the fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of ones character or personality. † The theory of self-realization is that a life of excellence is based on the actualization of human potentialities. We will write a custom essay sample on Aristotles’ Philosophy of Man – Self-Realization specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Aristotles’ Philosophy of Man – Self-Realization specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Aristotles’ Philosophy of Man – Self-Realization specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In psychology, this is called self-development. † Oftentimes, we interchangeably use the following: self-realization = self-development = self-actualization The basic premise of self-realization is that there exists an authentic self which has to be discovered by psychological or spiritual self-striving. Self-realization can be gradual or instantaneous phenomena depending on the school of thought but in all cases it involves extensive preparation of mind and emotions to recognize self-realization when it occurs. Self-realization is a maturing of the ego or personality to accept its own evanescence and thus allow space for the true Self to reveal itself. The moon veiled by clouds is an apt metaphor for the Selfs apparent absence in our everyday lives. The dissolution of the egos obsessive, internal pre-occupations with its psycho-somatic complexes frees the psyches energy to directly experience Reality of the world as it is, free of any assumptions. Eastern Philosophy For the Hindu religion, self-realization (atma-jnana) is knowledge of the true self beyond both delusion and identification with material phenomena. Thoughts on Aristotle’s Theory Aristotle felt that to fully be a man, one must imitate the gods, or immortalize themselves. This will free one from the restrictions of mortal thought. According to Aristotle â€Å"man possesses a natural want for knowledge. Immortalizing oneself aides the desire for knowledge and self-realization. Self-realization leads to happiness. † We can find similar theories in modern day psychologists like Maslow. In his theory of hierarchy of needs, Maslow places self-actualization as the last achievement before reaching true happiness. One issue raised against the ethics of self-realization is that life is not long enough to actualize all our potentials or be â€Å"all that we can be. † The challenge is to live significantly and meaningfully in the here and now, and to matter to people around you. For example, you have the capacity to give each person in Metro Manila a flyer on recycling but it is doubtful that this capacity is one that ought to be developed. Moreover, every year on a particular agreed date, cyclists or bikers all over the country use their bike in an attempt to achieve a feat in the Guinness Book of World Records. From the preceding paragraph, we now ask which capacities should one develop? It is said that we must become intimately, passionately, subjectively aware of everything about our existence. One has to take the leap of faith that full living requires to make yourself vulnerable to all that can happen. Three perspectives in on which capacities should be developed 1. Variety pattern of self-realization: becoming a well-rounded person, learning and doing a little of everything. 2. Dominant theme pattern: concentrate on one major interest and build other interests around it. . Maximum fulfillment of desires: people are born (naturalism) with innate purposes, ends, and goals, and excellence is achieved by fulfilling these natural human wants. We now posit the ideal of self-realization: the maximally coherent system of mutually harmonious fulfillment, either of the Variety or Dominant Theme Pattern, depending upon one’s personality and abilities. Another thing to consider is that the activities we do should be consistent with society and the activities do us no harm.? Carl Rogers’ definition of a full-functioning person runs along the statement that any experience, emotional, perceptual, or rational, should be consistent and congruent with the person’s concept of who he is. † In sum, self-actualization is a process of discovering important needs and goals, both personal and social, finding creative and enjoyable ways of meeting these goals this is the way the individual attains significance. Self-Realization in Business Today Self-realization is defined as the drive to become what one is capable of at his or her fullest potential, often-aligned in management parlance with self- fulfillment. The self-realized person is characterized as having a high level of self-knowledge, an integrated personality that allows for self-expression, an acceptance and tolerance of human nature, and a greater awareness of the human condition. The actualization of personal moral ideals affects participation in socially useful and ethically acceptable work. Simms, Michele. Self–Realization. Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society: â€Å"The discussion of self-realization, with its roots in humanistic psychology, suggests that the concept be examined at a deeper level to fully realize its role in informing business ethics and society. For one, humanistic psychology emphasizes the role of personal change in self-discovery and in the identifying of ones place in society. There is a continuing need to remind business and society of the dignity and worth of being human—something that gets lost in the day-to-day machinations of doing business. In a broader sense, the question of what it means to be human is quite relevant at a time of assessing the impacts of corporate megamergers and multinational and transnational companies, which can leave employees feeling disenfranchised, adding to the feelings of alienation. Maintaining self-realization as part of management and business practice keeps the focus on human capital as a resource that benefits business and society. Second, the role of self-realization in workplace autonomy, creativity, and innovation suggests that managers understand that people are not only productive assets but also social beings. There is recognition that employee performance is related to employee achievement of personal effectiveness. The conditions that lead to peak performance and peak experience, associated with high-performing teams and effective leadership, are part of the operationalizing of self-realizing individuals. Third, inherent in the work of self-realizing is the articulation of those virtues that comprise and guide ones ethical choices. Entering into an understanding of ones own potential reveals the larger network of relationships that has shaped ones worldview. For example, a persons religion, family, ethnic, and cultural affiliations influence and shape his or her attitudes to and behaviors comprising right and wrong. This is not an abstract reality; rather, it shapes the strategic choices that culminate in daily business operations. Since business does not function independent of its social environment, the actions that result from self-realized individuals inform the social contract. Finally, self-realization is often linked to transformation. Transformation occurs when ordinary perspectives shift and the person gains new insights and self-understanding. Self-realization as a transformative process is about how a person can reach his or her fullest potential and how that potential translates as service to society. Todays social entrepreneurs and social venture partners are examples. Noted as part of the citizen sector movement committed to closing the business-social gap, social entrepreneurs and social venture partners bring entrepreneurial talent to the addressing of social problems. The need for a strong ethical fiber is cited as a necessary ingredient to the success of these ventures. Self-realization is about ones own authenticity and values and how those values influence ones daily ethical approach to business transactions. This is in contrast, and perhaps an antidote, to the excessive greed and egoism evident in many corporate organizations today.

Drought and Its Effect on Okra Production Essays

Drought and Its Effect on Okra Production Essays Drought and Its Effect on Okra Production Essay Drought and Its Effect on Okra Production Essay Drought and Its types Okra ( Blabbermouths esculents L. Moneys) Is an Important vegetable grown In Pakistan and developing world d and is equally favorite among the rich and poor. Due to its flower structure it is responsive to breed inning and selection, but I iterative on the genetics of drought tolerance in this eve getable is not frequent .NET available. Drought Is a condition in which solo moisture contents are too low or tightly attracted by solo particle (due to rower osmotic potential) so that plant cannot w outdraw it or even if it absorbs it cannot meet its transpiration demands. There are different types of dry ought depending upon the growth stage of plant at which it occurs (Gestational, teal. 2007; stanza 2007; Kronor 2008). The stress that o occurs at seedling stage or during development phase may be called as early drought. Such type of drought usually reduces the crop stand and as a result it damages yield due to 10 were than optimum plant population (Ashram 2005). However, farmers usually respond to this drought by replanting their crops Massy and Dialog, 2001). This type of street ss has been proved Lethe al for early maturing varieties (Massy and Dialog, mom the stress while late maturing varieties have enough time to recover. Drought occurring during Vega dative growth period is ca Lied as vegetative phase drought. This type of drought affects plants assimilation organs, which usually decrease in number and size resulting in lower photos haunted production (Kaiser, 1987; Shaves, 1991; Larches, 1995; Shaves et al. 2002). As a result yield decreases due to less amount f assimilate available e to the developing pods. The third type of stress De plops during bud formation, FL erring and grain filling period. It reduces yield due to abortion of ovule, embryo and sterility of pollen. Review of previous literature showed that this type of drought has the highest detrimental affects on pod yield (Aimed , 2003; Shadows 2006; Gestational, 2007). However, the highest affect on yield was recorded when drought was found to occur during flowering and pod formation. MBA www and Daddies (1987) found the greatest

Western civilization.Persian Empire,Greece and Ancient Rome Essay

Western civilization.Persian Empire,Greece and Ancient Rome - Essay Example Modern civilization today seems to be far from the world of ancient history where stone and man were the fundamental building blocks of technology, but when examined closely, that is not actually so. Modern civilization can trace its routes quite clearly to ancient history, one civilization after the other, with each influencing the next and all subsequent empires, in terms of both innovation and invention. Perhaps one of the most advanced empires of its time, in terms of technological development and innovation, was the Persian Empire, which occupies the area now held by modern Iran. This was perhaps due to the fact that their own technological innovations and ideas were greatly helped in development due to the natural resources available in the area. The Persian empire can not only be attributed to inventions such as the Qanat, a water irrigation system, windmills, or even the earliest batteries – which were possibly used for purposes such as electroplating – but also to a great number of technological advances, in terms of weapons as well as art and architecture. The Persians had managed to develop their ancient tools of knives and bows and arrows into stronger, more advanced weapons made of hard metal by the rule of Darius. This included both weapons, such as the metallic dagger and swords, as well as armor, such as shields and helmets. Persian architecture included the use of cider instead of stone, allowing them to create tall, high structure, supported by thinner and more delicate, yet stronger, beams than other buildings of the era. The Persians can also be attributed to having invented history’s first pontoon bridge. Many of these inventions served as inspiration for future development and some of them are in fact still used today, but in a technologically more advanced form. As advanced as the Persians might have been in their own time however, there is absolutely no doubt as to incredibly advanced level of innovation and inventio n held by the Greeks. Inventor and mathematicians such as Heronas, who was the mind behind modern day hydraulic systems as well as many other machines and automation systems, was also attributed to having invented and developed the world’s first steam engine. The steam engine, in its developed modern form, was one of the most milestone inventions for modern western civilization as it provided a complete turn of mechanism from the ancient days of doing everything by hand. It created a clear divide between the age of man and the age of machines, with modern civilization developing rapidly and dramatically after its invention. Indeed many of our inventions today can trace its route back to the steam engine, or can at least accredit it to being the inspiration behind them. The principal behind jet propulsion is indeed the exact principle behind the ancient Greek version of Heronas’s steam engine. Rotary mills, screw presses and the use of gears and screws may also be attri buted to the Greek inventors of 5th Century BC. Perhaps the most significant period of Greek impact on modern civilization is the Hellenistic period, or the Age of Alexander, where the modern western of civilization finds its roots in not only technological impacts, but also in terms of philosophy, science, politics and literature. In the Hellenistic period, scientist focused more on the practical aspect of science, dwelling into practical experiments, rather than focusing only on theoretical debate, which was more the focus of classic era scientists such as Plato and Aristotle. Early writings indicated evidence that the Hellenistic scientist Strato had in great detail described the principal and construction of a vacuum, an innovation that would not properly be considered and developed until centuries later in the Renaissance Period. Strato also worked on the principals of acceleration, force, gravity and momentum, all of which are fundamental principals in physics and technology. What made these

Corporate Finance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Finance - Coursework Example However, the application of the IRR technique revealed that the project has an IRR of 20.2% which is less than the rates FCL uses to discount their investments. In consideration of the rate of inflation and the fact that there seem to be no basis for using a 21 per cent and a 26 per cent rate of inflation as suggested in a meeting, the recommendation was made to invest in the project. The basis for this suggestion was that the investment would facilitate an increase in the company’s efficiency. Furthermore, it would help to improve FCL’s image and so allow the company to obtain more contracts and thus increase its revenues. Introduction Investing in a project is not a simple matter. It involves an assessment of different options. If the project relates to an asset for a new idea, this requires consideration of a number of different options which are completely new to the organization. However, if it involves a new piece of equipment to replace an existing one, it requir es consideration of the equipment in use compared to the alternative. FCL is considering whether to replace an old crane which has five (5) years left to be put out of commission with a new ALII Crane. The ALII would allow the company to get additional opportunities in the market which the old crane would not be able to facilitate. It would also be able to produce items faster which mean a faster turnaround time and less production backlog for the company. Purchasing a new piece of equipment normally involves a large capital outflow and so the company’s ability to obtain funds is normally one of the main considerations. However, since financing the project is not a challenge, the focus here is not on obtaining money to finance it. Some of the things to be considered include cash flow and the ability of the company to generate enough revenue to make a profit or to break-even with this investment. Additionally, the project needs to be appraised to determine whether the investme nt will generate the required returns. The project will be assessed in terms of its net present value (NPV) over the ten year period, the payback period and the projects internal rate of return (IRR). Break-even analysis It is important to consider the ability of the company to generate the volume of sales necessary to break-even. The breakeven point is the point at which the company neither makes a profit nor a loss (BPP 2011; Horngren et al. 2000). This is a measure that is frequently used to measure risk in a business (Singh and Deshpande 1982). The ability to generate a profit or to break-even is not the only important issue and so the timing of FCL’s cash flow is also of paramount importance. Cash Flows A projects cash flow is very important. In order to determine the feasibility of the investment the cash flows will have to be evaluated (Emory et al. 2007; Titman et al. 2011). In fact, Popescu (2008) indicates that cash is the lifeblood of a business; therefore, it is i mportant for the people who are placed in authority to pay special attention to cash inflows and outflows and their timing. Cash will flow inwards from sales revenue while cash will flow outwards to pay for expenses that will be incurred on the project. The focus should be on incremental cash flows that are generated from the use of the

The Reasons Why Abortion should not be Legalized Essay

The Reasons Why Abortion should not be Legalized - Essay Example In some countries, abortion is illegal while it is recognized in certain countries. It is a fact that abortions have been carried out whether legally or illegally. However, this is a controversial topic since it is regarded as a serious moral issue which is often viewed as wrong. As such, this argumentative paper seeks to critique an op-ed paper by Antoni which is entitled, ‘Abortion should be legal.’ Antoni takes a pro-abortion stance and argues that the choice should be left to the women to decide to have an abortion or not. Against this background, this paper is going to argue against abortion as suggested by Antoni since I strongly believe that abortion should be illegal. However, Antoni also suggests that abortion should be illegal. The paper will start by summarising the points made in this op-ed paper. The second part seeks to critique why abortion should not be legalized. A synthesis of the whole discussion will be carried at the end of the paper in order to arti culate the position taken by this writer in view of abortion. According to the op-ed article entitled ‘Abortion should be legal,’ there are different reasons why women should be given the opportunity to terminate unwanted pregnancies. This view is also supported by Warton (6) who suggests that abortion should be seen as the last resort for women to gain control of their lives after horrific situations leading to their pregnancies they would have encountered. In some cases, pregnancy is a result of incest or rape and it is advocated that a woman should have a choice of terminating the pregnancy in such a situation. This is seen as a viable alternative of liberating women who would have been traumatized by the experience encountered that could have led to the pregnancy. In the event that the pregnancy is against the mother’s wishes and is beyond her control, I agree that abortion should be treated as the most viable option that can liberate the mother from the sad events leading to the unwanted pregnancy. Tribe (3) also concurs that rape amounts to the denial of liberty to the victim who may live with sad memories or trauma which negatively impacts on her well being. In such as situation, termination of the pregnancy can be advocated. In some circumstances, pregnancy can be terminated if it endangers the life of the fetus or the mother and I share the same view with this idea. It may not be a noble idea to have a deformed child as she may not enjoy the life of a normal human being. In some instances, if the life of the mother is endangered as a result of the pregnancy, it can be terminated at an earlier date to avoid complicating her health which can lead to death. The case of Jane Roe v. Henry Wade is one good example where the US Supreme court upheld that the Constitution of the United States should not permit the government to interfere with a woman’s right to opt for an abortion. However, the anti-thesis statement of this op-ed sug gests that abortion should not be legal because it is immoral. I strongly believe in this assertion given that there is no person with a right to end life. Even a fetus must be given the right to life since its life cannot be simply terminated as a result of the mother’s wrongdoing in some cases. Usually, a child does not apply to be born hence it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that the child is given the chance to be born alive. It is also my belief that ending life is ungodly given that we are all created in the image of God hence no one should have the right to end life.