Monday, May 31, 2010

The non Sri Lankan who knows more than any Sri Lankan about Sri Lankan Architects on Anjalendran


Long heading, but couldnt resist it.

click the image or go here to view the video








Sunday, May 30, 2010

To ban or not to ban that is the question: Asbestos



image stolen from here


I’m pretty sure that everyone knows what Asbestos is. Asbestos is commonly used in

•Roofing, guttering and flexible building boards (eg Villaboard, Hardiflex, etc). Similar cement sheeting products are used today, but are 'asbestos free'
•cement sheeting (fibro)
•drainage and flue pipes
•brakes, clutches and gaskets

Most countries have banned the use of asbestos due to the health hazards it imposes (USA, New Zealand, Australia etc.) Three of the major health effects associated with asbestos exposure include:

Asbestosis -- Asbestosis is a serious, progressive, long-term non-cancer disease of the lungs. It is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers that irritate lung tissues and cause the tissues to scar. The scarring makes it hard for oxygen to get into the blood. Symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath and a dry, crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling. There is no effective treatment for asbestosis.

Lung Cancer -- Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. People who work in the mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos, and those who use asbestos and its products are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia.

Mesothelioma -- Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining (membrane) of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart and almost all cases are linked to exposure to asbestos. This disease may not show up until many years after asbestos exposure. This is why great efforts are being made to prevent school children from being exposed.

Asbestos poses health risks only when fibers are present in the air that people breathe. How exposure to asbestos can affect you depends on:


• The concentration of asbestos fibers in the air;
• How long the exposure lasted;
• How often you were exposed;
• The size of the asbestos fibers inhaled; or
• The amount of time since the initial exposure.

Smoking, combined with inhaled asbestos, greatly increases the risk of lung cancer.

Minimizing Your Risk


Construction and maintenance workers should avoid creating asbestos dust from scraping, brushing, rubbing or cutting damaged insulation. Insulation damage should be reported to the appropriate authority, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Manager. If you work in this area, determine whether asbestos is present before beginning work and take appropriate precautionary measures.


Public and commercial building owners should keep an inventory of asbestos-containing materials to inform users, authorities and contractors.


Homeowners should receive expert advice before removing materials that may contain asbestos. If you think your home may contain asbestos, check regularly for signs of wear or damage. However, you can't always tell just by looking at a material. If in doubt, have it analyzed by a qualified professional. When cutting, breaking and drilling asbestos roofing sheets care should be taken as not to inhale any particles.


If you must handle small amounts of damaged asbestos-containing materials, follow these steps:
• Keep other people and pets away, and seal off the work area;
• Wet the material to reduce dust, making sure it is not in contact with electricity;
• If possible, do not cut or damage the materials further and do not break them up;
• Clean the work area afterwards using a damp cloth, not a vacuum cleaner, and seal the asbestos waste and cloth in a plastic bag. Check with your local municipality on how to dispose of asbestos-containing waste;
• Wear appropriate protective clothing, including a single-use respirator approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and
• Wash or dispose of clothing and shower after finishing the job.

Is there a risk for people living in houses which contain asbestos?


a review conducted by the Unit of Environmental Cancer Epidemiology, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, suggests a substantial increase in risk of pleural mesothelioma following high environmental exposure to asbestos; however, the available data are insufficient to estimate the magnitude of the excess risk at the levels of environmental exposure commonly encountered by the general population in industrial countries. However a study conducted by the Cancer Research Campaign suggests that low-dose exposure to asbestos at home or in the general environment carries a measurable risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Sri Lanka started using Asbestos extensively during the 80’s and since the effects of asbestos takes up to 20-30 years to appear, it shouldn’t be long till we see some nasty side effects. Taking into consideration the information that we have at the moment Sri Lanka should make a firm decision about asbestos, if we are going to keep asbestos or ban it, and as a profession which deals with these materials Architects also should make a move and take action regarding this.


Sources of information More information can be found in the links below


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2374531/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10997827?ordinalpos=1&itool=PPMCLayout.PPMCAppController.PPMCArticlePage.PPMCPubmedRA&linkpos=4
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts61.html
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/factsheets/environmental/asbestos_fs.html
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/environ/asbestos-amiante-eng.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sri Lanka pavilion – Expo Shanghai 2010



The image of the pavillion shown here which looks like a rendering


The image shown here (©Reuters)

well, both look pretty crappy comparative to other pavilions. But hey what to do, we are a developing nation, no?


The Legacy of SOM

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) was formed in Chicago in 1936 by American architects Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings, and later John O. Merrill who joined in 1939. In 1937, they opened their first branch in New York, the first step for anyone who becomes a large architectural firm in the world. They first became specialists in commercial buildings, building some of the tallest in the world.

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Terraza Plaza Hotel, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Terraza Plaza Hotel, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Great Lakes Naval Training Center - Hostess House, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Great Lakes Naval Training Center - Hostess House, USA

Most post-war designs have become icons of modern American architecture. Over time, many qualified professionals have an extensive selection of works, large-scale to qualified interior spaces. SOM shows that over time their projects continue to improve. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, from Chicago and New York, have offices in San Francisco, London, Washington DC, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Brussels, and their work appears in almost every corner of the world.

Inland Steel Building, Chicago, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Crown Zellerbach Headquarters, California, USA

Architect  Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Manufacturers Hanover Trust, New York, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Alameda County Coliseum, California, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

United States Air Force Academy - Cadet Chapel, Colorado, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Joseph H. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Miami University Art Museum, Ohio, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

National Commercial Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Apollo Office Building, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Atlantico Pavilion, Lisbon, Portugal

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day:  SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Broadgate - Exchange House, London, United Kingdom

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Dulles International Airport - Main Terminal Expansion, Virginia, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

201 Bishopsgate and The Broadgate Tower, London, United Kingdom

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

444 North Michigan Avenue - Storefront and Lobby Renovation, Illinois, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Atlantic Health Jets Training Facility, New Jersey, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Birman 31, São Paulo, Brazil

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Broadgate Public Space Enhancements, London, United Kingdom

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Cathedral of Christ the Light Graphics, California, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Changi International Airport - Rail Terminal, Changi, Singapore

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Edificio Portico, Madrid, Spain

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Electronic Arts Headquarters - Phase 2, California, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore,  Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Harvard University - Northwest Science Building, Massachusetts, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM  - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center, New York, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Poly International Plaza, Guangzhou, China

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Rondo ONZ, Warsaw, Poland

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

San Francisco International Airport - International Terminal, California, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

St. Albans School - Marriott Hall, District of Columbia, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

U.S. Embassy - Beijing, China

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

General Motors Renaissance Center, Michigan, USA

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Lenovo / Raycom Infotech Park - Building C, Beijing, China

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Architect Day: SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill