Journals

Australian property journal

The "Australian property journal" not only discusses topics such as property prices,property law and finance, but also the protection of our property. There was a interesting article that captured my attention; "The original toxic asset: contaminated land" which was about finding dangerous substances in the soil of the land caused by inadequate disposal of chemicals on these sites. The existence of these dangerous waste stops the land from being redeveloped and will lead to serious human/animal health and environment problems.

After reading this article, I started to think about a distant (or not so distant) future where waste covers all the land on earth. If hazardous waste prevents us from redeveloping the land and constructing commercial and residential buildings, then how will our society live? The only way for people to live would be above the land. Perhaps buildings which are supported from poles that separate it from the toxic land and water.



International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development

The "International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development" mainly covers topics about :
-Environmental Education and Pollution
-Sustainable Development and Poverty
-Recycling and Regeneration

There was an article that interested me; "Consumer affinity to wooden frame houses", which was about a plan to increase the utilisation of timber as a construction material for houses in Germany. Architects are aware of the advantages of using timber and they show a general positive attitude towards timber, but there still seems to be a low usage of timber as a construction material. Timber is a renewable resource that provides a healthy and quality living environment for people. It also reduces the amount of green house gas that we produce. Overall, timber is a environmentally beneficial resource that architects should use more in their designs.




Space and Culture

The "Space and Culture" journal mainly educates and informs readers of social spaces. This includes many subtopics such as architecture, communications, mapping, urban studies and technology, which all relate to social spaces that people interact with.

This journal made me think about the linking and overlapping of architecture with environment, with technology, with people, with culture and with other areas in our life. Interaction is a big part of our life, and social spaces are everywhere. Social spaces can be physical and virtual. A cafe or lounge is a social space, as well as blogging and online social networking (e.g. facebook, twitter)