Interesting house hacks

Interesting House Hacks

Finding new ways to make life a little easier is always time well spent. In the list below you will find easy, cost effective and fun ways to make your house a little more functional and a little less boring by using everyday items that are just lying around the house.

1. Door Knob Hangers

If you’re always looking for a place to hang your towels or clothes in the bathroom, this hack is just for you. Try fixing an old door knob to the wall, it looks great and you’ll never have to pick your clothes up of the floor again.

Via sublime-decor.com

2. What Chalk is Really For

Don’t you just hate it when someone greases up your freshly painted wall? Well, you can solve your greasy fingerprint problem with chalk. Just chalk up the fingerprints and wipe down with a damp cloth.

Via onelittleproject.com

3. Wired up Coat Hangers

With the age of technology comes cables and knotted wires, one of the most widely faced issues. Use a coat hanger to easily store your old cables and wires and you’ll never have to sit there for hours unraveling them.

Via blogof.francescomugnai.com

4. When Life Gives You Lemons

Everybody loves to eat home-cooked food, but only a few will stay back to help clean up. Ovens take the longest, but if you cut a few lemons, put them in some water and then place them in a pre-heated oven until the water starts boiling, you’ll be able to wipe away that stubborn grease with ease.

5. The Nail, the Hammer and the Magnet

Glue a magnet to the end of your hammer so you don’t have to hold dirty nails in your mouth while you work.

Via dreamalittlebigger.com

Refrence:

Black&Decker, I., Black&Decker, I. and profile, V. (2015). Black & Decker, India: Five House Hacks That Will Change Your Life. [online] Blackanddeckerindia.blogspot.co.uk. Available at: http://blackanddeckerindia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/five-house-hacks-that-will-change-your.html [Accessed 23 Dec. 2015].

How to great woodwork

Guide to Great Woodwork

How many of us have thought on a Sunday, to try and fix that shaky dining table or put up a new book shelf, but either failed or didn’t know where to start? Working with wood can be a little tricky at first but it’s not impossible. Everybody needs to start somewhere and just like any art-form the basics matter the most. Here are basic tips that you should know before you start your weekend project.

Safety Always Comes First

Safety is the most important part of any project. If you’re prepared, then nothing can go wrong. This means wearing the right protective gear, using the right tools and picking the perfect space.

Do a Tool Check

Before you dig in, do make sure you read up a little on your project and know which tools you’ll need and what the correct way of using those tools are. Using tools incorrectly can be dangerous and could leave your table or book shelf looking a little off.

Buy The Right Material

Ensure that you are using high quality wood and other materials as nothing is worse than spending hours of effort on something only to have it splinter and hurt the people you made it for.

You’re Only Human

Making mistakes is all part of DIY. You’re allowed to make a few when you start as; with constant practice you’ll get better over time. Remember, failure is the stepping stone to success.

source: 

Black&Decker, I., Black&Decker, I. and profile, V. (2015). Black & Decker, India: Black & Decker’s Guide to Great Woodwork. [online] Blackanddeckerindia.blogspot.co.uk. Available at: http://blackanddeckerindia.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/black-deckers-guide-to-great-woodwork.html [Accessed 17 Dec. 2015].

mjeresource.com

technologies to architecture

SMART BUILDING SKINS

The contemporary idea of the smart facade has only been around for a few short decades, helped along by recent advances in chemical and material science. 

An Energy-Producing Algae Facade

It is the result of three years of testing by a group of designers from Splitterwerk Architects and Arup. It's tinted by millions of microscopic algae plants, which are being fed nutrients and oxygen to spur biomass production. Facilitated by direct sunlight, the speedily-growing little cells end up heating the water, and that heat is harvested by the system and stored for use in the building.

A Light-Responsive Facade That "Breathes"

The pair of Abu Dhabi towers are sheathed in a thin skin of glass, although not ideal for the desert climate. So the architects at Aedas designed a special, secondary sun screen that deflects some of the glare without permanently blocking the views.A series of faceted fiberglass rosettes ,based on traditional Islamic mashrabiya , which open and close in response to the temperature of the facade.

A Facade That Eats Smog

The chemical company Alcoa unveiled a remarkable technology that could clean the air around it. The material contained titanium dioxide, which effectively scrubbes the air of toxins by releasing spongy free radicals that could eliminate pollutants. The stuff has made appearances on streets, clothing, and architecture since most recently, on the sun screen of a new Mexico City hospital, the Torre de Especialidades.

A Low-Tech, Operable Skin

Sandblasted glass circles are affixed to a central rod. Based on humidity and temperature inside the building, these rods pivot automatically to facilitate the flow of air through the facade. A simple but clever solution.

A Metal Mesh That Reacts to Heat

This sun shade was made with thermobimetal,a material that's actually a laminate of two different metals, each with its own thermal expansion coefficient. That means that each side reacts differently to sunlight, expanding and contracting at different rates causing tension between the two surfaces, and ultimately, a curling effect. So when the surface gets hot, the thin panels on the shade curl up to allow more air to pass through to the space below and when it cools down, it closes up again.

source
Gizmodo.com, (2015). [online] Available at: http://gizmodo.com/5-smart-building-skins-that-breathe-farm-energy-and-g-1254091559 [Accessed 14 Dec. 2015].

oldest Buildings of the world

Oldest buildings of the world

Dhamek Stupa, India

Dhamek Stupa is located at Sarnath, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, built in 500 CE .

 Dhamek Stupa, India

The ‘Great Stupa’ is the oldest stone structure in India and was built in the 3rd century BCE.

 Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, Bulgaria

This tomb is located near the town of Kazanlak in central Bulgaria.The monument dates back to the 4th century BCE and has been on the UNESCO protected World Heritage Site list since 1979.

 Parthenon, Greece

The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC.

Minoan Palace of Knossos, Greece

The palace of Knossos was the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture.The palace was excavated and partially restored under the direction of Arthur Evans in the earliest years of the 20th century. The palace was abandoned at some unknown time at the end of the Late Bronze Age, ca. 1380–1100 BC. 

Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

Also known as the Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. the pyramid was built during 10 to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BCE. 

Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt

Located in Saqqara necropolis, Egypt, The Pyramid of Djoser was built during the 27th century BC for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser

Tarxien Temples, Malta

The Tarxien Temples are an archaeological complex in Tarxien, Malta. They date to approximately 3150 BC

La Hougue Bie, Jersey

La Hougue Bie is a historic site, with museum, in the Parish of Grouville, Jersey. This site was in use around 3500 BC.

Tumulus of Bougon, France

The Tumulus of Bougon or Necropolis of Bougon is a group of five Neolithic barrows located in Bougon, France. The oldest structures of this prehistoric monument date to 4800 BC.

Reference

Khan, E. (2013). 10 Oldest Buildings in the World. [online] WondersList. Available at: http://www.wonderslist.com/10-oldest-buildings-in-the-world/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2015].

Wonders of the world

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World And its modern alternatives

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were a collection of remarkable constructions listed by various Greek authors . The classic list consisted seven wonders located in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Great Pyramid of Giza

Constructed during 2584 BC and 2561 BC, the Great Pyramid of Giza which is 230.4 metres wide at its base and 146.5 metres tall is the only surviving ancient wonder.  It was named the tallest man-made structure for more than 3,800 years.

Examples of Modern pyramids

Louvre ,Paris
(urbanfragment.wordpress.com)

*Glass entrance to the Louvre in Paris

*Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California 

*Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas 

*colossal Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea being the world's tallest pyramid-shaped structure (330 metres)

*The Shard in London (309.6m tall- 2nd tallest)

colossal Ryugyong Hotel(www.rustourismnews.com)

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

 It was damaged during a Goth raid in 268AD, after which the ruins temple was rediscovered during 1869, and fragments of it can be seen in the British Museum.

Examples of Modern temples:

 *Wat Rong Khun,Chiang Rai, Thailand

Wat Rong Khun(www.amusingplanet.com)

*Golden Temple, Amritsar -India

*Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto, Japan

*Sagrada Familia - Barcelona 

*Lotus Temple, New Delhi- India

Lotus temple(www.huffingtonpost.in)

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Although some believe it was mythical, sources suggest it was built by King Nebuchadnezzer II in 600BC. The site comprised series of tiered gardens which resembled a large green mountain rising from the centre of ancient Babylon, near present-day Hillah in Iraq. The exact location of this ancient wonder  has not been established and If the gardens did exist at all, it was destroyed soon after the first century AD.

Examples of Modern gardens:

*Dubai Miracle Garden

(www.miraclegardendubai.net)

*Kew Gardens

*The Keukenhof Gardens

*The gardens at Versailles

*Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Rome

(www.mejplacehostel.com)

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Built between 280BC and 247BC by the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was 137 metres in height. It was damaged by three earthquakes between 956 and 1323, surviving as a ruin until 1480, the last of its stones were used in the construction of the Citadel of Qaitbay, which still remains.

Examples of Modern lighthouse:

*Lindau in Germany 

*Key Biscayne in Florida

*Andenes in Norway

*Jeddah Light (tallest being 133-metre)in Saudi Arabia

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Giant seated representation of the Greek god Zeus built by the sculptor Phidias in 435BC in the Temple of Zeus made of wooden framework covered with ivory plates and gold panels and the throne was decorated with ebony, ivory, gold and precious stones.which was lost in fire.

Examples of Modern alternative:

*Golden Buddha in Bangkok (world's largest solid gold statue of 5.5 tons)

(www.giganticstatues.com)

*Spring Temple Buddha in Henan, China (128 metres-tallest in world)

*Statue of Liberty

*Motherland Calls

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Built between 353BC and 350BC, a tomb for Mausolus 45 metres in height and covered in ornate reliefs by four different Greek sculptors.It was located near Bodrum, Turkey.

destroyed by successive earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries.

Examples of Modern alternative:

*Taj Mahal, Agra -India

*Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow

Colossus of Rhodes

This statue to the Greek god of the sun, Helios, 30 metres tall and made of bronze and iron with a marble pedestal, stood at the entrance to the harbour at Rhodes, on the Greek island. It was destroyed by an earthquake

Examples of Modern alternative:

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro 

Refrence:

Smith, O. (2015). What are the seven wonders of the world?. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/middleeast/11752712/What-are-the-seven-wonders-of-the-world.html [Accessed 09 Dec. 2015].

Deadly pedestrian bridges of the world

Deadly pedestrian bridges of the world

The Hussaini Hanging Bridge – Northern Pakistan

Located middle of glaciers, 100 meters above ground bridge is hanging above the Hunza River. this bridge is made of cables, ropes and wood and has been washed away due to 

weather conditions a few times also the bridge is partly in water when the waters flood.

Trift Suspension Bridge – Switzerland

This narrow bridge located in switzerland was built in 2004 so that the pedestrians could reach the Trift Hut of the Swiss Alpine Club. being 170 meters in length and 100 meters above ground this bridge is considered the longest and highest in the Swiss Alps.

Musou Tsuribashi – Japan

Located middle of nowhere it is Japan’s scariest suspension bridge which is accessed by climbing on a steep mountain with the help of series of chains attached to the stones.

the bridge is made of planks which are supported by thin cables.

Qeswachaka Bridge – Peru

Suspended above the Apurimac River, peru this bridge is  made from a local herb, known as Qoya and bound by eucalyptus trunks.

Perito Moreno Glacier Ice Bridge – Argentina

This natural ice bridge located in Argentina collapses every 1 to 5 years, you never know when the glacier will fall into the ocean

Puente de Ojuela – Mexico

Made from wood being  300 meters long it stretches over a deep desert canyon

Seven Mile Bridge – Florida

Being One of the longest bridges in the world, it connects Knights Key in the Middle Florida Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Florida Keys.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge – Canada

It is 140 meters long and 70 meters above the ground made of planks and cables Surrounded forest, known for curves and wraps around a cliff.

The Canopy Walk – Ghana

Suspended 100 feet over sea level,  it connects the tops of seven trees.

Glass bridge - China

This transparent walkway is 300 metres long and sits 180 metres above a valley in the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park in China’s Hunan province.

Refrence: 

Ana, M. and Ana, M. (2014). Most Dangerous And Deadly Pedestrian Bridges In The World. [online] Alux.com. Available at: http://www.alux.com/most-dangerous-deadly-pedestrian-bridges-world/ [Accessed 7 Dec. 2015].

Kim, S. (2015). Dare you cross China's new glass-bottomed suspension bridge?. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/china/11898507/Dare-you-cross-Chinas-new-glass-bottomed-suspension-bridge.html [Accessed 7 Dec. 2015].