STEMATIX Magazine | Issue 11

STEMATIX

DESIGN YOUR FUTURE

ISSUE 11: APRIL 2021

DEAR READER,

I am excited to introduce this issue of STEMATIX focused on the field of Architecture! There are a plethora of interesting articles that will enlighten you on the huge role STEM plays in a field that profoundly affects us every day of our lives- the spaces that we live, play, and work in.

My passion for architecture began at a young age when I was gifted a set of building blocks. I looked at it as a design problem that had to be creatively solved. This, along with my fascination for Math and Physics, spurred me to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture which equipped me with the tools to design innovative spaces that consider functional and structural constraints.

However, there was more to the story. As I continued in the design world, I found myself intrigued by how these designs become these impressive buildings and spaces we see and experience. I began to understand how STEM plays a critical role during the construction phase when all project stakeholders have to work together as a team to make the project successful. I wanted to learn how to effectively manage different trades and resources throughout the project cycle so that I could be part of the magic of transforming blueprints into a reality. This led me to pursue and complete a Master’s in Construction Engineering & Management.

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As I began my career, my skillset and training led me to SageGlass®. SageGlass® elevates how people experience buildings by providing sustainable glazing solutions without compromising occupant comfort and outdoor connections. My role here reminds me every day that Architecture is not just the assembly of mundane building products but rather a blend of exciting, innovative technologies that work together to create dynamic, healthy, and energy-efficient spaces. I have the incredible opportunity to not only improve how occupants experience Airports, Healthcare, Higher Ed, Residential & Commercial buildings but create sustainable design solutions working alongside very talented people.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you about the importance of Sustainability in Architecture.

Buildings and their construction account for 39% of the carbon dioxide emissions and 36% of worldwide energy use. We can temper negative climate change by building Green because the materials and technology to make significant reductions already exists. I challenge myself to find ways to incorporate the Architecture 2030 Challenge into everyday practices. This challenge aims for all new buildings, developments, and major renovations to be carbon-neutral by 2030! I encourage you to visit architecture2030.org and get involved in this initiative. Let us as a global community strive to design and construct energy-efficient and sustainable buildings, thus reducing their carbon footprint.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Priya Patel Project Manager priya.paul@saint-gobain.com SageGlass®, a SAINT-GOBAIN® Company.

● Foreword

STEMATIX Magazine

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Meet the

People behind this Issue

Noted Contributors from Around the World

LITERATURE Directors: Ryan Liu, Aminah Hedges, Sindhu Saggeri

Matías Mogetta

Aryan Tiwari

Ranim Hammami

Martina Cisterna

Ayaan Shaikh

Liz Lubelczyk

Devansh Shah

Ahmed Haj Ahmed

Penny McNeill

Liam Nguyen

Joanne Ngo

Thivina Edirisinghe

Dominik

Liam Nguyen

Ramitha Ramanan

Eric Huang

Chau Dang

Raymond Wong

Miguel Balingit

Amelia Hoyos

Pedro Marin Alamino

Liam Brady

Mahirah Mohd Norazinan

Pedro Marin Alamino

Alex Kim

Kaitlyn Butcher

Larissa Terto Alvim

Emily Seoyoung KIm

Ayaan Shaikh

Theo Leão Larrieux

Hyun Seomun

Dana Choi

Bruno Fernandes Iorio

Wissam Al Ghabra

Gina Choi

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Mohammed Yasser Akkad

Rosie Chen

Miguel Bernáth Liao

Eman Omar Alhendi

Abdullah Albaitam

Enzo Pereira da Cunha

Dana Mershed

Orabi Salman

Carolina Yumi Farré Oura

Ritta Shahada

Stephanie Samame

Rawan Yosef

Aribah Hoque

Maryam Ayadi

Alexander

GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Directors: Akshita Ponnuru, Rhea Jain, Vivek Atmuri, Serena Gandhi

Ein Hong

Tyler Louie

Nabiha Jawad

Sahana Moogi

Hayden McGowan

Victoria Israel

Vivek Atmuri

Saurav Gandhi

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Rhea Jain

Jessica Wang

Hasitha Dangeti

Akshita Ponnuru

Javeria Ahmed

Aarushi Shah

Moe Myint Tha

Moe Myint Tha

Serena Gandhi

PHOTOGRAPHY & video Directors: Sahana Moogi, Jessica Wang, Serena Gandhi

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Sahana Moogi

Sam Poder

Morozov Vitaly

Jessica Wang

Artyom Sobolev

Javeria Ahmed

● Contributors

STEMATIX Magazine

ILLUSTRATIONS Director: Aleena Bosky

Aleena Bosky

Allison Nguyen

Aakash Vetcha

Ynna Buriel

Kaitlyn Liu

Serena Gandhi

REGIONAL DIRECTORS Darine Hamdoun

Selene Chiang

Victoria Israel

Soha Ezzi

Yihyun Nam

Rawan Yosef

Ahmed Haj Ahmed

Wei Rayden

Jang Choi

Qing Zhu

Pheemapotwasu Kantakom

Cindy Huang

Joshua Bernard

Emmanuel Haankwenda

Magnus Muhall

David Sztajnbok

Vimarsh Shah

Rami Mhanna

OUTREACH TEAM Directors: Aarushi Shah, Hasitha Dangeti, Kaitlyn Butcher

Aarushi Shah

Hasitha Dangeti

Morozov Vitaly

Risha Koparde

Kaitlyn Butcher

Javeria Ahmed

YESP COMMITTEE Director: Stephanie Samame

Stephanie Samame

Sahana Moogi

Ankit Behera

Wes Parkin

Dana Marshed

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Ahmed Haj Ahmed

Jonathan Santosa

Ein Hong

Serena Gandhi

Finn Owen

Sanjay Ravichandran

Niharika Uppalapati

Travis Leung

Qi Qing Zhu

Koebe Nay

Magnus Mulhall

Ritta Shahada

Isum Malawaraarachchi

Cindy Huang

Hayden McGowan

Chanul Pathirana

Raymond Wong

Anvee Sharma

Joanne Ngo

Enzo Pereira da Cunha

Kendall Wilson

Sooham Chauhan

Kaitlyn Butcher

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Sponsors and Community Partners

THE PANDEMIC AND ARCHITECTURE Dear Reader, Have you ever considered how the current pandemic might affect the field of architecture? Probably not. I didn't either...initially. Shifts in architectural design can take years, or even decades, for people to notice. But with all that time spent at home, I couldn't help but contemplate my surroundings: What purpose does this pencil holder serve? Do I really need a standing desk? Why is my room so bland?

Should I get some plants?

In more ways, than we can count, COVID-19 has reshaped the way we live. From education to travel, the consequences are far-reaching. But architecture, the basis through which we interact with our physical world, is relatively underreported in regard to its evolution during the pandemic. Moreover, as people grow more conscious of their surroundings, the way that industries respond with new designs—including architecture—is rapidly evolving. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how COVID-19 would influence how we go about designing the physical space around us.

History has repeatedly demonstrated how architects have responded to medical emergencies. For example, during the cholera epidemic, Parisian official Georges-Eugène Haussmann set out to renovate the bacterial haven that characterized 1800s Paris. Under the order of Emperor Napoléon III, Haussmann demolished overcrowded medieval neighborhoods that had become a breeding ground for the disease, created new parks with wider avenues, as well as aqueducts to protect drinking water. In the early 1900s, the New York City government enacted new architecture policies

spaces were on the rise. By dismantling walls and delineating spaces, homeowners sought to maximize space and embrace familial living. Now, however, homes aren't simply a place for habitation. Today, they serve as workplaces and schools, both of which require a certain level of privacy. A return to the "boxy" style of traditional homes may be well underway due to the lasting imprint the pandemic has left on the function of homes.

The pandemic has also drawn attention to the importance of school architecture in ensuring the safety of students. While newer schools may have new ventilation systems and larger classrooms to accommodate large student populations, this isn't the case for many other schools. During the pandemic, many schools eliminated their need for buildings to avoid becoming a hotspot for outbreaks. This idea, however, is not new. The outdoor learning model can be traced back to the 1900s when Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore established Shantiniketan to help students explore the world outside of the confines of the classroom—both literally and figuratively. Although the likeliness of schools worldwide making the move to outdoors learning is unlikely and impractical, many experts believe that school designs in the future will likely incorporate more open-air and spacious areas to combat the spread of diseases.

This issue of STEMATIX includes art, infographics, and articles from around the world. From adventuring into Mayan pyramids to investigating the process of an 8000-year-old Indian architectural science, our wide array of articles relay some of the world's most significant structural marvels while tracing human civilization's progress. As you read, we invite you to reflect on how traditional architecture can serve as a tool to address modern-day architectural challenges. Happy reading!

and mandated filtration to respond to the tenement housing crisis. There are countless examples, but the point remains: infectious diseases have influenced architecture in the past.

The question is, how will COVID-19 influence it today?

Perhaps the best place to start is with the environment where we spend the most time: our homes. In the words of New York designer Daun Curry, "modern open-plan living is popular for many reasons, but during this period, we are realizing it can be a hindrance when our work lives merge into our living spaces." In the years before the pandemic, open

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Sincerely, Saurav Gandhi Founder, Editor-in-Chief STEMATIX Magazine www.stematix.org

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Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.

- Frank Lloyd Wright

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STEMATIX Magazine

TABLE OF CONTENTS 09

Mayan Architecture

12

SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS

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Incan Architecture

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Potential Career Paths With Architecture

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STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE

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STEM Career: Seismologist

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TAJ MAHAL: AN ENGINEERING MARVEL AND SYMMETRICAL BEAUTY

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Vastu Shastra

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DIY Pegboard Shelf

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Spanish Architecture

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Spanish Architecture Photo Album

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ARCHITECTURE MARVELS AROUND THE WORLD

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Architecture Video Games

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Types of Software Architects

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FIRST Tech Challenge

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Match the Robot

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COVID-19 and the Workplace

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ROBOTIQUE

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THE WATER BOY

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How to Become an Architect

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INDIA'S FIRST FABLAB

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The Architecture of Ships

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Theremin Slide Guitar

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SOPHISTICATED AND SUSTAINABLE SINGAPORE STRUCTURES

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MathHappens - Tessellating, Convex, & Irregular Pentagons

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Q&A WITH ARUN SHAH, MS STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

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Stanford Pen Pals - Can You Hear Me Now?

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COVID-19 and Biodegradable Architecture

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Architecture in Buenos Aires

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Word Cloud

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Mayan Architecture During the Preclassic period, permanent village life took off. It was during this time that the Mayans formed the first cities. Effective farming practices such as the breeding of maize, a different type of corn, and utilizing the nixtamal process to increase its nutritional value led to densely populated villages all over the Mayan area. This area was split into three distinct sub-areas, the northern Maya lowlands, the southern Mayan lowlands, and the southern Mayan highlands. Each sub-areas differing environment contributed to a slight difference in cultural beliefs and ways of life. The northern Mayan lowlands generally were semi-arid to tropical, and as a result of an annual rainfall level of about 100 inches, had little to no surface water.

On the other hand, the southern Mayan lowlands received much more rainfall and had many more water sources across their area. In the southern Mayan highlands, elevations reached over 4,000 feet above sea level, a stark contrast to the mere 800 in the lowlands. The high elevation location of the highlands contributed to the temperate climate and made the area prone to d ng, and mudslides. Also, of the di earthquakes,, floodi flooding, es in the area, a fou a, 37 volcanoes four are currently active.

The Classic period, from A.D. 250 to 900, was the civilization’s peak. Unlike other civilizations, the Mayan civilization was never unified and consisted of numerous individual city-states ruled by kings. Each city-state had its own achievements it was known for. For example, Copan, a Mayan city in modern-day Honduras, is known for its Temple of the Hieroglyphic Stairway.

The Mayans used many different techniques to build their structures, which made their buildings an architectural marvel at the time. The Mayans only used readily available materials, such as the limestone at Palenque and Tikal, the sandstone at Quiriguá, and the volcanic tuff at Copan. Blocks were cut using stone tools only.

Burnt-lime cement was used to create a form of concrete and was occasionally used as mortar, as was simple mud. Exterior surfaces were faced with stucco and decorated with high relief carvings or three-dimensional sculptures. Walls might also have fine veneers of ashlar slabs placed over a rubble core, a feature of buildings in the Puuc region. Walls in Mayan buildings were usually straight and produced at sharp angles. Still, a notable exception is seen at Uxmal's House of the Governor (10th century CE), which features outer walls that lean outwards as they rise (called negative batter).

As early as 1800 B.C., when bronze metalworking began its spread through Europe, Mayan settlements were forming in the Mesoamerican region. From the Yucatan Peninsula to the western parts of El Salvador, the Mayan’s stone cities and monuments still leave a lasting reminder of its glorious past.

Chen

by Rosie

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STEMATIX Magazine

Mayan Architecture

The whole exterior was then covered in stucco and painted in a palette of bright colors. Interior walls were often decorated with murals depicting battles, rulers, and religious scenes. Mansard roofs were commonly made in imitation of the sloped thatch roofing of the more modest wooden wattle dwellings of the common Mayan people. The earliest monumental Maya structures are from the Petén region, such as the 1st century CE pyramids at Uaxactun known as E-VII-sub.

These magnificent pyramids were low, with steps on all four sides rising to a top platform. Even at this early stage, buildings were constructed on precise plans according to the summer solstice and equinox events. In addition, the outline of structures, when seen from above, was also deliberate and would often form a clear resemblance to a n Mayan glyph ai certain glyphs.

Among the most famous images of the Mesoamerican civilization’s achievements are the 65 meter high Mayan-made pyramids. Pyramids were the focal points of religious practices, extravagant tombs, sacrificial victims, or even precious goods. Over time, the pyramids were periodically enlarged. When excavated, a series of complete and ever-smaller pyramids inside the outer one is visible.

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Palenque's Temple of the Inscriptions, built circa 700 CE, is a model example of the standard Maya temple structure. This pyramid holds great symbolic meaning. The 9 exterior layers were made to represent the nine levels of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. The 13 interior levels were made to represent the Mayan Heaven. These pyramids show two other common features: a chamfer, a deep horizontal groove running around each platform, and rounded inset corners.

The Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal (after 600 CE) contrasts Palenque’s standard approach with its rounded corners. From above, these rounded corners make the pyramid seem almost oval in shape. The overall effect of these huge monuments is of a mountain, a feature of the landscape which the Maya held as sacred Like the pyramids, palaces also had some religious function and represented the Mayans ’ views of their cosmos. The same numbers, thirteen representing the levels of heaven, nine representing the levels of Xibalba, and seven representing Earth’s mystic, all appear through Mayan architecture. The palaces also share many of the same features as the pyramids, including corbelled roofing, wooden crossties, colonnades (piers), and towers.

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The Maya were an advanced society that flourished in Mesoamerica long before the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century. They were skilled architects, building great cities of stone that remain even a thousand years after their civilization fell into decline.

One of the only recreational games in the Mayan civilization, Pok-A-Tok, its ballcourts, was cherished dearly. The ballgame could have a religious significance with losers being sacrificed to the gods.

Therefore, the court's orientation was typically positioned between the north and south - the celestial and underworld, respectively.

Recreationally, the game involved two teams of players trying to bounce a rubber ball through a single ring without using their hands or feet. The most splendid classic Maya ballcourt is to be found at Copan. Built-in 800 CE, its elegant sloping sides perfectly frame the distant view of the hills. In contrast, the ballcourt at Uxmal displays perfectly vertical sides, and Tikal has a unique triple-court. The Mayans might have lived long ago, but their architecture still lives on today.

Inspired by Mayan architects, the Toltecs and Aztecs would use the Mayans' techniques to build their own grand structures. Some notable Toltec/Aztec structures include the centres of Xochicalco, Chichen Itza, Mitla, and Tenochtitlan. Mayan influence even stretched into the 20th century CE when such noted architects as Frank Lloyd Wright and Robert Stacy-Judd incorporated elements of Mayan architecture into their buildings. The next time you walk down the street, take a good look at the buildings around you. There is a good chance that some of the techniques used to build those structures were taken and refined from the Mayans.

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STEMATIX Magazine

Mayan Architecture

The Mayans used astrological cycles to aid in planting and harvesting and developed two calendars that are as precise as those we use today.

that believed ith other le p o e p ently, bber w s Until recn–combining rure durable–wa o io m t m o a vulcaniz ials to make it American (frthe 19th mater vered by the oodyear in hink disco t) Charles G orians now t er ist ticu Connecry. However, hproduced rubbfore centu the Mayans 00 years be 43.

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At sunset and spring, during the fall pyramid c equinoxes, the on itself t asts a shadow h carving ofat aligns with a the Mayan the head of The shado serpent god. serpent’s w forms the sun sets, tbody; as the appears t he serpent o slit into the E her down arth.

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Incan Architecture

DESIGN ARCHITECT A design architect is probably what most people picture architects to be.

They lead the overall concept of the project design and decide how the project will look.

SOLE PROPRIETOR This is a one-person architectural position that generally carries out all the work alone. The sole proprietorship makes up almost a third of all the architects today.

INTERIOR DESIGNER Interior designers analyze the client's requirements; formulate space plans/design sketches; confirm that the space plans are safe, functional, aesthetic, meet all requirements; select pieces; and prepare construction documents.

SPECIFICATION WRITER Specification (spec) writers compose a document that details builders the various types of materials and how they are used on a project. The spec writer makes sure that the elements of a building work fit and work together.

PROJECT MANAGER Project managers are in charge of planning, organizing, staffing, monitoring, and concluding the project. They also develop a work plan by considering schedules, organizing relationships between parties, and analyzing the firm's available resources.

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BIM MANAGER

TECHNICAL ARCHITECT

A BIM is a 3D model of the building. A BIM manager is in charge of the model and updates. This role is more of consultant management and technical position.

A technical architect draws how the building is put together rather than designating how the project looks. An example of a technical task might be drawing the drainage detail on a flat roof.

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STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE

BY OM KULKARNI

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● Earthquake Resistance

STEMATIX Magazine

When earthquakes are discussed in the Bay Area, the conversation usually diverges into multiple categories. Natives remember the 1989 and maybe the 1906 earthquake, adults think of their massive corporate buildings and bridges collapsing, and kids imagine a room full of Jenga brick towers falling. All of them share the same essence: earthquakes are so strong that they can cause tons of damage to our cities and most likely injure vast numbers of people. Times have changed, and new innovative ideas and architectural marvels pop up from people’s heads to solve world problems. What exactly are the solutions to earthquakes, and how can they help keep buildings from getting damaged?

There are two different types of seismic waves that affect buildings.

The first category is body waves, which include P waves and S waves.

P waves can travel through any material and compress & expand the objects they go through. S waves can only travel through solids. They can represent water waves because they move the materials up and down. The next category is much slower surface waves. They are defined as Love and Rayleigh waves. Both move the ground horizontally, but Rayleigh is the only type that moves the ground vertically. When an earthquake happens, the P waves go first, followed by the S waves.

Afterward, the surface waves take care of business because they cause most of the shaking and are the most dangerous for buildings.

Symmetry is a crucial aspect when designing a building so that both sides have equal weight. This keeps the building beautiful while making sure it won’t topple easily.

Symmetry alone won’t keep earthquakes from devouring a building. Other tricks used by builders include smartly placing diaphragms, cross-bracing, and moment-resisting frames. Diaphragms are horizontal frames that help strengthen floors and roofs horizontally and are helped by trusses to help share sideways forces with vertical structure members. Cross-bracing is popular because it can easily accommodate wall trusses to lessen sideways swaying.

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Earthquake Resistance

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This is done by crossing two beams diagonally. One famous local example that used cross-bracing to stand unscathed during an earthquake is the Transamerica pyramid in San Francisco. The pyramid, built in 1972, survived the Loma Prieta earthquake and used crossbracing above its 1st floor. Movement-resisting frames help keep joints stiff while allowing the structures to move. This is the opposite for us since our joints allow us to move, but our structure is kept rigid. Making a building while using materials with high ductility could help lessen the trouble for the building. Ductility refers to how much energy an object can absorb. The building would absorb more of the energy instead of resisting it head-on (reinforced steel is an excellent building material because of its ductility, while masonry on “compressed” structures is not). Having a good foundation also matters because if you have a nonsturdy material around your building’s foundation, the building could slide around during seismic tremors.

Other methods were made by innovative architects who designed contraptions for solving the earthquake problem in the building industry. The first idea is to create a flexible foundation that will move with the ground upon an earthquake and keep the building stable. This also can be called base isolation and can work with bearings, padded cylinders, and springs. Though it doesn’t hover, think of the building as if it is suspended on top of the shaking foundation.

Another way to approach earthquake-resistant architecture is to have a significant weight or hydraulic move in the opposite direction as the building during the earthquake, acting as a counterweight that dampens the force while swinging like a pendulum. The third method uses tuned dampers that use pistons and oil to move into heat energy. Pistons and oil are also used to power our cars, but this method genuinely uses them. The fourth and final building technique is dubbed “seismic invisibility cloak” because of its ability to dissipate the tremors from the building.

However, I don’t think that it can avoid all of the shocks that come its way.

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STEMATIX Magazine

Earthquake Resistance

The process uses 1000 concrete plastic rings that are buried under the building. When an earthquake strikes, the rings compress the waves coming their way into a bottleneck, which zips by them and exits the other side, resuming their normal properties.

Innovative architects devised other methods that could solve the earthquake problem in the building industry. The first idea is to create a flexible foundation that will move with the ground upon an earthquake and keep the building stable. This also can be called base isolation and can work with bearings, padded cylinders, and springs. Though it doesn’t hover, think of the building as if it is suspended on top of the shaking foundation. Another way to approach earthquake-resistant architecture is to have a large weight or hydraulic move in the opposite direction as the building during the earthquake, acting as a counterweight that dampens the force while swinging like a pendulum. The third method uses tuned dampers that use pistons and oil to move into heat energy. Pistons and oil are also used to power our cars, but this method genuinely uses them. The fourth and final building technique is dubbed “seismic invisibility cloak” because of its ability to dissipate the tremors from the building. However, I don’t think that it can avoid all of the shocks that come its way. The process uses 1000 concrete plastic rings that are buried under the building. When an earthquake strikes, the rings compress the waves coming their way into a bottleneck, which zips by them and exits the other side, resuming their normal properties.

Some famous buildings that use these approaches for stabilizing themselves may be more than you have expected. First up, we have the U.S. Bank Tower in L.A., which was built to withstand an 8.3 magnitude earthquake. Next, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building globally and a building that can survive a 5.5-7.0 Richter scale earthquake. Next, Yokohama Landmark Tower in Japan has an active damper system, sits on rollers, and is made of flexible materials.

Lastly, in Taiwan, the Taipei 101 has a 730-ton ball that acts as a counterweight and stabilizes the building.

Architects use a variety of techniques to make their buildings earthquake-resistant. In addition, many states are implementing seismic safety standards to ensure that all buildings are safe. While no solution is one hundred percent successful, many architects and lawmakers are working on getting close.

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Earthquake Resistance

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Analyze and interpret seismic data to categorize different sources - such as the

difference between an

earthquake and an explosion

Seismologists study earthquakes and their results, like tsunamis, and landslides.

Use data sets to

evaluate and

predict

hazards

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Use computers to model

information, gain insight for possible hypothesis and

STEMATIX Magazine

predict trends

STEM Career: Seismologist

TAJ MAHAL AN ENGINEERING MARVEL AND SYMMETRICAL BEAUTY

By Vyshnavi Katta

TAJ MAHAL

Architects design the places we live and work. Architecture is not a "classical" STEM field, the field of architecture has all aspects of STEM –science, technology, engineering, and math, with a little bit of art and design too. The United States Congress has also passed a bill that will lead to architecture being officially recognized as a STEM subject. Throughout history, architecture has been used as a creative outlet. Often, architectural styles build on one another, with each past period providing the building blocks of advancement for the next culture. One of the many different architectures is Indian Architecture.

India has a rich culture and varied heritage, which has been evolved from the Indus valley civilization. India's history spans back to the beginning of human civilization. It begins with a mysterious culture along the Indus River and in farming communities in the southern lands of India. The history of India is punctuated by the constant integration of migrating people with the diverse cultures that surround India.

By the end of the fourth millennium BC, India emerged as a highly developed region. The Indus valley civilization was an urban civilization, and the people lived in well-planned and well-built towns, which were also the centers for trade. The ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harappa show that these were magnificent merchant cities-well planned, scientifically laid, and well looked after. They had wide roads and a well-developed drainage system. Many of their architectural marvels are still standing to this day.

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● Vastu Shastra

STEMATIX Magazine

VASTU SHASTRA HELPS TO INTEGRATE ARCHITECTURE WITH NATURE, THE RELATIVE FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS PARTS OF THE STRUCTURE, AND ANCIENT BELIEFS UTILIZING GEOMETRIC PATTERNS, SYMMETRY, AND DIRECTIONAL ALIGNMENTS. IT IS SIMILAR TO THE CHINESE FENG SHUI, ESSENTIALLY FOCUSSING ON HARMONIZING HUMAN LIFE WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS.

The Vedic civilization is the earliest civilization in the history of ancient India. It is named after the Vedas, the early literature of the Hindu people. Indian architecture flourished during the Golden age of India. Indian architecture holds the cultural traditions and social requirements, economic prosperity of the religious practice of different eras. India is ranked 4th in most religious countries; therefore, most Indian art is encouraged by religion.

The three main styles of temple architecture are Nagara, Dravida, and Vesara. Temples are the most prominent standing representations of Indian architecture. The Taj Mahal, the Sun temple, and Chand Boari are a few examples of famous Indian architecture. One of the few places in India that represents a lot of India’s culture and architecture is Hampi, Karnataka. In Hampi, you can see the buildings and temples that describe the rise and fall of the Vijayanagar empire. Many tourists and locals visit Hampi to see the ancient ruins and hear stories about India. In Indian architecture, the wheel is a significant aspect. In ancient times, a wheel would decide the time of day and what times were auspicious.

Another main aspect of Indian architecture is the Hindu gods. If you look closely at most Indian architecture, you will see symbols, words, and figures representing gods. Indian architecture is one of many cultures that have their own special and unique styles of architecture. Not only Indian architecture but many ancient buildings and architecture were the stepping stones for our modern buildings and houses. All in all, architecture is different everywhere, except they all do have something in common; all architecture involves using STEM. When you think of architecture, you automatically think about builders, designers, sketches, and a lot of work. Not many people think that architecture involves STEM, but it does; otherwise, how will you know the height, length, and criteria for the building.

Architecture doesn’t only involve drawing sketches and looking at the measurements for a building. It also involves the design thinking process. Continuing to use this process to design buildings will enhance our society and help us create our very own architectural marvels.

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DIY PEGBOARD SHELF By: Sahana Moogi

Looking for some simple, doit-yourself home decor? This design for a pegboard shelf can be adapted in many ways and can be made with minimal tools. This was my first time working with wood, so I know that it didn’t turn out perfect, but I really liked making this project and I think you would too. Be sure to read through all the directions before you begin to get an idea of exactly how much of each material you need to make the pegboard you have in mind. With that said, good luck and happy crafting!

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● DIY Pegboard Shelf

STEMATIX Magazine

MATERIALS The materials in this project can vary greatly, but here is the overall idea of what you need.

Base Piece: You can use any type of wood for the base and any size. This will eventually become your pegboard so keep that in mind. I used multiple 2 foot long 2-inch by 4-inch pieces to form the base since I had some extra of those lying around.

Wooden Dowel: This will get cut up into the ‘pegs’ for your pegboard. I would suggest using a 1-inch dowel, but you can always switch it up a bit if you’d like.

Wood for Shelves: You will need around 8 inch wide shelves for this project. Depending on the size of your pegboard, you can make the length of the shelves however you want. You can choose to buy them pre-cut, or cut them yourself.

Mounting Mechanism: In order to hang this onto your wall, you can mount your pegboard in any way you want. There are pieces you can purchase online to hang your pegboard safely and so that it suits your walls.

OPTIONAL MATERIALS Wood Stain or Finishes: If you want to darken or add gloss to the wood, you can use stain or finish on your wood. Important: Be sure to check and dispose of rags and materials safely.

Sandpaper/Sanding Block: If you are cutting wood for your shelves, it would be good to sand your wood to make it smoother and nicer quality.

Wood Glue & Extra Strips of Wood: If you have multiple base pieces that need to be joined.

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TOOLS Drill w/1-inch hole saw, forstner, or spade bit Small hand saw for cutting dowels Tape Measure or Yardstick Pen/Marker Regular Hand Saw (If you have wood pieces you need to cut) Safety: Have a protective filter mask and safety glasses on hand when you are drilling and encounter sawdust.

These tools are only the minimum, so if you have access to power tools and know how to use them safely, feel free to use them!

INSTRUCTIONS Step 1: Take your base piece and measure out the holes equally.

Make sure the holes horizontally are even and straight, or else you will have crooked shelves. Use a pen to make a mark at the spots at which you want to drill holes. I made the holes on my pegboard 4 inches apart from each other. Since I was using 2x4’s, I measured out holes on every other 2-foot piece of wood and left the other pieces blank.

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● DIY Pegboard Shelf

STEMATIX Magazine

Step 2: Use your drill with a 1-inch drill bit to drill a hole at each of the points you marked. It helps to use some sort of guide to keep your holes straight. I used a flat piece of wood to straighten the drill horizontally and vertically before drilling.

Step 3: Measure out, mark, and cut your dowels. You can choose to make them longer than your shelves so you can hang things from them, or make them shorter than your shelves. The length you want is up to you. I chose to make them 8 inches long.

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Step 4: If the wood you are using for the shelves hasn’t been cut, use a hand saw to cut the pieces into the sizes you want.

Optional - Step 5: If you choose to sand, paint, finish, or stain your wood, now is the time. I chose to paint the 2 by 4’s I used for the base and I painted the ends of the dowels. I also sanded the insides of the holes so the dowels fit better and the shelves. Be sure to follow safety instructions when using wood finish, stain, or paint.

Optional - Step 6: If you used multiple pieces for the backing, lay them out upside down then join them together using wood glue and extra strips of wood. If you have clamps, now is the time to use them! I joined the 2x4’s together with 2 strips of plywood and regular wood glue.

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● DIY Pegboard Shelf

STEMATIX Magazine

You’re all done! You can use any kind of mounting mechanism you’d like to hang your shelf on the wall. Put the pegs into the holes and place the shelves on top of them. The best thing about this shelf is that you can adjust the shelves and pegs however you want and whenever you want!

You can also find this article on Instructables, go check it out right here!

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SPANISH ARCHITECTURE

BY AMANDA KAY

Spanish architecture is truly renowned throughout the world, known for its sweeping arches and towering heights. No matter which era a structure may be from, it suffices to say that it will be absolutely breathtaking.

Inside Salamanca Cathedral

With UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, awarding Spain the second most properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Spain obviously has structures that contribute to the history of humanity and reflect on the artistic nature of humans that still influences us to this day.

"Spain clearly has structures that contribute to the history of mankind and reflect on the artistic nature of humans that we still act upon today."

There is no way to describe the beauty of Spanish architecture without first recognizing one of the most iconic of the Spanish architects, Antoni Gaudí. Known around the world for his masterful and artistic works, is an early twentieth-century architect. His works mostly center around Barcelona, the most famous being the unfinished La Sagrada Familia. Despite knowing that he would die before it would be ever be finished, he continued planning this architectural marvel. After his death, many architects continue to work on the structure, although it remains unfinished to this very day.

Plaza Mayor

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● Spanish Architecture

STEMATIX Magazine

Ceiling of Casa Del Sol

Spanish architecture is heavily influenced by the time period, although it still remains unique and inimitable. Combining the styles of Christianity, Islam, and other influences, Spain has made a name for itself in the field of architecture. Here are some of the most ancient styles of Spanish architecture.

One of the largest influences on Spanish architecture is those from the Romans, bringing their Christian roots. Roman architecture is characterized by heavy, robust pillars, with stone being the material of choice. Many roads are still paved in Roman fashion, and many aqueducts and cathedrals still remain from this era.

Islam also contributed heavily to Spanish architecture in many different ways, from detailed carvings to lighter, more artistic materials. Serpentine coils often mark the walls, awing onlookers from below.

"Combining the styles of Christianity, Islam, and other influences, Spain has made a name for itself in the field of architecture."

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A popular example of architecture from this time is the Mosque of Córdoba. Once you enter this visionary piece of work, you will immediately be in wonder of the etchings on the wall, intricate designs spiraling around perfect arches. Pillars hold the structure up, fittingly beautiful to match the rest of the building.

Another characteristic of Spanish architecture is the addition of stained glass. Stained glass originated in Rome but quickly spread. In the eighth century, stained glass was already a popular choice for art and architecture in Islamic countries.

This can be clearly seen traveling throughout Spain, from dappled light.

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Streaming through colored windows to the insurmountable wonder of entire ceilings covered in shards of color.

However, one of the most popular styles hasn’t even been mentioned yet. The Gothic Style of architecture is one worth traveling for. These are buildings with pointed arches, seen commonly in Spain. Flying buttresses adds to the archaic yet whimsical feeling of the city streets. Wandering the streets of Spain, these buildings are able to take you to another era. Characterized by towering gargoyles mounted onto buildings, the art of this time period is stunning.

"Architecture is essential in understanding our past, and our past is vital to the future.

Traveling these streets, art makes it easy for us to enter another era."

This era employs the use of stained glass windows the most, and they can be seen in many of the cathedrals from this time period. Compared to the cathedrals from the eras before, this combination of Christian and Islamic architecture results in intricate, lofty designs.

Lastly, the Renaissance era is one to remember, noted by its symmetrical structures. Essentially, the Renaissance era built off the Gothic era, adding in more Christian symbols and aspects. It marks a change to a more modern era, although the concept of the original Spanish architecture remains unchanged.

As you can see, the beauty of Spanish architecture is unparalleled in many aspects. With its distinct style made of years of integration and renovation, these structures will remain protected for years to come. Architecture is essential in understanding our past, and our past is vital to the future. Traveling these streets, art makes it easy for us to enter another era.

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● Spanish Architecture

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STEMATIX Magazine

Architecture Marvels Around the World

The Leshan Buddha was built in 713 AD and is currently the biggest statue of Buddha statue in the world! Given that it was made for such a long time ago, this piece of architecture is incredible because of the amount of thought put into making this statue last. It has a hidden drainage system that goes through its head, clothes, arms, and ears. This brilliant system fortifies the statue from degradation. That is one of the reasons why it's still here for people to see it today!

Located in Leshan City, Sichuan Province, it is the converging spot of three rivers: Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. Haitong, a Chinese monk, commissioned to build this at this specific location in the hopes that the Buddha will protect their homes from flooding. It took the people 90 years to complete this 71-meter statue. That is three-fourths the Statue of Liberty, which was made 1,173 years later!

STEMATIX Magazine

Architectural Marvels Around the World

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Being one of the biggest icons of Paris, there is no list of architectural achievements that would be complete without the Eiffel Tower.

Two men named Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier sketched the original designs of this tower for the World’s Fair of 1889. It also marked the centennial of the French Revolution. For its time, the Eiffel Tower took advantage of its current materials to create something modern and new. Interestingly, many people disapproved of the Eiffel Tower’s design, comparing it to a “gigantic black smokestack.”

Despite these protests, construction of the building continued and finished in a little more than two years on March 31, 1889.

Prepared in the outskirts of Paris by a factory belonging to Gustave Eiffel, the head civil engineer of the project, the tower consists of over 18,000 pieces. Together, the iron weighs 7,300 tons. The tower requires 60 tons of paint to cover it and protect it from the elements. It has been repainted 18 times.

The tower reaches 1,603 feet if you include the antenna.

Iron was only used for the interior of minor buildings and only became popular during the Industrial Revolution. The Eiffel Tower was one of the first to do so. It showed off the French’s architectural skills and creativity. Today, it is one of the biggest tourist attractions of all time and is an iconic symbol of French heritage.

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STEMATIX Magazine

Architecture Marvels Around the World

Built to have the dimensions of a temple belonging to King Solomon (40.23 meters long x 13.40 meters wide x 20.70 meters high), the Sistine Chapel is a sight to behold. This chapel is most famous for the frescos, or water painting, done by Michelangelo in 1508. It took him four years to do so. It was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV hence the name Sistine Chapel. While it may seem pretty bland from the outside, the beautiful ceilings inside draw almost 25,000 people inside every single day!

A man in his 60s achieved all of this over the course of four years! This incredibly famous piece of architecture will leave you marveling at the capacity of human beings.

If there is anything we have learned from these three pieces of architecture, it's that if someone has a dream, there is a way to achieve it. The monk who built the Giant Budha had to collect money for a while to build this wonder to protect his people. Many people were not fond of the idea of having the Eiffel Tower looming over Paris, yet it was still built and now is one of the icons of the place. Lastly, Michaelangelo spent many years and a lot of sweat to complete the masterpiece we see today. It was a dazzling display of talents by these visionaries!

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CITIES IN MOTION

INFRA

PROJECT HIGHRISE

MINECRAFT

SIMCITY

PRISON ARCHITECT

ARCHITECTURE VIDEO GAMES 39

STEMATIX Magazine

Architecture Video Games

types of software architects

by: ein hong

system architect

Affects one system and builds connections within it Focuses on the technical components of development Helps the project manager make management decisions Has a deep knowledge of technology

solution architect

Participates in business discussions Creates connections between several systems Provides communication between several teams Designs connections between systems Codes independently on solution prototypes Is proficient in business and technology

enterprise architect

Affects all development of the company Works with high-level abstractions of the created systems Provides technical communications throughout the company Does not interact with the code Focuses on the business component Has a broad technological horizon Owns several domains.

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First Tech Challenge is a robotics competition where teams compete against other teams in a robot game by designing, building, and programming a robot.

FIRST TECH CHALLENGE

https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/ftc

@FTCTeams FIRST Tech Challenge 41

● First Tech Challenge

STEMATIX Magazine

1-k 2-i 3-a 4-g 5-h

6-c 11-j 7-b 12-n 8-f 13-0 9-d 14-i 10-e 15-m

MATCH THE ROBOT!

ANSWERS

1 2

SURGICAL ROBOT ROBOT THAT CAN DISPLAY A RANGE OF DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS

3 4 5

PREPARES MEDICAL PRESCRIPTION IT IS DESIGNED TO MIMIC HUMAN MUSCLES, DRIVEN BY 200 PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS FIRST HUMANOID TO WALK UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS

a

HOMERUS

b

SONY’S QRIO

c

ROBODOC

d

OPPORTUNITY

e

AERCAM SPRINT

IT IS A DANCING ROBOT

f g

8

IT CAN PAINT AND PLAY CARDS

h

9

IT IS A MARS ROVER

6 7

ROBOT THAT DRILLS TO FIT A HIP IMPLANT

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IT IS A ROBOT IN SPACE USED BY ASTRONAUTS TO DO DANGEROUS TASKS

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ONE OF THE EARLY ROBOTS THAT TOOK 680SQ FEET OF SPACE

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THIS ROBOT CAN LIFT 2200 LBS

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THIS ROBOT WAS A BARTENDER IN LONDON

14 15

LUFTHANSA USES IT TO SCRUB AIRLINES

SARCOS

TRON-X

HONDA’S ASIMO

i

KISMET

j

EINAC

k l m

DAVINCI SYSTEM

SKYWASH

MITSUBISHI WAKAMARU

n

KUKA’S TITAN

o

CYNTHIA

ROBOT SECRETARY ON WHEELS

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ARE SIX FEET OFFICES THE RIGHT WAY TO STOP COVID-19 FROM ENTERING YOUR WORKPLACE?

by Matías Mogetta The Covid-19 pandemic has redefined how we live and how we want to live. This situation forced families, businesses, and governments alike to reinvent themselves to gain a safer environment. The possibility of infection will be reduced, ideally, to zero, and architecture is reshaping our communities to be anti-virus built environments.

Every human being has the necessity of a job, which provides them with enough money to sustain their households. And we all know which is the place designed explicitly for work: The Office.

Offices are, more often than not, crowded with people going from one place to another, immersed in their own task, walking carelessly throughout the corridors and meeting rooms, indeed the kind of place viruses would like to sneak into to infect people and keep multiplying. Offices are a scary place to be at the moment, but we can't expect people to drop their jobs,

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leaving us with one crucial question: How can we go to our offices without putting ourselves at risk?

Well, the answer isn't simple at all. Fortunately, businesses and architects are quick and came up with several ideas to tackle this obstacle, allowing employees to access their job and keep sustaining their lives with a salary. One of these ideas originated at Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm.

The so-called "six feet offices" are being tested right now at their Amsterdam's office, but what are they?

● COVID-19 and the Workplace

STEMATIX Magazine

WHAT IS A SIX FEET OFFICE? A six feet office has the objective of keeping social distance between workers within an office. If you don't know what social distancing means, although I would probably think you were living under a rock if you don't, I'll explain it to you.Social distancing is a strategy adopted by nearly every country in the world to fight the Covid-19 from spreading.

Instead of keeping everyone inside their houses, social distancing is the way of keeping people outside and lowering the probabilities of infection by having a prudential distance among

people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), everyone should maintain at least a 1-meter distance when outdoors and further indoors. However, most governments have opted for an even safer approach, establishing a 6 foot (approximately 2 meters) distance between individuals.

Six feet offices were thought to be a perfect working environment in which workers would keep a 6 feet distance between themselves at all times.

HOW IS A SIX FEET OFFICE MADE? Firstly, the carpets inside the office demarcate a six-foot black circle around each desk, which shows the space in which every employee should be working. The number of chairs inside the meeting rooms has been reduced to fit fewer people inside a closed space.

Furthermore, disposable paper desk pads are made available so that everyone can place their laptops on a table without the risk of infecting someone.

However, these measures are not the only ones to be taken to keep the danger at bay. The number of workers cannot be the same as before the

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pandemic, as offices would be overcrowded. Instead, businesses will need to establish shifts or timetables in which some workers can go and work in an office some days, while others work from home. Lastly, offices will be equipped with floor signs around the whole office, indicating where they need to stand to maintain social distance in common areas.

Hopefully, companies will adopt six feet offices or other innovative architectural ideas as a way of keeping their employees safe from any possible disease.

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Pre

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sent

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WWW.ARDUINOCONCEPT.RE

In Collaboration with Arduino Concept

Réunion is an overseas department and region of France and an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and southwest of Mauritius. The island is most famous for Piton de la Fournaise (literally meaning "Peak of the

"The starting action of this robot is to do prospecting in lava tunnels to create a 3D mapping, toxic gas analysis..."

Furnace"), which is locally known as "le Volcan" (The Volcano).

Piton de la Fournaise is more than 500,000 years old and is one of the most active volcanoes in the entire world. The starting action of this robot is to do prospecting in lava tunnels to create a 3D mapping, toxic gas analysis because on the island of Reunion we are on a volcano.

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Robotique

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Water Boy

…

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How to Become an Architect

By Neha Mandava

Art By Allison Nguyen

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Everywhere you look, there is architecture. Be it a simple townhouse or the majestic Eiffel Tower, these works of art require immense amounts of planning and labor. Architects design the interiors and exteriors of buildings by creating living spaces for everyone and balancing aesthetics with functionality. The road to becoming an architect is not easy and is a demanding STEAM career that requires immense passion. This path requires a background in art, math, technology, and more from high school to college.

STEMATIX Magazine

How to Become an Architect

High school is a determining factor in deciding whether architecture is a suitable career path. Begin by taking math courses such as geometry, calculus, and physics. These will later help you with the application of math in the field. Art classes can also sharpen creativity and design. Since many graphic designs are done on a software program, you should take a computer/ technology class to grasp this subject. If you graduate high school with credits in these classes, you are much more likely to go into college with an architecture major.

To become an architect, you must attend university and receive a bachelor's degree in architecture. It is possible to have a different bachelor's degree but to be state licensed in many places, this is a requirement.

Architects can also have a master's degree in addition to a bachelor's.

Depending on your school and program, the amount of time it takes to receive a master's may vary, but it takes about 2 to 3 years. These college-level courses will introduce you to architecture in the real world and prepare you to design real places.

This path is already long and grueling, but there is still more to come. Before getting your architect license, it is mandatory to complete an internship with a licensed architect. During this time period, you will be trained and supervised to hone your skills for meeting peo people’s criteria and constraints fo buildings fforr buildi and structures. This handshis is a real, hand on

experience, and you will understand how hard it is to become an architect.

You have come so far now, but you will not be able to receive your license just yet. ARE, or the Architect Registration Examination is a test you must take to become an official architect. The ARE will assess your approach to the structural integrity of a building.

The exam also tests blossoming architects on their responsibilities as a designer as well as a manager of constructors and architects. Only about 50-60% of people pass this test yearly, so studying for the test and brushing up on architectural practices will definitely help.

Now, you may be asking yourself: What does architecture have to do with STEM and its core values? The answer is absolutely everything!

Architects are the multitaskers of this world. They have to understand math to map out places and find costs, art to create a vivid space, and technology to use design software. The journey to becoming an architect is a long one. It requires passion, drive, and determination to achieve a career of one's dreams and a collaborative spirit and communication between the team, constructors, and designers. If you have a burning fervor to pursue architecture within you, maybe one a day you can change the world, one da building at a time. bu

Photo By Abinash, Australia

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India's First Fab Lab / Malwadi Agarkarwadi, India

VIGYAN ASHRAM / FAB LAB -0 THE FIRST FAB LAB OUTSIDE OF MIT Vigyan Ashram is a center of the Indian Institute Of Education (IIE) Pune. A scientist turned educationalist Late Dr.S.S.Kalbag started Vigyan Ashram in 1983 to find out the solution to the problems in education.

Vigyan Ashram is located in village Pabal approx 70 km from Pune. It's situated on Rajgurunagar - Shirur Road. The population of Pabal is @ 10000. There are several small hamlets attached to Pabal, which make Pabal a central marketplace.

Pabal is drought-prone, and it's truly representative Indian village. The idea of establishing Vigyan Ashram at Pabal is that whatever we do at Ashram can be replicated in any part of the country.

For us, “Vigyan” means ‘Search of Truth’ and “Ashram” symbolizes ‘Simple living and High thinking for us, an organization where all are equal, it’s a modern version of old Gurukul system’ Management committee appointed by trustee’s of IIE looks after the management of VA. VA has started a satellite lab in Pune city called Do-It-Yourself (DI) lab. IT has a workplace, fabrication tools, agricultural setup, biogas, solar systems, electronics, 3D printing.VA organizes regular workshops for school students and Makers from Pune.

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STEMATIX Magazine

India's First Fab Lab

India's First Fab Lab / Malwadi Agarkarwadi, India

VA-Fab lab was established through the interaction between Dr.Kalbag and Dr. Neil Greshenfeld in 2002.

It was started in a small 40 sq. ft room.VA made slow and steady progress in mastering the use of Fab Lab to solve rural problems.

Some of the successful projects developed in the Fab labs are LED lighting solutions, egg incubator, precision agri control devices, and sanitary incinerators.

VA is also the center of Fab Academy. You can complete hands-on training on digital fabrication and earn a diploma from Fab Academy.

This is a 24*7 - a fulltime course for six months. VA provides a residential facility for students undergoing Fab Academy at Pabal.

Dr.Neil Greshenfeld, (Director, Center of Bits and atoms, MIT (USA)) who created the Fab Lab, described Vigyan Ashram as ‘Fab Lab – 0’.

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India's First Fab Lab / Malwadi Agarkarwadi, India

SMART WATER DISPENSER

by Shlok Ratnaparkhi, Traiguna Bhale / Mentors: Supriya Kadam, Vigyan Ashram

Water Water is a substance with no color, taste, and smell. It is a substance found all over the earth. Water is made up of billions of molecules.

Each molecule is made up of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms held together by strong covalent bonds.

Water is found in three different forms on earth - liquid, solid, gas.

The form water takes depends on the temperature.

Water on our planet flows in a liquid state as rivers, streams, and oceans; in the solid-state as ice in North and South poles; in a gaseous state as vapor in the atmosphere. Water is also underground and inside plants and animals. All living things need water to survive.

Water is an essential resource with many uses, including food production, cleaning, transportation, power generation, reaction, and more. Water is the most important thing for living. If water is not there, we will not survive, so we decided to explore water in DIY LAB through experiments. Our school project is also related to water, where we study the source of water, the water cycle, and how water reaches my home.

Materials Water pumping motor, switch, 12V 1A DC adapter, fish tank pipe, cables, soldering gun, solder

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STEMATIX Magazine

India's First Fab Lab

India's First Fab Lab / Malwadi Agarkarwadi, India

My friends and I made water dispenser at our DIY lab. We used Cardboard, 12 v adapter, 12v water pump, some wires, transparent tube, and a press switch.

1.

First I made circuit diagram of how to build it (see Figure 1).

2.

Then we fixed all electronic parts using soldering gun and wires.

3. Next we made outer body of water dispenser using cardboard.

After we completed assembly and started testing it did not work as expected. So we checked what the problem is, and realized that press switch was burned.

Accordingly we replaced press switch and tested again. Second time testing also failed. We checked problem and got the problem that water pump was not working.

We replaced the pump and checked again now it was working perfect. Finally we assembled it neatly again and tested multiple times. Finally out project was completed successfully.

It was really fun for me to build something new by ourselves. Thanks for reading!

Visit www.vigyanashram.com for more info!

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words and photos by Kavi Rajesh

Today, we have electric cars that help save our trees, rockets that take us into undiscovered worlds, and airplanes that soar high in the bright blue skies. But ships nowadays are easily forgotten by most people. What was useful to travelers back then is still extremely helpful now as it is the backbone of international trade.

HISTORY Navigating the great seas began as early as the third-millennium B.C.E, and the first boat was found in Egypt during the 4th millennium B.C.E. The Egyptian boats sported one square sail as well as oars (a pole with a flat blade that is used for steering through water). These types of boats soon became an inconvenience due to the number of oarsmen (the men who steer boats/canoes) needed, and the long oars they used were not an ideal instrument. Therefore, specialized ships became more in demand. These more practical ships also caught the

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STEMATIX Magazine

The Architecture of Ships

eye of Romans and made navigating the never-ending Atlantic Ocean much easier.

The large square sail turned into more complex attachments to which the sail could pivot around the mast (a tall pole on ships where the sails are attached to). Another kind of sail introduced was triangular shaped and called the lateen. It was strung from the middle to the top of the mast and was sometimes accompanied by a smaller mast with a square sail. Fullrigged ships (ships with five to six sails and three masts) finally came into the picture in the early 15th century. In the 1800s, a new kind of ship came about: clipper ships. These ships were also called merchant ships, and they were able to transport cargo freely and much faster.

About a century later, more complex mechanisms were added to ships.

Propellers were attached to the bottom of ships at the stern (back of the ship), which helped power heavy iron ships. Coal-powered ships began using diesel fuel as opposed to steam.

Nuclear ships, which could go years without refueling, were also built. By the 1990s, container ships were created to carry cargo in thousands of huge metal containers. Today, the most popular kind of ships are cruise

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liners that can carry hundreds of people. Comfortable and often lavishly furnished, they are the ideal vacation complete with restaurants, theaters, small water parks, and multiple activities on board.

SCIENCE It is a mystery to somehow ships are even able to float due to their huge size and extravagant weight. Here’s a secret: they don’t. Archimedes’ Principle states that when something is resting in or on water, it feels an upward force that is equal to the amount of water that pushes out (displaces). If the weight of the water displaced is less than the object’s weight, then it will sink and vice versa. Ships sinking completely depend on their weight and the weight of the water pushed out.

Ships helped humans centuries ago, and these massive vehicles still help us with cargo transport, military operations, and even entertainment today. Now, the next time that you board a ship, you will understand everything about it, from its origins and history to the science keeping it afloat. Bon voyage!

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FAB LAB HORNAFJORDUR

THEREMIN SLIDE GUITAR

by Vilhjálmur Magnússon FAB Academy Project

Learn more at vimeo.com/172798131!

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STEMATIX Magazine

Theremin Slide Guitar

SOPHISTICATED & SUSTAINABLE

By Jessica Wang

Singapore is a small island located along the equator. Its iconic architecture is a mix of Singaporean culture combined with modern technologies. If one enters Singapore today, they will be greeted with the sight of many high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, as well as agricultural landscapes.

Singapore’s former architecture was inspired

by Malaysian “kampongs” (villages) built in the 1820s. Tropical hardwood posts and cengai beams were the backbones of most houses, while medium hardwoods were used for flooring, door, and window frames. Roofs were composed of woven bamboo strips.

Modern architecture began popping up in the 1960s. Public housing leaned toward apartment blocks and high-rise flats, which took up less space. Hawker centers and food courts also started to become more popular.

In the 1980s and late 1990s, Singapore government officials became serious about integrating more ‘modern tropical’ architecture, also known as neo-tropical architecture. This consisted of buildings with lush landscapes and a modern finish. Since Singapore is a small island with limited space, skyscrapers also started appearing on Singapore soil.

Singaporean architecture has changed over time. However, it has constantly remained a source of beauty and inspiration for residents and tourists alike.

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any greenhouse effects in the building so the indoor gardens can thrive.

Changi Airport. Named SkyTrax World’s Best Airport in 2013 to today, calling it unique would only shame this airport.

Changi features four terminals, Jewel Changi Airport, a cactus garden, an indoor waterfall, a mirror maze, a crystal garden, even a butterfly garden.

Because Jewel is an airport attraction, tourists are susceptible to aircraft noises taking off and landing. To prevent this, 16millimeter gaps are placed in between each glass pane to eliminate this distraction. The glass has also been laboriously tested for reflections at the air traffic control tower.

Jewel Changi Airport was completed on March 7, 2019. Featuring neo-futuristic technology, this contemporary tourist attraction was designed to be a combination of a paradise garden and a supermall. Moshe Safde designed Jewel to be a 144,000 square-foot glass-enclosed bagel-shaped building. There are fourteen tree-inspired columns, and a ring beam holding up the roof, consisting of highperformance glass weaved together in a continuous grid shell. Designed to allow as much natural light to enter, Jewel’s Shiseido Forest Valley does not need any artificial lights. The glass is also designed to eliminate

With Canopy Park, Petal Garden, and Shiseido Forest Valley, Jewel is home to more than 200 species of plants. Though 280 retail stores and eateries are fit into a four-story supermall, the attraction that really draws people in is the HSBC Rain Vortex. The world’s tallest indoor waterfall stands seven stories high, spewing out 10,000 gallons of water per minute.

Creating airflow, a natural cooling system for the room, and even collecting Singapore’s rainwater to be recycled in the building, Jewel is definitely pushing to be greener and more energy-efficient.

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STEMATIX Magazine

Singapore Structures

Marina Bay Sands has to be one of Singapore’s most iconic pieces of architecture. Sitting in front of Marina Bay, the hotel suite towers stand a proud 679 feet tall, with the sky park adding 220 feet to the structure. This one-of-akind hotel presents several tourist attractions, including a 1,120 feet long SkyPark, one of the best views of Singapore, an indoor skating rink, an indoor river and waterfall, and a 490-foot long infinity pool at the very top. Singapore’s grandest hotel contains 2,500 guest rooms and 57 floors and offers guests a high-end threestory shopping mall.

Opening on the 17th of February, 2011, this emblematic hotel cost the Singapore government approximately $5.05 billion USD to build and invest in. Singapore, however, is a tiny island surrounded by the coast. This means strong winds coming in from the ocean, and with Marina Bay Sands facing Singapore’s Marina Bay, the skyscraping structure is prone to sway. To withstand winds, there are four movement joints under the swimming pool.

These movement joints, also known as expansion joints, absorb movement and prevent structures from shifting. This monumental auberge also has 500+ jacks supporting it as potential sinking can be a threat. Each of the three towers also has a 26 degree tilt to them as the digits add up to 8, a lucky number in Chinese culture.

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STEMATIX Magazine

MathHappens

MATHHAPPENS HAS PRESENTED TESSELLATING PENTAGONS AT NUMEROUS VENUES ACROSS THE U.S.

The idea for MathHappens to work with tessellating pentagons originated from intern Jason Gorst’s suggestions for future projects on his final report. A tessellation describes an arrangement of shapes that tiles a plane with no gaps or overlaps. The challenge of finding all possible tessellating pentagons was issued in 1900 by David Hilbert at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris as one of the 23 mathematical problems to solve over the next century. Flash forward one century, and the 15th tessellating pentagon was discovered in 2015, and Michaël Rao proved there are no more tessellating pentagons in 2017. A request from the Thinkery event in Austin featuring women in STEM led MathHappens to search for women in mathematics, and we came across articles about Marjorie Rice. Rice was a self-taught mathematician with no more than a high school education in mathematics.

Motivated by her passion for mathematics and an article on tiling, Rice worked on and discovered four different tessellating pentagons. Rice took tiling a step further by drawing designs on the pentagon tilings,

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Inspired by Rice’s achievements “for the sake of discovery,” MathHappens featured Marjorie Rice and the pentagons she discovered at the Thinkery Women in STEM event. We started by creating colorful puzzles out of Marjorie’s pentagons numbers 9 and 15 and found that they were interesting for both children and adults. Rice’s creative designs that make tiles interact give people different ways to approach math. After the positive and encouraging reception of the pentagons, we decided to laser cut out all 15 pentagons with the help of intern Ben Duong, and intern Michelle Tat worked on drawing creative designs on the 15 pentagons to make the tiles interactive and fun.

WHAT IS A TESSALATION? AN ARRANGEMENT OF SHAPES CLOSELY FITTED TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY OF POLYGONS IN A REPEATED PATTERN WITHOUT GAPS OR OVERLAPPING. IN MATHEMATICS, TESSELLATIONS CAN BE GENERALIZED TO HIGHER DIMENSIONS AND A VARIETY OF GEOMETRIES.

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By Serena Gandhi

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with Arun Shah, MS Structural Engineering, Stanford University THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR ROLE

Dealing with clients.

Common sense!

WHERE CAN ONE SEE YOUR WORK?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING?

Grew up watching construction a lot, which got me interested in designing buildings.

A BOOK RECOMMENDATIO N TO SOMEONE INTERESTED IN SE

Skyscraper: the Genius of Fazlur Khan.

A SPECIAL SKILL YOU USE DAILY

San Jose Repertory Theater in downtown San Jose is my all-time favorite project.

TOP TOOL USED IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE

Computer applications.

A FINAL PIECE OF ADVICE

Communication skills – speaking, writing & dealing with people are very important.

TOP 3 WORDS USED IN YOUR DAILY LIFE

A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STRUCTURAL/CIVIL ENGINEERING

Seismic loads, analysis, details.

Structural engineering is a subset of civil engineering.

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STEMATIX Magazine

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW??

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STEMATIX Magazine

Stanford Pen Pals

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COVID-19 COVID-19AND AND BIODEGRADABLE BIODEGRADABLE ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE

by Martina Cisterna There is an absolute presumption that house building has to be luxurious and expensive to be beautiful. But far from being accurate, a word resonates louder than ever among us today, and that word is: biodegradable. This term refers to the capacity of things to get "back to earth," and by this, I mean the ability to get decomposed by bacteria, rain, or funguses. Eventually, no harm is done to the environment.

But “biodegradable” not only appeals to the food we eat, or the packaging in the stuff we buy, but also is a concept present in the architectural design. And in this time of COVID-19 pandemic, biodegradable building may be one of the many positive things that we could start thinking about. The use of biodegradable materials introduces more benefits than we could have ever imagined.

What kinds of biodegradable materials exist?

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To portray the difference between a biodegradable material and another that is not, we can use plastic as an example. Plastic takes 150 years to degrade in the form of bags and up to 1000 years in the case of bottles. Plastic is an example of nonbiodegradable material because natural organisms cannot break it down and acts as a source of pollution.

STEMATIX Magazine

Meanwhile, when we talk about straw bales, we refer to a classic in the construction world that has many advantages over some conventional building materials such as concrete.

Despite being a number-one tool in construction, concrete is a large contributor to the carbon footprint given the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere during its production process.

COVID-19 and Biodegradable Architecture

Then, if used correctly, straw bales become a perfect alternative to the standard household construction method. This type of material also provides advantages in the energy required for heating and cooling as it is relatively low.

Another widely used and very trendy material lately is bamboo, which we can see in ecological straws and toothbrushes and larger scales in the architecture area. This material has been used since remote antiquity, and its lightweight and low cost makes it just as usable today!

Let's see a real case!

Some Australian students from the University of Wollongong took a typical Australian house and completely transformed it by setting up a solar panel system, rainwater harvesting, and recycling drinking water, making the house almost 100% eco-friendly.

Let's make a gradual change.

There is no need for you to start suddenly re-planning your household and rebuilding your house all over again. Still, there are definitely some changes you can do to create your own path to a more sustainable way of living, such as using ecological paint made up of vegetal ingredients and minerals or changing your light bulbs to a led lighting system that will help you reduce your light consumption by 90%. We can achieve sustainability and good health if we are more mindful of our actions and choices for our environment and ourselves. It is small actions that lead to significant changes!!

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Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, has evolved into a grand city with a varied combination of architectural influences from different places and times as a consequence of several historical events. This article will enable you to travel through the most iconic landmarks in the city and, at the same time, discover some interesting facts about their history and architectural influence.

The Cabildo of Buenos Aires was initially built in 1580 and underwent several transformations and restoration efforts until 1940. The Cabildo served as the central administrative office for the Spanish authorities during the colonial age.

It was the epicenter of the May Revolution in 1810, which started the independence process for the whole country and, consequently, for other countries in Latin America. Nowadays, it serves as a museum of the revolution and colonial history.

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The building has both a colonial and baroque influence on its design. The architects in charge of it (the 18thcentury design) were: Mario José Buschiazzo, Andrés Blanqui, and Pedro Benoit inspired by the building of European cities when the American continent was being colonized. The baroque influence can be appreciated through the small decorative details such as the decorations on the roof. In contrast, the colonial influence is shown in the building's overall simplicity and the kind of doors and iron window railings.

STEMATIX Magazine

Architecture in Buenos Aires

Puerto Madero is one of the neighborhoods that compose the city of Buenos Aires. It was designed in the last years of the 19th century by the engineer Eduardo Madero to have a harbor that connects the country with Europe for economic reasons. Once finished, this first project consisted of 16 docks with a strong influence from English industrial architecture, which can be easily appreciated through their red brick structure.

Years later, an enlargement project took place, since the harbor was insufficient for the number of ships needed to circulate, held by the engineer Luís Augusto Huergo.

In 1989, the place was completely renovated by building huge edifications between the different docks, including offices, restaurants, and even the UCA (Argentinian Catholic University). An outstanding building in the area is the Puente de la Mujer, a white bridge with a peculiar shape, meant to resemble a couple dancing to tango, a traditional Argentinian music and dance style.

Nowadays, this neighborhood is considered the most modern in the city and one of the most expensive ones to live in due to its buildings' quality and the closeness to the busy central area.

El Caminito is a 150 m long open-air museum, which consists of a series of Conventillos (buildings in which the lower classes used to live around the year 1900), painted in bright colors to resemble the artwork of Benito Quinquela Martín. This artist lived in the area and liked to paint pictures of the harbor nearby. This landmark is located in the neighborhood of La Boca, which lies on the side of the Río de la Plata or River Plate. It is also the location for the Stadium of the emblematic soccer team Boca Juniors.

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The Teatro Colón is a theatre with an amazing sound quality, the best in Latin America, which is compared to big opera houses such as La Scala in Milan, the Garnier Opera in Paris, or the Royal Opera House in London. The building took 20 years to build and was finished by 1908, which is when the first performance took place on that stage. The U-shaped main room grants a great distribution of the sound and provides a unique acoustic, which allows the presentations that take place there to not need any equipment to enhance the sound.

Regarding the architectonic style, it is determined by eclecticism: designed by the architects Francesco Tamburini, Vittorio Meano, and Jules Dormal, the building shows perfectly the historical situation of that time, in which the authorities in all of Latin America wanted the big cities to resemble the even bigger European ones, regarding buildings and overall city planning.

The whole building looks like it could be in any given European city, with it's details and ornaments both on the facade and the insides, making it a great place to experience a great show or have a guided visit for cultural or touristic enjoyment.

The colorful buildings along the narrow street and near the railway are a colorful interpretation of what once was the life of the poor immigrants that lived in the area more than a hundred years ago due to the closeness to the docks and the railway. The architecture itself may not be the best nor the most interesting, but thanks to its context and the peculiar way it was restored, it is a great place to visit to know the city's history.

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