Landscape Architecture in Palo Alto City Essay Example for Free

Landscape Architecture in Palo Alto City Essay Palo Alto City, a city known because of many famous landmarks and buildings, is located in Santa Clara County, in California of United States. The named of the city was derived from a name of a tall oak tree at the banks of the San Franciscquito Creek bordering Menlo Park called El Palo Alto. The geographic characteristic of the city is at the northern end of the Silicon Valley. The city is also situated near the Stanford University and is known as home of many huge companies in the high-technology industry like Hewlett-Packard. (Bowling, 2007) History of Palo Alto The history of Palo Alto city was traced back in 1979 Gaspar de Portola made an Ohlone settlement in the said city. To commemorate what happened in this place, a plaque was made in order to remember the histiroy for Palo Alto City. The plaque was located at Middlefield Road and Webster Street, (Bowling, 2007) Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture is the art of planning, designing, developing, managing and rehabilitating a land for a specified purpose. Landscape architecture is a profession that is combination of different inter disciplinary field like mathematics, geography, engineering, art, horticulture, social science, politics, history and philosophy. The duties of a landscape architecture can range from different roles like designing of a museum, parks, site planning for commercial buildings, as well as residential lands, and development and maintenance of nature lands like forest. Arastradero Preserve There are many famous buildings and landmarks located in the city. Some of the notable landmarks located in Palo Alto are the Arastradero Preserve. Arastradero Preserve, which is officially known as Enid W. Pearson- Arastradero Open Space Preserve, is a nature preserve which serves as parking lot of the city. The landscape architects designed the Arastradero Preserve so that people can have a biking, hiking and horseback riding session. The preserve is a combination of savanna grassland and broadleaf evergreen forest that is suitable for a nature preserve location. This made also the preserve to be a habitat for many wildlife species like bobcats, deer and diverse birds. (City, 2001) Arizona Cactus Garden Another popular landmark in Palo Alto is the Arizona Cactus Garden located in the Stanford University. Arizona Cactus Garden is a botanical garden specializing in the production of different cacti and succulents. The Arizona Cactus Garden is open for public visit. The Arizona Cactus Garden was designed by Rudolph Ulrich, a landscape architect, for Jane and Leland Stanford. The garden was open in public on 1883. The design of the garden was planned to be near at the residence of the Stanford family as well at the Stanford estate. The garden was designed in such a way it is divided in to two parts, the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. The Eastern Hemisphere part contains aloes, jade plants and other succulents from Europe, Asia and Africa while the Eastern Hemisphere contains cacti that are native in America. The garden was designed and made as public landmarks were people can view different varieties of cactus and succulents. (Bowling, 2007) Stanford University One of the most famous landmarks located in Palo Alto is the Leland Stanford Junior University or simply Stanford University. It is a private university that is situated at the center of Silicon Valley. It was in 1891 the university was established under the supervision of the governor of California, Leland Stanford together with his wife Jane Stanford. The name was derived from their only son, Leland Stanford Jr. who died at his teenage years. The university was firstly known as The Farm because it is situated at eh Leland Stanford’s horse farm and offers courses for both male and female students. (Bowling, 2007) Stanford makes sure that the university will be of good quality that is why he consulted first some key person that may give a big help in the construction of the campus. Some of these person were Francis Amasa Walker, president of another university which is specialize in the filed of engineering, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and second is Frederick Law Olmsted which is a famous landscape architect. The main role of Olmsted is on the general plans and concept for the proposed university. These are the constructions of the buildings and the removal of hillside sites that will favor for more practical flatlands. Another landscape architect that helps in the design of the campus is Charles Allerton Coolidge. Coolidge used the concept Richardsonian Romanesque style that was derived from his teacher, Henry Hobson Richardson. The said style is has the properties of rectangular stone buildings that are joined by arcades of semi-circle arches. There was also another design that was incorporated at Stanford University, the Mission Revival. The Mission Revival is a Spanish-colonial style and is characterized as red tile roofs and solid sandstone masonry that hold a discrete Californian appearance. The red tile roof has a good combination to bright blue skies making it famous to the people of the city. (Bowling, 2007) The major open space is formed by an on-structure, two-level plaza. It is layered with linear arrays of granite and quartzite aligned to echo the San Andreas Fault line below, and subtly forms gathering areas of various sizes for outdoor classrooms. The lower and more private courtyard provides light to the surrounding laboratories and offices, and exposes a dry riverbed that continues the north/south fault line, while expressing the character of a lower stratum and accommodating gathering places for students, faculty and researchers. (Bowling, 2007) The Stanford University is a huge campus were almost basic building that is required in a university is made. There are different buildings for different department of the campus. There are also dormitories and student housing were the students can reside. Stanford University Arboretum Stanford University Arboretum, which is located at Stanford University, was also designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. First, the land where the arboretum is located was planted by live oak trees. Olmsted designed the arboretum so that the public is free to visit the park. The orientation of the trees to be planted was a factor that was considered by Olmsted as well as the spacing of the trees. Olmsted sees to it that the arboretum will serve as a public park. Jane Stanford finds the arboretum essential to the people of Palo Alto and once said to the people of the city; (Bowling, 2007) In this enlarged Arboretum it is desired that there shall be exhibited to advantage all the trees and wood plants of the world that may be expected to grow to mature natural forms under the climatic and other conditions of the locality. Byxbee Park Byxbee Park, which was designed by Peter Richards and Michael Oppenheimer, shows of the site’s unique form and characteristics. Is shows the inspiration of landfill, slough, marsh, wind, and sky. The park does not allow buildings to be made inside the park making it a very natural in purpose. The intertwined elements of the park make the park a very sensitive environmental landmark. Cantor Center for Visual Arts The Cantor Center for Visual Arts, which is located in Stanford University, is another landmark in Palo Alto. The Cantor Center for Visual Arts is a museum that contains about 24 galleries, terraces, and sculpture gardens. The museum was established when the university was established in 1891 as a memorial park for their late son. Hewlett Packard Courtyard The Hewlett Packard Courtyard was designed to show the aesthetic value of nature. Hewlett Packard Courtyard is a huge company specializing in the production of computer hardware and the likes like printers. Hedges, designer of the courtyard, design the rooms of the employers of the company in such a way that they can view the outside environment. The terminal wires of the computer being utilized allow the programmers to work outside the rooms. Three-dimensional landforms ripple out from the round cafeteria addition, creating a romantic play against the beaux-arts structure of the courtyard, and dividing the space to create more intimate areas. (Bowling, 2007) Conclusion The role of a landscape architect is very important when buildings and landmarks are being constructed. Because the aesthetic value of the proposed building is their product. It must be taken in to account the proper way of designing, planning as well as developing the building. It is in the hands of a landscape architect the success of the building because this will reflect the popularity of the building.

The History of the Ford Mustang :: essays research papers fc

It seems that almost everyone has a favorite Mustang. With so many different generations of the Muscle Car to choose from the list is varied. To some, a Candy Apple Red 65’ with a 289 is the best ever. Or how about a fastback with the HighPower V8 and GT package? Ever heard the rumble from a Boss 302? And yet others consider the 5.0 Liter Mustangs the best largely because of the variety of low cost add-on parts available. These cars are inexpensive to buy and modify. And then there is the Cobras no matter what year or body style the Cobras come of the factory line ready to go â€Å"Run’em†. In the early 60s’ the only American sports car was the Corvette at a price to costly for many young Americans. The Thunderbird was basically a luxury car at the time. As a result Imported sports cars were selling well. Within a few years the post-war baby boomers would be buying their first car. The Mustang II concept car generated allot of excitement and led directly to the first Mustang less than a year later. Ford was unaware how popular the car would be. They announced when the first television commercial would be shown and many Americans tuned in to see it. The next day, the first day of availability, Ford sold 22,000 mustangs. The 19641/2, as it was later called, was available in only two models: the coupe and convertible. Both models featured a lengthened hood and shortened rear deck, chrome wrap-around bumpers, chrome grille with a running horse, and full wheel covers. Both models were available with a 170 cid, 101 horsepower, 6 cylinder engine, a 260-2V, 164 horsepower V-8, a 289-4V, 210 horsepower V-8 and, starting in June, a fire breathing, 4 barrel, solid lifter, 271 horsepower, 289 cid V-8 engine. The buyer had a choice of a 3 speed, 4 speed or automatic transmission, and a variety of rear end gear ratios. The interior featured "wall-to-wall" carpeting, front bucket seats or an optional front bench seat, rear bench seat, a sports car style steering wheel, floor mounted shifter, and full headliner (Kowalke). There were a total of 121,538 Mustangs produced during the 6412 model run (Mustang) . 1965 brought few changes for the Mustang. The biggest change was the availability of a new fastback model, which was to become the basis for Carroll Shelby's G.T. 350. The 120 horsepower, 200 cid 6 cylinder engine replaced the 170 cid 6 cylinder, the 289-2V, 200 horsepower V-8 replaced the 260-2V, the 289-4V was upgraded to 225 horsepower, and the 289-4V hi-po remained unchanged

Mirror by Sylvia Plath, Analysis

In the Poem ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath, there is a continuing theme of change. In the beginning the changes are simple, like the acts of day turning to night, but at the end we see the life changes of a woman in particular. Through the use of metaphor and personification in the poem, Plath creates images of water, reflections, and colors as having human characteristics to emphasize the strong theme of change throughout the poem. From the beginning of the poem, we see that it revolves around water. We find out that the mirror is â€Å"unmisted† and â€Å"swallows† everything. We see that by the end of the poem, a girl is drowning and a fish is rising to take over her. In the poem water is both a reflecting surface and an actual lake. So, water, in this poem, is both clear and mysterious. In line 2 the word â€Å"swallow† is used as a metaphor for reflecting. The word makes us think of water, which can itself swallow things, taking them beneath its surface. In lines 10-11 we find out that the mirror is a lake, shifting from the silver of a mirror to the silver of clear water. After that we see that a woman is searching the reaches of the water for who she really is. Later on in line 14, the tears of the woman are another form of water, and she is physically interacting with the water of the lake by stirring it up in her hands. In lines 17-18 the young girl is drowning, and the old woman is rising. It seems most likely that the water is a metaphor for time, or aging. (Shmoop Editorial Team) From silver to pink to moonlight, this poem uses colors and light to give the reader images as they read about a mirror. In line 1 the color gives the major clue that the speaker is not a person, but a personified mirror. Since this is the first line, we think of the color silver throughout the poem whenever we think of the mirror. In lines 7-8 the mirror is silver, but now we get the image of the pink wall, that the mirror most often reflects. Later in line 8, we find out that this speckled pink wall is like part of the mirror's heart, which leads us to think of the color red. In line 9 we get our first glimpse of darkness, which separates the mirror from the pink wall. The mirror also mentions that faces play a part in this separation. Later in the poem we hear that, the candles and the moon are liars, and that the light that they provide is false. The mirror's declaration personifies the candles and the moons, giving them human qualities, like the ability to lie. (Shmoop Editorial Team) In a poem about a mirror, we can expect a lot of reflections. Plath only uses the word â€Å"reflect† once, though. Instead of just repeating this word again and again, she uses personification and metaphor to get her point across. The emphasis on reflections in this poem shows the importance of appearance to the woman in the poem. Line 2 is also an example of personification because mirrors don't see or swallow anything but Plath's poem makes this character so believable that we have to remind ourselves that mirrors don't have eyes or mouths. In line 6 the metaphor is that the mirror is reflecting the opposite wall, not â€Å"meditating on† it and the personification is that mirrors don't meditate, but people do. In lines 7-8 we have another example of personification used to create a metaphor for reflection because mirrors don't see and they don't look. In line 11 the mirror is a lake, and a woman is searching its waters to learn something about herself. The woman is treating her reflection in the water as if it could reveal something about herself, and not just her appearance. (Shmoop Editorial Team) In line 13 Plath used the word reflect but not without some personification. The mirror is providing an accurate reflection, as if it takes pride in what it does, or as if it has some loyalty to this woman that is constantly looking at herself. In lines 18-19 we see reflections physical power; however this power is only a figurative. There is a young girl and a figurative old woman in the waters of the lake. This line takes reflections from being about present appearances and makes them about past and future appearances, all through the metaphor of drowning and rising in the waters of the lake. By this evidence through the poem in its entirety, the theme clearly stands out in the poem; and the use of metaphor and personification give abundant evidence that the poem is directed toward a theme of change.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X Essay - 1301 Words

Malcolm X is an extremely critical figure that contributed in shaping American social life. He was a famous man who articulated the struggle, anger, and beliefs of African Americans. He was a radical man who fought for change despite the situation. His struggle for equality for the black nation landed him in prison. While in prison, Malcolm was able to study, and earned a college degree. However, most importantly while in prison, Malcolm X was introduced to the Islam faith by one of the prisoners. He received teachings from the Muslim faith, which made him realize that, his people were being oppressed and abused by the whites. While out of prison, he went to visit honorable Elijah Muhammad and later on went around preaching Elijah†¦show more content†¦He was away from the harsh conditions and oppression from the whites, and away from a country full of racial segregation, and inequity. Malcolm X’s views about the potential for real change in America after visiting Mecc a changed a lot. Initially, he was radical about black separatism but after visiting Mecca, this call was gone for good. In his journey to Mecca through Cairo, Jeddah, and Saudi city, Malcolm claims that he witnessed what he had never seen in the United States. According to him, he witnessed men of all color, nationalities were treating each other with love, and equality, in contrast to what was happening in America. The Muslims had an admirable unity that changed Malcolm’s view of the world, and what should be done to change America. He says, â€Å"Throngs of people, obviously Muslims from everywhere, bound for the pilgrimage, were hugging and embracing.† This was like dream to Malcolm because, this could have never happened in the United States whereby there was racial segregation and inequality in everything. The Muslims who had gathered for the pilgrimage were of all complexions, and there was no color problem in Islam, like it was for the people in the United Stat es. Malcolm states that, Islam reflects theShow MoreRelatedThe Autobiography of Malcolm X729 Words   |  3 PagesLiterary Analysis: The Autobiography of Malcolm X The Autobiography of Malcolm X, told by Alex Haley, details the incredible journey of one of the most inspiration and life altering leaders the world has ever encountered. The book begins with the illustration of Malcolm’s early life experiences and ends with X predicting that he will die a violent death prior to seeing the publication of his autobiography. At the beginning of the book, Haley describes how Malcolm’s father, a Baptist MinisterRead MoreThe Autobiography Of Malcolm X Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesWho is Malcolm X? 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