Friday, February 24, 2012

La signature de Paris Eiffel Tower

Paris is the city of love, art, fine cuisine, and some of the world's greatest architecture. No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. The tallest structure in Paris, the most visited monument in the world, the global icon of France. 



 The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789. With its architectural elegance and visibility from around Paris, a visit to the tower is a must see for all visitors to France. The construction was only meant to last for the duration of the Exposition, but it still stands today, despite all protests from contemporary artists who feared the construction would be the advent of structures without individuality and despite the many people who feared that this huge 'object' would not fit into the architecture of Paris. Today, there is no such aversion anymore among the French, and one could not imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower, in fact it has become the symbol of the City of Light.

The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave-Alexanre Eiffel, who also did the framework for the Statue of Liberty. When construction of the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889, the 75 story high tower became the tallest structure in the world.

Gustave Eiffel, known for his revolutionary ace building techniques, as employed in the great viaduct at Garabit in 1884. These techniques would form the basis for the construction of the Eiffel Tower. He was also known for the construction of the framework of the Statue of Liberty.

When Gustave Eiffel designed the tower, he imagined that it would become the support of a great variety of scientific devices and experiments to study gravity and wind pressure. The structure of the tower was therefore designed for increase of its weight. During World War I, the tower was holding antennas to retransmit radio wave to the whole country. The structural aspects of the Eiffel tower indicate that it is a highly hyperstatic structure, which is dimensioned for a weight higher than what it is supporting this day.

The structure took more than two years to complete. Each one of the about 12,000 iron pieces were designed separately to give them exactly the shape needed. All pieces were prefabricated and fit together using approximately 7 million nails. The Eiffel Tower consists of three floors or landings.  A series or elevators run up the massive legs of the Eiffel Tower, carrying tourists to each of the three viewpoints.

This mighty lanky tower has stood puffed as the signature of Paris and is the pride of the French, always and forever.

Good Morning, Sunshine! Designing a solarium for your home

A sun-room, or a patio or a sun porch...however you address the room by, the purpose of the room is just the same, exposure to sunlight. In formal terms, people refer to it as 'solarium'. A solarium is a room with large glass windows or walls to let sunshine into the space. Whether it is a small glassed-in porch or an over-the-top conservatory, a solarium helps expand the living space in a house by bringing the outdoors inside. Offering all the advantages of being outside without any of the drawbacks, a solarium may also act as a greenhouse where people can raise tender and exotic plants.




The principal purpose of a solarium is to give a house out of the house, a place to enjoy the light, sunshine and views of the outdoors without having to contend with any discomfort. In addition, since a solarium always has big windows, it serves to visually expand the interior of the house into the outside, giving the occupants the illusion of much more space than the house actually includes.  A solarium serves as a home to plants that might not survive out in the open. One of the great pleasures of having a solarium is one's ability to cultivate flowering or green plants in it year-round. Such solariums usually have hard floors, such as tile or stone, that are impervious to the water that inevitably drains out of plant pots.

Solariums have a large amount of glass, which allows the sun to penetrate the room. People may include a solarium in their plans when they build a house, or they may choose to add one on at a later point. An added solarium might range from a modular unit purchased from a manufacturer and simply assembled on-site, or a custom design that requires an architect's attention. Designing and building a solarium for your house needs a lot of skill, patience and access to manpower. You need to plan your design before taking the plunge. Everyone has a different reason for creating the room, so you will need to design it according to your intended vision. You may take help from a book of solarium plans at your local library.

The slanted-front type of room addition is the easiest to build. It’s always best to keep it simple. Keep in mind that you need to create the room in an area facing the sun, after all, the main purpose of the room is exposure to the sun. The main windows of your solarium are supposed to face the solar south. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the south that your compass will show. If this is impossible due to the orientation of your home, orient the solarium towards the sun at an angle of no more than 15 degrees. Stick on to the plan you've made up, follow all directions outlined in your plans. No matter what plans you choose, you will have better success if you extend an existing room in your home, or better yet, if you replace a screened in porch or a patio with your new solarium. If you choose to do the latter, begin by building a wooden frame along the perimeter of the concrete base of the patio or porch after removal of the screens. 

The windows should consist of larger glass panels instead of many smaller panes in order to better transmit light and heat. Insert the panels also according to the plans you have chosen. Maintain energy efficiency by adding brick and concrete to the interior of this room. Doing this will make it more heat absorbent. Remember that the quality of building materials also makes a difference. Once your solarium is done, you may add some plants, which would help make your solarium more energy efficient. So, you need to remember to maintain them well and welcome Mr. Sun into your new solarium!

Man's Best Friend How to choose one?

So you have decided to keep a pet dog. That is a great decision you have taken. People with pets, especially dogs tend to be healthier and happier, and suffer less from depression, stress, high blood pressure, heart disease, and loneliness than those without a pet. A close relationship with a dog can provide you with years of protection, companionship, and unconditional love.




While the rewards of owning a dog are greater than any other pet, so are the responsibilities! All dogs need daily outdoor exercise, regular medical check-ups, and a lot of attention from their owners. To make sure you find the perfect canine friend, it’s important to choose a dog that best fits in with your lifestyle.


Think over, when you choose the right dog, so as to be careful not to pick one that doesn't suit or doesn't get used to the type of house you have. Even though it might sound logical that a smaller dog would be happier than a larger one in an apartment or a  small house without a yard, that isn’t necessarily true.


All dogs, whatever size and breed they are of, need daily exercise and outdoor activity, but some dogs need a little more exercise than others do. There’s no denying that puppies are adorable, but along with the cuteness comes added responsibility. Puppies require more time and attention for house training and behavior training, which may include patiently tolerating  their clumsy phases, where they might end up chewing every possible stuff,.


Given these reasons and the likes, people who don’t have time to meet a puppy’s needs or prefer not to deal with training, often decide to adopt an older dog. Additionally, small children or elderly adults in your family may not have the patience or ability to manage a puppy’s exuberance.


Another choice may be between a purebred or mixed breed. Some people prefer purebred dogs because they enjoy participating in dog shows, or are drawn to the look or characteristics of a particular breed. Other people prefer dogs of mixed breed, of unique kind. Adopting a dog that needs a good home, whether it’s a puppy or mature dog, a purebred or a mixed breed, can be very rewarding. Some people say adopted dogs exhibit a special bond and appreciation for their owners.


Breeders, shelters, and rescue organizations usually let prospective owners meet and interact with available dogs. It is recommended that you visit the dog a couple of times to best gauge a dog’s temperament before making a decision. Ask the breeder or rescue handler about a dog or puppy’s characteristics. They should be able to tell you if a dog is good with other pets or children. When selecting a puppy, kneel on the ground and call the puppy to you. Click your fingers to get the puppy's attention. If he comes quickly, he may have a strong attachment to people. If he stops to smell the flowers along the way, he may have an independent streak. If he doesn't come at all, it may be a sign that he’ll have difficulty forming a bond with people.


See how a dog responds when you have the chance to be with him in a pen or petting area. A dog that approaches you and wants to play may make a friendly pet. One that hides or is not approachable may require more work and time to become a good companion. Now that you are able to make out the instincts of the pet, you can go ahead and pick up the perfect pet.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Swerve of a Minaret Becomes a Wonder of the World!

Italy is a magical country where every region has something new to offer whether it is its food, the people, the history or its architecture. Italian architecture is unsurpassed in Europe and historically Italy has everything which shows within its architecture. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the bell tower or a campanile and is one among the seven wonders of the world.

Landscape Designing – Designing a Swimming Pool

Planning to go for your own swimming pool ? Well, go on ahead but you need to keep one thing in mind in regard, landscape designing, A swimming pool would be something which would be there forever, or at least, for a few decades. So you have to take care of the landscape designing. Having a swimming pool requires investment. Actually, it even enhances the value of your property!