Friday, February 15, 2008

The Talent Of The Architect

By Mike Selvon 



The architect plays a bigger role in our lives than you might realize. Homes, office buildings, churches and recreational halls are all just some of the places that architectural styles touch our lives. Architects in the world today draw their inspiration from nature, history and art.


They study the form and function of past civilization's designs and how those concepts meshed together to create some of the most magnificent buildings that the world has ever seen. It is through this broad study of the arts, history and math that architects develop their educational background.


When a person decides to study architecture, he or she must decide on a specialty. There are quite a few branches of it to choose from. Interior design, urban, green and landscape architecture are only a few of the many areas in which architects can focus their talents.


The educational background is similar for all architects and consists of a broad selection of classes in the arts. It should make sense considering an architect is a talented artist who uses wood, concrete or steel to bring his or her concepts and designs to fruition.


The architect is usually expected to have a minimum of a four year degree and most architects go on to receive their Master's degree with extensive study in his or her selected field. After graduation, a period of internship is a great idea.


It is one thing to study how to do something and an entirely different matter to put the new found knowledge into practice. Practical experience under a knowledgeable hand in this field is invaluable. The internship is a great opportunity to explore different techniques as well.


There has to be a touch of artistry in order to fully embrace architecture. A keen eye for detail and a great imagination are essential components for designing the next great Wonder of the World. History has shown that the architect plays a much bigger role than just creating a home in which to live and an office in which to work.


He or she helps to define a civilization. Just as we associate the pyramids to the Egyptians, so too will people associate our buildings with us. Huge buildings and structures will rise and they will fall, but for those that stand the test of time, mankind will have made his mark for future civilization's to admire.








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Real Estate Trends and How They Impact the Average Tampa Household

By Julia Vakulenko



Let us take a look at some of the newest real estate trends in Tampa and how they impact the lives of average American households.


1. Declining home prices


Reports have indicated that the average selling price of houses in Tampa has declined, and this translates to lesser impetus to sell. Real estate insiders have determined that upper middle class and middle class households change homes every six years. The unfavorable market conditions for sellers, however, might make these families decide to weather it out for a year or so.


2. High inventory


The increasing number of homes languishing in real estate listings in Tampa spells both negative and positive outcomes. The longer a property stays in the listing, the greater the chances of the sellers not getting the initial price they asked for. And with increasing competition from other agents and sellers, some might even settle for a reduced price just to get it off their hands. On the other hand, prospective buyers are now faced with veritably wide range of property choices. This also translates to the availability of extra, value-added features to discriminating households, who might just get the chance to purchase the house they have long been dreaming for at an affordable price.


3. Efforts of Florida lawmakers to alleviate real estate woes


This indicates that everybody is sitting up and taking notice of what the sector is going through and is putting efforts to find solutions to problems. The results may not be felt immediately, but everybody connected to this industry is still hopeful for long-term ways to fix mortgage and insurance predicaments faced by average households.


4. Reduction of interest rates


This trend might indicate recovery for the market and may prove right the expectations of Tampa still full of good real estate deals. Along with a weakening dollar, these conditions might provide impetus for foreign buyers to go real estate shopping, something that might offset the dismal sales of homes locally.









Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida. Please feel free to copy any of Julia's articles as long as you credit her and a link to her website. Include our Tampa Real Estate Blog to your regular reading as well.



Julia Vakulenko - EzineArticles Expert Author