Uploaded on 2016-07-13 by Jessica Bedford
Studying and working in Interior Architecture field in South Africa meant that there is a fair amount of understanding as what building materials are imported and what is produced locally. However I am currently not living in their and happen to be in South Korea at the moment, where I don't know much about the building practices. But through some research on building materials and what is imported, I know understand more on how the construction here is more a globalised practice. This was imteresting to me as it made me see that things that are happening in South Africa are also happening here, which means that it must be happening across the world. Which just confirms to me that with the advancement in building practices and construction material, buildings definitely form part of a globalised economy. With regards to the picture that I took. The area that I am in in under heavy construction at the moment, with buildings is various forms of completion. This building here still has a fair amount to go until it is complete. It at this stage is still a shell. The local building practice here was not apartment or high rise buildings, but with the with the advancement in technology and in globalisation, the main type of buildings that are built are these high rise apartment buildings. These buildings are built at a rapid rate, much faster then what I thought was possible. The specific element that I wanted to focus on is the fact that steel and iron is one of the highest imported items in South Korea. The building here use concrete with steel reinforcements to be able to go up the the levels that they do. So automatically this means that the buildings here already form part of the global economy through the steel that has been used. The import on steel has also been increasing. But on the reverse side of this, the pre manufactured steel and iron products import amount is decreasing. This means that South Korea are started to make their own steel and irom products, but by using the technology of another country. This shows that while certain construction items are being produced locally, they are still being based upon and built using technology of another country. Which judt proves that building technology and construction is indeed a globalised economy. And on a side note, there is a very good chance that the elevator that will be placed in this building will come from China.