Point: Explorations

The Explorations unit has shown me that designers don’t always have to completely look back to history for help. They truly explored new ideas and inspirations. While majority of architects seemed to design very new and modernistic buildings, we can tell that they still looked back to history. This is why there is the question of whether they were looking backward or forward. Old things were brought into thoughts through modern buildings, but in a completely different way than how it was originally done.

Art Nouveau came around in the late 19^th century and early 20^th – an experimental stage in fine arts inspired experimentation in design (that’s new). One of the more popular architects of this period was Antonio Gaudi. When I look at some of his work, I see a very surrealism-like look. The Surrealism style of art was starting in the early 1900s and Gaudi certainly could have been inspired from that style. The facades that he put on apartment buildings show this crazy sort of style and his interest in skin and bones, as well as nature. Casa Batilo in Spain and Casa Mila are both good examples of this. I think art is something, even today, that designers can look upon for ideas. Going to the Weatherspoon Art Museum a few weeks ago helped me remember that art and design are so connected.

Perhaps one of the biggest themes from this unit (in my opinion) would be the idea of the machine and good design for all. As Le Corbusier smartly stated, “A house is a machine for living – it should be as practical as a typewriter, a phone, an automobile”. This quote is so interesting to me, as I’ve written about it a couple times in previous posts. The idea of practicality in a home is something that seems to be a necessity; every house should really have it. For example, in Le Corbusier’s Unite d’habitacion, there includes a coffee shop, grocery store, daycare, and more commodities. Why not make life easier on humans? We are the ones who will be using these buildings. This Idea that Le Corbusier brought upon makes me think about my future designs and how I am able to make it more of a “machine”.

The creation of Chicago, Illinois as the “Second City” is another theme that we talked about. I think this is important of the explorations unit because it shows that people were ready to start something new and truly step away from the box. It’s like Chicago challenged New York City with their innovative skyscrapers and slick aesthetic.

The image I chose to support this unit is a picture of the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier. This house shows what the architect means by a “machine for living”. It includes Le Corbusier’s five rules: pilotis (building floats off landscape), ribbon windows, free and open floor plan, roof garden to replace the space that was taken off the land, and inspiration from the machine (designed after a 1927 car).

www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/PC1913149.html

Counterpoint: Machine

Reading Comprehension 7

The exhibition I was assigned to follow at the Greensboro Collects show at the Weatherspoon Art Museum was the Town + Country theme. This theme is all about good times and how they didn’t only exist in the city, good times happened in the country as well. I paid special attention to the piece titled, “By the Skin of our Teeth #2” by Deborah Grant. This work of art caught my attention because of the use of contrasting colors, emphasis, and direction. The diagram I created explains the use of these principles and elements of design in a simple way. When I first look at the artwork, my eye goes straight to the yellow circle in the top left corner. Then it traces downwards to the different figures in the image. As soon as my eyes recognize the figures it shoots back up to the yellow circle. I believe this has a lot to do with the colors and how it is mainly black and white except for the yellow and tan of the background. This creates a high contrast and emphasis on the yellow. This piece reminds me of the idea good design for all and the machine. Le Corbusier said, “a house is a machine for living – it should be as practical as a typewriter, a phone, and an automobile”. The Town + Country exhibit is the same type of theme - there should be good times for all.

Another piece of art I looked at in the theme is by Walter Barker, “Friday Night at the Ozark Airdrome, Webster Grove, Missouri, 1935”. This piece shows simply that there are fun things to do in the country. In specifically showcases an outdoor cinema that is possible in the country because of the open space and darkness. The artist shows this place very populated and entertaining.

On page 195 (Massey), it says of the post-modern era, “it was recognized that good design could no longer be measured by one mutually agreed yardstick”. This basically describes both of the pieces of work to me. The city and country could not be compared using the same “yardstick”. Each places had good things going for the area in different ways.

Reading Comprehension 6

1. Art Nouveau was an experimental style of design where historical styles were rejected and motifs were used as a different approach to architecture. Barcelona, Spain and Paris, France are both places where this style is seen in. Antonio Gaudi had designed many buildings of this style in Spain. One of the more popular is Casa Battlo, an apartment building that he restored. Gaudi was interested in surrealism and the concept of skin and bones. He used this idea of bones and the human body as a motif for the new façade of the building that he was designing. Hector Guimard was a French architect who was also a key member of the Art Nouveau movement. He designed stations for the new electrified underground Paris mass-transit railroads, aka the Metropolitan (Roth, 514). His station designs were inspired by plants and made of cast iron and ceramic parts.

allposters.com

en.wikipedia.org

2. “A house is a machine for living - it should be as practical as a typewriter, a telephone, an automobile” – Le Corbusier

Practicality and convenience is something that the modern movement was bringing to people. Typically only those who could afford it were receiving this sort of luxury. Le Corbusier designed an apartment complex in 1946 in France, for middle class citizens to live in – the Unite d’Habitacion. It was extremely practical, including daily necessities like an internal shopping street halfway up in the complex, a recreation area and children’s nursery on the roof, a grocery store, and more. These things, along with cheaper prices for a unit, made this residence a true machine for living – it was just easy to do. In my opinion, the idea of “less is more” can be related back to commodity, firmness and delight. As long as a building has those 3, I don’t think it needs anything else. Unite d’Habitacion is as simple as that. It has commodities in all the conveniences included for the residents. Firmness is there in the good construction, using concrete and a frame to built it, it stands several stories high and inhabits 1600 people. And lastly, the building is certainly delightful to the eye, using all Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture (pilotis, ribbon windows, free plan, roof space, and inspiration from the machine).

galinsky.com/buildings/marseille

galinsky.com/buildings/marseille

I think this building and overall style of how it was designed was a huge inspiration for similar buildings today. The idea of conveniences and making things more practical for people is seen everywhere. A local example would be the Spring Garden Apartments on the UNCG – there is a food mart on the first floor, making it convenient for the residents to do grocery-shopping right there. The Bryan School of Business Building on campus also has a food court inside it to make it convenient for students there.

3. The conference room at Casa del Fascio by Giuseppe Terragni is shown (Massey, 87) in black and white. This modern interior is far from that, with a brightly colored graphic wall finishing off this conference room.

Massey, 87

Reflections Summary

The three people I chose to look at all used photos that were more a symbol of what the unit represented to them, unlike others who picked a building or space to show reflections.

Caitlyn represented the reflections unit as a rubix cube, showing the way different colors could come together just like different design languages come together. This is what first caught my attention about her essay. She talks about more current capital buildings getting inspiration from buildings like the Parthenon and other Greek temples. Also, there is inspiration from Palladian, Roman and Greek styles. Then she goes on to talk about The Crystal Palace and Worlds Fair, how it brought together so many different styles into one thing that people could celebrate. These all relate back to the rubix cube and how it brings together all different aspects to make one overall design.

http://www.dimensionsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Rubiks-Cube.png

Katherine wrote about the reflections unit in terms of a cartwheel to show revolution. Like we talked about in class, this is a good way to show the cycle and the different steps involved. Her essay is primarily about this idea of changing and flipping the world on its head. She mentions how designers look back at history and ponder on what could be done better and what comes next.

Lastly, Jasmine related this unit to an amusement park and the rotation involved. She starts by talking about foundations and how they start out as just a thought and evolve into something greater. She then goes on to discuss how all different cultures merged together, creating new ideas and trading ideas collectively.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/2052318808_c35e9ad90c.jpg

Alternatives Summary

Kayla related architecture to pizza and how it has changed from traditional Italian pizza, to what is found in the freezer department at grocery stores. I think this represents the alternatives unit very well. Her main point is how people look back at the foundations of architecture, while looking forward and seeing how the boundaries can be stretched and eventually even broken.

Nathan chose a picture that represents the unit well, the two statues of David, one by Michelangelo and the other by Bernini. This perfectly shows how things became out of the box, by taking one thing and doing it a completely different way. He talks about movement and how it was relevant during the Baroque period.

http://www.homeschoolonline.co.uk/images/stories/art/baroque/comparison-of-michelangelo-david.jpg

In Sharece’s essay, she explains alternatives in history as the recognition of rules followed by breaking those rules and rebellion. This simply puts the unit together and describes what its about. She talks about different time periods like Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque and how they have changed. Her picture is a symbol of the unit, showing arrows and how there are many different directions presented to us but it doesn’t mean we are forced to follow those paths.

http://www.norcalblogs.com/sustainable/2008/10/

Point: Reflections

A revolution can be defined as a dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works or is organized or in people's ideas about it. In class, we talked about revolutions in design, one of the key aspects of our reflections unit. A revolution has four main steps that are involved: revival (something returns into activity), reform (a change for the better occurs), rotation (uniform variation in a sequence), and cycle (a recurring series of events). This revolution cycle happens every time there is a change.

The revival is something that is more noticeable in the cycle of revolution. There have been many revivals around the world. One that we looked at specifically in class was the Gothic Revival. Strawberry Hill in England is a great example of gothic revival. The library specifically uses gothic fanned arches and elements that point to heaven, popular of the gothic style.

Another main theme of this unit was the way east met west in regards to design language. The east greatly inspired the west in a way that is undeniable, through all four aspects of artifact, space, building and place. The way these other design styles were used in the west was a way for people to escape from what they were used to. There was so much excitement over the eastern style being used – it was like a fantasy land. Chinese bowls and plates were inspiration to western carpets and wallpaper. Silk was imported from China and used for Chinoiserie clothing. The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England is both an example of space and building inspired by the east. The building looks like it should be in India, while the interior is purely inspired by China. The banqueting hall in particular, shows eastern design and appears as if it has everything shoved into it. A place that has eastern inspiration is The Worlds Fair 1851 in London, England. It was an international exhibition that took place at the Crystal Palace.

The reflections unit relates to my own design work in the way cycles are used. I feel like each year, or maybe even each semester, as an iarc student is a new cycle or revolution in a way. I think I have progressed and changed the way I do things since the beginning of my first year. Even before iarc could be considered a cycle in itself. But at the beginning of each new revolution for me I can see how I have experienced revival, reform, rotation, and cycle.

http://decorartsnow.com/2009/11/

Although I think of Gothic Revival as more of the 19^th century or so, it can still be found today. I chose this picture to describe the reflections unit because it shows that revival of styles that were hundreds of years ago can and do still occur. This castle was recently built in New York along the Hudson River. It was inspired by the Hampton Court Palace in southern England. Not only the exterior, but the interior of the 21^st century castle is also a showcase of Gothic style, including a barrel vaulted ceiling in the garden room, arches through out, and overall style of the architecture.

Reading Comprehension 5

1. I think that the Sideboard table (Harwood p. 503) is a good representation of revolution in design. The skinny tapered legs were a new design used to show wealth. They allowed for a lot of things to be placed on top, looking heavy because of the skinny, weak looking legs. This made an optical illusion to look like there was more weight on top, therefore giving the appearance of more wealth showcased.

2.

http://www.spencermarks.com/html/k514.html

ARTIFACT: This teapot was designed for the governor of Maryland in 1934. It is covered in chinoiserie foliate design that makes the teapot stand out from typical western artifacts. The pot is made by repousse which is a style used with metal where a design is hammered from the reverse side. The pattern includes several motifs that are represented in Chinese art, such as: landscape designs, various pagoda structures, boats, floral designs, and figural swan finials.

http://atlasobscura.com/place/the-royal-pavilion

SPACE: The Banqueting Room at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England has a very Indian inspired style with chinoiserie interiors. The Banqueting Room is extremely busy looking and seems like all different styles are shoved into one room.

http://testnews.camera-images.co.uk/locations/Nature/Gardens/History_Kew_Gardens.htm

BUILDING: The pagoda at Kew Gardens is 10 stories high and each level is octagonal shaped. When it was built, the pagoda had a roof that had a dragon perched at each corner. Dragons are common in Asian design, being a symbol of power, strength, success, luck and honor. The pagoda was also originally very colorful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Palace_interior.jpg

PLACE: In 1851, the first World’s Fair took place at the Crystal Palace in London. It was the first international exhibition of manufactured products.

Counterpoint: Clock

Counterpoint: Perspective

For this counterpoint I chose the scale of space and word as my form. The space is the Trevi Fountain. When I thought about this beautiful fountain in Rome, the first word that popped into my head was magical. Tourists come to the fountain to throw coins in and wish on it. It his been said that depending on the amount of coins you throw, something different will happen. The fountain is also surrounded by stone statues, including Neptune, who is shown in my image. Because the fountain is such a fantasy-like experience, the statues seem to come to life. So for the people aspect, I imagined Neptune to be alive and he is throwing a penny into the fountain. The symbol is the penny. He is throwing just one in which means he will return to Rome one day. The aspect of nature is shown by the water that flows through it. Material is present in the stonework that makes up the fountain and statues.

Reading Comprehension 4

1.

One thing that links all 5 artifacts is repetition. All of the pieces each use repetition in their own way. The Neo-Palladian/Georgian desk and bookcase use pattern and Chinoiserie ornamentation through carvings, and other forms of decoration that are wrapped around the piece of furniture. The American Georgian Windsor chair uses repetition by the way it was built, with repeating wooden rods that make up the back of the chair. The tall clock by Martub Carlin uses a repetition of heavy gilding throughout the clock. The State Bed from Osterly Park in the Late English Georgian Style has classical ornament and swags repeating along the top canopy. The Sheraton Side Chair of the American Federal style uses repetition apparent in the design that attaches the upholstery to the frame of the chair. Also in the lines of the frame, the horizontal beams of wood are repetitive throughout the chair.

All 5 spaces have one thing in common that I notice right away – harmony. Harmony is the use of elements that relate to each other to make a visually pleasing effect. The Holkam Hall Saloon has geometric patterns that are carried throughout the room in the ceiling, wall, furniture, and architecture that are all related to each other. The Gunston Hall Stair Hall uses arches throughout the room in the architecture, railings, and wallpaper, which are pleasing to the eye when looking around the room. The bedroom of Marie Antoinette is extremely sinuous which can be hectic, but it is harmonic because everything is related to each other in its curved lines and femininity. The Saltram House Saloon is similar to the Holkam Hall Saloon because of the use of geometric patterns. The design on the Saltram Saloon’s ceiling and carpet is very similar and the use of rectangles and geometric shapes are apparent throughout the room. The Gardner-Pingree house parlor uses classical features throughout the room – especially in the mantel, window treatment, cornice and door surroundings.

The 5 buildings listed can be simply linked by their use of lines and direction. The Chiswick House uses lines in many ways. First are vertical lines in the columns used throughout on the façade in the portico as well as entry staircases. Then there are angled lines on the entry staircases, pediment, and octagonal dome. Lastly are horizontal lines of the cornice. The Drayton Hall has horizontal lines which stick out on the façade of the building, defining where each level is and also lines of the cornice and exposed staircase in front. There are angled lines in the pediment and roof. Columns on the front show vertical lines. The Pantheon is made up of several vertical lines of the columns. And similar to the other buildings, angled lines on the pediment and horizontal lines of the cornice and stairs. The Nathaniel Russell House is made up mainly of horizontal and vertical lines. Horizontality is evident in the cornice, protruding lines on the façade, and the roof. Vertical lines are shown mainly by the windows and door. Lastly, Monticello uses angled lines in the dome and pediment. Horizontal lines are in the stairs, cornice, and windows. Vertical lines are in the columns and roof.

"It is difficult to assign one descriptive term to encompass all architecture from 1600 to 1750, for several independent courses of development were being pursued simultaneously" -Roth

To me, this quote explains architects use all different developmental ideas to come up with their final product. Designs from throughout history can be related to each other because they are made up of borrowed ideas from each other.

2.

“English colonists, who settle the eastern seaboard, reproduce the houses and furnishings they knew at home.” (Harwood) When the English came over to the U.S. they wanted to mimic forms that they were familiar with from where they came from. Timber was available for use of homebuilding and furniture even though that’s not directly what the English were used to – England used more brick construction.

The Spanish found their new land in Florida as a place where they could use their own style and build upon it. The architecture follows contemporary Spanish Renaissance and some Baroque styles. Although the spanish typically used stone, adobe was available so they adopted that style of building from the Native Americans. But instead of layering the clay, they used their own style of forming rectangular bricks and stacking them. The Spanish kept their original designs of furniture, only altering them slightly.

The French recreated society in the U.S., changing things to make them more sophisticated like they were used to in France. "Steeply pitched roofs, half timber construction, and square shapes are common French characteristics" (Harwood). The floor plan of the Parlange Plantation is extremely square with rectangular rooms fitting together. The Houssaye House follows French characteristics in its steeply pitched hipped roof. The Armoires include geometric shapes.

Settlers from Germany and Holland brought native medieval building and furnishing traditions to America. Many houses mix materials, like stone and wood - seen in the Single Brother's House. In Germany, wood was a more common material and stone showed wealth. Andrew Jackson's Parlor and Chamber is a great example of a German interior. It is simple, uses wide boards as flooring, and different types of wood for furniture.

3.

It has been said that Palladio got inspiration from music. During the Renaissaince, music was an essential part of life. Composers based music on horizontal contrapuntal (with two or more independent melodic lines) style and harmony based vertical arrangement of intervals including 3rds and 6ths. The floorplan I designed is a possible Palladian villa because of the shapes used and the way they were used with inspiration from Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Balletto Terzo. The sinuous lines in the floorplan represent contrapuntal style. It is broken up into 3rds on each sice of the main floorplan with 3 shapes making up each side – excluding the porticos.

4.

"Baroque space is independent and alive - it flows and leads to dramatic culminations" - Henry A. Millon (Roth)

Agreeing with the words of Henry A. Millon, I do believe that the Baroque period stands as a form of social performance in the theatre of the world. Baroque is truly unique upon other architectural styles. It uses bold color effects, light effects, ornamentation, and maybe most of all - emotion. Bernini's Ectasy of Saint Teresa defines the use of emotion in the Baroque period. The statue sits on a type of stage, elevated and illumated in the Cornaro Chapel. The statue creates a spiritual and emotional event for people in its presence.

www.smarthistory.us

In class, we talked about several buildings and pieces of architecture. One that stood out as a symbol of Baroque style is the Trevi Fountain in Rome. It takes over the whole façade of the building behind it and provides a water and light show. This fountain has become a gathering place and must-see for tourists. It demands attention – just like the Baroque style, as well as theatre.

www.planetware.com

Point: Foundations

Foundation is all about where you are from. It is the way you mark your place and the start of all design. There are different ways to mark the Earth: circles, a series of lines, stacking, basing something on an axis, as well as others. For example, Teotihuahacan is a site containing pyramids that used a system of stacking to mark the earth. The Theatre of Dionysus uses stacks and circles in a sacred way. Architecture is often designed in some way around a reflection of past successes. Egypt was the prototype for Greece and Greece was the prototype for Rome. Sometimes it is a combination of reflection and new explorations.

While Rome may have used passed architecture from Greece and Egypt to influence them, they changed the designs to fit their own specific needs and wants. The Romans had to live with Greek ruins but assimilated and adapted them to their culture and lifestyle. One main difference with Roman architecture is the way structure was used. In Greece and Egypt, columns were used for support but also for decoration. The Romans found other ways to use structure and decoration separately. A widespread use of concrete and vaulting technology caused a breakthrough. Arches and domes were created – therefore columns could be used simply for looks, not structure. Buildings could be diversified instead of the standard post and lintel system from Greece and Rome.

Rome is very similar to modern cities and our own civilization. There was a more horizontal expression rather than vertical. Because of the way the empire held back Rome, they fed and entertained people to cover up their flaws and defer people from the truth. The idea of Roman design was to have extravagant pleasure. Aside from arches and domes, mosaics were also brought into design and could tell stories. Arches were useful because they are able to capture space in Rome and also make buildings bigger.

The way the structure of a building relates to the surface and need is an important thought process in designing a building. For example, a circular space for a church can be a good idea with few cons. The good things are that sound travels in a round space. This is helpful for the speaker so that he or she doesn’t have to speak as loudly or maybe not use a microphone. Circles show equality. Everyone is spread out evenly so they aren’t competing for power. Some negatives are that sound bounces and can only go so far. This can limit the size of the space to something smaller.

Architecture and civic life is another foundation that we talked about. In other words, architecture should be placed to make sense for the city and its uses. Pompeii is a good example of this. Pompeii is captured exactly how life really was because of the Volcano hitting the city and preserving everything until it was discovered. There is a wall surrounding the city, meaning that it was most likely a former military town. The main buildings that are necessary for the community are conveniently located using cardo-decumadus, or a city grid. The bath is located at the crossroads, instead of the core of the city. The baths are something that the people in Rome used a lot. People regularly met there, so access was important.

The Roman Colosseum best represents Rome, as well as the foundations unit. It marks the earth by using circles, stacking, lines, and axis all together. It is shaped as the Roman arch, allowing space to be captured and broadened. The roundness incorporates the use of circles and quality. Stacking is apparent by the stacked seating. Lines are created throughout the colosseum by the structure and the columns creating a vertical axis.

Reading Comprehension 3

Cologne Cathedral

1.

Cologne vs Salisbury: Inside/Outside

From my first impression of both the Cathedrals, Cologne and Salisbury, they appear to be very different externally. Cologne comes off as dark and scary while Salisbury seems to look more pleasant and fantasy like. This has to do with the differences in styles of architecture – Cologne being Gothic and Salisbury being Early English Architecture. Their interiors are oddly similar, in contrast to their different exteriors. I think this is because of reflection and how architects looked back at past architecture. Salisbury is more proportionate to itself. It is tall but spread out, which helps it look even and consistent. Cologne is extremely vertical and not spread out. Being in an urban setting, compared to the flatness of the site of Salisbury, it makes the cathedral look even taller.

Cologne vs Amiens: Composition

I do not believe that regional differences exist. Architects were constantly bouncing ideas off of each other even if they didn’t know it. The architect who designed Cologne could have gotten the idea of two towers from French cathedrals, seeing as it is very different from many other cathedrals in Germany and the double tower is apparent in French architecture. I think a paradigm during the Gothic Age was extremely important. Because the Gothic Age lasted so long, there had to have been some sort of pattern or reference to look back on and keep the style going. Starting in France and moving throughout Europe, different regions must have had individual takes of the Gothic style, which were combined and passed along. Although Amiens and Cologne are similar structurally, I don’t think it is neither a coincidence nor a notion of region exactly. I do think region can be thought of in a greater sense that can define this similarity – region meaning the same part of the world.

Cologne vs Florence: Symbol

The Florence Cathedral combined new and old architecture by the construction of the dome in addition to previous Renaissance architectural styles - together representing the early Renaissance style. Cologne is a perfect symbol of Gothic Architecture – especially in Germany. Key materials used were brick and/or stone, both of which are included in Cologne. Another characteristic that is common in Gothic Cathedral architecture is the use of columns, vaults and flying buttresses. All three of which are heavily apparent in Cologne. Externally, I feel like Florence was an inspiration to the architecture surrounding it. The buildings look similar in color, material, and style. The designer may have wanted to set an example for the city in architecture, which was clearly successful. As far as Cologne and the language externally, I think the designer may have just wanted to stress the verticality and how it is stretching towards heaven.

2.

From my knowledge of medieval history, I would assume that the context of this illustration would be in a medieval hall. These were key pieces of architecture and culture for people to gather. Many halls had kitchens to use for preparation of meals, which is where I think this illustration was based off of. As far as the architecture of most halls, the illustration would have shown more arched windows and a vaulted, timber trussed ceiling. Kitchens typically had the same timber and detail. In many kitchens, cooking was done using a fireplace and cauldron – similar to what is shown in the illustration.

Penshurst

http://www.history.uk.com/historical/images/articles/Penshurst-Barons-Hall.jpg

Compass

Map

Prada Epicenter

Egypt, Greece, and Rome Summary

Some thoughts about lessons learned from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architecture and design...

Egypt

-Story telling through artifacts such as hieroglyphics on columns

-axial progression

-symmetry

-somethings stand out with surroundings while others blend in

Greece

-use of columns, but in a different way than Egypt

-brighter colors and symbolism with wall decor and furniture

-open spaces to let natural light in

Rome

-incorporated more gardens/courtyards

-buildings were very different from Egypt and Greece's signature use of columns

-experimented with different ways to design

-fresco paintings covered walls and artifacts

IAR 222: Reading Comp 2

1. Hersey talks about sacrifice in terms of columns and how they relate to humans and animals. I can see how people in that time could use this idea to influence columns. The column base is named after a foot. The molding on the base is named from rope, twisted or slung, which would have been used in the sacrifice. Most importantly is the way the head is related to the top of the column. I have never thought of how sacrifice could be influential and related to a column until reading Hersey's passage but I think it is a valid point.

2. Macaulay’s story does a good job of comically telling a story of something that really does happen to us these days. I have misunderstood information from the internet before because the source was not a good source. Anyone can truly put information on the internet that isn’t completely reliable or reliable at all. This is explained in a way in Macaulay’s article. The main character thinks the hotel room is a tomb and that everyday items such as a tv, shower cap, and remote are ritualistic items meant for preserving ones afterlife in their tomb. He misinterprets everything because he is just using his own thoughts to determine what things are. One way to avoid mis-reading evidence online is to only use sources that are legit and scholarly. Another way is to avoid using Wikipedia for information and websites that end in “.com”.

3. Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was designed to blend in with its surroundings, a valley. It is much smaller of a scale and stands out less than the pyramids, which are tombs for pharaohs. During that time, men were viewed as higher up than women. This is one reason why the design of Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was the way it was. Because she was a woman, it was less grand and noticeable than the pyramids.

4. The temple, Hypostyle Hall from Ancient Egypt and the residential palace, Palace of Knossos are similar yet different in several ways and show how Egyptian and Greek civilizations played off each other. Both these buildings used columns as a major support system. They each had some sort of decoration on either the columns or buildings. Hypostyle Hall had ornamental carvings that told stories about the pharaoh to show his power. Whereas the Palace used ornament through fresco wall paintings and furniture. Both had a control of natural light, using the breaks in the columns for lighting and effect. One main difference I notice is the structural system used to build each building. Hypostyle Hall used the post and lintel system with columns and a roof. The Palace of Knossos included the use of columns for support, walls and staircases. Another detail that makes them different is the progression and navigation of space. Hypostyle Hall had a strong axial progression and a direct, linear navigation of space. There was really only one way to walk once you entered and that was straight to the end where the statue Amun stood. The Palace of Knossos is asymmetric without a clear floor plan.

Hypostyle Hall

http://skyline-tours.com/mon.html

Palace of Knossos

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/142758/119046/Portion-of-the-reconstructed-Minoan-palace-Knossos-Crete-Greece

5. In Ancient Egypt, hierarchy played a big role in the culture of the people and their eternal life. The higher somebody was in society, the grander their place of living was, and if they were really important than they would have a tomb or temple. From Harwood pages 60-61, a variety of examples of Egyptian furniture are shown. Some of which are very simple and plain, while others are immensely decorated with gold and silver and other furnishings. All of the decorative chairs shown belonged to kings or queens. This relates back to hierarchy and the fact that people are likely to see these chairs after the king or queen dies. Whereas the more simple chairs most likely belonged to low or middle class people. This is why I believe most of the furniture was lightweight and minimal, they weren’t seen by anyone except the owners unless they belonged to a king or queen.

6. As previously talked about, the roles of men and women in ancient Egypt and Greece were that men were higher up than women. This is clearly shown in the pictures on these two urns. Women appear as if they are idolizing the men pictured or serving them. The women are either touching the man or handing him something and then man is sitting at his throne relaxing. This really shows how women were depicted then – much lower than men. This relates back to how different Queens’ temples were than Kings or Pharaohs’. Queens’ temples or tombs, such as Queen Hatshepsut, are smaller and less noticeable and grand than the pyramids.

Point: Theories

In our first unit this semester, Theories, we have talked about just that – a variety of different theories regarding architecture and design. There are reasons behind just about everything that has been designed, whether it relates back to a series of deep research or experiments, objects and buildings aren’t designed because they just look good.

On our first day, we talked about architecture and buildings using a comparison of a basic bicycle shed and the Lincoln Cathedral. While some may think the basic shed isn’t really architecture and that it is “just” a building, I think they are wrong. Everything is designed with a purpose. The shed was designed with considerations in mind and made to the needs of a bicyclist. This brings me to the next topic of that day, Considerations in design. There are several factors that can impact our designs: inside and outside relationships, the third dimension, the fourth dimension (time), light, color, materials, and furnishings. If all of these considerations are applied, I think that is one way to make good design.

Another important lesson from this unit was from the words of Sir Henry Wotton – “In architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation, the end is to build well. Well building hath 3 conditions: commodity, firmness and delight.” This is great way to look at architecture and design by these three factors. Commodity in design is the ability to have function and a purpose. Firmness involves stability. Delight is simply beauty in the design and the ability to interest someone. I think there are many buildings that really can include all three of these words from Wotten. Although I think if the considerations from our first lesson can be applied with Wotten’s to make it stronger in design.

Aedicule is the way of looking at architecture and design. It is the simplest form of architecture, a roof and 4 posts basically. All buildings are made up of aedicules. This is like the foundation or building block of everything. It seems like everything that is done in the world has a similar system and building block. For example in science and experiments, there is the scientific method - a system of steps to help prepare and follow through with an experiment. With culinary, there are recipes and ways to start cooking so you can add stuff in later to change and manipulate the recipe. And in design, there is our building block and other different ways or rules to do things. Once you have the foundation, you can reflect back on the classical world, look at alternative inspiration, or explore new ideas.

The Design Cycle is another thing we learned about in this unit. This was adapted from anthropology and tries to explain why some styles last and some don’t. Many ideas can factor into why things go out of style: vernacular and high style differences, regional influences, and many others. The ability for something to stay in style must be because it is truly great design.

The nautilus shell best describes the unit, in my opinion. Roth discusses architecture being the unavoidable art and how we must design for the environment around us. Also, architecture is a physical record of human activity (Roth, 3). The mollusk builds its nautilus shell around itself to house them. It is a hard shell of calcium carbonate and the mollusk adds on as it becomes bigger, keeping the part of shell that was there before. This shell describes what Roth was talking about. The shell also is an example of Wotton’s, commodity, firmness, and delight. It shows commodity because it has a function of being the mollusks home and protection. It shows firmness because of the strong materials its made of that can protect the mollusk. It shows delight because the shell is interesting and nice to look at. The nautilus shell can be related to theories throughout this unit, which is why I think it is a great image to represent the unit.

http://www.soulsofdistortion.nl/SODA_chapter5.html

IAR 222: Reading Comprehension 1

Question 1:

The Tugendhat House, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is a great example of Wottens definition of good design having commodity, firmness, and delight. This house has commodity because of the way the interior is set up. There are no dividing walls, but planes separating spaces instead. This creates function by making it easier to get to one space from another and providing an organization of space. The materials used in the building represent firmness. Steel columns are used throughout the house providing stability for the structural load. The Tugendhat House has delight for many reasons. The steel columns are covered in a stainless steel finish, showing that it is luxurious and stylish. The way glass is used also shows delight. There are glass walls that look out towards a beautiful rural view outside, also bringing natural light inside. The way the overall space is composed is also delightful to look at with the curved wall planes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/garden/22mies.html?_r=3

Question 2:

China and Japan have influenced the West in so many ways, especially art and architecture throughout the years. Nature is a primary design used in Eastern art. In this contemporary textile, I specifically see influence from China. There are many bright colors used which is common to Chinese art to highlight motif. Blue represents heaven and green represents prosperity, both are used in this fabric. Natural is also common in artwork in the eastern world. Flowers are often used; typical kinds of flowers are the lotus and chrysanthemum. I can’t tell what kind of flower it is in this fabric but it looks like it might be chrysanthemum. While the bold colors and flower motifs from China are most apparent in this fabric, there are some Japanese influences that are noticeable as well. The Japanese prefer a more asymmetric look whereas Chinese focus more on symmetry in art. This fabric shows an asymmetric pattern that is balanced by swirls around the flowers that inhabit the bottom part of the pattern. Japanese motifs include whirlpool designs, waves, swirls, and circular forms – all of which are present in this contemporary textile.

http://allfreed.ru/uploads/posts/1111/13071208612479_495009.jpg

Question 3:

Everyone who is in IAR 222 is familiar with the smaller scale seating and overall lack of space. Hall says that we have to start seeing man as in a conversation with his environment, and architects are creating with no reference to man’s spatial needs (Hall, 6). Our classroom was clearly built like this – without reference to spatial needs. The seats are not only not wide enough for comfort, but there isn’t enough foot room when having a book bag on the ground, and not enough overall space between the next person.


Question 4:

"More awkwardly still, architecture asks us to imaging that happiness might often have an unostentatious, unheroic character to it, that it might be found in a run of old floorboards or in a wash of morning light over a plaster wall – in undramatic, frangible scenes of beauty that move us because we are aware of the darker backdrop against which they are set.” – Alain de Botton

To me, this quote sums up what the article was all about. I agree with Botton that there can be architecture of happiness. A building or object doesn’t have to necessarily look pretty to make a person happy. I think most everything has memories that come along with it. A house may be ugly, but if a person grew up in that same house, it probably makes them happy and therefore is happy architecture to them. The attached photo is my parents’ house and my home to go back to when I’m not away at school. I don’t really love the design of it and I hate the floorplan. But it makes me happy to be there and go home to.

Photo by: Patti Leisure