design : cosmology

Junctions :: Explorations of the Self

reladd@uncg.edu (Rebecca Ladd) — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:22:00 +0000

Cathedrals of the Gothic Period [Amiens Cathedral]

Cave Formations, the art of nature

My Cornish Rex named Meddle, with her uniquely curly fur and persona.

Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles in France.

Yellowstone National Park's Blue pools.

Japanese Woodblock Prints

Casa Batllo

The Pillars of Creation, stars and galaxies.

My mother's necklace.

Cloth and how it can be arranged into various folds and cast amazing shadows.

[Sources]
Google Images (Click on Pictures to go to source.)

Exploring Chiaroscuro

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Notre Dame du Haut

Kaleidoscope

Crystal Cathedral

Acrylic Paint

Seattle Public Library

The Sun

Lightning

A Street Light

The Coolest Lamp IKEA Has

Candles

Post by Neal Mickey and Nicole Robert

Pictures Taken from Flickr

Aqua Vitae for Last Unit "Exploration"

noreply@blogger.com (Young) — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Stonehenge

http://www.fotocommunity.com/search?q=stonehenge&index=fotos&options=YToxOntzOjU6InN0YXJ0IjtzOjI6IjE2Ijt9&pos=23&display=3947141

Pyramid

http://www.fotocommunity.com/search?q=Pyramid&index=fotos&options=YToyOntzOjc6ImNoYW5uZWwiO3M6MToiMCI7czo1OiJzdGFydCI7czoyOiI1NiI7fQ&pos=61&display=15477129

Turgeano House: fluidity

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/887297758_28396bd235.jpg

Seattle Public Library

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Seattle_Public_Library.jpg

Disney Concert Hall

http://stephybdesigns.com/project02/pages/images/99_disney_concert_hall_lg.jpg

Atlantis Apartments: Arquitectonica

http://brickellmiamicondos.com/condo/main_image/2/medium/Atlantis_Main.jpg

Birds Nest

http://images.beijing2008.cn/20070703/Img214104887.jpg

Monticello

http://www.fotocommunity.com/search?q=Monticello&index=fotos&display=14643776

Fallingwater

http://www.fotocommunity.com/search?q=Fallingwater&index=fotos&options=YToxOntzOjc6ImRpc3BsYXkiO3M6ODoiMTQzODAzODYiO30/pos/0

As we have been living our lives in the earth, time goes and history flows, too. With this, the flow of water cannot be stopped by itself and all architectural history flows like water. From Stonehenge to Fallingwater, it is same as flow of history which includes that nobody will recognize before it happens. In other words, people will be able to recognize an architecture when an architecture is built as looking back to history.

By Kristina Ragan & Young Moon

Design Autobiography

cggusta2@uncg.edu (Cassandra Gustafson) — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:28:00 +0000

image courtesy Andra MB on flickr

image courtesy Aws_Alan on flickr

href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/427089270_129db83e61.jpg?v=0">
image courtesy Rashunda on flickr

href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/248571366_e441215ecd.jpg?v=0">
image courtesy T Andersson on flickr

image courtesy OZinOH on Flickr

image courtesy cpdulles.com

image courtesy Spyros_Tav__"Smile : it's contagious" on Flickr

image courtesy Saskya on Flickr

image courtesy Flyian on Flickr

image courtesy Michael Finley on Flickr

Explorations Unit Abstraction: The Theatre of Everyday Life

noreply@blogger.com (Carlos Smith) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Everyday life with the Art Deco movement encouraged a materialistic trend that exists to this day. Architecture and science (aerodynamic studies of the time) defined daily life as well as movies which defined people's fantasies. The design of consumer products is then defined by this newfound demand. What's popular is seen in products rather than in structures. Cars and products made of converging geometric shapes with rounded corners reflect the speed of industry and innovation. Much like computers dictate what and how we lead our lives today cars were a driving force for what is designed and where it will go. The popularity of industry went to the point of popularizing the workplace or the workplace being the center of this industrial design. From Behren's AEG turbine facility we see how industrial buildings are made by architects and from this more formal and traditional buildings are made in this architectural style. The Bauhaus represents this movement to very pronounced block forms and rhythmic facets.

The notion of structures being made out of iron and steel relates back to the ancient Grecians who built structures out of stone to immortalize themselves. However this ideal is not immortalizing as machines must always be maintained and they are always cast aside for newer designs. The current consumer attitude can be traced to this past of emerging industrialism. A nice LCD TV bought today will be outdated in terms of innovation and design in six months. How will the design styles past the reflections unit be defined when they are so short lived due to the turnover rate of machines and technology? Forgotten machines and their turnover rate relates to the "mcmansions" we mass-produce today. Because consumers change their place of residence so frequently there is little demand for well-made structures. The mcmansions are built for the "here and now" rather than for the future and progression of innovation. Consumers are also more willing to pay high money for a nice car or ipod rather than for a nice house or even a nice roof that will save them money in the long run. The theatre of everyday life is about exploring new functions of the everyday life rather than maintaining the functions of everyday life.

Citations:

decopix.com

Patina of Place: Reflections - Ethan Aiken

noreply@blogger.com (The Grey Wanderer) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Artifact: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Furniture
Nature: Like some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, some of his furniture also contained elements of nature.
People: The furniture was very sparse in his homes and designed more for the aesthetic and not for the use of people. This caused a few problems when people tried to live in them.
Material: Most of his furniture was made from natural materials.
Symbol: These pieces of furniture show the change that is occurring in the residential furniture. Furniture now is being designed to the room, instead of being made to serve any purpose.

Space: Crystal Palace
Nature: The greenhouse space is constructed primarily to house plants and other warm weather life. It has an impact on plant life (a good one) in a time of rapid industrial growth.
People: The people of this time period really enjoy these places because they become a grand place to hold parties and show off wealth. This impact is left in the minds of the lower classes.
Material: These buildings are made with the newfound materials, glass and iron. They are the primary reason that these types of structures exist. Without these technologies, buildings made primarily of glass would not be possible to construct.
Symbol: This building symbolizes man’s dominance over nature and their ability to capture living plants all year round. This leaves a new mark of superiority over nature.

Building: Marshall Field Warehouse
Nature: This building goes a lot against nature. It does not borrow any styles or themes, nor does it aid in the progression of nature.
People: This building was very important to people because it was a storage place for trade goods fro the Marshall Field department store.
Material: This building was built primary from stone, borrowing on the palazzo style from Italy.
Symbol: This building symbolizes the change to a society that focuses so heavily on trade and commerce. This idea is not new, but the level to which it is pursued is a great leap for society.

Place: Chicago
Nature: Though the city itself goes against nature in its industrialization, the architecture borrows a lot of styles and detailing from nature. Some ideas, such as leaves and trees, make a big impact on the detailing and bordering of buildings.
People: The people of Chicago embraced the changing times and were open to the new styles. The impact that they left set the bar for design style of America.
Material: Chicago employed a wide range of materials, spanning from new materials steel and glass to older materials such as concrete and stone.
Symbol: Chicago symbolized the pinnacle of architecture and designers. It was the ultimate place for advancement in the United States and (arguably) the world at this time.

Reflections Unit Abstraction: The Theatre of Everyday Life

noreply@blogger.com (Carlos Smith) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:16:00 +0000

The theatre of Everyday life in the new iron age brought people into contact with new forms of media and transportation that correlated with the creation of larger structures made of materials that blurred the lines of what is structural and what is decoration.

New agora-like spaces are created by the french townhomes as they are built into each other adjacently. Because they exist in a public space they are grander and are made with a grander facade; an example of how the lines between upper and middle class are blurred. This blurring is also accomplished through the media in that books and magazines on culture and court life hearken to the past court etiquette manuals of Renaissance times. A new emphasis on court life is also brought on by the iron age, in that many first structures are created for the purpose of upper class social gathering. Glass as a new building material also brings on a focus on nature and nature as an avenue for court life. With the Crystal Palace of London 1851 large existing trees were built around rather than cut down so that nature is now seen within and around architecture. Perhaps architects were trying to say that architecture can dominate and live in harmony with the landscape.

With Ledoux' Saltworks complex he seemed to have a vision to create a whole town out of the complex. This way of building a city from a "corporate" establishment can be related to the Greek cities that first formed first from military camps. Ledoux designed the complex with sun in mind as the semicircle is cleared out so the sun can radiate about. Ledoux said "A good environment makes for a good human being" (unesco.org). With this complex it seems that architecture dictates the everyday life.

Jefferson's Monticello is another classic-inspired self sustaining complex that manufactures and profits from its environment.

Both of these complexes were made mostly of stone, concrete and brick.

If anything this period shows us how classic architecture may be more self sustaining than the iron age metropolises that were blooming. Because archtects seemed to focus first on creating the ultimate party house as well as creating structures for the machines, sustainability was sacrificed for the exploration of the new technologies that would challenge the classic city/town.

Citations:

Roth, Leland (2007). Understanding Architecture. Westview Press.

Blakemore, R. G. (2006). History of Interior Design and Furniture. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans. Retrieved April 18, 2009, from whc.unesco.org Web site: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/203/video

Reflections: Junctions

reladd@uncg.edu (Rebecca Ladd) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:22:00 +0000

‘Reflections’ is most emulated in the idea of stylistic junctions and conflicts between ancient revivals and modern materials through France, England, and the newly reformed United States. I think this section is called reflections because the nations looked back to the past for revivals and ideas for future designs, the reintroduction of the Gothic style, the interest in foreign merchandise from trade routes, and the iron and class combinations all helped to spur changes and junctions between styles.

Artifacts of influence in this junction of design styles and ideas appear as trade goods of foreign cultures such as Asian influence clothing and china ware, and the plans from ancient designs. When the trade route from Asia to Europe opened a whole new influx of ideas and inspirations appeared and was appealing to the people of Europe as the designers of both nations attempted to design in a new way. Asian countries were changing up designs from their own china and goods to be more appealing to the traders of Europe while still giving away a little of their design flair. A term, used especially from the inspiration of Japanese trade and woodblock art was called Japonisme.

Space was an important idea to the English, especially when talking about landscaping in the early part of Reflections, based on the classical ideas of Palatio: Indigo Jones and John Vanbrugh re-worked the idea of landscape architecture with the Queen’s House and landscapes of Castle Howard. The English idea was to use the natural part of nature to create beauty in design rather then make nature more ornate then it really was. This less formal idea was a junction in that is transferred the idea of ornate gardens that were ostentatious to the beauty of nature itself.

Buildings such as the Crystal Palace and many other buildings of “Glass and Iron” were junctions in how everyone thought about design from the building materials all the way down to the building forms themselves. Everyone was so used to the idea of concrete, stone, and other past building materials that it was a major culture shock to use the new materials that interfered with the ways of thinking about Design.

The place each epiphany or junction in architecture and design took place in was an influencing factor on what the change was. In the European nations when the trades started from Asia, the people were influence by the Asian culture and the Asians were influenced by the European culture in order to create more appealing products to the people of Europe from the trade route.

The beginning of junctions between the revival periods that brought on the House of Parliament in England and the revolution of new material with buildings such as the Crystal Palace was a direct symbol of change and things to come in the future of design. It was a symbol that design would continue to move forward rather than be stuck in the ways of ancients and older ideals.

Chiaroscuro in the Reflections Unit

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:19:00 +0000

Cenotaph for Isaac Newton 1784

This structure was designed for Sir Isaac Newton. Its form was derived from the “round tumulus mausoleums of the Romans” (Roth, 450). It was built to have a cylindrical base supporting a pure hemispherical dome. This structure was going to be built by Etienne-Louis

Boullee to explain Newton’s planetary mechanic theories.

The upper-shell was penetrated by pinpricks of daylight. The interior of the dome was black, and therefore the light showing through was a recreation of a “vault of the heavens”. This effect created by this building mirrors a camera-obscura effect because the tiny holes are projecting an image of the sky along the interior walls of this vault

Houses of Parliament London 1870

These Houses of Parliament are a primary example of the Gothic revival during the period of eclecticism. They were built after a fire destroyed the palace of Westminster. This design was the result of a competition, built by Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. The classical symmetrical plan was based on functional needs, but the exterior resembles a gothic cathedral.

In these houses, there are ten internal light courtyards. These courtyards utilize natural light. The light that comes through these courtyards allows for penetration through the windows of the halls and offices, etc. Courtyards provide fresh air and daylight for the building.

Crystal Palace London 1851

The Crystal Palace was built for the world exposition of 1851 by Joseph Paxton, who had previously designed greenhouses. This structure used the new technologies of iron and glass to overcome great expansions. The cast iron pieces were painted blue to merge with the sky above, and Paxton used glass to create translucency

Paxton created a transparent building that removed all visual limits, making the building seem nonexistent. This concept breaks the barrier of the building. His use of illusion mirrors the concept of illusion used in the previous unit, enforced by perspectives, to extend space. This effect that Paxton created served a new purpose as something that was very inviting and comforting within his space.

Robie House Chicago 1909
The Robie House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as the finest of all of his prairie houses, intended as a residence. Wright uses the technique of creating rooms within rooms, by subdividing his space not by interior walls, but by using extended horizontal lines throughout his rooms. He designed the rooms so that there was not one particular orientation, and every wall functions the same.

Not only in the Robie house, but in all of Wright’s buildings, he exploits natural light and hides artificial light. All artificial lighting in his spaces are hidden, so one never knows where it comes from. Wright also uses manipulation of windows, all sizes, to allow for natural light and allow inspiration to come from nature rather than technology.

Casa Mila Barcelona 1910

This building is based off of human forms and inspiration. It includes a singular line of fluidity among all its pieces. This building is an apartment building, and Gaudi designed every aspect of each space. All about organic shapes and naturalism, the building creates irregular walls that resemble plant systems and the exterior looks like a cliff by the seas of Barcelona. The balconies resemble tangled sea kelp. So overall, the building is inspired by the fluidity of the ocean.

This complex has four light courts, allowing light to penetrate into the building. It is said to “play in the sunlight” through its use of tiles that reflect sunlight in different ways. The organic form plays with light by creating a variety of organic shadows depending on the time of day and the direction of sunlight.

By Neal Mickey and Nicole Robert

Fingerprints and Footprints | Reflections Summary

cggusta2@uncg.edu (Cassandra Gustafson) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:52:00 +0000

||||Fingerprints & Footprints
leave an unique impression. Footprints represent a definite move forward, having a lasting impression upon history. Fingerprints leave a unique impression upon the face of history, but, unlike footprints are not moving forward.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37996580657@N01/130971893

William Morris along with some others promoted hand-crafted artifacts during the Arts and Crafts Movement. Hand crafted artifacts are closer to nature than those made by a machine, and are generally made of more natural materials. They believed that hand-crafted artifacts also kept people out of factories and reduced the negative effects of industrialism, thus benefiting all people and their natural surroundings. These artifacts were intended for everyone, but only the wealthy could afford them, thus leaving a fingerprint instead of a footprint.

http://www.sawmillcottage.net/Castle%20Howard.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfumatura_it/3373032904/

The gardens at the Castle Howard appear less formal, but are indeed carefully planned spaces, that though are from natural materials, are not natural because they are planned. Another interesting planned space were those of the emerging middle class, who wished to emulate the upper class in their apparent way of life. Large structures with the appearance of the home of a wealthy upper class family were built, but were in fact divided living spaces for the middle class or upper middle class. In the middle of these were open communal spaces, sort of like parks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dulwichonview/2424731509/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gare_de_d%27Est_Paris_2007_a2.jpg

The technology of iron and glass made the opening of space possible. Not only did the glass structures seem larger because they appeared without walls and/or ceilings, but also were of larger expanses. An outstanding example was the Crystal Palace of London. Also, conservatories were built from these materials, displaying plants from all over the world—brought back by wealthy men from their tour. These buildings were used as party spaces for the wealthy elite, also promoting healthy, cleaner air. For the middle class, iron and glass also opened up spaces, specifically in the arcades, which provided entertainment, especially in the form of shopping. In the Southern United States, however, masonry was used as a primary building material, such as at Dayton Hall, as well as at UVA and Monticello, both of which we recently visited.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/khaugli/17107022/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deegs/2068134591/

http://paaia.org/galleries/default-image/white%20house.jpg

As the United States grew, so did its urban areas. The nature of places was changing, as were the people within them. The city that underwent the biggest change was Chicago, due to a fire that wiped out most of the city, allowing fresh ideas in architecture to arise in that center. Cities became a place for people, as they were a center for politics and a source of more financial stability, especially due to the number of jobs arising there, particularly in factories. Washington, DC was built from the ground up with the intention of being as much like Rome as possible, symbolizing its stance as a Republic. The buildings within it, especially the White House, have become symbols for the United States and what it stands for.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottwrightphoto/3084511166/

An interesting example of materiality in a place is the Royal Pavilion in Brighton by John Nash. The supposedly gaudy structure took around 35 years to complete, leaving its roots as a fishing cabin and becoming a sort of museum of Asian curiosities. It was criticized as being distasteful and over the top.

-Kristen Sylvia & Cassandra Gustafson

Aqua Vitae: Reflections

karagan@uncg.edu (Kristina Ragan) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Aqua Vitae [Re]flections Unit--Honors Summary [RAGAN & YOUNG]
The water of life can be viewed and further extracted to reflect this unit in a more abstract sense. We viewed this sense of life meets water through the war, Industrial Revolution and this rebirth of antiquity. If one thinks of life and the qualities of water, then our abstraction makes perfect sense. Water is fluid and spreads quickly, touching everything in its path. Water is easily manuvered and can sometimes soak up and ruin any the things it interacts with. For example, the news, advancements in travel and so forth, can be viewed as the living water of America in the 18th-19th century. Faster travel led to more news about life and the news spread FAST.
Another example of this transportation and travel reflecting water and was of the east meets west idea of the times. The Silk Road and other such trade routes began blooming from all angles of the world. These routes led to the desire for “exotic” artifacts to be apart of European design. The World’s Fair of 1851 in London showcased many cultures and allowed for them to learn from each other, to intermingle and to influence and inspiring each other.
To switch gears within this unit, we discussed the French middle and upper classes and their relationship to one another. These classes were completely different, however, in the 18th-19th century, the middle class began to construct homes and have them resemble that of the wealthy upper class palaces. They created meager ponds in the center of their clustered homes in the middle class to try to reflect the large fountains and lakes of the upper class royalty.

Crystal Palace, 1851 Cultural mixing

Cites for images: www.crystalpalace51.org/

Alternatives Unit Abstraction: The Theatre of Everyday Life

noreply@blogger.com (Carlos Smith) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:10:00 +0000

As humanism blosomed during the Renaissance, the focus shifted from religion to human accomplishment and human sustenance. Commisioned buildings and art became the norm in Italy and the rest of Europe effectively establishing a single patron or family as important members of society. Much like the Greek who sought "arete" and literally set thier accomphishments in stone, so did the everyday nobility of everyday Renaisssance Europe (Roth 215-246).

Studies of the classic Latin texts of Virgil, Cicero and Grecian texts of Plato and Aristotle (Roth 353-396). Vitruvious' "Ten Books On Architecture" describes Philebus-how the human body is built into the scale of itself and that circles and squares can be found in these human proportions. Brunelleschi's foundling hospital was an example of a structure measured in human proportions. Humanism was somehow resurrecting classic forms as in columns and arches in relation to human proportion. Andrea Palladio ressurected the collonaded portico for private homes (Roth 353-396).

Starting with Elizabeth I, fortified dwellings and structures began to "open up" in terms of adding large windows and walls with engaged columns (Roth 353-396). Large yards and gardens would begin to introduce the home. Gardens were also arranged in axial arrangement to influence movement. Windows opened to the outside gardens and inspired the gardens to grow. A deeper connection grew between human studies and nature as man's natural proportions became more evident as the vessel of architecture.

Castle Stokesay (England) Has larger windows than previous high fortified castles

gallery.nen.gov.uk

Class structure and spatial identity became more evident through the materials and purposes of the three story pallazos. the first floor was the work space, the second was the entertaining space while the third was private. A symbolism of dirt and ground is connected this first floor work space. The second floor is made more ornate with many windows and/or columns and arches. The third floor is the most private with less windows and ornateness. The second floor seems to those who pass that it is higher than them and only the select aristocratic few may enter.

Italian Palazzo- Direct.com

Brunellesci's Foundling Hospital

community.livejournal.com

Citations

Roth, Leland (2007). Understanding Architecture. Westview Press.

Patina of Place: Alternatives - Ethan Aiken

noreply@blogger.com (The Grey Wanderer) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Alternatives Unit:

Artifact: Staircase at the Library of San Lorenzo

Nature: The stairs in the Library of San Lorenzo reflect a cascading waterfall in the design. This emergence of natural elements and patterns are very characteristic of Renaissance.

People: This artifact is very important for the people because it provided entry to this new place of collected knowledge. This impacted the environment, or rather, the people in the environment very greatly. It let them move from place to place with ease and make it less challenging to gain knowledge.

Material: The staircase is primarily made out of shaped stone and marble. The way the stone is shaped, however, it reflects moving water in its form.

Symbol: This staircase is a symbol in many different ways. The first way is that it symbolizes the rise to knowledge and the journey that each step of the journey represents.

Space: Piazza of Saint Peter

Nature: This area in front of Saint Peter’s goes against nature on every level. Where there would be trees and grass, there are pillars and stone. This space also brings order to the disorder of nature.

People: This space is a grand gathering space for the people of the area because it is one of the few areas that people can gather together outside.

Material: This area is mostly stone and contains fountains, adding a thin layer of natural elements to this unnatural space. The theme of water is prevalent throughout the city.

Symbol: This area is constructed so that they surrounding structure resembles outstretched arms, showing the welcoming feel that the church is encouraging.

Building: Versailles

Nature: Like the other structures of this time, this grand building chooses the order of the built world over the disorder of natural world.

People: The people of this time did not approve of the construction of this palace and to show their discontent, a revolution arose mainly because of this building.

Material: This building did not spare anything in the construction. It had the finest stone and glass, as long as a grand hall of mirrors.

Symbol: This building was the symbol of grandeur for the owners and revolution for everyone else. It inspired outrage at the thought of the waste of money during this difficult time in history.

Place: Venice

Nature: This floating city defies nature entirely. This area is built on top of logs lying on top of a swamp. This city is also very ordered and

People: This city shows the adaptability of the humanity. The people adapted from land to water.

Material: This city is made of many different materials. The base is made of wood and water, leading to the next layer of stone. The buildings on top of this are made of many different materials such as marble, stone, and wood.

Symbol: This city symbolizes the resolve of the human spirit. They live with many challenges every day and have built a beautiful city up from the swamp.

P A T I N A O F P L A C E

noreply@blogger.com (allisonwilson) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:45:00 +0000

photo credit

I. Place::Heaven

A. Nature:: Earth versus Hell versus Heaven. After the year 1000 people thought the world was going to end and everything left on Earth would descend into Hell.

B. People:: People's religion greatly influenced the aspect of faith Incorporated in design

C. Material::Heaven was portrayed through the use of light via windows, glass and water.

D. Symbol::The Heaven role in architecture and design depicted the peoples beliefs of afterlife.

II. Building: Versailles

A. Nature:: The landscape of Versailles was important just like the architecture itself.

B. People:: Versailles was like people linking arms and standing together to seem stronger.

C. Material:: The material of Versailles was strong and elaborately decorated.

D. Symbol:: As found in nature the same concept of a school of fish was portrayed in architecture by smaller, uniform buildings connecting to give off a more powerful and grand appearance.

III. Space::Vitruvius' idea of rational proportion within design::'the space between'

A. Nature:: Proportions are found within nature: example: shell

B. People:: People look for order in everything.

C. Material:: this concept was depicting through many types of material and all forms. Ranging from the shell to landscape design to the material used for the building itself.

D. Symbol:: This concept symbolized order and clarity

IV. Artifact::Landscape

A. Nature:: Landscape design was redesigning something that is found in nature and relating it to architecture and the community.

B. People:: The English gardens were more formal compared to the French; this gave insight to the peoples culture.

C. Material:: All material was found in nature and accentuated to a hilt.

D. Symbol:: Landscape symbolized the people's culture, beliefs and traditions as well as reflecting architectural concepts.

Aqua Vitae for "Alternative" unit

noreply@blogger.com (Young) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Throughout "Alternative" unit which contains the Medieval period, Renaissance, and Baroque, Venice (Venezia in Italian) need to mentioned under the topic of "Aqua Vitae" because Venice is a city of floating stone; in other words, a city on the water(sea). Venice was built by the principle of utilizing wood to construct the base of Venice. The great example of use of water shapes history of architecture is Venice.

Above image is from flickr.com

By Kristina Ragan and Young Moon

Chiaroscuro in the Alternatives Unit

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Amiens: France 1250

Amiens Cathedral, or Notre Dame, is the tallest cathedral in France, and is representational of Gothic architecture. This cathedral is the exposition of a whole: consisting of decoration, form and structure. It interrelates horizontal and vertical elements, and incorporates human figures in its facades.

In this cathedral, the use of windows allows for the reception of light. The light infiltrates the nave of the cathedral, making obvious the presence of God. From many standpoints, light falls into the space, however, the source is unclear.

Duomo: Italy 1436

The Duomo, also known as the Florence Cathedral, ends the Gothic era and marks the beginning of the Renaissance. It is well known for its dome, designed by Brunelleschi, and its illustrated façade. It is the chief landmark of Florence and acts as a way to show civility through transformation from public to private.

The use of circular windows is important in the entrance of light in that it is the main source of natural light. The Florence Cathedral has a white interior, which emphasizes the light entering the cathedral, creating more light than expected.

Cologne: Germany 1560

The Cologne Cathedral, also known as the Kolner Dom, was the worlds tallest structure until the construction of the Washington Monument in 1884. It is a monument of Christianity and Gothic Architecture. It was built in dedication to St. Peter and the Virgin Mary.

The use of adjacent windows allows for maximum light entrance in the Cologne Cathedral. Not only do the windows light the nave, but the spire also allows for light, creating an interesting composition. The most light is found at the apse, making the priest the most important figure in the cathedral.

Salisbury: England 1266

Unlike the previous cathedrals, this one is not Gothic, but Romanesque. It is considered one of the leading examples of Early English Architecture. This cathedral contains the world’s oldest working clock and one of four copies of the Magna Carta.

In this Cathedral, the complex ceiling structure plays a huge role in the incorporation of light.

When one stands in the Salisbury Cathedral, it is obvious that light is coming through, but the question is- where? There is so much detail in ceiling structure that it is almost impossible to define the exact source of light. Also, with the way the light enters the cathedral, it resembles artificial light, though it is actually natural light.

Foundling Hospital: Italy 1424

This building was designed by Brunelleschi, with the use of circles and squares and cubes to determine proportion (Roth, 362). It aims to create “the perfect façade” through symmetry and repetition of columns. However, behind this façade, the space is asymmetrical and the columns in the courtyard are unaligned.

The colonnade creates a concept of repeating light and shadow, enforcing a sense of intimacy upon the people it functions for. There is also a slight use of light and dark colors in the blue rondels with the white babies.

Santa Maria Novella: Italy 1471

This church is the first great basilica of Florence. This is an example of the beginning use of a temple inside a temple, creating one façade out of two floors. The façade is illustrated so that it looks like it had been pasted on, and it uses a central rose window to symbolize its function.

The use of light in this building has more to do with the façade. The light stone and dark stone are placed in geometric patterns, creating an architecture parlent.

Palazzo de Medici: Italy 1460

Built for the Medici family by Bartolomeo, this building reflects inspiration from both Roman and Brunelleschi principles. The palazzo form serves for business, entertainment, and family. The Front façade and its disappearance of rustication is one of the main ideas in this building.

The oversized cornice is set at a city scale, and overshadows the city. The roughness of the exterior lessens as the view goes from the bottom to the top, causing a gradation of shadow in texture from dark to light.

Villa Rotunda: Italy 1550

This villa was designed by Palladio, and was the beginning of “breaking the rules” by putting a temple-front on a square space. This villa was built as a “home away from home” or an escape from city life. This building was never completed by Palladio, and was taken over by Vincenzo Scamozzi.

Palladio’s idea of putting a temple-front on a home led to this idea of making something sacred from scratch. After being taken over by Scamozzi, he decided to further this emphasis of holiness with an oculus, which he installed in the top of the dome. In the exterior, it is unclear that light would be able to fill the building, but in the interior, it seems to be overwhelmed with light.

Sistine Chapel: Italy 1483
The Sistine Chapel is a famous church in Italy designed by some of the most famous Renaissance artists including Michaelangelo, Raphael, Bernini and Botticelli. The architecture is almost surprising. If you look at the exterior, it’s bland and monochromatic. One would never think that the inside would be as beautiful as it is.

The Sistine Chapel is most famous for its frescoes painted on the ceiling as well as on the walls. These Frescoes represent chiaroscuro in both the literal way and the interpretive way. First, the art of chiaroscuro is shown through the light and dark values used to illuminate the human figure. This use of light and dark in perspective causes the transition from the wall to the ceiling to disappear, so that the space is extended. Second, light in chiaroscuro is shown through the use of windows in the nave. These windows allow light into the chapel, which first illuminates the ceilings, and then reflects from the ceiling to the walls on the sides.

Chapel of Four Fountains: Italy 1638

This church was the first church in Italy to be built by Borromini, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The name of this chapel derives from the four fountains, which can be found at each corner of the church. The façade incorporates much undulation, or movement of the eye.

The use of light in this church comes primarily from the oval shaped dome in the center of the ceiling. The light that travels through the small windows within this dome is a “white” light, and it almost seems filtered, because of how softly the light falls into the church.

Piazza St. Peter: Italy 1667

This piazza was designed by Bernini. This space is defined by its oval shape and its consistent use of colonnades to imply enclosure within the space. The oval shape can be interpreted as “arms reaching out” from the church along the borders of the piazza. Bernini designed the piazza the way he id to create a sense of order among the city. The piazza is built at city scale, and is an example of Uniformity within the Baroque era.

The use of the colonnade in the Piazza St. Peter plays a huge role in the design itself. The shadows cast by the colonnade create a transition from exterior to interior, in that as soon as someone enters the colonnade, he or she feels like they are in a private area, or a refuge from light. It is also extremely useful because as someone is standing in the middle of the piazza, they might become extremely hot, and then once they walk into the colonnade, they are safe from the heat of the day.

Hall of Mirrors: France 1688

The Hall of Mirrors is the biggest room of the Palace of Versailles. It gets its name from the seventeen mirrors facing seventeen windows overlooking the garden. The Hall of Mirrors links the exterior and the interior through its illusion of reflection. The furniture and architecture within this hall are based on the mirrors themselves.

The Hall of Mirrors uses light through reflection. Light enters the room, through the windows, reflects off of the mirrors, and expands throughout the room. This light is symbolic of “heaven on earth”. The Hall of Mirrors is the most well lit room in France, and not only does it use natural light, but also chandeliers. The chandeliers also reflect in the mirrors, and are more effective at night, while natural light spills into the hall during the day.

By Neal Mickey and Nicole Robert

Photos taken from Flickr

Alternatives: Fingerprints & Footprints

cggusta2@uncg.edu (Cassandra Gustafson) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:32:00 +0000

ARTIFACT

Nature

image courtesy w_a_b @ flickr
One of the rooms of one of the greatest known buildings of France and Baroque, Versailles is the Hall of Mirrors, in which the highly controlled landscape is reflected in the mirrors (artifacts), visually expanding the amount of space perceived. Gothic Cathedrals utilized light as a natural artifact.

People

image courtesy Badulake Mahapralaya! @ flickr
The highly expressive image of St. Theresa in the Capella Cornaro, as an artifact, evokes emotion in the viewer, especially in the church setting.

SPACE

Nature

image courtesy Gibna Kebira @ flickr
The gardens of wealthy estates created spaces by manipulating nature in carefully planned gardens, such as the ones at Vaux-Le-Vicomte. In France, these gardens were highly formal, while in England they appeared more natural and informal but were no less planned than those in France.

People

image courtesy Memento @ flickr
The dome, such as those of the Renaissance church, Basilica San Marco, creates a conducive and awe-inspiring environment for large groups of people by expanding the space vertically. Also, in the Baroque period, public spaces, such as The Piazza Navona, created a space for people to gather and circulate through. Water is used here to emphasize “clarity, fluidity, and light.”

Material
The Capella Cornaro by Bernini in the Baroque period uses a strong sense of material similar to the Baldacchino in that the artist shaped the material, marble, to look like fabric.

image courtesy .Fabio @ flickr

BUILDING

Nature
Gothic cathedrals stretched the nature of the materials used. This sometimes caused collapse or near-collapse of the structures. Flying buttresses were conceived as an alternate structure to carry the weight.

People

image courtesy Piotr Sobczyk @ flickr
The Scalinate di Spagna is a well-known space for meeting and congregation. The importance of water in the Baroque period is illustrated here not with water, but with people flowing up and down the stairs.

Material
Ste. Madeline, a pilgrimage church constructed in the Renaissance, was constructed to bring awe, especially in the details, including snakes. These details, also used in other periods, began as an alternative source of information for a mostly illiterate (in the sense of reading and writing) society.

PLACE

Nature

image courtesy Luigi FDV @ flickr
The Trevi Fountain uses nature in a way of materials by incorporating water flowing over the structure and light reflecting off the water. In the Baroque spirit, it is a very organic, and peaceful place, created through its involvement of natural elements.

People
In the Renaissance, “Old” St. Peter became important for Christianity as it served as a gathering place for the community.

image courtesy mambo1935 @ flickr
The Baroque addition of the Piazza di S. Pietro by Bernini creates open spaces, connecting along boulevards in the city plan, which brings overall order to the city. It also enables a power structure, which tells people where to drive or walk.

Material
Bernini’s Baldaccino is a great example of Baroque’s importance of material. In this piece, Bernini created the surface to look like fabric. This aedicule creates a specific place within a greater space.

Symbol

image courtesy Luca Zappacosta @ flickr
The Duomo of Florence became a symbol of that city. Another example is the Abbey Church that symbolized the need for order within chaos- a Renaissance principle. The Baroque, highly formalized gardens of Versailles manipulates the landscape “as far as the eye can see”, showing the power of the king.

Alternatives: Junctions

reladd@uncg.edu (Rebecca Ladd) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:46:00 +0000

The chapter summary of Alternatives was filled with very contrasting periods in architecture and art. The renaissance being the period of enlightenment and a junction for knowledge and rules for the people and the Baroque/Rococo bending these newly written rules and focusing on the more frivolous and luxurious side of art and architecture. All this transition between styles and buildings as effect from them are quite a far leap ahead of the previous chapter on ancient civilizations discussed in Foundations, the junction between the two chapters and their periods of architecture and design is vast because of new use materials and people’s ideals presented within them.

[An example of Renaissance Architecture]

[And example of Baroque Architecture]

Between the renaissance and the baroque period of Italy and France, there are many things that contribute to the junctions and intersections between the two stylistic periods. The concept of space within a building was very linear and straightforward in the time of the renaissance and was very blurred and imaginative in the baroque. A best example of this dynamic change in ideal would be between the St. Maria Novella in Italy during the Renaissance, with its ancient world ideas and geometric layout, and the palace of Versailles during the Baroque, with the frivolous curves and overly grand appearance. This junction, being the change in styles between clear-cut and vague, was especially apparent when it came to the lines that differentiated the walls from the ceilings. Artifacts present are simply those elements and ideals of architecture in the two periods, the written rule as mentioned before and the buildings themselves that followed or broke these rules.

People were the cause of the junction between the two periods of the Renaissance and Baroque period. Religion was a major catalyst in the crossroads between the styles along with emotion being added as a key element in architecture especially in the Baroque period. Junctions also occurred within the countries themselves like with in Italy going from a city ruled but the church and clergy to being ruled over with influence from the merchant class that helped to contribute to the city. Materials of the time really didn’t add to the junction between these periods in the chapter, it was more of the ideas used to transform the materials that was the definition of junction, in the Baroque period of Italy and France, plaster was molded into curly and curvy shapes around fresco wall paintings that were key to the frivolity of the period itself while in the Italian and French Renaissance it was more linear or geometric, still taking inspiration from ancient times and their architectural ideas with the column orders and symmetry.

In conclusion, junctions in design and architecture were most identifiable in the stylistic transitions between the Renaissance and the Baroque period, the majority of this junction idea appearing in the forward thinking countries of France and Italy. While this change was also happening in England as well, it was more apparent and contrasting in appearance in France and Italy.

::Sources::
Chateau de Maisons Picture
The Duomo Picture

Foundations: Junctions

reladd@uncg.edu (Rebecca Ladd) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:41:00 +0000

Originally posted here on March 1.

[Abstractions of Junctions]

Junctions can be found in and between design along with the culture that influences it. A junction by a definition that is not abstract is a place where two or more things come together, I think that this can be interpreted in a physical state or in the abstract sense of something not so literal in interpretation.

Artifacts

Artifacts themselves are story telling tools for past and present on how a space or something in nature can be categorized as a junction. A literal interpretation are street signs at a major interception, one or more roads coming together, telling the people interacting in the area where to go and how to go safely as artifacts for the space.

Nature

Junctions can occur in natural things as well as things that are man-made. In the beginning of the idea of creating something successful in architecture and design, the early Mesopotamians used nature incorporated with their designs by utilizing the land's curves and building with the land. It wasn't until the Egyptians, later leading to the Greeks and Romans formed a rift in this ideal and started building against the land or on top of it that a junction or crossing of ideas in the way things were thought to be successful design, two ways of thinking, one a more dominate change for centuries to come in the world of design and still a major influence in our own lives and how we view design itself.

People

A way to think about junctions in terms of people makes me automatically think about when we delved into the Roman chapter and learned about the Romans and their superior idea of building things to glorify Rome and make Rome most important. Though a system of roads isn't really anything of great grandeur it is considered a junction in a physical sense because the large distance the roads expand to intersect with neighboring cities and towns to connect all the Roman empire together. It is a junction in that people are constantly walking through the intersections of road and seeing others.

Space

Space withing pieces of architecture can create junctions for people as an idea of circulation through out an area with many people interacting within it. As a modern day example, the Moore Humanities building [MHRA] has a sense of junction within a spacial area. People come and go throughout the normal class day, interacting and intermingling with people coming ad going to class as well as teachers coming in and out. The train terminal of Grand Central station is the epitome of a junction as a space with the coming and going to trains and other systems of transportation from place to place with people in and out of New York City.

::Sources::
Roman Road image and added information

Foundations Unit Abstraction: The Theatre of Everyday Life

noreply@blogger.com (Carlos Smith) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:40:00 +0000

How is a civilization's daily life reflected through their architecture? From studying structures, furniture and other artifacts we can trace the origins of past civilization's interactions and ideals.

Egyptians-

The Egyptians incorporated nature into all of thier building, as the nile river was one of the main sources for their limestone material for building all structures. Pyramids were made of the local stone materials creating a contrastingly large structure which blended with the sand of the desert. Egyptians furniture turned to animals in linkage to nature. The legs of furniture would often have animal like feet turned forward to show the natural position of the animal. Hieroglyphics often featured animistic figures to represent letters, words and meanings. Because cats were so greatly revered, they were seen as protectors of the people. They were domesticated by the Egyptians in 200 B.C. and were utilized in hunting parties to catch fish among other small game. The sphinx- another cat form is the symbolic protector of the land made by Pharaoh Kafre (4th dynasty).

Although they eventually created chairs with slanted backs we see that early furniture as well as heiroglyphics of ancient Egypt dictate that straight posture was a large part of their ideal human form. Furniture such as chairs often had very straight backs, head rests placed on beds were like cradles for the head which would maintain straight posture even in sleep. The emphasis on straight posture may be related to cats as they were highly revered for their aristocratic manner conveyed through their prancy straight gait.

Nature is also part of the very symbolic culture of the ancient Egyptians in that the sun, cats, the nile river among other things had vast importance to religion and the theatre of everyday life. Large ammassments of slaves were gathered in order to take on the pharoah's many building projects. They created pyramids to build up to and point to the sun. They were a physical manefestation of their pathway to afterlife. The nile river was another physical manifestation of the division of life and afterlife. The east side of the nile is life while death or the afterlife resides on the west side. In Someone's tomb all of their belongings such as furniture, slaves as well as pets are buried with them so that they may use them in the afterlife.

Greece-

Natural designs were reflected in Greek columns: The volutes of the ionic columns were related to ram or goat horns, Corinthian columns were based on acanthus leaves. Their furniture was also animistic in that the feet were modeled after animal paws. They differed from Egyptian design in that the paws were turned outward rather than in the direction the animal faces. Wealthy people showed hierarchy through the feet of chairs in that the feet were often on top of carved "reeds" to symbolize that the ruler's feet never touch the ground.

Architecture was based on the symbolism of the the Greek gods as each city was modeled after and based on a the story of a god. Outside of the Erectheion in Athens, Athena was said to have beaten Poseidon in a fight in which Athena won therefore naming Athens after herself. The temple of Athena sits on the acropolis amongst the Erectheion and the Parthenon.

The People of Greece sought to achieve "arete" meaning "quality and excellence attained from fine testing and refinement" (Roth 215-246) so that they would be immortalized through their accomplishments. This is evident in various facets from their orthogonal planning to their fine lined columns and temple cornices. A focus of democracy began through this: demos meaning the people and cracy meaning governed by the people. Although this truly meant only land owning free white men could vote there was still a great focus on civic interaction through the creation and use of agoras, theaters, and coliseums.

Stone was the primary material of the Greeks. Forts were created in the defense against the surrounding "barbarians." Stone is also permanent relating to the immortality of arete.

Rome-

Structures such as theaters were built into hillsides so as to create a natural backdrop to the stage. Natural designs were also in their furniture continuing the tradition of animal forms.

The Roman person was based on militarism and duty to the state. They refined past people's designs as well as the greeks through their engineering in aqueducts, roads, and arches. The Romans adapted their religion to be like the Greek religion of the Olympian Gods. Like the Greek the Romans had a large emphasis on civic life and like the Greek agora they had forums- spaces outlined by the basilica and other buildings. The emperors of Rome dictated much of the Roman culture through free entertainment and the architecture of theaters, baths, and stadiums. Bathhouses built on top of natural springs or fed from aqueducts cycled into the Roman's daily life. The typical roman would work from sunrise till noon, visit the bathhouse for the rest of the day then return home for a relaxing dinner.

The Romans continued the use of stone as well as concrete and created new forms of columns such as composite columns- combinations of ionic, corinthian as well as influences from other designs.

Citations-

Springer, Ilene (2001,4,1). The Cat In Ancient Egypt. Retrieved February 28, 2009, from touregypt.net Web site: http://www.touregypt.net/magazine/mag04012001/magf1.htm

Roth, Leland (2007). Understanding Architecture. Westview Press.

Kristina Ragan: Aqua Vitae One

karagan@uncg.edu (Kristina Ragan) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Fountain of the Naiads Inspired Michelangelo and Vanvitelli use to create this bascillica.
Basillica Santa Mariadegil Angeli.

Aqua Vitae—water of life
Within the foundations unit, we have discovered what it means to have beginnings, details and eventual influences that led into hybrids in the history of architecture and design. Tied in amongst these ideas, aqua vitae or rather, water of life.
Aqua vitae was most prevalent in the Diocletian Baths with the groups gathering as apart of their culture, the city gathered to bathe in these elaborate baths made of tiles and stone. These baths were areas where living people encountered water and used water in a social context. Pliny the Elder, “if anyone will consider the abundance of Rome’s public supply of water, for baths, cisterns, ditches, villas; and take into account the distance over which it travels, the arches reared, the mountains pierced, the valley’s spanned—he will admit that there never was anything more marvelous in the whole world.” This is saying that water was a prime and an abundant resource that was waiting to be utilized and was eventually recognized for its great necessity. Water was not just a social scene or hygienic means of cleansing, but was also necessary for travel in Greece. The islands in Greece needed to trade and use the water ways to get the resources they needed and revenue via trading with other countries. Therefore, water was a foundation for business and/or trade, décor (fountains and so forth), travel and hygiene.
In conclusion, water gave life an opportunity to live and thrive. Water cleaned the living and provided for design inspiration and gave cause to effect. Water birthed architectural foundations and created new, useful spaces for the public. The very nature of how society once lived has been changed by the use of water.

Junctions, D.C. Shelton

noreply@blogger.com (Chey Shelton) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Junctions can be found in every lesson of the Foundations Unit. A junction is a meeting of two or more ideas that combine into one. With design it can apply to a multitude of things: man verses animal, architecture verses nature, light verses shadow, natural verses synthetic, etc. In architectural history, the most common junction is of one culture borrowing from the ideas, styles and technologies of past cultures. These joinings can be smooth and seamless or can contrast.

The ancient Romans were the masters of borrowing from other civilizations. They did not try to hide their Greek columns, even their gods and goddesses, nor their Egyptian obelisks. Columns that the Greeks evolved and perfected and used for structural support were used by the Romans as pilasters adorning the facades of their buildings. The Romans also erected massive, freestanding columns, an idea from the Egyptians, as symbols of masculinity, victory and pride. Also like the Egyptians, they would carve images into their stonework to illustrate stories of war and triumph of the benefactor.

Roman & Egyptian Column

Also, Romans were very imposing upon the landscape. Unlike the Greeks, who would build with the topography of the site, Romans would cut out and level and build up the site until it was like they wanted. For example, a Greek designer would build an amphitheater on a hill, where the slope of the land would serve as the basis for seating. Romans, however, as shown in the Coliseum, was built without regards to the terrain.

Other junctions can also be found within design, such as the decision to use local or foreign materials. In Egyptian architecture, buildings were predominately made out of the very sandstone of which their landscape was made. This is a practice that makes some things easier, such as traveling expense and labor. Using local goods help to blend architecture into the landscape and make it seem like it fits its environment. Greeks and Romans also used materials that were more readily available. But, as was the case in the creation of Stonehenge, some designers choose materials that are not local. The stones used for it came from a location very far from the site. This decision not only preserves the local landscape from mutilation, but it makes the structure stand out from the architecture.

Classical Orders

One thing that the Romans did to make an idea their own was to put their own style into it. Their use of columns was often more ornamental unlike the Greeks who used them for load bearing properties. Also, Romans first developed arches, domes and concrete. These three components made everything that they were used in unique. Arches opened up a huge new venue of possibilities to the world. Concrete allowed a brand new surface treatment to be used on buildings which could be molded into any shape and would offer great support.
Junctions, overall, are more common than people may think. It is very important to learn from other peoples’ designs, technologies and artifacts. You never know what you might be able to use of theirs if you can put your own spin on it to make it functional for your visions.

Honor's Abstraction: Patina of Place - Ethan Aiken

noreply@blogger.com (The Grey Wanderer) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Patina of Place: In a description of the book, Patina of Place by Kingston Heath, the writer talks about a very important idea called “Cultural Weathering”. This idea looks at the way society can leave a “cultural imprint” on the landscape and the way that the environment influences the structures that are built on it (Project MUSE). In this specific unit summary, I will address the city of Athens in Greece and observe how the landscape affected the way that the people designed their structures and the way that their structures modified the environment. I will look at many different scales of objects, ranging from the chair to whole cities. Through observation of the differences in these scales, one can find characteristics that apply to all ranges of scales and cultures.

Subject: Foundations:

- Artifact – The Chair

- Nature: The chair is not a naturally occurring object in nature. This divergence from the natural path shows

- People: This artifact was very important to the people of this time period. We can see this through the elaborate designs and sturdiness of these pieces of furniture.

- Material: The chair, being a smaller item, was normally made out of cheaper natural materials such as wood and leather. A change in materials, such as using stone or marble, could show a difference in status to the people of town. The more rare the material was, the higher the status it reflected.

- Symbol: The chair symbolizes the leap from sitting on the ground to creating a special device that is used only to sit on. This shows the advancement from a primitive culture to a more civilized one.

- Space – The Forum

- Nature: This aspect is possibly the most important to the forum style. Since it is no more than an open space in a city, nature plays a large role in its creation. There was not much modification to the landscape in this building style and people adapted to whatever the land gave them to work with.

- People: The forum’s only purpose is for the people. It is a place for people to gather and engage with one another in socialization and commerce. It really has no other purpose that this.

- Material: The main materials that existed in the forum were found underneath the peoples’ feet. On top of the ground was a layer of stone, providing a defined boundary for the area.

- Symbol: The forum is symbolic for many reasons. The first and most obvious is that it represents a place for socialization with others of a like society. This is the place where the members of a town could gather to talk about the daily occurrences or events that took place. The second reason was that it was also the economic center of town. Since this was the place for people to gather, the merchants took advantage of this. You could find just about everything you needed to live comfortably in early civilizations in these areas. This area was also a gateway for people that may have traveled to a new area. They could go here to meet new people and learn about the community.

- Building – The Parthenon

- Nature: The designers of the Parthenon took advantage of the natural surroundings when they created this structure. It is at the highest point of the Acropolis and it can be seen throughout the town. In this way, it uses the natural world to proclaim the might of man.

- People: This people were very important to this building because it was created mostly to play to the “Delight” portion of the design triangle. The only function it served was as a temple and it was used only for that purpose.

- Material: The materials that are used in this building are all very strong and sturdy. The stone and marble show the “Firmness” of this building and the materials have certainly stood the test of time, surviving from then to the present.

- Symbol: The Parthenon symbolizes how far that humans as a people have advanced. This building serves no other purpose other than to provide a place of worship for the goddess Athena. Humanity has now reached the point in time where they can build these grand structures not for the use of their people, but mainly as a symbol of the goddess.

- Place - The Acropolis

- Nature: The Acropolis, which is built on top of a plateau, uses the environment to its advantage. This place is the highest spot in the town and it can be seen anywhere in the city. In this case, the natural environment added to the majesty of this site.

- People: This place was very important to the people of Greece, especially the ones that lived in Athens. This site was a place of pilgrimage and every so often, special ceremonies would be held in honor of the goddess.

- Material: The materials that make of this site are primarily stone and marble. Because stone is such a resilient material, the use of these materials reflects the immortality and everlasting symbol of power that the goddess is known for.

- Symbol: Every one of the structures at the Acropolis is amazing, but together they symbolize the might and building prowess of the people that designed and constructed them. The fact that there is more that one grand structure goes further to show their might as a people.

In the case of Athens, Greece, we see that people are still building with the environment instead of against it. There is an idea of opposition beginning to emerge, however. On the artifact scale, we begin to see a divergence from the previous styles of building with the established environments. We also still see the environment playing a role in the design process. In the cases of the Forum and Acropolis in Athens, we see that they are built around the existing environment and take advantage of natural occurrences.

"Project MUSE - Technology and Culture." Project MUSE. 2009. The John Hopkins University Press. 2 Mar 2009 .

My Top 10

noreply@blogger.com (Christyn Dunning) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:12:00 +0000

design autobiography

noreply@blogger.com (sezales) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:01:00 +0000