Opus 9, [re] Actions

PROMPTS

ROTATION

Rotation is a word I believe you can be very young and can somehow still manage to come up with a general definition. But when I tend to think of this word I think of sadly math usually, dealing with such topics as translations, reflections, slides and such. A rotation is just a term to define basically turning an object keeping some point still on its origin and turning the rest of the object whatever it may be. What I do like about this word is that it can be applied to quite a lot of subjects, such as architecture, history, science, math and more I’m sure. But honestly in the design context I’m not sure how to connect this but I’ll give it a shot! Modernism, the period in which have recently started covering incorporates past styles that were very popular especially the Gothic style. So I think you could say modernism is a rotation perhaps of the Gothic style, because they basically took Gothic style and rotated everything within it but kept the basic principle the same, and thus led to the modernism era. In Roth there is a quote that states, “these revolutions are so interconnected that they can be thought of as operating in a circle, each feeding into the next.” (Roth 439) And everyone knows that all a circle consists of is a 360º rotation.

MOVEMENT

“The most important design reform movement to affect the interior in the nineteenth century was that of the Arts and Crafts. Starting in Britain, the movement had a far-reaching influence on twentieth century design.” (Massey 7) Movement I also believe that it can be defined in many area’s, such as a general movement something that catches on throughout a local scale, or a global scale. Or also I think of it as a general movement, such as a rotation is or a reflection. Those are all different types of movements and architecture experiences all sorts of movements. Some are new, innovative movements but there are movements that are eventually repeated over many years, they might be considered a new revolutionary sort of movement, but it may be something that incorporates the past but also at the same time makes it their own, and something new and beautiful. A movement I think is something that really changes a whole majority in either a good way or bad way, but the majority ruled in whatever it may have been and created within some sense of a movement.

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/97/92897-004-5029FF35.jpg

REFLECTION

Well... this term I usually put in every one of my Opus entries at the end of my prompts, because we are required to write a 50 word annotation reflection but I’ll have you know that this actually is a term for our entry! Now I am starting to get why this weeks titles for our prompts is [re] actions, I only feel like I’ve used the beginning -re, like way to many times already. But alright moving on, reflection I also would consider it to be a general movement that can be encompassed many subjects like all the other sort of transitional words we’ve defined thus far. John Ruskin like Pugin in his works said that, “he saw the ugliness which surrounded him as the unavoidable result of the miserable conditions for the majority brought by the Industrial REvolution.” (Massey 10) I think for a time such as the Industrial Revolution, any type of major movement I think it’s super vital to reflect back on what happened throughout this time. You need to see what needs to be improved and what you need to incorporate for future era’s and honestly I love to reflect back on a structure and just its history in its entirety. Such is the example in D.C. at the Capital, when I stood there in the heartland as the sun set I think aligned myself within its center and just reflected on it’s whole history with my eyes closed, just thinking about everything such a monumental building has seen since it’s construction up until its present time.

SOURCE

Once again a word we have defined before, and I don’t think my definition of this term has changed to much I still hold the truth that much of what was the Gothic style was a source as well as the Grecian era were both sources for modernism. “Aside from allusions to the pastoral Roman and Greek past in pavilions, as in Flitcroft’s Pantheon at Stourhead or Stuart’s Doric pavilion at Hagley, and the references to England’s medieval past, all manner of associates were made to places and times far away.” (Roth 456) There were places that were basically REcreated in my mind as a source to remind countries around the world of where we derive some of our ideals we have for things we incorporate within architecture, thanks to past and present design styles.

ILLUMINATION

Probably one of the most important ideals that I’ve had somewhat embedded in my mind throughout everything in this class, is to take into account how lighting will affect its surroundings. Lighting changes throughout the day and can make it one thing during the morning and one thing by the sun set. I’ve learned to consider lighting heavily in design because you can use it to your advantage and really create some quite gorgeous designs when incorporating illumination throughout. Rose windows is where I think illumination really proves what it can do, because when I was in D.C. in the National Cathedral the rose window, well the main one in the nave was beautifully lit and the sun was just shimmering through and seeing the many different pieces of glass work in it was simply astounding. So illumination without a doubt is something I will hold very near and dear to me always throughout my college career.

REFLECTION (again)

So now to my 2nd reflection for this entry, this one however shall sum up. Gwen taught our Friday lecture and it was kind of nice having a different sort of perspective from her view as compared to Patrick’s, but we talked really a lot of the invention of cast iron and how this allowed for new structures such as greenhouses and skyscrapers eventually. I’m pretty stoked for now getting more into modern times but I know we will constantly see influences from the past REappear as they always have throughout the Earths time. “The modern epoch is characterized by several encompassing trends, beginning with a worldwide shift away from centralized, authoritarian governance (whether monarchical or dictatorial) and a move toward democratic republics.” (Roth 439) So until next time in which I shall [re] appear!

CITATIONS

Interior Design Since 1900, Third Edition

Anne Massey

Understanding Architecture Its Elements, History, and Meaning

Leland M. Roth

Unit Summary: ALTERNATIVES

ALTERNATIVES UNIT

"We are searching for some kind of harmony between two intangibles: a form which we have not yet designed and a context which we cannot properly describe."

Christopher Alexander

The first reading we did into this unit of our 221 class was titled "millennial observations" which started us off into the oh so famous medieval architecture era. And to be quite honest, this was probably the section I retained the most information in because the structures and intricacy of their designs were simply gorgeous in my eyes and just involved within them so much time and attention devoted strictly to them alone. I got a great chance to experience this first hand during my Spring break with fellow IARC major, Phillip Snider. We traveled up to the capital Washington, D.C. And during day three of our four day trip I guess you'd say, we decided to go see the National Cathedral outside of the city that was just completed in 1990. First thing when we got there that caught my eye was just the overall feeling you get, it's just something so profound and I just admired it tremendously. Everything that I could touch there I would, because the textures on the stone work and floors were gorgeous by all means, and so smooth to the hands and although outside there was a rough sense to it, a nice variation nonetheless. And the next day we went to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which is the largest basilica in America and it was beyond amazing literally. From the golden dome structure on the exterior to all the mosaic work within the structure, we were greeted at the top of the steps to huge doors and walked into an amazing nave area and the ceiling work was gorgeous in every single aspect. But the Medieval section for this very reason was the one I seemed to enjoy the most and I find it to be very beautiful and that certainly helps out. Richard T. Feller said that "the Gothic style historically, more perhaps than any other, released architecture from its earthbound confines." Next we covered Renaissance architecture and this is where what cathedrals we covered such as the Duomo in Florence and Amiens, Salisbury... this is when these structures all begin to rise thanks to this period of time. I learned that a very vital book around this time was Vitruvius and his ten books on architecture. Palazzo was actually a new design to me, mean I'd seen buildings such as this before but I didn't actually know there was a term to define this specific type of structure so I was interested in usually these three different level buildings. One of the 15 properties discussed throughout The Nature of Order by Chris Alexander was levels of scale, and I noticed the palazzo's definitely incorporate this property in a big way because the bottom level is almost half of the entire building and the other two floors are significantly smaller in scale. Last section within the unit we covered was the Baroque and Rococa style which Henry Millon stated, "the Baroque building can only be grasped through one's experiencing it in its variety of effects..." And what we studied in this was when is it appropriate for a culture to take a past style and re-amp it in a way that's new and exciting but you still get a sense of resemblance on the count of its Renaissance ways. Several things this style encompassed was a more dramatic use of lighting and its surroundings and often there was tropme l'oeil where they use optical illusions to create a sense of depth to whatever it may be, for example is the Jesuit Church in Vienna. Lastly there was quite a nice jump in scale in some different aspects. There too was different versions of the Baroque style, such as the Vaux-le-Vicomte was a more laid back, chill version of the style, and in Germany the style included a strong sense of geometry and it was a retraction for the style itself. So that pretty much sums up this unit to the best of my abilities, and we are now moving into the Modern design era as it's called and getting into all the different revolutions, so I am definitely looking forward to getting more into the modern way, but I'm sure things will come up from the past... as it always does. 

I believe the Duomo in Florence best represents what we learned throughout the Alternatives unit of 221. 

Opus 8, Grammar: Syntax

PROMPTS

[RE] VISIONS

To really help understand what this word means I like to break it up into its basic structure. I see -re, revise, and vision and I believe that sometimes an artist has a vision or as we were talking about in my Design I class an intention as it’s called. The realization of that vision that though may require re-do’s or revisions unto that piece all together. Whether it be something small, or something very significant that completely rearranges the whole design all together. I believe that our intentions are what gets us going, and motivated but really at least to me. My intentions usually end at the beginning process because after that I end up with something different in so many ways. But the realization of that intention is what is so vital, because we know what we wanted but getting something different out of that, definitely isn’t always a bad thing. “Renaissance architects of the fifteen and sixteenth centuries endeavored to create new rational, mathematically describable forms based on what they understood of the Classical architecture of ancient Rome.” (Roth 397) I believe when the Baroque and Rococo style’s started developing into what it is today, all they did was change revise what we though of the ancient Rome and they turned it into a whole new classification of design and structures.

AUDIENCE

“The sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini summarized most clearly the impact of the Council of Trent and provided the prototype for the emotion-inducing function of the arts.” (Roth 402) Another word I can seem to relate to Design I, because today we were actually talking about the famous Marcel Duchamp and he was stating that your artwork is about 50% of the entire experience, the other half is what the audience feels about your work. And Bernini of course I’m sure had to experience this feeling of uncomfort several many times when he had an audience viewing his designs. An audience can really make or break a piece I believe because you can think your art or design is the bee’s knees or whatever, but the audience can think the opposite end of the spectrum and they will express that if they feel so, at least some will. And in particular your audience in architecture is your most important thing to incorporate because they are the people that actually experience your structure and breathe life into it, and live there or work there. They will be the ones in particular to relate and interact with your design and give it meaning and stories and encompass within that very structure, so much life which I find extremely pleasing to know.

CHARACTER

When I tend to think of this word, I see people getting into character... acting if you will. They master the character they will be portraying or at least attempt to and they try to be like that person in every way possible. In design and art, I believe character is what a structure or piece of art has, it has UMPH!, if that’s even a word, something about it that immediately catches your eye, it draws your attention and you’d like to know more if you can. “Bernini also used an oval to solve his largest building project, the great piazza in front of Saint Peter’s basilica in Rome, which finally brought this ambitious church to completion in 1667, a century and a half after it had been started by Bramante.” (Roth 408) I think what Bernini did was a great example, because he has a dilemma and him putting a large oval in the design helped characterized the building as we really know it today. And I’m sure you can think of many buildings like this, their characterized by one single trait you can somehow always remember, it’s the most fruitful and comes to your mind as soon as you think of that specific structure.

TRANSITION

Everything in my mind has a point at which it must make a transition, it’s just something everyone goes through and needs from time to time. In architecture this really bring mind Saint Paul’s Cathedral and how it transitioned from the “old” to the “new” cathedral as we know it as today. “Wren’s greatest achievement was the rebuilding of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, whole Gothic bulk formerly rose over old London.” (Roth 423) Before the great fire and the cathedral was destroyed it was all original and it wouldn’t have transitioned but it did, and it was a force of nature which could not be controlled and thus years later, it’s transformed into the beautiful cathedral we know it as today.

http://api.ning.com/files/dZKZO5Nz3o9lLer6QOD-jCOt9*-lQ0GgHG7**416qH5XH6i2v4VyeCF0BWB*SkztB3Ww1*CHdBTBGALHHUXwd1hXUToxlM2x/moon_phases_diagram.jpg

DATUM

So I honestly have never heard this word until now, which led to me just doing a Google search and I came up with the definition in the design sense was, “a fact or proposition used to draw a conclusion or make a decision.” And I think this could apply in the critiquing field of art/design appreciator because your audience are witnesses to your pieces and they pull from your work a conclusion or an opinion as it’s more frequently called. That’s the point in any kind of art in general, is to get people to talk and discuss and argue about how and what they feel from a certain piece. We are constantly looking for something to change the conversation I guess as it could be called. Also there are datum lines, which are fixed, or measured lines and this applies to drafting your designs and the precision that often is involved in a single drawing.

REFLECTION

We are now getting close into the revolutions of the world and getting into modernism. “Modern architecture is a product of Western Civilization...” (Roth 439) Through this week we got out of the Barque and Rococa style’s that were popular in past centuries and we are now beginning to get a glimpse into the present with design and how much the Eastern area it incorporates within it. I am interested in the modern era, but sad to see the past go but I know that the new age will also bring up the past styles that were popular back then. Although this week we did in fact have to re-do some of our old words we had done in previous Opus entries it is nice to visit these words again, and see how we define them differently now, thanks to what we have learned and gain thus far.

Christopher Alexander's 15 properties presented in The Nature Of Order

Citations

Understanding Architecture Its Elements, History, and Meaning

Leland M. Roth

Delivery of the Deliverables

HSB TURNING TORSO

OUTLINE 

HISTORY

• Date of construction
• Location
• Architect
• Reasoning
• Background information

EXTERIOR APPEARANCE

• Sculpture relevance
  
• Aluminum panel
  
• White steel tubes
• Windows

INTERIOR APPEARANCE

• Difference in layout
  
• Light
  
• 53rd and 54th floors

CREATING THE STRUCTURE

• Central core
• Steel tubes
• Exoskeleton
  

CONCLUSION

• Ending summary
  
• Recap

ACCOUNTING OF VIEWS

All will be done on bond paper at this point

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS

• Floor plans were almost impossible to find
  
• This structure has a ton of windows!
  
• I hate blogger...
  

I think that's it...

Opus 7, P Week

PERIPHERY- the other limits or edge of an area or object (dictionary.com)

“Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery.” (Warren Bennis) This quotation even though it has basically nothing to do with architecture it makes complete sense to me. I am having trouble for this opus entry honestly because we haven’t had class lately, and usually I hear a couple of these terms during class, but I’m pretty sure we never heard any of these before Spring break, so I’m just gonna wing it for the most part! But relating this term to something, during my Spring break I went to Washington, D.C. with IARC major Phillip Snider, and to say the bare minimum it was completely amazing. I enjoyed every single part, even the economically challenged as we began to call them, they just added to the overall experience. Periphery in Washington to me was needless to say very vital, because the designs of some of the major structures has the most beautiful, intricate designs in the outermost edges. The details and little things about certain structures in D.C. just made them awe so beautiful in my eyes.

Photo taken by me in D.C.

PORTFOLIO- a set of pieces of creative work collected by someone to display their skills, especially to a potential employer (dictionary.com)

Portfolio, this word I am pretty familiar with... well because in high school, the good ‘ol days; I had to keep up with a portfolio for several classes including my graphic design, drafting, and other art courses I took. Although I am not in the Interior Architecture program just yet, I know I will be required to keep up with a portfolio and post it online for the most part. This word really you cannot relate to the designing process of architecture, it’s more the collection of a designer and what they have managed to accomplish throughout their life.

PROCESS- a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end (dictionary.com)

A quote by Henry A. Millon states that, “the Renaissance building exists to be admired in its splendid isolated perfection.” The Baroque building can only be grasped through one’s experiencing it in its variety of effects... Baroque unity is achieved--at the expense of the clearly defined elements--through the subordination of the individual elements to invigorate the whole. Baroque space is independent and alive--it flows and leads to dramatic culminations.” (Roth 397) I believe the Baroque style related to process, because it was a process for them to really perfect such a style, I’m sure at first it had its flaws and was rough but over the years they managed to polish it out and really define what we call the Baroque way.

http://www.wipapercouncil.org/images/Process_and_Numbers_2.jpg

PERSPECTIVE- the art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other when viewed from a particular point (dictionary.com)

“These Rococo interiors must have seemed like a breath of fresh air after the somber interiors of Versailles, loaded with heavy pilasters and entablatures.” (Roth 430) I can only imagine a style such as Rococo would have so many perspectives to it and so many different gorgeous ways in which you could experience such a place that incorporates this style within. We’ve haven’t yet got into this style in Patricks class just yet, because we haven’t had class in forever it feels like but I’m sure it’s coming real soon... possibly tomorrow?! Who knows, but perspectives are something architects much deal with, and must create many different drawings of various perspectives depending on what their trying to capture. The most common perspective to my knowledge would just be a plain old two-point perspective drawing which probably almost anyone is aware of.

Photo taken by me in downtown Washington

PROFESSIONAL- a person engaged or qualified in a profession (dictionary.com)

This word, what is it? Well to me, it’s something I’d eventually like to become in whatever field that may be. I experience this word very frequently in my workplace as a pharmacy technician at CVS, it’s something I try to maintain because you have to look professional, and that requires me to wear khaki pants a dress/button up shirt, as well as a tie. And I actually do enjoy that, because it makes me feel quite important and that I am valued there by my fellow employees. When in relation to design or architecture, I think it basically means that you are experienced in what your doing and that you have done this numerous times, and that your damn good at it too. You’ve worked a lot to become known as a professional in whatever degree it may be, but it’s something I know I want to strive towards and I’m honestly not letting anyone or anything get in the way of me accomplishing that.

REFLECTION

I really have nothing to talk about throughout this reflection so instead I will go a little more into my best trip ever to D.C. Okay, so me and my friend Phil awoke early Monday morning, went to the bank, Walmart, and were on our way. Drove there to College Park, MD, checked in and got settled in and went out to eat later that evening at the always delicious Applebees where when coming back to the car, I was greeted with a parking ticket. After that we went back to the hotel went to bed, woke up around 9, went to the Greenbelt Metro station which was an experience all within itself. Got off in the heart of Washington, and basically walked about 20 miles throughout the course of the day, which would have normally been a heavy burden but it was freaking amazing! We saw the Capital, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, National Archives, and maybe the best place ever was this bakery up there called Au Bon Pain... AMAZING! That basically was our day one, I think I’ll save the rest for a separate blog entry all together, to keep you interested. Now it’s back to reality and work, but oh well... I shall leave with this quote, “Renaissance architects of the fifteen and sixteenth centuries endeavored to create new rational, mathematically describable forms based on what they understood of the Classical architecture of ancient Rome.” (Roth 397)

Creepy picture in front of White House

CITATIONS

Understanding Architecture Its Elements, History, and Meaning

Leland M. Roth

HSB Turning Torso

HSB TURNING TORSO

Designed by Santiago Calatrava

Construction dates from 2001-2005

Located in Malmo, Sweden 

Many of Calatrava's works are based upon sculptures he has previously done, and this happens to be one of those buildings. The Twisting Torso is a piece he had done in the 80's and each floor of this structure consists of an irregular shaped pentagon which rotates around the central vertical core. This building officially opened August 27, 2005. The height of this design reaches to 623 feet and within it contains 54 stories, used mostly for luxury apartments but the two bottom segments are intended as office space. I have just recently started getting into Calatrava's works mostly thanks to my friend in the program, and I find his designs really to be so elaborate and different. There all different from what I have seen, he does many bridges and such, but he has done many famous places such as the Milwaukee Art Museum, and one of his designs would be 80 South Street in New York. Upon the completion of this structure it was the tallest building in Scandinavia, and the second tallest residential building in Europe. There however is a similar design out there now, which of course is in the UAE in Dubai, called the Infinity Tower. I really am drawn into the way the structure seems to climbing into the sky as if it could just keep rising right up into the heavens and the way it looms out from a distance is very provocative. The building actually turns 90 degrees from bottom to top and all the apartments within this building are laid out quite differently depending on their position in the structure. 

Opus 6, Macro to Micro

PROMPTS

MACRO TO MICRO

COMPOSITION- the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole (dictionary.com)

I am currently taking Intro to Art taught by Professor Perrill and composition is something very important throughout that class thus far. But I believe composition is very vital to virtually anything we see in life. From art to a landscape to food to anything that comes to mind. “In contrast to Greek architecture, which can be described as sculptural masses set in balanced contrast to the landscape, Roman architecture, as Heinz Kahler has noted, is an architecture of space, enclosed internal space and outdoor space, on a grand scale.” (Roth 247) Now this might not be the best quotation to pull from the reading but I believe it can be related to composition because these ancient cities had such a gorgeous composition. All the way on a satellite scale, to the composition of the very interiors. The locations of the buildings seemed to be composed perfectly, like so much planning went into there very place where they would eventually be built. Composition in my mind, is almost what makes these places so memorable because I know one day Patrick gave us a lecture of Apollo and the whole city basically, and the way it was composed was how I know it now. From the entrance all the way to Pantheon, it paints really such a vivid picture.


PORCH: COURT: HEARTH- three very important fundamentals that usually are present in the smallest of designs to the grandest of them

I think this theory was first introduced to me when we began our discussion of ancient Greece, before then I was not familiar with this idea. I actually think this is very true, and it is embedded in almost every piece of architecture to date. We were stating how even your very own house encompasses these things, such as the porch would be the entry way into the house or court. The court would be like the foyer or place when you first walk into the room, and lastly the hearth would basically be the heart of the structure, which in a suburban household would typically be the living room or probably the kitchen. What amazes me about this idea of everything having this within it, is that it actually is true in my mind. My house that I live in I consider to have all three of these vital parts and structures on a more massive scale have these included also such as the Pantheon in ancient Rome.

http://vanishd.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/parthenon-500.jpg

DIAGRAM- a figure, usually consisting of a line drawing, made to accompany and illustrate a geometrical theorem, mathematical demonstration, etc. (dictionary.com)

Drafting really is the one word that comes to my mind first when thinking of diagram, because drafting is many different types of drawing or diagrams. There are section views, two point perspectives or three point ones, elevation views, actual renderings, floor plans, and every single drawing is basically a diagram to aid the builder in constructing it accurately. A diagram is used though however in many different subject, commonly in math and statistics and communications and almost everything uses diagrams from time to time. Albert Einstein said, “concern for man and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.” I think this quote means that even in the beginning stages of a design, the diagrams/drawings you want to keep in mind what you want and desire your final product to come out like and to help you strive for that.




IMPRESSION- the first and immediate effect of an experience or perception upon the mind; sensation (dictionary.com)

“Like the Egyptians and the Greeks, the Romans were significantly shaped by the geography in which they happened to arise and by the impact of the almost incessant warfare that this geography seemed to make almost usual.” (Roth 247) Even though the Romans did borrow on previous societies to some extent, they made it their own style. They took ideas from the Grecian ways and added on to it, and built on to it with their own designs which allowed for many different and new designs f structures that the world had not yet seen before. That is one thing we talked about last week in Patricks class was how can we tell when it’s okay to borrow from ideas to make it something new, rather then just merely copying a design and making something that’s already been done before. But I think what the Roman society did was genius, they created a lasting impression really for the world from that time on... Even now when we see this place, we are shocked of its scale... at least I am because using really just two new materials which would be concrete and mortar we are graced by such beautiful and innovative designs which have yet to be seen by the world up until this period.


DETAILS- particulars considered individually and in relation to a whole (dictionary.com)

This is just an excerpt from a quote by Leland Roth that says, “perhaps no other single building so sums up Roman building achievement as does the Pantheon. It exploits concrete building technology to it’s fullest; it defines simply yet powerfully a clear geometry that assumes universal and cosmic significance, at a scale that never fails to evoke awe.” (Roth 259) I believe this quote is made true purely to the scale of this structure and the detail within the pantheon. It borrows on previous designs such as the front facade has incorporated in it, columns and it adds on new styles such as the dome at the rear of the structure. And at the peak of the dome is an opening called the oculus. This amazing structure has such intricate detail throughout it, beginning at the front in the columns working, and working into the concrete walls and the sunken panels within called coffers. This building really tells just in it, what Rome is all about; you could like at this single building just by itself as a manifesto for what lied ahead for the great and powerful Roman society.



REFLECTION

As Christianity was finally growing and expanding rapidly the architecture was becoming much more involved and more meaningful, and within it served as a major function. No longer were structures being built only for one head figure, buildings were being designed for all types of people, and commoners were starting to design and we were getting much more easy to relate to architecture. “We sometimes speak of “the fall of the Roman Empire,” as though, on a particular day, there was a sudden collapse. In fact, it was more a gradual transformation, occurring over more than a century, marking the change from a pagan empire to a Christian empire.” (Roth 275) Throughout this week we finally finished up on our first unit, that being Foundations and I feel like I’ve learned quite a bit thus far and I am looking forward to covering the future civilizations and their architecture. I am stressing about it already because we will be moving more deeply into our presidential analysis, and all the drawings and the scale model are somewhat intimidating at this point, but hopefully in the end I’m sure I’ll be fine.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/402990794_ddbaa43e45.jpg

Citations

Understanding Architecture It's Elements, History, and Meaning

Leland M. Roth

Unit Summary

FOUNDATION UNIT

"Architecture is music in space, as it were a frozen music."

-Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling

Starting with my first week at UNCG, we started with the great, historic Stonehenge, and we moved into later civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and then Rome and then into Pompeii where architecture and designing in general was becoming much more grand and elaborate. And the last week was ending up our Foundations unit which we talked about baths and cathedrals and their beauty and overall ability to shock and awe. I'd say much of the most important topics I feel like I've learned about, would be light definitely! Light really affects so much of a structure, and it can make or break a great design as compared to a mediocre design. You really get a sense of greatness when a piece of architecture changes drastically throughout the different times of the day. You pay much more attention to the subtle changes and details, and you have a greater appreciation for that work, I believe. Light especially is key when we started looking at cathedrals, and structures like the Pantheon is Rome. The Pantheons oculus, was so innovative and it was built to facilitate as a source of light. Mostly what the function of it was for was purely for the Gods and it was almost as if all the Gods were peering down into that structure and monitoring the modern day civilians. The cathedrals relied so much on light to really make their building stand up and be unique; one that really stands out in my mind is the Amiens cathedral. This cathedral of all the other ones, had a massive gorgeous rose window right upon the front facade, and these of course rely heavily on light and throughout the day they will change depending on the amount of light that passes through and it really can create an amazing color variation.

Next I'd say possibly one of the probably if not the most important would be the three part, commodity:firmness:delight idea. "In architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to built well. Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight." As said by Sir Henry Wotton, this theory of all great architecture encompassing these three fundamentals I hold to be true for the most part. Every single great piece of architecture in my mind, has embedded within them from start to finish these three ideas. Commodity is referring to the ability to accommodate and serve as it's function, it's needs to serve it's purpose from the idea process all the way up until it's diminish. And firmness is basically what it means, the structure or whatever it is has to withstand whatever obstacles the environment experiences. Most idea's of firmness today are pretty solid to my knowledge, I think that designers put much thought into the sustainability and strength of their designs nowadays, possibly more then the overall aesthetic appearance. Because a building can be very elaborate and intricate in detail but there is absolutely no point to invest so much time building a structure if it's not going to be structurally stable several years later. Detail is probably what most people look for in anything really such as a house, care, significant other, vacation, pets, anything really... This part of the three part system is usually the most rewarding of the three because it's what really makes someone fall in love with whatever it may be. If you can accomplish even delight, you've got yourself something special, something to work with, something to continue and grow with.

I believe Hagia Sophia holds within it a great example of LIGHT

The Pantheon in Rome in my mind represents COMMODITY:FIRMNESS:DELIGHT