Coming Full Circle

Stewardship, or "the management of another's property, finances, or other affairs" is what architecture is all about. The property of others is in our hands, and we have to take into account everything that may affect. Finances, lifestyles, and many other important aspects of life revolve around it. 

Most design follows certain guidelines, trying to resemble it's surrounding buildings or environment. In that sense a community, "a particular area or space considered together with it's inhabitants,"  is created; but it is by using unique design that still connects with it's surroundings that we can be innovative. This idea of suburbia where people live in eerily similar houses that are designed in such a way that you have no obligation to ever know the people you live next to is truly creepy. 

( Image taken from: http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/images/2007/09/22/suburb_2.jpg)

Innovation, "a new method, idea or product," is how we move forward as a culture or civilization. If anything from this class i've learned that design is about innovation. This innovation can be achieved by taking from past designs and changing them to fulfill the function that is needed for our culture today. One building that i feel fulfills this idea of "innovation" is The Whitney Museum of Art in New York. 

(Image taken from: http://www.visitingdc.com/images/whitney-museum-address.jpg)

This Whitney Museum of American Art is made out of similar materials as its neighboring structures, but has a very unique shape so that it stands out. It is distinguishable from the other buildings.

The authenticity, "of undisputed origin," of past designs shows what is necessity and what is plainly for aesthetics, so by studying past designs we can decide for ourselves what we need, and what should be changed.

Monticello is a great example of the authentic design of the past that we should draw from. For the time period for which it was built it was extremely innovative with it's functionality and aesthetic value and today we draw from Jefferson's techniques of evaluation of what's needed.

 

 

[pair]ing down

This week in studio we worked, and are continuing to work, on a project in which we design an interior for two rooms in the studio art center. We were asked to remove the middle wall between the rooms and act as if the two rooms are one. We created a model of the walls and windows, and this week we worked on adding architectural elements or changes to the space in order to make it into a public space, and a private space. 

 

(add photo of model) 

Meditation/Celebration

The Model is intended to not only show public and private, but also meditation and celebration. This means having a space that inspires relaxation while still providing a good amount of activity. 

Transpose/Juxtapose

"cause of two or more things to trade places with each other"

"place or deal with close together for contrasting effect"

Everything in this model has to show a certain duality. By transposing or Juxtaposing certain things we can accomplish show these dualities. For example by adding a  place where steps lead you up into a more celebratory space where seating and a table are provided my design shows a division between public and private. In my space you walk into the public space and in order to enter into the more private space you walk under an archway and walk up two steps, raising you to a higher place. 

Light/Shadow

A way of expressing relaxation or celebration is by manipulating light so that it adds lines and inviting projections of shadows into the room. The archways that i used to help separate the public from the private space also helps to create a celebration of  light projected onto the interior of my space. 

Literal/Abstract

When assigned this project we were asked not to define it. Meaning, we were not allowed to think of it as a living room, lounge, or anything so literal. We had to think more abstractly of a comfortable place that shows the specified dualities. This was a challenge because in life we are influenced by what we know, and we have certain preconceived ideas of a  living room or a recreational room. 

Monologue/Dialogue

Monologue involves one speaker, whereas a dialogue is between two people. I believe we can learn a lot by analyzing what we say, but we learn a lot more from what other people say. In the space that i designed i force the inhabitant to have a dialogue with the room by adding a design to the ceiling that moves him or her through the space. The linear protrusions from the ceiling lead the person subconsciously to different places in the room.

Action Verbs

In history we speculate, "form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence," on how the past has shaped the present. We’ve talked about new materials that have been introduced into architectural design and how their functions have been manipulated or changed throughout the years. We also speculate as to how the choices we make, or the designs we create today will affect our future.
By analyzing what was designed in the past we can take from it and manipulate it into something that works for the world we live in now. We have to take into account the conditions of the time period in which these designs are created.
Everything that has been, is being, or will be designed has a composition, "form by ordering or composing parts in an artistic way." Architects compose things in a way to fulfill the criteria of commodity, firmness, and delight. There is a space between public and private, a specific way that we move through a space, and these are both accomplished by creating a certain composition.
If a composition is successful it will energize, "give vitality and enthusiasm to," and move people through the space. There are key aspects in a space that will create the effect of energy and one of them is natural lighting. For example in my Masterpieces of Cinema class (depicted above) we all try to skip out early, a lot of it is due to the fact that the classroom has no natural lighting. This makes you feel like you’re in a dungeon, and cannot leave, therefore you try and leave as quickly as possible. Natural lighting has so many good effects on people, it wakes you up, and it makes you healthy and happy.

In design we stretch, "last or cause to last longer than expected," the ideas created in the past to fit the commodity, firmness and delight of our current society. We take key features that were successful in the past and manipulate them to fulfill what we consider to be attractive. It is impossible to design without any influence from some other design. Therefore the way we stretch ourselves is to change for the better previous designs.

The shape, "external form or appearance characteristic of someone or something," of a space also adds energy to it as well. It makes you move through it differently, and makes you feel differently when walking through it. Depending on the function a space is meant to serve the shape of it will change.

ROAD TRIP

Roots

“The part of a thing attaching it to a greater more fundamental whole; the end or base”

On our trip to Fallingwater and Monticello we visited the buildings that influence the designs that we create today. Monticello, built by Thomas Jefferson, was one of the first to experiment with double paned windows, skylights, and the addition of more detail into common household items. Because of the time period in which Monticello was being built and redesigned experimenting with natural lighting was almost a necessity. The only artificial lighting that they had available was candles or oil lights.

(Image taken from http://www.period-homes.com/article/IMAGES/skylight3.gif)

 (Image taken from http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2004/june/images/bedroom.jpg)

At Fallingwater Frank Lloyd Wright decided to create a fully furnished home. He, along with Thomas Jefferson, built some of the their furniture into the house. At Fallingwater all the inhabitants had to bring were clothes and food. From these changes and innovations made in the past our design culture now has progressed, and will continue to progress into something more functional and pleasing.

 (Image taken from http://www.wright-house.com/frank-lloyd-wright/fallingwater-pictures/photos-medium/BW-guest-bedroom-desk-fallingwater-m.jpg)

Congruence
“In agreement or harmony”

In any design we must consider the environment in which the item is to be located. When considering this we have to understand how our design manipulates it's surrounding space. It has to work in congruence with it’s surroundings, whether it's surroundings are other buildings, nature, or pieces of artwork. 

For my History project i chose The Whitney Museum of American Art. I chose this building because of it's incongruence with its neighboring buildings. The Whitney Museum is so unlike it's surroundings that it stands out drastically. The only feature that it has in common with some of its surrounding buildings is the materials that it's made out of. 

(Image taken from http://www.visitingdc.com/images/whitney-museum-address.jpg)

Concept

"an abstract idea"

All of the buildings we've studied this year came from some sort of inspiration. At Monticello, Thomas Jefferson made innovations for functionality by adding more light, and doubled paned windows in part of the house. At Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright made innovations for functionality and aesthetics by building furniture into the house, and creating such a comfortable, but still very abstract, structure. 

  There is always some source of inspiration, we start out with that inspiration and then develop a concept or design and progress from there into a well developed final product. 

Materiality

"the quality or character of being material, or composed of matter."

Design is the art of manipulating matter in an a way that is aesthetically pleasing.  Different materials affect their surroundings in different ways. When first coming up with a concept for a project you have to look at the space it will be around or in and then choose a material to use. This material will give you limitations, and from there you can progress into manipulating the material into something interesting.

Fallingwater and Monticello were built from surrounding materials, and therefore accentuate their landscapes extremely well. The stone used in Fallingwater for the floors and exterior is the stone you see under the waterfall, and all the colors that Frank Lloyd Wright used were very organic so that, while still being an absolute treasure, the house fades to a certain extent into the backdrop of forest. Monticello, on the other hand, stands out from its surroundings very dramatically. It changes the feeling of the land into something more upscale and refined.

Compression: Release

Between Silence and Light

(Image taken from: http://www.rudienos.co.uk/assets/images/falling-water-10.jpg)

CRAFT

For the craft of Falling Water Frank Lloyd Wright used clean lines in order to separate spaces. Not only was craft important from an interior decoration standpoint but it was also important because of the location of the house. The house itself cantilevers over the side of a hill. Built with the concrete and metal the house has the structural integrity to stay in this location, with few repairs. The craft of Falling Water was also very important because of the way Frank Lloyd Wright built all his furniture into the walls so as to make it impossible for the inhabitants to change something about his design. (as shown in the picture above.)

For Monticello Thomas Jefferson fit his home into the surrounding landscape. There were handmade objects and hinges that were from over 200 years ago.TECHNIQUE
The way that Frank Lloyd Wright designed Falling Water to cantilever was a completely new technique that no one had succeeded in using this well. Monticello was made out of all local materials like wood and clay. Jefferson also decided to use new and interesting details in certain parts of the house such as the inclusion of Acorns in the fireplaces.

VIRTUAL
“The existence of something without it actually being there.”
In Falling Water one of the most gripping design aspects that Frank Lloyd Wright included was the use of windows. In the corner windows of many rooms you were able to open the widows completely to the outside and stand in the corner. This created the affect of being inside but feeling like you’re outside.
PUBLIC/ PRIVATE
In Monticello there were specific places for guests, for the owners, and for their slaves. These spaces were defined by the openness of the areas from the light and orientation. Spaces that are lit well are more inviting, so by keeping dim lighting in certain places, and brighter lighting in others, you can direct people through a space.
In Falling Water the hallways were very dimly lit. This has the effect of moving people from room to room. No one wants to linger in a dark and cramped hallway. This also makes transitions into a room from the hallway a more memorable and self-changing experience. You feel as though a weight is lifted off of your shoulders when you walk from the dark cramped hallway into a bright and open room.

LANGUAGE
For the most part the different houses are made from the materials around them. Falling Water is made from the rock that is also located in the waterfall underneath and around the house. Just as Monticello is made from local clay, stone, and wood. This speaks worlds about the designers. Because of their incorporation of local materials we know that they are taking into account the way in that their designs change their surroundings and also being conscious of the environment by not having many materials other than acorns, metal, and glass brought from other places.

I was completely taken by the surrounding landscape of both houses that we visited this weekend. Monticello was completely breathtaking in its overlooking of the hills, and the winding ride up to the main house was entrancing.
At falling water you are engulfed in the calming sounds of the water every time you open a window. Staring out from the balconies at the waterfall below, and looking down from the perch on the hill down on the trees and paths leading to the house has the most soothing affect. Even the lighting of Falling Water seemed so abnormally natural. The reflection of light off of the water and through the trees cast such interesting and mesmerizing shadows in the rooms and on the exterior of the

[RE]actions

This week we were assigned a project meant to manipulate light using MDF. We took inspiration from both a life experience that we value, and from nature. I took my inspiration from leaves that I found on a walk around campus. I then drew several sketches of the leaves that I found along with some flowers I picked off the trees. Once these preliminary sketches were complete we came up with designs and made our way to the woodshop to practice cutting the wood into the shapes we wanted.
A lot of people experimented with the way shadows change when their design rotated. In this rotation the shadows change drastically, making the project seem as though it is morphing shapes.

By experimenting with this movement we fulfill the objective of the project because we are manipulating light in abstract ways from the very realistic inspiration we took. The movement of the shadows when a project twirls, and the way the light bends to create the shadows gives the room a completely different lighting, and therefore a completely different feeling.

When thinking about this project we had to take into consideration the amount of light we would have available, the answer is not much, so we took advantage of the reflective surface of the tables in the Crit room. The reflection of the light also helped activate the lines of the shadows in a more interesting way as well. It seemed to double the shadows up into a more complex projection, more so than a very absorptive surface would.

From our natural sources of inspiration we used another source (light) and portrayed our inspiration in an abstract way. The main point of this project was that the material we were using was light, not he MDF. This is something that I lost sight of. I focused on the form of the MDF and not as much on the way it manipulates light.

By drilling curves, linear lines, holes, and any other shapes into the MDF we illuminated the room by redirecting the natural light. We changed the

GRAMMAR:SYNTAX

Audience
“People giving, or likely to give attention to something”

One of the most important aspects a designer has to take into account is the people who will be using their design, the audience. The audience, and what the audience needs. a design has to perform a specific function, whether that function is to be visually pleasing, or to fulfill the living requirements of the people who will inhabit a space.

[Re]visions
“The art of revising something”
In every design there are many things that can and will be revised before the final product, and even after in some cases. In drafting, for example, after turning in a first draft I can see improvements, or revisions that need to be made and I can make them. Only after several revisions, in every aspect of life, can something be perfect. This goes for music, dance, art, and literature.

Character
“The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual”
Not unlike the character of a human being buildings have character too. The character of a building can tell you who designed it, who lives in it, when it was made, and where the designer got his inspiration.

Transition
“The process or period of changing from one state or condition to another”
The world is consistently changing. Humans have gone from revolution to revolution. For example the industrial revolution has marked a change in transportation, and in media. For media the use of books and media became prevalent, and in architecture the use of glass and iron became more widely used.
In France there was a shaping of classical space all across urban spaces. They created public palaces through the creation of townhouses. Townhouses create open public spaces, and series of open plazas in the place of a cathedral. One example of this is the Louvre.
(Insert picture of LE LOUVRE here)
Today we have gated communities that have recreational facilities. The landscapes are remodeled and all the houses are uniform with a transitional entrance space in the front and the back.
The creation of the enfilade is also a transitional idea in which spaces are lined up from public to private spaces. Spaces are divided into public room, bedroom, and anti-chamber, which goes along with the porch, court, and hearth theory from earlier this year.


Datum
“A fixed starting point of a scale or operation”
In a layout of any sort a datum line is crucial. This line creates a focus, and makes the layout seem more put together and more purposeful. Not just in a layout of a project, like the photo below, but in the design of a building, a datum line can be created by windows, a ledge, wall paper, any linear aspect can create a datum.

[P] Week

portfolio

"A set of pieces of creative work collected by someone to display their skills to a potential customer or employer"
Throughout the whole semester and a half we have been working on many different projects each week. The above image is an example of one of our assignments. Right from the start our teachers let us know how important it was to save all of our work not only for our own personal reflection, but also for future inspiration and reference. I followed their advise, so I kept all of my hard copies in a portfolio bag and put it all onto my blog to view it more readily.

periphery
" The outer limits or edge of an area or object."

Most of the items included in my portfolio were drafting projects. When I first started drafting I started to view spaces differently. I started to think about exterior and interior, and like we discussed in class, what separates the two. When an object or space is hollow there is a boundary we see that separates the space from the outside world. This boundary is the periphery. With our portal project we experimented with how to make that transition from exterior to interior, or vise versa, easier, or more appealing.

perspective
"The state of existing in space before the eye”
"A mental view or outlook"

The above image is a rendering of one of my projects from a tilted or axonometric perspective.
When putting a portfolio together, especially when the portfolio includes buildings or spaces that you’ve drafted, it is important to keep in mind how the person looking at your work will view it. Because we have knowledge that not all people have, we will understand things more easily, but when you think of the average person you realize you have to include more information so that they can understand what they are looking at. They have a different perspective of your work than you do.
Perspective can also be a physical placement. For example, when viewing a room there are many different angles from which it can be viewed, which will result in many different drawings, or renderings.

"The practice of drawing, as described by Vitruvius, also sounds remarkably modern, for he writes of ground plans (ichnographical) being laid out with compass and ruler, of elevation drawings (orthographic) being 'a vertical image of the front', and of perspective (scaenographia) with shaded and retreating lines converging at a vanishing point." [Roth]

process
"A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end."

All of the work we kept was to, in the end, review our own work to see how we have developed over time. Looking at my sketchbook from first semester I’ve already seen an improvement in the way that I take notes. This process and development of my thinking and artistic capabilities will in the end make me a better designer.

In our portal project we had to go through a long process of designing a portal that fulfills commodity, firmness, and delight. The commodity part of this project was that this portal had to tie the work of each group member’s previous projects, and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut all together to make a visually pleasing and structurally sound portal. This was a very difficult thought process, along with physical process too. Coming up with the design was equally as difficult as creating the physical structure and installing it properly. It was a learning process.


professional
"Having or showing great skill"

(Image taken from: http://www.iparenting.com/graphics/dad0103.jpg)
 

With all of these new skills that we're learning and developing our main goal for the end of this process is to become a professional. In this case this means mastering the art of drafting, drawing, developing art skills in general.
We are not only learning the skills that it takes to become professionals, but we study the people who have been professionals for years and how they did so. For example, when we took the field trip to Highpoint University a couple weeks ago we heard Alexander Julian speak. I really enjoyed this. It was so interesting to hear him talk about his own work; what he liked; what he disliked. What interested me most were the designs that were most successful. It was also interesting to hear how some of his previous designs that were considered radical, are very plain compared to today’s fashion. This just solidified in my mind how what we consider to be “good design” will be forever changing.

Macro:Micro

Having learned so much about architecture in this past semester and a half one of the most important things that I’ve learned is how people interact with a space. Early architects created a very successful way of leading people through a space by dividing it into a porch, court, and a hearth. Porch, the entrance to a space, is meant to purify a person for entrance. The porch leads to the court, which is a place for all people to gather. The court then leads to the hearth, which is only meant for specific people.

The division of space is not only meant to lead people through, but also acts as a division of wealth or power. People of the lowest class cannot enter into more than the porch. The general public may enter to the court, and only specific people may enter to the hearth. Some good examples of the porch, court, and hearth design are the Salisbury Cathedral in Italy and the Duomo. At both Cathedrals you are purified for entrance through the large archways. Then you are lead through the space to see the court, or main gathering space of the cathedral. Most anyone is allowed to enter the court, but when you progress through the space to the chapel, this section is only allowed for specific people.

In an analysis between these two buildings some things that i noticed was that they both used arches in their design. In both cathedrals you are forced to enter through an archway into a building filled with many arch formed windows. The Duomo had more circular aspects than the Salisbury cathedral. For example some windows in the Duomo are circular and it has a dome with an oculus. Both cathedrals use color in interesting and affective, but different ways. The salisbury cathedral has very intricate stained glass windows, it has painted statues and most importantly it has gorgeous tiled ceilings. The Duomo also incorporates tiles into its ocular domes and ceilings. But it also uses colored tile in on the walls too. The use of these colored tiles is extremely welcoming. It changes the visual and emotional experience of being in the cathedral very drastically.  

The image below is of one of the ocular domes in the Duomo of Florence, Italy. 

(Image taken from  http://www.geneburch.com/gallery/d/1368-3/Florence_Duomo.jpg)

This porch, court, and hearth design is a form of architectural composition. Composition can be defined as “the way in which a whole is made up.” These architects have composed these spaces very carefully to move people in the correct direction through the space. But what is it that actually makes us move through a space? Another aspect of design that we’ve experimented with the past few weeks has been the fact that there are many parts, or details that make up a single space. These details stand out from the overall design and work together to unify the space. These details attract people walking through a space and lead them in the correct pattern. We move from detail to detail.

The details leave impressions. Good details leave big impressions. Some first impressions have to do with the exterior of the building. One way to leave a lasting impression is to make the outside columns extravagant. The order of columns plays a very large role, in roman and greek cultures. 

In our drawing class this week we were assigned another area to focus on for our Curry building project. We were asked to go back to the building and notice the details that are unique to that building. I did multiple drawings of multiple details, and for one of my details I did the bridge connecting the Curry building to the building next to it. This is a detail completely unique to the curry building.
 

In order to convey architectural designs such as these an architect must create diagrams. Throughout the semester I’ve learned that it not only helps the clients understand the designer’s ideas, but it helps the designers themselves to develop their ideas. It helps them to see what may or may not work, what they like and what they don’t like. For example this semester we worked on a project called “Pat’s Chair” and for this project I had a very specific design in mind, but when I tried to construct a smaller scale version of it I had to change certain things to make it more functional or more visually appealing. A lot of the time a designer will have to create multiple models to realize how he wants the design to look, while still making it functional and good looking.

This image below is a photograph of a model of a wall i made. By making this model, or diagram, i was able to understand the way that a wall functions. I learned what needs to happen for a wall to serve it's purpose. Meaning, i learned exactly how precise the measurement and angles at which the wood is cut has to be; I learned the way the wood needs to be put together for it to function well, and i learned what it looks like. 

Winding up the third quarter of my freshman year of college i can honestly say that i have never been so motivated and mentally stimulated. I go home three nights out of the week feeling like my brain is completely fried but i love it. I'm pushing myself hard and learning so much. This week focused on the details that we notice in a building. We were asked to think about how and why they stand out, and what purpose they serve. This too has helped me to look at a space with a more critical and knowing eye. 

Voices

This week we focused on the many characteristics there are of a single space, or building. There is one afternoon of my childhood that stands out to me when thinking of different spaces. I was swinging on the swing set in my backyard and looking at my barn, my

 house, and the surrounding space (my yard) and I thought to myself how each room in those spaces seemed to be a completely different world. Each room made you feel completely

 different, and made you notice different things. What I was actually seeing then were the different moments of a space. This week, while drawing my assigned building I was forced to notice again the small moments that I saw before. I started to see all the parts that make up a whole. We are focusing on the small parts of a whole in more detail this week, while drawing the little things that are unique to our buildings.

What I expect to find when looking at the unique parts of my building are things that show duality or, “an instance of opposition or contrast between to concepts, or two aspects of something.”-Webster’s Dictionary. The presence, or existence, of these moments of duality

creates a balance in the space. We as humans need to be directed, and these moments of duality attract and lead us to them, leading us through the space.  ("There is no fixed set of proportions in the parts;...and no standard relationship between solid and void." -Robert Branner, Gothic Architecture, 1961) I disagree with this quote from ourUnderstanding Architecture book because one of the dualities shown in the baths of the diocletian is between what is solid and what is void. This duality is what separates the different sections, and the people, of the baths. We, as people walk throughout the void spaces and are lead by what is solid. 

The presence of these dualities leading us through a space helps you to think about the metric, or system, of the space. System is a great word to describe a space. There are so many details that are arranged either for structure, function, or decoration that make a space into a single component, and they all work together in a very specific way.

The duality of these moments are very obvious and distinguishable, and therefore they connect with each other. We are lead from moment to moment through a space. The baths of the Diocletian were discussed in length during our architecture history class and from

 everything we’ve learned I deduce that they are a great example of all of these words working together. The 32 acres that make up the baths of the Diocletian are all connected by the 

moments in each section of the baths. For example, the concert halls, and the sculpture gardens are connected through their central common area, just like the food court of the mall acts as a connector, and connection zone for the rest of a modern day mall. It is a space for commerce, entertainment, and speeches.

These specific moments, and dualities included in the baths are there to express the wealth and power of the people in side. This is most prominent when we see the division between men, women, and slaves. "Roman life focused on temporal comforts and pleasures, as the Roman bath well illustrates." (Roth 207)

The metric of the baths, each section linked by water, but still divided into a section shows the dualities even more clearly by dividing the people along with each section. If these divisions don’t create enough of a presence, the gorgeous tiles and stone on the floors,

 ceilings, and walls will. The mosaics and tiles tell another layer of stories of their creator for their intended audience, the common people. Simultaneously acting as decoration and helping with function; the tiles make for an easy clean up throughout the day. The basilica form of the baths was a great place for speeches, and commerce. 

The baths are a very well developed precedent for our modern day construction. There are many different qualities of the several structures that are included in the baths of the

 diocletian that we've taken and manipulated, or expanded upon and reused. 

IMAGES

(Image taken from http://www.forumromanum.org/life/johnston243.jpg.)

The above image is a plan view of the baths of the diocletian. It is a great depiction of the void and solid spaces that i spoke about earlier and also shows the metric, or system of the space.

The four images directly above are images i've included to show some of the moments one might experience in a space. I drew these for my drawing class. I found this moment immediately above in particular to be most significant because i found it while walking down the corridor and peering into one of the open doors. I decided to sit in the hallway and draw what i could see of the room through the doorway.

The image above is an image i've included to represent duality. I came up with this idea of sun versus moon while in my astronomy class. It's also reminded me of our black and white projects we made for our studio class that represent so many different dualities, such as good and evil and, knowledge and naiveté.

(Image taken from http://www.josephinewall.co.uk/goddesses/presence_of_gaia.jpg )

I included the above image as an image of presence. The use of color, and the images depicted are very unique and strong in the sense that your eyes are lead all around the picture and there are never left wanting. 

The image below shows a great deal of the color and tiles that are included in the baths of the diocletian. These tiles acted as a precedent for our modern day use of color and materials. We have learned a lot about what how design well on many levels from the baths. This image also depicts the very strong presence that the baths had too. The baths are so unique and colorful that they cannot be unnoticed or forgotten. 

Image taken from:

http://k53.pbase.com/o6/00/132800/1/77661740.ntkzSqTN.IMG_9886.jpg

This image shows the baths of the diocletian from an exterior view. It shows how different the separate spaces are. The baths spread out over a vast area of land, and the different sections are made in different qualities and materials for different functions.

Image taken from: 

http://wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/baths_diocletian/ac823027.jpg

THIS WEEK

From our focus on the different moments, and aspects of a space i have taken my knowledge one step further in that i have trained my eye to notice details of a space that have very specific purposes, or are unique to that space. I have noticed that the way i perceive buildings and spaces has changed. I am able to put into words what i notice, and i am able to recognize how different things that may be included in a space make me feel different ways. For example, in my astronomy classroom there is no natural lighting i always walk out of the classroom drained and unhappy. In my studio space i experience the exact opposite. During the day there is little to no artificial lighting and i am productive and genuinely happy.  I can't wait to notice more and more details in the buildings i experience in my day to day life. 

PARTS: WHOLE

Image for weekly sum up:

Image for Hierarchy: 

Image for Order:

Image for Hierarchy

Archetype/ Prototype/ Hybrid:
In history class we talked about how the column types are good examples of archetype, prototype and hybrid. The five different types of columns Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite are all examples of Archetypes and each one acts as a Prototype for the one after it. For example, a Tuscan column is a prototype for a Doric column and so forth.“The Archetype is what we strive for, it is the ideal, and the Prototype is what gets you there.”- Patrick
One day we spoke about how the different empires such as Rome, 

Greece, and Egypt all strived to make the most perfect building. We talked about how in Rome the Propylaia is an example of a building that is great, but does not compete with the “perfection” of the Parthenon, and could therefore be considered a hybrid.

(Image taken from: 

http://z.about.com/d/atheism/1/0/3/q/GreekColumnComparison-l.jpg)

Source:
A source can be described as a person place or thing from which something comes or can be obtained. For example in our drawing class the on campus building

 that I was assigned to draw was a source for my drawings. I had to refer to it in order to get het information I needed to draw the thumbnail sketches I was assigned to draw.
In history the Parthenon, and Athens in general was a source for our knowledge of the beginnings of architecture, as we know it.

Entourage:
In drawing class this week we focused more on the background behind the figures that we draw. We’ve been trying to add more details to paint a better picture of

 the environment, or entourage, behind the people.

In history the Entourage could be considered the different buildings that are together as one place. For example we spoke a lot about Porch, Court and Hearth. These three things are what lead you through a space. They make this space, full of many different parts, into one single space. Just as all the background objects in the pictures we drew for our drawing class act as one collective whole.
The theatre of Dionysis is also a good example of entourage. This structure took into account it’s surrounding mountains, while also drawing your attention to the actors and the set design on the stage. It pulls all of these components together t

o make one spectacular performance.
(image taken from:  http://www.heritage-history.com/books/tappan/oldworld/zpage049.gif)

Hierarchy:
The social and political hierarchy in architecture is extremely prominent when we speak of Roman architecture. It can be seen in the simplicity, or extravagance of the different buildings. For example in Athens there are four main structures, the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechteion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. These buildings are all in a procession, somewhat like a beauty pageant and this is very apparent by the use of materials, the column types, the location, and the scale. The Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike act as the porch in this scenario. They purify you for entrance in the acropolis and then lead you through the court and to the hearth, which is for only certain people.
Order:
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about order is the order of the columns. The three main orders are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian and they are all prevalent in our society today.
The order of porch, court, and hearth are also very important in architecture. They lead you through a space in an order that is very purposeful and specific. Especially for the Acropolis in Athens there is a specific order to the way the buildings are placed and made. They each serve a different and important purpose.

Week:

This week really focused on how many different pieces can make up one whole thing. For example several pieces of furniture make up one single room or space. Many different pieces of wood build a house. Many parts act as a whole.

We saw this in all of our classes. Not only did i see this in my Interior Architecture courses but i saw it even in my Astronomy class. Each week when i am assigned new words i keep them in the back of my mind and for the title of this weeks opus "parts:whole" i thought about how all of the stars and planets in the sky make up the universes. These words that we're assigned each week can truly be found anywhere and everywhere. Commodity, Firmness, and Delight, from a previous opus assignment, has stuck with me. It is permanently engraved in my mind and i always relate things back to it, in their function, appearance, and long lasting capability.