Opus Week 5

The word metric pertains to the metric system. Architecturally this pertains to a system in the built environment. This week we learned about systems of vaults and domes in Italian churches. These systems were important because structurally the dome needed to be fully supported. The system of arches worked together to hold up the dome. ‘Aisle construction’ requires a space to be divided to create a central nave with aisles. The next part of the systems is to support the truss with ‘arcade posts’ and to support the wall with horizontal beams. Although this system gave the space more floor area the arcade posts seemed obstruct the space and actually make it seem smaller. A few types of medieval systems for beam construction were aisle construction, crown post construction, cruck construction, and hammer beam construction (Blakemore 75). Although many historians say that the medieval period was one that destroyed the architectural accomplishments of the ancient world, which it did in some ways, it also came up with certain systematic advances, the systems of construction being one of them (Roth 301).


A precedent is something that serves as a guide and helps justify something. In court cases precedents are used to determine the outcome of similar cases. Greek and Roman architecture serves as a precedent for many governmental buildings today. In our reading for this week we read about medieval architecture and castle building. Castles had a basic rectangular shape with towers at each corner. The center gate was the most important and also had a central tower. The Castles often had open space in the center and were not complete solid rectangles. This provided outdoor living space and a public place much like a forum or marketplace. Castles seized to continue their popularity past 1400 or so but the basic plan served as a precedent for residential buildings in France and other areas of Europe during the Renaissance as well as Baroque period. (Roth 308)


Presence means that something is in the immediate vicinity, or is in close proximity. It is also used in terms such as a building has a great presence, meaning that it is noticed and most often in a positive light. The presence of churches in medieval cities was a great one because an immense amount of work and detail went into these cathedrals. The community became involved in the building process. Masons and families gave money to the church in order to fund the building of it. As Patrick said in class, people were able to buy their way into heaven in a way if they help fund the cathedral significantly. Castles also had a great presence in the medieval world and one could say that the Kings who built castles did so in the same way Pharoahs of ancient Egypt built pyramids. Edward I built many castles and according to Roth he had four major projects going on at the same time between 1277 and 1300. Thousands of men worked on these castles just like slaves did in Egypt. These castles represented a King’s greatness just as the Pyramids did, and their scale and presence were what made these structures stand out. (Roth 308)

A moment in architecture is an architectural detail, the top of a column, the way the light enters the center of a chapel, the detail in an arch. Different people notice different moments. One person may appreciate the detail in a wall relief while the other may appreciate the rose window of the cathedral. Moments are personal and create the space. Connecting a previous weeks topic, a moment is a part of the greater whole.

Duality in architecture can mean many things. It can mean something can function as one or more things. There are many artifacts and buildings that have more than one purpose or function. Referencing our material for this week, castles dually functioned as the home for royalty and the center of a kingdom and its authoritative matters. Cathedrals function as a place for religion, sometimes there was a living space attatched or nearby where monks, priests, or nuns lived. Cathedrals also were places where people could show off their wealth. In the case of chapels, rich families were able to pay enough money to have their own chapel, showing the community that family’s power. Duality in special function was a characteristic of medieval homes as well. The residents of a home used the hall as a communal living space for ‘sleeping, dining, recreation, administration of justice, calls to arms, ritual, reception of guests, and living room’ (Blakemore 70)

Justification for Precedent Study

Building: The Municipal Building
Location: 1 Centre St. Manhattan New York
Architects: McKim, Mead & White
Construction Finished Approximately 1914

Home to a myriad of governmental offices the Municipal Building in Manhattan New York functions as the center for civic life in the city. It is a place where one can get married in “four minutes” and approximately 28,000 couples get married every year there. It is a building where it’s commodity is just as potent as it’s architectural appeal. Its architecture is so appealing that it inspired Stalinist architects during the cold war to build ornate skyscrapers surprisingly similar in form. The building was built due to the city’s need for more space beyond the original city hall. A design competition for the Municipal Building was put in place and the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White was selected with their renaissance inspired design in 1906. The building has classical and renaissance inspired details such as Corinthian columns, groin vaults, and a triumphal arch. The Municipal building synthesizes different architectural styles in order to represent the many different functions of the building itself and the democratic practices behind it. This building is quite pertinent towards understanding design today and the design of governmental buildings in America and the world.

Opus Week Four

Source:http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2162/1558732104_5a660032ab.jpg?v=0

This week we looked at Rome, an ancient Empire that encompassed Italy, Greece, parts of Asia Minor and the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient Roman architecture has become an archetype for numerous modern building forms today. Governmental buildings in the United States are hybrids modeled after Roman architecture mainly because Rome was considered the first democratic society. Another beautiful example of modern architecture synthesizing Greek and Roman Architecture together in a hybrid of ornament and dedication to the fine arts is the Pan Pacific Exposition of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Fransisco originally built in 1915 and later reconstructed in the 1960s.

We get our inspiration from Rome; but where did Rome get it’s source of inspiration? The prototype or the very first form of Roman architecture came from the Greeks and the Etruscans. The Greeks and Etruscans were the main settlers in the Roman Empire coming from Greece and parts of Asia Minor and the orient. The Etruscans brought with them great structural techniques for architecture were very skilled builders. The Greeks brought with them the classical orders and ornament that inspired much of Roman architecture. (Blakemore 45)





One can see the source of Roman Columns inspired by the Greeks classical orders. The Corinthian and Composite order seem to be used the most in Rome. What makes Roman columns slightly different from the Greek classical orders is the columns are often plastered onto the building and are there for ornament (these are called engaged columns or pilasters). One can see examples of engaged columns right here on campus on many of the buildings on College Ave. The Pantheon is an example of columns being used as decoration for the facade of a building rather than structural purposes. As Patrick said in class, the Pantheon would be rather plain on the outside without that front facade.

An entourage in architecture is defined in the dictionary as the environmental features surrounding a building. An entourage can also be a group of people. In this context we can look at the word entourage and think about space and how people moved in and out of public and private spaces in ancient Rome. Roth says that the "shaping of space became the essence of Roman architecture." (Roth 247) Romans put great emphasis on public space and the development of their city. The streets of Roman cities such as Pompeii were laid out in block form and at the heart of the city was the forum, a public space with civic and governmental buildings. The forum can be compared to the Greek agora. (Roth 253) Much of Roman life took place outdoors. The streets and public forums were surrounded by an environment much like that of Greece, where the sea is close and the there are hills and lush mountain sides. Although a great deal of Roman life took place outdoors there were domestic homes (domus) where the Romans lived. When entering a Roman domus such as one in Pompeii a visitor would first enter at the Vestibulum, a covered area right off of the street. Then this room opened into another room called the Fauces, another small room with a low ceiling. Finally the visitor can enter the atrium, the main reception hall which is much larger and has furnishings and natural light. Rainwater would fall into a storage space in the center of the atrium called a impluvium. Then one could enter the tablinum , an area defined by Blakemore as having 'the most commanding view of the house. It is an area between the atrium and the peristylium, a courtyard with columns and garden features. Surrounding rooms are for private use only and were often bedrooms and rooms for bathing and dining. (Blakemore 49)

Hierarchy of people was defined in the design of seating as it was in Egypt. Thrones were made for the Gods and often had reliefs of spirital animals such as the sphinx or griffen. Stools functioned as 'a seat of honor and symbol of legal authority, it was used by high magistrates or by the emperor.' (Blakemore 63) Those who were allowed to sit had hierarchy over someone who was standing.

Opus Week Three

Scale informs us about what is important in architecture. The scale of the pyramids and Grecian temples was far superior to the scale of any other building forms of both ancient time periods. Scale is just as important today. The size of the U.S. capital is reminiscent of a Grecian temple sitting up on the hill side. The U.S. Capital is raised on a hill and is capped with it's magnificent dome. Although Grecian temples did not have domes they were quite massive and their columns reached towards the heavens. Pyramids were also massive and are still a mystery in their built form in how the Egyptians were able to build such masterpieces. The scale of the pyramids shows the importance of religion and the afterlife to the people of Egypt. Scale plays a significant role in the built environment allowing the viewer to understand what is important to that culture that makes up that environment.



Unity exists in architecture when all of it's parts come together to form a cohesive and concise whole. The Greeks achieved unity in their architecture in that they built into the land and their buildings were unified with their surroundings. The theater at Epidauros was built in the 4th century B.C. and is an example of architecture unifying itself witht the land. It is built into the mountain side and because it was built upwards in semicircular form the acoustics are actually quite advanced.

Sections allow us to look at an artifact or building in detail to where we can see how it was made and to better understand its working parts. Sections are a part of the whole and one will look at a building differently as a whole after seeing a section of it. One building type that is mysterious on the outside and just as enigmatic on the inside is the pyramid form from ancient Egypt. The outside doesn't give you many clues to what is happening on the inside, the entrance is purposefully hidden. Once you enter the pyramid, if you can get that far, there are many long series of mazes and passageways. Only a one or two of these passageways actually lead to something, the others are dead ends. Along the way one will encounter traps and it can be very dangerous. How do we today in 2009 know so much about pyramids? Well, I take historians and archeologists word that this is how they were built. But the most appealing piece of evidence is visual. A section of a pyramid shows the chambers and layout of the tomb. The ancient pyramids are quite complex on the inside and it shows the Egyptian's great emphasis on keeping a ruler's body sacred and out of harms way. This was done obviously for ethical reasons but mainly for religious purposes because Egyptians believed that they could preserve and use their bodies and their property (including slaves and wives) in the afterlife. The pyramid form speaks volumes about the beliefs of the Egyptians and how far they would go to protect the dead.

Boundaries are constructed in society for many reasons. They can either welcome or hinder a person from entering. In the case of the pyramids the entrance was made to hinder any person from entering the tomb. The entrance to a piece of architecture informs us about who is welcome and who should keep out. The White House is blocked off with a large fence on all sides. The White House can be viewed at a difference though saying that democracy and the President are in reach of the people, but it is under a great deal of security. Homes in the south often have large front porches and stairways that become wider towards the street making the home seem more welcome to visitors. Some boundaries are meant to block off people from entering and even viewing an area such as the Berlin Wall did. It represented the divide in the German governments and it represented the fact that Stalin wanted nothing to do with governments going against the soviets/communists.



A Vignette is a glimpse into a moment in time. It is a drawing or illustration that fades off at the edges and is not a 'complete' drawing. Vignettes tell a story by placing certain images together and by making those images the center of the vignette and the less important parts fading off the edge. It is a less formal style of drawing and it brings character to an illustration. One could say that the boundaries are implied and there is not a complete sense of unity but it is more of a detailed moment.

Overall this week has been about understanding how to approach design from different points of view. One must define the boundaries of a design project. The scale of a piece of architecture is very important because it defines the importance and the usage of the building. A building has unity when all of its parts such as scale, detail, structure, and space work together. A vignette and a section of a building or artifact takes a look at the piece of architecture usually after it is erected. The vignette and section are the detailed moments of the piece and these are just as important as the whole.

Opus Week Two

Illuminate
Light and the environment determine how we orient our buildings on the land. Architects today do not think of the environment and light as thouroughly as those from ancient times. For example, the architects and planners for the Cliff Palace dweling in Mesa Verde, Colorado (Roth 138) thought about the environment quite extensively. The Ancestral Pueblo Village known as Cliff Palace is a village built into a rocky mountain side. The sun passes through the opening in the winter to heat the village yet there is a cliff overhang that protects the village from harsh weather and the scorching sun in the summer months.




Light is also a source of spiritual meaning defined in everything from the pyramids in Egypt to Le Corbusier's Ronchamp. Ancient Egyptians had a strong belief in the afterlife. Pyramids represent a Pharoah's legacy that he left on earth. They hold and keep safe all of a pharoh's worldly possessions and his body so he can use them in the afterlife. A pharoahs pyramid was his own sacred structure and not only did he want to show off his legacy but a pharoh usually wanted it to be spiritually sacred. The sun god Ra is one of the ancient Egyptians most important Gods and he is represented by the light used to showcase the structures. A beacon made out of gold was often placed at the very top of a pyramid so that the sun would illuminate down onto the top of the pyramid and down the sides. Le Corbusier's Ronchamp church has many openings for light that shine in a create an ambient and spiritual atmosphere. Such light allows for the people inside of the church to reflect and transend spiritually with ease. The judeo-christian God is also represented as light in popular culture. People use the idom "I'm going to see the light," saying they are going to go see God or in other words, they are going to die soon. Light has a sacred meaning to almost all cultures and numerous religions and this is reflected in the architecture we see around us, especially buildings for worship.


In ancient egypt the pyramids were built with a white polished stone in order for them to stand out against the sand. . The Egyptians were very smart because this is how they illuminated their important structures before electricity was ever around.We illuminate the things that are most important to us today as well. The Empire State Building, The White House, and many famous buildings are highly illuminated at night in order to show their importance.
Light has a functional purpose as well as a figurative purpose in design.

Idiom
Idioms are figurative phrases that are defined by the cultures in which they are shared. If you say that someone "kicked the bucket" you don't literally mean that someone kicked a bucket but figuratively you are saying that a person died. If you say this phrase to someone who is not American and is not familiar with such a phrase they might be very confused. Idioms can be thought of in a physical aspect as well. This week we have looked at ancient building practices and the mysterious and monumental structures of the ancient world. When we see a structures such as Stonehenge it is an idiom to us because we are a part of the modern world and a completely different culture so we do not understand the design language of the people of the ancient world. Archeologists and Historians do their best to find why and how buildings of the ancient world were built. The buildings and ruins of the ancient world are all that are left of these people. Their structures tell their stories, some are more defined than others, and some are a complete mystery such as Stonehenge.

Commodity : Firmness : Delight
Taking elements from ancient structures and learning what works and what doesn't work helps us in the overall design process. Architecture is never defined as one movement and then the next, there are many layers, stories, and factors that must be kept in mind. Societies and the environment in which these societies are established define where we go in architecture. So many factors come into play such as the social moral, philisophical beliefs, art and music, and political state of a nation at the time. All of these factors effect how we build certain buildings and why. For example, today there is an energy crisis and people are FINALLY realizing that we are destroying the earth due to our careless consumer habits. More products than ever before in the modern world are using recyclable and earth friendly materials. Green buildings are in demand and more people want to do their part in improving the way we build things and treat this Earth. So while the commodity of many new buildings today is to create a green/eco friendly environment the firmness and appearance of the structure is just as important. New building technologies are being utilized in order to protect our buildings from earthquakes and other disasters. Furthermore, many of the green buildings I've seen are not your traditional building with moulding and columns, they are often sleek, modern and use different products and materials that not only are eco-friendly but are quite beautiful as well. The reason why many green buildings are so modern could be that architects want to show that eco-friendly materials can be just as good (if not better) as the materials that made modern buildings before that.
Architects today have the biggest challenge of all because they must make buildings functional, stable, beautiful, and design them in a conscious matter that is good for the earth.

Material
Today we use different building materials such as adobe for homes in hot and arid environments because they work with the environment and help keep the harsh elements out and the energy that we want to use in. Solar skylights allow light to come in to a room without having extreme heating issues from lets say an entire wall of windows facing the sun. Ancient Egyptians used the stone surrounding them to build most of their buildings while other societies used wood. Materials in the ancient world depended upon the environment in which a society inhabited. Today there is a massive world for trade and materials can always be exported. Nevertheless, it is cheaper and far more eco-friendly to use local materials. There was trade in the ancient world, in fact, the Nile river was the center for trade in Egypt, the Silk road a place for trade in China, and goods and materials were often transported through these highways of trade.

Sources-Roth & Blakemore