Reading Comprehension 3.

1) Amiens Cathedral

Amiens vs. Salisbury : Time

-Both cathedrals are alike in the fact that they both were built starting in 1220. They were built in rather short periods of time as Salisbury cathedral was completed in 1258, a span of 38 years and Amiens in 1269, a span of 49 years. For this reason the two structures being built over the duration of one generation are representative of true gothic architecture. However, although Amiens was originally completed in 1269, it underwent changes in the design. The addition of two towers and other modifications pushed the finishing date back to 1410. Because of these additions, Amiens is no longer a consistent representation of what gothic architecture would have been like during the 1200's in France, but is rather is a model showing the evolution of the design passed from one designer to another. The towers were built as a separate entity, at different points in time, and were not consistent with the design of the rest of the building. Because Salisbury was built and completed in such a brief period of time, it provides more historical context to outsiders to study what gothic architecture was like in England during the 1200's.

Amiens vs. Cologne : Structure

- In both Amiens and the Cologne Cathedral, the use of flying buttresses, influenced by France, allowed for windows to become even larger which added to the cathedral's sense of vertical scale and lightness. Both cathedrals are identified by having immense scale as the cathedral's height to width ratio out does other cathedrals. This ratio of about 3.1:1 also gives an optical illusion of the cathedrals appearing even taller. The dark ages were a period where people put focus on verticality and reaching towards the heavens. Clearly these two societies deserve far more recognition than being categorized in this derogatory term of the dark ages. It took much consideration and advancements to create structures so large in scale. Cologne still holds the record for largest church built during the gothic period which shows that Germany's advancement during this period of the dark ages is far from insignificant.

Amiens vs. Florence : Language

- Ameins and Florence differ most in appearance and language than the other cathedrals. Amiens focuses more on verticality and reaching the heavens while Florence's main focus is on the dome and what man can achieve. I believe that both structures are successful in their designs with the languages they were trying to speak. With the Florence Cathedral it is apparent that it is moving out of the "dark ages" and more into the renaissance where the focus is more on man and what man can accomplish. This sense of man being in the center of everything is seen in the use of the dome and the development of man's skills and use of materials. They both are highly ornamented but the application is different in both cathedrals. In Amiens there is much focus on the exterior ornamentation and is more simplistic in nature inside the structure. The florence cathedral however shows signs of the turn of the renaissance as the interior becomes much more lively with artwork such as frescos.

2) This illustration from A Medieval Home Companion depicts woman at work in a medieval interior.

Unfortunately, the image is closely cropped so we don’t see much of the rest of the dwelling in which

she works. Using Harwood and Roth, complete the rest of the scene using words and images to

demonstrate your understanding of the domestic medieval interior (10 points).

-During the middle ages, people began to turn toward religion, and the architecture focused on housing groups of people. The architecture resembled that of the Roman Basilica, and there was a sense of centrality as people met in the center as a place for gathering. Arched windows are seen throughout structures, and thick fortified walls are a characteristic of this time in age. Gathering halls are common amongst this period and this image could depict a woman working in the kitchen. Other characteristics of these medieval hall style interiors are sparse furniture, wooden beams, and vaulted ceilings as seen in the pictures below.

Stokesay Castle

Penshurst

Diagraming Part 2

Building to Site Model

Structure to Enclosure Model

Natural Light to Form/Space Model

Circulation to Use Model

Unit to Whole Model

Material to Form Model

Part 2 Whole

We began this project dissecting our body into individual parts and comparing those parts to common objects in order to better understand scale. Through this detailed evaluation we became much more aware of each individual part of the body and the body as a whole. We also sought to explore how our bodies moved through space. We studied not only simple everyday movements like walking, but also not so common movements such as spinning, cartwheeling, and rotating. Through tracking our movements using a system of points and lines in both elevation and plan view, we are both much more aware of our bodies and how they function as a whole within space.

-Group Project by: Abigail Buchanan, and Weston Willard

Compass

Scale: Place, Egypt

Form: Paragraph

Map Project

Paragraph

L' Hotel de Soubise

2D

R.I. State House

Word

The Eames house by Charles and Ray Eames.

3D

For the 3D I wanted my model to resemble the House of Vettii. The outside is plain cardboard to resemble the plain facade of the house. Then as you enter the house, you see the atrium in the center. The House of Vettii focuses on axial progression and light cuing the way. As you walk along the inside of the interior you see the beautiful rich frescos lining the walls, and once you get to the end, an exquisite garden awaits.

(a closer look at what the 3D model consists of)

Egypt, Greece & Rome Summery

When I think about Egypt, I immediately think of the monumentality and scale of their architecture. I also think of how their designs are constructed along the Nile river as they are big on axial placement. Additionally, the stories they inscribed on buildings and columns are important for their desire for future generations to know about their culture. Also, you see little change in design in Egypt because they believed that it could never get better than when the gods lived, so they strived to keep their architecture reflecting the nature of their gods.

In Greece, it was different than Egypt. They still used the element of stacking, but they focused more on asymmetrical placement than axial placement. Also I believe the strategic placement of buildings in the city of Acropolis in Athens is very important. Additionally, they were not as detailed as Egypt was with inscription. However what is most prominent to me is their development with the use of the column and how their buildings and temples were reflective of their idea of sacrifice.

I believe the big lessons and developments in Rome are seen in the skills of construction with the use of new material. And the invention of the arch and dome that allowed for many different forms of buildings to arise.

Reading Comprehension 2.

1) Hersey describes a grammar for Greek architectural elements based on the idea of sacrifice. Speculate about the validity of his argument on what you know about Greek design and the evidence (both visual and written) he provides.

- I believe Hersey's writing provides a lot of historical background and evidence supporting the idea of sacrifice and how the Grecian culture incorporated this symbolism in their architecture. Sacrifice and its connection with architecture is first seen with the sacredness of trees. Different types of trees belonged to different gods, and when the Greeks worshiped their gods and provided sacrifices, it was done in front of the trees. Trees than became the basic form of a column. Once the column evolved, the sacrificial symbolism was still incorporated even in a more pronounced manner. A big part in the sacrificial ceremony was not only providing the sacrifice itself, but also taking apart the sacrifice and reassembling it. This same principal of taking apart and putting back together is seen in the make up of columns. Beginning at the base and ending at the top with the capital, the parts of the column correspond to the parts of a sacrifice. For example the base of the column is also known as the feet, and the cord that wraps around the base of the column is symbolic of the sacrificial feet being tied up. And the capital is symbolic of the head and the decoration on the capital can relate back to either horns, or garlands worn around the head. Altogether, I find Hersey's argument about sacrifice being tied into architecture completely valid.

2) Meant in jest, Macaulay shapes a world of the future in which the main character claims meanings for archeological evidence uncovered at the Motel of the Mysteries. Extract what you believe to be the lesson of mis-interpresting evidence and link that lesson to the real world phenomenon of the internet. In other words, explain how you might avoid such a blunder as mis-reading evidence when you use the web as your major information source.

- Once we have a predisposed opinion about something it is as if we are on a mission to find information that supports our idea. I find that I actually will type in the google search bar what my opinion actually is on a topic to see what kind of information pops up. Normally I will click on the first couple sites listed and if they support my opinion, I consider it to be fact. However, I am aware that this is faulty. I believe in order to not misread or misunderstand information it is important to search for unbiased websites and compare them with other websites to see if information provided is constant. That way we are not relying on our personal beliefs or opinions, but rather seeing the whole side of a story.

3) The funerary temple design of Queen Hatshepsut speaks a very different design language than the pyramidal forms for other pharaohs. From your readings and the ideas addressed in class, recount possible reasons why Queen Hatshepsut used this building form.

- Queen Hatshepsut's tomb did very much vary from the pyramidal forms although it did still incorporate stacking. However, most emphasis was put on the integration of the tomb built into the side of the cliff. Additionally, the Queen wanted her tomb to act as a paradise for Amon. The flat structure of the building more catered to the ideals of creating a paradise for Amon. A garden was even included that contained Myrrh trees that were brought by the Queen. Contrary to pyramidal forms, there was a row of double columns that created a porch like space. The flat structure of the tomb was more created with the ideals of connecting the people than it was demonstrating power as shown through the pyramids.

4) Although some evidence suggests links between the Egyptian and Greek civilizations, and some building forms and details provide support for that linkage, the two societies produced design responses in great contrast to one another. Select a building type (house, tomb, or temple) from each culture and elucidate similarities and differences in the two forms over time. Provide an annotated illustration for each selected type.

- While there are a few similarities between temples in Egypt and Greece, there are many differences. In Egypt the temples were constructed with much attention focused on the axis and the connection with the sun. In Greece, however, they were less focused on axial placement and more concerned with the building in response to integration with nature. Additionally, the Grecians were more concerned with impressing people with the outside of the structure and were not as concerned with the interior. However in Egypt, as seen in the Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amon, they put extreme emphasis on the interior and the stories that were depicted on the vast amounts of columns. Characteristics of Egyptian temples are that of monumentality and grand scale, and while that same sense of grand scale is seen in the Parthenon, the Parthenon is the only temple in Greece at that size.

Parthenon

Hypostyle Hall, Temple of Amon

5) Harwood shows examples of Egyptian furniture on pp. 60-61. Hypothesize about the lightweight nature of Egyptian furniture when compared to tomb architecture, as at the Pyramids of Giza, which many characterize as massive and heavy.

- I believe the difference between the construction of the pyramids and furniture is due to that fact that the pyramids were visible to everyone passing by and built with the intentions of displaying the power of the pharaohs. The structure of the pyramids were constructed to last and tell the story of the deceased pharaoh. Therefore the structure was created massive and heavy to not only represent power, but structurally, be dense enough to last through time. In contrast, the light furniture was less about being structurally captivating in size and focused more the ornateness and use of elaborate materials as seen on the Golden throne of Tutankhamen. Additionally, the furniture that was to be showcased inside the tombs was protected by the structure of the pyramid and therefor did not need to be as dense.

6) Based on a careful reading of the visual evidence in these two images, draw out an explanation of design and gender roles as you see both depicted. As this language of urns represents essentially one of the main ways we know about Grecian culture, comment on the validity of such a practice of reading evidence.

- On this urn, it reflects the ideals of the Greeks based on gender. The men were considered the dominant, high authority figure while the women were considered males servants. Based on Herseys reading, the pictures on these urns with the male sitting on the throne could be representative of the god and the items the women are offering can be considered his sacrificial gifts. The garland around the man's head worn during the sacrificial ceremony is also repeated on the rest of the urn.

As far as validity goes when it comes to interpreting information about the Grecians, I am myself skeptical. I believe that while these pictures on the urns do provide a lot of context to learn about Grecian culture, I can not say that it is always interpreted one hundred percent right.

Tree House Presentation Board.

For this assignment, we were asked to pick a precedent study in which we would develop diagrams to help communicate space, form, function, organization, ect. I chose the "Tree House," by Mount Fuji Architects to work from.

Portfolio

For the first assignment in Visual Communications we were asked to create a pinup portfolio displaying work we did the past year.

Point: Theories.

It was not until this past unit on theories when it registered with me that designers have a strong power to effect society and the people within it. On the first day of class we discussed how architecture is known as the unavoidable art. People are forced to interact with buildings and the spaces within and surrounding them. If in a building there is only one path that leads through, people are forced to take that path. People's decisions on where they go, and how they go, are based upon the design of a building. That alone is a powerful thing. A disorganized, confusing layout of a building, can in turn, frustrate the people who are forced to interact with that space. In the book, "Architecture of Happiness," it touches on the fact that architecture effects people's emotions and behavior. As long as architecture must be included in our life's, it might as well be enjoyable. However, getting a positive reaction from every individual is hard to accomplish, as not all architecture effects all people, or people groups the same. There is however a framework to work around. If a structure wants a chance at being a well designed space, it must include commodity, firmness and delight.

When designing a structure, it is imperative to design it with care, with function in mind, with an element of delight, and especially with a strong focus on the firmness of a structure, because once this generation has passed, the buildings left behind are going to be what tells the story for the new generation to come. Stonehenge is a perfect example of how lasting structures can give present day insight into the past. While the function of stonehenge is not entirely known, the elements of firmness and delight are strongly apparent and still raise curiosity to this day of how such an amazing structure was created during that point in time.

Architecture tells a story long after the people of the time are gone. Without studying and learning about these spaces, one can't move forward or grow. If people chose not to study past history, they can very well go onto make the same mistakes. By learning from the past, we can excel in advancements in the future.

What I found most interesting in this section, was the difference in sensory worlds from culture to culture. In the reading, "The Hidden Dimension," it discussed the idea that the constant between cultures is experience, but the reading addressed that this is not always the case, because different cultures process experiences different ways. This past weekend when I went home, my mom was preparing her lesson plan for her sixth grade history class, and she began telling me examples she discovered of how designs or phrases when interpreted to other nations or cultures can mean something entirely different than what was intended. And in many cases, the misinterpretations reflect poorly on the products trying to be sold. It just goes to show how crucial it is to do research and understand other people's cultures in order to design a successful space that will have positive influence on the people who come in contact with it.

Upon googling "commodity, firmness, and delight," this image of the Giza Pyramids came up. This picture I feel communicates the idea of this section. The power of three is demonstrated by this structure and meets the guidelines of commodity, firmness and delight. In turn, these pyramids are also a tool that we are able to use today to see into the past, and are able to gain understanding of that period, because of the remaining structures.