Point: Foundations

The foundation of architecture can be broken down to three basic elements: a line, a circle, and the use of stacking. By observing earth's surface, one could see that the earth is similarly marked by these three units. These three fundamentals became the building blocks upon which all architecture arose from, and these three elements are still used today. Although lines, circles, and stacking are used in every design, and techniques have been copied and repeated, the use of them varies from location to location. What I found most interesting about this section was different culture's interpretations of how to use these basic elements in order to tell a story of their own. In order to gain a better understanding however you must look at a single unit in relation to the larger picture.

Just as it is important to study the interior and exterior of a building, it is important to study the structure from a bird's eye view in order to gain an understanding with how the architecture ties in with the landscape and nature. In Egypt, they used the lines found in nature, and reflected those lines on the earth's surface to form a grid on which to build their architecture. The Egyptians focused on axial placement that was based on the perpendicular axis formed from the Nile river and the rising and setting of the sun. But their architecture was so much more than axial placement. The stacking they used was symbolic of reaching towards the heavens. Additionally, by repeating the pattern they found in nature, they also repeated the symbolism of the nile and the sun which is continuous life. The Egyptians based their lives on the idea of permanence and the afterlife, and their architecture through the use of lines and stacking, echoed this message long after.

Just as egypt used lines to reflect their believes and tell a story, all over the world different cultures do the same. Each culture has interpreted the use of the line in a different way to convey their personal beliefs. For example, in Ohio valley, they believed that the serpent was the protector of the dead. Therefore they used the line in a curvilinear way to mimic the shape of a serpent on the earths floor. Moving over to Acropolis, the layout of the city as seen from up above tells a story of hierarchy, scale, and harmony. The Parthenon, sitting on the center of the city is seen as being dominant and of greater focus than the other buildings as well as having a much larger scale. Therefore the placement and context tells a story of importance. In Agora, the surrounding walls made from market stalls can tell the story of a community, a place where people come together and are close nit. Once you are outside the bordering walls, the more things begin to change and the more rules are broken. In Greece the first form of theater emerges. The theater of dionysus:epidaurus again uses the elements of circles and stacking and incorporates it with the natural elements of the earth. In Rome, the Pantheon uses the circle and the square to resemble the unity of heaven and earth.

Each culture and society have taken these three basic elements, and have manipulated them into their own designs that tell a story. It was not until this unit that I began to grasp the significance of understanding culture and context. Grasping the whole concept however requires stepping back, or zooming out in order to understand the true meaning of architecture. The lines that mark the earth can be used to portray many things such as showing direction, telling a story, representing symbolism, displaying hierarchy, or showcasing man's accomplishments.

The Pantheon is a great example of the foundations unit. The use of a circle and square have become a model used to this day. Although the placement of the circle and square have been tweaked amongst different buildings, the main inspiration comes from the dome form of the Pantheon with the use of the circle and square.

Pantheon