Reading Comprehension 1.

[1] Select an object or a building from any time period that you believe meets Wotton’s

definition (as cribbed from Vitruvius) of commodity, firmness, and delight. With an

annotated image, take care to EXPLAIN the ways in which you see the definition

realized through the object or building. Use design language and concepts discussed

in class for dealing with precedents (5 points).

- The Prada Epicenter designed by Herzog and de Meuron is a quality example of commodity, firmness, and delight. When it comes to the function of a building, Roth speculates that making a structure strictly utilitarian, having one purpose, can take away from the beauty of a space, but similarly a building designed to be multifunctional can not best suit all purposes.

The high style store however, is a multifunctional structure that caters to all the needs of the store and aesthetically is pleasing and delightful for customers. The wave in the center of the store is not only a visual delight but the platform that emerges from the wave, transforms the scene from a pleasing structural aspect, to a stage where products are displayed or shows are preformed. The behavioral space is additionally changed from a simple set of stairs, to a seating area when the platform is used to put on a showcase. The wave not only caters to the function of a multipurpose space but also structurally emulates flow and movement in the space which Roth describes as interwoven spaces. The wave encompasses all aspects such as function, structure and delight, and even can be viewed as symbolic as the transformation of the stage can relate to the ever changing design world.

*http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18370&page=9

[2] Working from Harwood et al’s concept of cultural precedents, select one of the

contemporary textiles illustrated above and PINPOINT the influences you see from the

eastern world on the production of fabric in the west. Concentrate on motifs and

patterns provided in Harwood’s text (5 points).

- From looking at the first pattern, I was surprised at how nearly all of the pattern was derived from eastern influences.The characteristics I most noted are the swastikas, spirals, circles and flowers. Swastikas are representative of change in seasons while spirals can represent prosperity or fertility. Circles mean a variety of things such as energy or symbolic of the sun and moon. I can see how the flowers in the textile are influenced by Japan's connection with nature and geometric shapes. Additionally, I can see how the pattern itself is more influenced by China than Japan because the pattern is symmetric and repetitive, while compared to Japan where designs are typically asymmetric.

[3] When considering perceptions of personal and social space, Hall and others

suggest that different cultures have different space needs and attitudes. Most

consider that citizens of the U.S. generally feel a need for more space. How does this

play out in the classroom in which we gather for iar222? (5 points)

- In the classroom of iar222, it is apparent that seating is cramped, the isle is only large enough for maybe a book bag, and certainly not wide enough for a person trying to make it to the lonely seat in the middle of the row without it being an obstacle course of dogging other peoples small desks that perfectly obstruct the walking path. What I have noticed about my own personal perception of space in dealing with the classroom, is that if there is a choice between sitting next to someone I may not know, or sitting with a gap seat between us, I will always chose to sit isolated. It is not because I do not like sitting next to people, but because I am aware that people will generally get frustrated if my elbow is jetting into their side when I am taking notes. So if there is a way around sitting in between people, I will take it, because I do not want people to feel like I am interfering with their personal space.

Seating choices in the first day of class represented the typical perceptions about personal and social space, as everyone spread across the room. Without being told to sit in the first group of rows, the whole class did not voluntary do so. And if they had, it would have been acknowledged of being out of the ordinary.

[4] SPECULATE about whether or not there can be an architecture of happiness, as de

Botton writes in the work by the same title. Provide a juicy quote that helps give

evidence to your views from the passage that you read. Include an annotated image of

a happy object, space, building, or place and specify WHY and HOW your example

exudes happiness (5 points)

- There is an architecture of happiness, but that does not necessarily mean that the same structure will strike the same emotion within every individual. One quote that stood out to me was, "It seems reasonable to suppose that people will possess some of the qualities of the buildings they are drawn to." This made perfect sense to me, as sometimes I have found such pleasure in certain designs that others have dismissed, and if others are disinterested in the very structure I am drawn to I defend it as if I am defending myself.

As far as my happy object goes, I have chosen my elephant mug. I believe it is common for most people to have a certain coffee cup that stands out from the rest, and is habitually used. I see this as a happy object because a mug is something I use everyday, and unlike the other mugs I own, this one has a personality about it that makes me smile. Perhaps I see the playful characteristics in the mug that are also reflected in myself.