Point: Alterations.

The alternatives unit is simply an extension of the foundations unit. The foundations unit focused on the three basic elements: the line, the circle and the use of stacking. In the alternatives unit, the rules established in the foundations unit were determined and studied only so that these rules could be built upon and tweaked into a variety of other forms. The Amiens Cathedral of Notre Dame, Villa Capra, and Chateau Chambord are all structures that were inspired by previous movements in time but developed into an identity all their own and furthermore influenced other buildings to come.

The Amiens Cathedral is inspired by the gothic period as architectural details such as pointed arches, ribbed faults, and flying buttresses are seen throughout the building. The use of geometric shapes are additionally incorporated throughout the structure and the linear plan stays true to gothic influence. The Amiens Cathedral of Notre Dame however did not stop with these elements in the design of the building. The architects incorporated repetition and the use of stacking to a new extreme. The intense verticality of the structure that reached towards the heavens was used to transport viewers into a whole new spiritual realm. The Amiens Cathedral in turn became a model for cathedrals to come. Architects looked to what was already standing and successful and repeated similar characteristics in their structures and were additionally able to avoid mistakes that were previously made.

Again the idea of borrowing from what was already established and successful is seen in the Villa Capra designed by Andrea Palladio. He looked back to the classical period and copied from antiquity something that was rare and precious and transformed it into something common and secular. While the Amiens Cathedral was built during a time where the primary focus was on religion and the church, Villa Capra transitions to a period where the focus is taken off the church and put on man being in measure of all things. Careful attention to proportions are seen again, and the central plan of Villa Capra is used to help draw attention to man being in the center of the universe.

In France, the Chateau Chambord is built during the renaissance and is a good example of looking at both medieval and classical architecture and meshing the two movements into one building. The renaissance period was about reviving the classical period and recreating what was already established long ago. In the Chateau Chambord the classical detailing is seen on the lower half, but the architects put their own twist to the classical style by altering the top to reflect gothic characteristics as well.

The different periods in themselves are examples of alterations of one another. Beginning with the classical period, it transitions into the gothic period, and proceeds to the renaissance where antiquity was revived once again. The movement proceeding the renaissance was the baroque. During this time, it similarly reflected that of antiquity but exaggerated classical elements into a style all its own. The baroque period ties in theater to all aspects of life and uses drama to show movement and transport viewers to another realm. It was about masking, creating illusions and breaking outside of the boundaries. New innovations took place. The difference between the renaissance's take on classicsm and baroque's is seen through the statue of David. Contrary to Michaelandelo's statue created during the renaissance, Bernini's statue comes alive as it bends, moves and challenges.

What I gained most from this section was the realization of how much architecture is copied, repeated, and altered to this day. Those that do not study what was in the past are susceptible to repeating past mistakes, or recreating something that was better accomplished previously. All architecture is different interpretations of the principles that were established long ago. It is imperative to understand the principles for what makes good design so that those lessons can be built upon and expanded into new ideas and alterations.

Amiens Cathedral

Villa Capra

Villa Capra Plan

Chateau Chambord

Reading Comprehension 4.

[1] Just as we learned with Gothic cathedrals, in the context of each PLACE, the other scales of analysis (ARTIFACT, SPACE, and BUILDING) each demonstrate difference. For each scale on the readings rubric above, EXPLAIN at least one common design language that links them all. Use the principles and elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your analysis, using at least one cited quote. [10 points possible]

- Artifact

-Across the board, classical detailing is seen through the furniture. Much of the detailing and decoration comes from carving the wood. There is an emphasis on craft and harmony through furniture and the furniture itself becomes art reflecting characteristics of the classical age.

-Building

-Commonalities amongst all the buildings are that they are rooted in the design influence of Palladio. A central dome is seen throughout the spaces that distinguish a gathering place of importance. Unity and symmetry are characteristics of these buildings. "Pediments, columns, and porticos mark entrances and ends" (Harwood 459). All building types similarly incorporate geometric shapes and arched windows are seen throughout.

-Space

-Elaborate interior ornamentation is reflective of the classism period. There is a harmony of exterior and interior as the interior form repeats the same characteristics seen on the exterior. Wall paneling and decorative wall paper that often contains many patterns is seen throughout interiors.

-Place

-All places share the same quality of repeating the classical form. Once one place caught on to the classical movement, it quickly spread, and other places began to copy similar classical elements. Roth identifies that "Renaissance architects of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries endeavored to create new, rational, mathematically describable forms based on what they understood of the Classical architecture of ancient Rome"(Roth 397). Additionally, a cause to this spread of classicism was due to the "...appearance of the first English translation of Palladio's Four Books of Architecture, in 1715." (Roth 441). Now that there was written copy of Palladio's work, it was more easily accessible to people to use as a resource for designing their own Classical inspired architecture.

[2] Linked to Europe, the ARTIFACTS, SPACES,

BUILDINGS, and PLACES of the American colonies echo closely their design forebears. Selecting evidence from all four scales for both the American Georgian periods, TRACE the common design ancestry across the Atlantic Ocean in the Neo-Palladian and Late Georgian periods of England and the Louis XVI/French Provincial period in France. ARTICULATE the implications of copying from Europe for the American colonies. Use the principles and

elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your analysis, using at least one cited quote. [10 points possible]

- "There were no classical ruins in the New World from which Americans could learn something of what made for good design" (Roth 459). It is no wonder why colonists produced what they knew from back home when there was no direct resource to look to for reference. All over America, there is traces of influence that was brought by the colonists who came from England, Spain, France, Germany and Holland.

English colonists imitate what they were familiar with, and the houses and furniture produced in the United States are reflective of those back in England. Some characteristics of houses include steeply pitched roofs, central chimneys, wood frames, large gathering halls, small windows, and sparse furnishings. Additionally, interior spaces are often made up of plastered wall and unfinished floors. The homes are more functional than decorative and little is known of the "...classically inspired Renaissance design concepts" (Harwood 252). Tables are popular furniture and often have extending flaps that can be folded down.

Spain adapts traditions of Florida and the southwestern parts of the US, but they quickly adapt their own style. "No longer strictly medieval as elsewhere in the New World, Spanish Colonial architecture strives to follow contemporary Spanish Renaissance and, later Baroque styles" ( Harwood 269). Linear plans are characteristic and as people begin to feel more secure, more windows, doors and porches appear. The use of stone and adobe are common as well as flat roofs. Function is the main focus for design. For example, in Florida houses orient along the street with all rooms opening up to the porch in order to catch breezes and no glass is used inside of windows. Furniture is characterized by simple carvings and curves, with rectilinear shapes.

French also recreate what they know back home. Function over style is similarly characteristic as architecture is rather simplistic. Floor plans focus on symmetry, however the salon and dining room as seen in the Parlange Plantation break the symmetry. There is also a sense of harmony as the interior relates to the exterior. Furniture is simple, with little carving and few curves. In New Orleans french doors opening up to the street is common as well as extended roofs, and town homes with two to three stories that enclose around a courtyard with shops on the first floor.

Germany and Holland colonists repeat medieval type building styles from back home and are not yet aware of the "...European classism of the Renaissance or Baroque" (Harwood 303). Stone and log homes are characteristic of these settlers. Andrew Jackson's house is liking to that of Germany as the interior showcases wide floorboards, whitewashed walls, and exposed beams. The Dutch come and settle in New York where they merge with the English, so little of their influence remains. The kitchen cupboard, known as a shrank, has cupboards below shelfing, and is normally the largest piece of furniture in the house.

[3] From the Hersey/Freedman reading, DESIGN and POST a labeled floor plan of a possible Palladian villa inspired by Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Balletto Terzo found online at this site: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm select the link on the left side of the page with Frescobaldi’s name under multimedias [5 points possible]

-For the floor plan I used the ratios of 1:1, and 3:2.

[4] Using the resources at the weblink below, SPECULATE about whether you believe that the architecture and design in the Baroque period stands as a form of social performance in the theatre of the world. Support your response with examples from class and the assigned readings. [5 points possible] http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/10701023/

- The Baroque period most definitely stands out as a form of social performance. The Baroque period birthed from the desire to promote the church and the church promoted the rise of theater. The architecture during this period captured theater in the form of architecture that combined "... monumental architecture, illusionistic painting, and dynamic sculpture to inspire, awe, and transport the viewer"(Harwood 322). Aesthetic overpowers function during this time, as every structural aspect was transformed into a theatrical illusion that stepped out of the boundaries and created a sense of movement. The online source acknowledges that "...the effect of movement and action" used in the Baroque period, "was more important than the effect of symmetry and balance that had dominated the art of the Renaissance." The theatrical architecture is about masking the structural architecture and creating an optical illusion to show fluidity and movement. This theatrical masking is seen in the Cystine Chapel as Michaelangelo Buonarroti transformed a flat ceiling surface into a surface that appears to be vaulted. The designers during the Baroque period recognized the power of theater and were able to go beyond the boundaries that were set before. The Baroque that started in the church spreads to France where at Versailles, the palace for Louis XIV, the same dramatic style is used to display and make a statement of the King's power. The Baroque period was influential and innovative as it combined architecture and theater to make powerful statements and transport viewers to another dimension.

Communicating to Non-Designers

Sitting in a crowd of people.

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