Opus Week 5

Presence : Precendent : Moments : Duality : Metric


When I look at how design begins to shape our culture one piece at a time, I also wonder how the sheer presence of an object or even an idea can make so much difference in the world. I tend to look at the people and the situations around me, and I always notice some common ground. In architecture however, I feel that presence is taken to the next level. I feel that the presence of a structure, whether it be a building or some sort of sculpture, is often associated with how much significance it has in or to a specific society. For example, the Statue of Liberty is a huge monument which stands for freedom within this country. That alone signifies the importance of its presence. In my opinion every piece of architecture is designed to bring about some sort of presence, something that evokes a feeling within a person. That feeling can be both positive and or negative, as long as there is something felt. Architecture is not the only subject which can claim presence as its own. We can look at music, religion, and even science to find presence. For instance, if we look at the beginnings of the Christian religion we can tell that the faith was accepted by more people, the buildings of worship became more important. Thus giving us a good example of how significance within a community results in the importance of presence.

As Constantine became emperor he also brought with him the Christian faith. The Temple of Constantine which is shown above is just my interpretation of what it looked like. I would imagine that when it was first built, it was monstrous. Being that Christianity was so important now, the structures dedicated to it would have to have been something of equal significance. Although the people were now more in tune with how they practiced their faith, the physical perspective was not taken as seriously as in the past. I, however, would disagree completely. I believe that this was the beginning of architecture in its hybrid stage.

The something is done varies with every person. Most people want to take the easy way through any task, however some people out there actually want to invest their time in details and precision. Then there are those who rarely perfect both, those who can work at a fast pace and still be very aware of details which can sometimes make or brake a project. I can safely say that I am not one of these rarities. I like to follow a guide and know that what I am doing is on the right track. It doesn't matter if I am dealing with school or work, homework or any old paperwork, I like to always have a plan. This is when I can best describe precedents. At first I didn't relate it so closely to myself mainly because when I looked at the actual word, I for some reason thought of government and law. However, as I think about it, precedents are embedded in almost anything. If we make mistakes, we learn from them and try not to make the same ones. That is how we survive. If there was no change in the world we as a people would not get anywhere. Whether in design or science or even religion, we take on an idea and we practice it until we feel that it is satisfactory to our own preferences. If we look at the churches over our history, we can see that with each society there were changes that led to a new and effective product. The change would have not occurred without a trial and error at some point.

The Dome view on the left is roughly one dimensional. However if we observe domes in general, we can clearly find that precedents lay at the root of this idea. The dome would not be possible without the existence of the arch. However without the post and lintel system of the early Egyptians, even the arch would be somewhat impossible. Domes did not just come to exist out of nowhere, this type of architecture had to be developed somehow. Without the precedents of ancient architects, domes would cease to exist much less have a fraction of importance in design.

Historically, architecture, music, art, and design as a whole was and still is based on moments. Moments of comfort, moments or pleasure, moments of joy, and many others. It is all moments in general that make up why we live how we live and why we view things as differently as we do. If we look at architecture, every structure was build in a moment in time. Every one of those moments in turn takes a significant role in history so to define they way communities accepted changes.




Some designs were built for a certain moment to capture a feeling or maybe even a thought. For example, the design of the pendentive was incorporated so as to allow light into a space. This light, such as those from windows in churches or even oculars within domes, are designed to capture light at a specific moment and guide it in a certain direction. Sometimes this does not play out as well as it is planned, but even the intention of it sometimes matters more.

Many times when I am asked to think critically about a design I often draw a blank. Usually I used to think that if I liked the way something looked then it was a good design. However much to my surprise, design works in a duality of ways. There are many parts that have to be taken into consideration before you can truly decide whether a certain design is good.

A system of duality can be described by the Mote and Bailey system. Having a shelter atop a hill which descends into a small valley-like ground. The two features work well together because the shelter serves as a level of royalty. This is a place where the overseer resides. However the upper level would be nothing without the small camp-like residence which sits just a few feet lower.

Measurements are taken very seriously among architecture. Almost everything that is created needs some sort of measurement system as a backbone. One unit of measure is metric. This unit is used worldwide, there are only a few countries that use the standard version. In any type of design measurements are crucial, without them we would not have the structures that we do today.

Reflection:

When I think about design and how it greatly involves the process of weaving things together. Looking back on the things that I have learned this week, I know that presence is very important in the idea of how architecture turns out. Precedents act as a blueprint as well as a guide to any kind of design. All the effort that is being out into design is basically for one purpose and that is to create special moments from the structure to the viewer. The duality is also something that u can relate to measurements because we currently have two units of measure: metric and standard.

20th Century Building

Title: Tate Modern
Date of Construction: 1947
Designer: Giles Gilbert Scott
Location: London, England

The world of design is always changing. The fashion, architecture, and even the views of the public are all associated with how design is evolving. A great characteristic of Tate Modern is that while the actual building has always been the same, the idea behind it has had many alterations. Going from a power station to a monumental art gallery is definitely something that caught my attention.
This building shows how location as well as structure work together to form an amazing idea. The gallery is considered to be one of the largest in the world. However, while Tate Modern Gallery was around way before the actual power station, they joined forces in 2000 to form an outstanding structure that conveys great simplicity from both the interior as well as the exterior.

week 4 opus

Parts : Whole; Source; Archetype : Prototype : Hybrid; Entourage; Hierarchy; Order

In order to convey parts to a whole or parts of a whole, there are many things to consider. We can look at architecture for one. How do some many things shape the buildings that we admire or detest? We can also look at our planet. How does everything somehow work so spontaneously and yet in unison? In my opinion the basic idea of parts : whole is that all things in life have to work together in order to be sustainable. When I look back at what I have read in both Roth and Blakemore, I feel that they both describe this idea in simple terms. That is to say that in ancient times, people came together to form something greater than themselves. They build pyramids, temples, forums, and walls in order to symbolize that in order to have a whole you must bring it together by using different parts.

One specific topic I would like to emphasize on is that of the forum. A forum was very popular among many ancient civilizations. It was used as not only a socializing ground but also as a place where people could conduct business and trade. " At the heart of these old cities, culturally if not always topographically, was the forum, the civic open space lined with loggias and civil buildings." Roth (253)

This would be a great example of a forum. An agora is a place where society hosts different traditions. For example the Pan-Hellenic procession would be held here every four years.




Every piece of architecture has an origin. Like word of mouth, materials for building different things spread across nations. Like the post and lintel system which dates back to the early Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans have long used it as well. Thus being said, source of the post and lintel system is primarily in Egypt. I would say also that with many things in life, sources are vital. They almost act as support systems to our ideas. Like birth, everything must have a source, a place where it comes from.


The idea of Archetype : Prototype : Hybrid is one that is known widely as a process rather than just an idea. It's the transformation from one thing to the next with there being an improvement within those stages. The orders of columns are yet again a perfect example of a structure which was improved over time. This Doric was a prototype for the Ionic, and the Ionic was a prototype for the Corinthian. The archetype is always the starting point. The prototype is the next level, and the hybrid is the transformation to the next brand or style. The basilica was also one of the structures that was taken from a starting point and transformed into something bigger. The basilica of the ancient Rome was actually used as a foundation for some of the later churches.

Having people within your community that help a person with their daily lives is something that describes the word entourage to me. I think that the people around you a.k.a your friends are those who make up the group that is considered to be your entourage. Much like with people, entourage can be used to describe a building as well as its surroundings. Within a city there are large buildings that usually represents something that is important in the community. Take for instance a court, it's usually of substantial size so that its strength is conveyed through. Around this court are smaller buildings that outline the courts appeal. In my opinion, the smaller buildings around bigger structures are what makes up an entourage in architecture.

Hierarchy was a big deal in the ancient times. A great example were the pyramids and the tombs that were built. Another example of hierarchy in a visual perspective was the amphitheater. To me I think that this shows how the social system was organized. At the very front on the bottom were the elite. Those who could be closest to the spectacle. As you go up through the steps were commoners.

Order is also something that I think I think is closely linked to the system of hierarchy. The way of organizing architecture is a lot like organizing people in society. Order is kept throughout life all of the time with the help of many processes.


Reflection:
For this week we were asked to look at many things. All of the words that we have talked about all link together quite smoothly. In my opinion the way I can put all of these ides together is by saying that all of the parts of a whole are created from one or many sources. These parts of a whole can often go from an archetype to a prototype to eventually becoming something totally different or a hybrid. This journey can be described as a latter of hierarchy that follows a certain order. However without an entourage, the journey would not have as big of an effect or meaning as it does.

opus week 3

Scale: Unity: Boundaries: Section: Vignette

"We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us."-Winston Churchill, House of Commons ,1943.

The quote above definitely makes me think about how buildings and architecture as a whole has a huge effect on us as a people. We may think that buildings are just used for occupation or residence, however we often have to step outside of what we usually think and let our mind wonder in creative thoughts. As I am entering this new major, I am frequently finding myself noticing more characteristics of all sorts of object around me. When I look at buildings around campus, I tend to now notice curves and foundation along with aesthetics and scale. Even though most of the buildings seem really huge, they are nothing compared to what ancient Egyptians and Greeks built as temples and tombs. Many of the structures built back then were something to be remembered, they stood as a symbol of the people who were most important within the society. Here, scale can be used in two ways: as the actual human scale or as the ever so popular hierarchical scale, where the actual building or structure is compared to the persons worth or royalty.


The Temple of Amon at Karnak along with many of Egyptian structures of its time give a great description of scale. Bigger structures evoked a sense of domination and therefore when looking at the size of an average man compared to these montrous sites, one really can't help but feel like a grain of sand among the beach.

Extending from architecture came about the vignette of everyday objects as well as common gathering places. The decorations which covered these objects and places were very detailed and though out. Much of what was used for decorative purposes were the natural resources found in the surrounding region. For example, much of the plant life was incorporated in the small but very distinguished designs on furniture, walls, and floors. Weather was something that ultimately guided the kind of structures that were going to be built in the area. This is a system that is still used today among many countries. I would assume that an architect would not construct a building if it could not sustain the weather conditions of the area surrounding it.

Along with the designs on the surfaces of the interior, furniture was also a big deal for the ancient world. These objects were something that brought unity among the exterior and the interior. Many materials were incorporated within the furniture such as terracotta, bronze, and most of all wood. "The more precious woods, such as maple and ebony, were used as veneers to cover less expensive woods."-Blakemore (39). The seat furniture was also something of a new technology to the ancient Greeks. The craftsmen of that era had many ideas which they were constantly improving on. One example of that improvement was the Klismos. "About at shoulder height the horizontally curved back was supported by the curved uprights, two stiles and an intermediate splat; narrow at first, the back became deeper with a more pronounced curve."-Blakemore (41). The furniture of the time was greatly focused on the appearance, which is probably why so much thought went into what sorts of materials were to be used and where the details were going to be enhanced. This leads me back to the fact that there is much unity preformed here. It takes a lot of effort to design furniture that will accomplish many things. The ancient Greeks were people who were only going to advance in technology.


This image, which comes from the book History of Interior Design & Furniture by Robbie G. Blakemore(p 39), depicts a Klismos. On the vase on which is it portrayed, the chair actually looks very simple and low key in a way. However, this was most definitely not the case when it was first developed. The woman who sit upon this chair is the main focus of the image, nevertheless the chair is what we are focusing on.


This brings me to the idea of Section. Something the ancient Egyptians as well as the Greeks did phenomenally well was create sections. One of the most talked about system of sectioning off was the infamous megaron. This system of sections is made up of three major parts: the porch, the hall, and the storeroom, which is usually towards the back. In almost every building there is a place from which you would have to enter, the Porch. As you enter there is usually a space designed for congregation, the hall. As you walk through and explore the building you will almost always come to an end or the back of the building, this is signified by the storeroom. The main parts of the building are sectioned off so that it is more efficient for the viewer or the person who is exploring this building to be more acquainted with the structure. Another example of sections is sometimes described by the orders which have had their own impact on architecture for centuries. There are three main styles of orders: the Doric, which is the simplest of them all; then there is the Ionic, which is a later version; and finally there is the Corinthian, which is the most improved version of the three. The reason why I think that the three orders are a good description of section is because they served a symbolic purpose. They lead the viewers eye beyond the exterior. They almost look like guards that are keeping something out, and you desperately want to know what is beyond them.


This is essentially something that i just scetcked in order to remeber that most of the orders were in the front of a temple. I would describe this as a good way to section things off within a piece of architecture in that it gives a person just the right amount of curiosity when it comes to what is on the inside as well as the outside.



I do not know how well I can intertwine boundaries into this collection of thoughts, so I will try my best. The way I see the word boundaries in today's society is in the form of territories and distances. In some ways I believe that boundaries can have many meanings: how far a piece of land stretches, what you can and cannot say to someone, and also the rules of a certain culture or community. However when you examine architecture specifically and when you add boundaries, you indefinitely have to include all of the definitions of the term. When it comes to architects and their pursuit of pushing boundaries, that is how they came to developing newer and more durable technology. It is with this that we have made it thus far in terms of architecture as well as among everyday life.

I personally think that this is a perfect way that I could have explained the term boundaries. Within the acropolis, there is architecture for miles. Most of it usually symbolizes something. The parthenon is obviously a place where there are strict rules and only certain people may enter. That is why it is the biggest building there.

Reflection:

It was not easy linking all of these words together. However when I thought about all of the thought and creativity that goes into the process of design, I began to realize that with architecture anything can be used to describe it. If we can learn about biology and compare it to architecture and design, then we can use almost any situation and relate it. Reading Roth and Blakemore along with Christopher Alexander has really made me think critically about the design process. In many cases it is very difficult to come up with new and improved ideas almost consistently, but that is why we have insperation in the world around us. That is, after all, how we move from one idea to the next.

citations:

Blakemore, Robbie G. History of Interior Design & Furniture Second Edition