The best thing about blogs, they just keep going

Out for the year, will be back! :)

After taking this class, I was really interested in architecture. Of course, this class did not simply "change my life" by it really did give me an insight on a career of my choice. I may not become an architect, or simply a good one- but I think it is really amazing that I learned from one. Architects are amazing. They know about ratios, logic, advanced mathematics, etc. Yet, their career looks superficially simple. When we think of architects, we picture people sitting in offices- burrowing their heads into piles of papers. But not all architects are created equal. Architects like Rafael, are those who don't just agree, they show you what you can do better. And that it what makes an architect classified as a good architect. In January, this class was hazy for me- I had not a clue what I would be doing, I was simply always confused, and I really didn't see much interest. Yet, teachers/architects- like Rafael, don't do the "substitute teacher" strategy- sitting at the front desk as the clueless students lollygag and sleep around. Rafael is an amazing teacher. He knows what to do, and how to do it. I look forward to classes like these.

This is a tree house crafted mainly of wood. To me, it represents balance and harmony. It is well balanced on the semi-thick tree trunk. It looks so balance that it looks unrealistic. I mean, how does a heavy structure balance on that scrawny trunk. It is a design flaw since the structure may fall over at any time. I would not like to live in this house since it just looks ugly: the displeasing colors, the concept itself! And the idea of ants and termites living under my feet: burrowing into the wood. For this reason: 1-10, I would say 1. Others may or may not enjoy it, but I would not even consider walking into this house. And for that, do you have to climb up and down a tree everyday. If there is a thunderstorm: wouldn't it just collapse?

This is a structure in Massachusetts- The Massachusetts State House. The golden dome, the tall columns, the arches, allow the historical aspect of this building to come to life. The golden dome looks like it is real gold: the texture, color, shading, and almost everything about it looks real. The Romanesque columns are still visible in these arches in the facade. And the various columns  look Corinthian- very exquisite!!!. The windows are small, but not too small- and not too large: just the right size.This building, in my opinion, looks displeasing: just the colors and facade do not look too friendly since it looks like a fancy DMV. From a 1-10 scale, I would say 5 is my opinion.

Today we conducted an election that decided which group's pavilion would be sent to Figment, in New York. Forest was out first, unfortunately. Then Honeycomb flew away out of the election due to a shortage of votes. Then it was a nail biter between "Bird" and "Future". Future won by one vote, and then a discussion followed: what the problems with Future was, and what the right solutions were. After a 20-30 minute discussion, we resolved most if not all issues. In my opinion, every group tried their hardest and had amazing ideas, I especially enjoyed the Forest concept because it was synthetic, and it looked natural. There was an unplanned theme of nature in our projects:
Bird: the name itself and the concept is very natural
HoneyComb: resembles an actual bee honeycomb
Forest: it's a Forest!!!! How is that NOT natural??
Future: made partly of bamboo, and partly of PVC- the natural part was the bamboo.

Today we learned about Early Christian Architecture. The Christians primarily put their architectural emphasis on religion. They created a building specifically for baptism. This signifies the serious transition to Christianity. Buildings like the one above: a church,  is a place of solemn, yet holy worship. The symmetry is visible in two main areas: the aisle, and the arch.

Aisle: There are absolutely no curves in the aisle, it is straight , like a passage to a holy place- the altar.

Arch: If arches weren't symmetrical they would abruptly collapse, they would never be able to hold up- since they are symmetrical, the weight is balanced evenly.

Today, we also had a presentation of arches: Martin and Jarod talked about arches: their purpose, their style, use, and time period. Both presentations were amazing- although some might argue that Jarod's was better because it was more infortmative or longer. 

In my opinion- I enjoyed both presentations since they shared at least something in common.

This structure is the Opera House in Sydney, Australia. It looks quite stable because the base is visible to be very strong. The abstract exterior allows the visitors to feel curious as to, what it is- and this curiosity eventually invites the visitors- and when they go inside, they feel astonished- the shallow, yet tall, ceilings and the warm colors- dark orange, cherry red, and a hint of gold. The exterior shows curiosity while the interior shows beauty. The acoustic of the walls inside, also allow visitors sitting in the back- to hear the performance.

Tempietto di San Pietro in Montorio, Rome, 1502, by Bramante
This building depicts architecture from the Renaissance period. This is a structure in Rome that was created in 1502 by Bramante, an Italian architect during the Renaissance. As visible in this structure, we can see very common architectural elements like the column, dome,wall, floor and of course- arch. The columns are Corinthian as they have intricate detail of the head. they all surround the dome- painted in sky blue color, to give off a cool, yet inviting, color. The balcony, allows visitors to see around the complex. Since the balcony is lower than the top of the wall- they can not see outside the wall, it makes them feel enclosed and shrouded by four walls. The arch allows the visitors to come- not through the door, but the beauty and elegance of a tall- detailed arch. The floor, is mostly concrete, which does not make it too futuristic- it allows the visitors to feel the time period, to soak in the historical aspect and the warm sun. Lastly, the walls are decorated with small yet ample glass windows. These windows are not too big, since they are used to reflect Roman architecture- in which large windows were not used.

Reflect

Today we had a short project of creating a teen utopia. The high schools of today, are not functioning- they are falling apart fundamentally and students do not get the learning they need. So we had to create a structure, in groups, that would allow teenagers to realize the transition between childhood and adulthood. When all the groups presented, a common theme was visible- the teens should study AND play at the same time. The short project did not qualify for only sketches, no- but instead, we had to make a model to allow other groups to see our ideas and concepts. Today, according to Rafael, was one of the best presentation for short projects.

Reflection

Wed: 5/29               Today, we were assigned to do a short project: make a studio house for one person, with large and small alcoves. Instantly, I decided that the house would be innately rectangle shaped- around 300 square feet. But the alcoves would "pop out" of the right and left sides of the house. One alcove, the only small alcove, would be the bathroom. And the large ones would be a closet that served as a secret hallway to the main lobby. The lobby, which included the kitchen and the socializing area, and the studio would be divided by an opaque curtain. By doing this, a floor plan would look nothing like a square- due to the randomized placement of alcoves.

Tue: 5/28
                              Today we went on a full-day field trip to San Francisco. The weather was bipolar, occasionally changing from foggy to sunny and vice versa

This building shows off a few architectural elements: the door, the repetitive ceiling, the chandelier, and the columns. The door was first used in Egypt- of course they were not fancy but they did serve a purpose at providing a gateway to a location and in some aspects it also provided privacy. The repetitive ceiling allows elegance to pour into the structure. When we look up, in our own homes- we usually see blank ceilings but now- we can see a repetitive and a beautiful, yet dull pattern. This form of architecture was first introduced in Renaissance Italy, and Rome. In this image, we also see various columns that seem to support the intricate interior. These columns focus on the detailed use of Corinthian order. Even though many buildings of today are modern/futuristic, the real beauty exists in the foundations- the Greek, Roman, and Italian architecture.

Glass houses are interesting. They keep in the heat and block out the cold. They are, however, very expensive and they cost a lot to replace. In my opinion, glass houses are not worth the money and here's why:
glass is expensive, even to build
the house itself- when broken to pieces- can cost a lot to repair and it may not look like it did before
there is little to no privacy

However, here are some reasons you should buy a glass house:
fancy
more value on the market when you sell it, depending on the condition
keep heat inside and block cold outside
most importantly...........you can keep a gecko as a pet.

Ionic Order

Ionic order is one of various systems of architecture, in which the order is specific. In this structure above, the order is:
cornice-A horizontal molded projection crowning a building or structure
frieze-A broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration
architrave-A main beam resting across the tops of columns
capital-The distinct, typically broader section at the head of a pillar or column
shaft-The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar between the capital and base 
and finally, base- the bottom, or foundation, of a structure- upholding structural elements like columns or pillars

Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian are the three orders of classic Greek architecture.
Ionic order was first used in mid-16th century BC in Ionia, the SW group of islands inhabited by Ionian Greeks. Here are some examples of buildings with ionic order:
Erectheion
Library at Ephesus
Roman Colosseum
Temple of Apollo
Temple of Artemis
Temple of Athena Nike
Roman Forum.
A complete list is available:
http://www.greatbuildings.com/types/styles/ionic.html

Haiku

The ever glowing
Mesopotamian
culture creates their structures.

This is an example of architecture from the future. As we can see, it is not a square- generic building. I believe this building is not, in terms of the future, beautiful because in scale- it over empowers the buildings below it. Additionally, it looks like a nose-bleed height. Imagine standing from the top looking down. What would you feel like. And what if there was an earthquake? There is no stable foundation and the concept looks useless. How would you like to go to the restroom when this building is sideways. Additionally, the jagged edges of this building may hit a plane at night. It may be an interesting concept, but it needs a lot more work if it can work in the future.

Doors

According to the Dutch architect, a door is "a place made for an occasion". It's designed,created, and utilized for privacy, security, and protection from most climates. Doors have not changed very remarkably-since they were first created and used in Egypt. The common form of doors- sliding doors and swing doors- were also used in Greece and Rome. The first automatic door was used in the royal library of China's emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty. Most doors were made of wood- but metals were mostly used for public buildings. In Renaissance Italy, door casings were an element of surprise and impression. These doors were decorated with columns and pediments in plain walls. New materials and resources like modified and stained glass soon came to light . Over time there were variations of doors-glass doors, and soon- revolving doors.

                    The new revolving door helped solve problems like heat exhaustion and negative air pressure in buildings. Later, around the 19th and 20th century different forms of doors evolved: panel doors, flush doors, French doors, pocket doors, etc. Additionally, gateways from sacred temples were also forms of very-old doors. They used cloth that would serve as a entryway and they also soon "upgraded" to elements like stone and such materials.This changed architecture because it revolutionized small elements of buildings. In my opinion, doors have evolved greatly over time. It is not a new invention, but it is a everyday, ever-changing invention.

Haiku

Egypt's architecture
Was built for the safety of the Pharaoh
As well as for comfort.

Presentations

Yesterday was the final day for working models. We presented our work- a model, a floor plan, and a section/elevation. Every group had two weeks to work on it and we all presented in table groups. We had only 15 minutes per group to present- and each member of the group had to talk at least once. The models were not perfect, they were working models. Our floor plan was just a sketch, still needing improvement. We felt as if we were under attack- we were being bombarded with a lot of questions- some relevant...others not so relevant. Regardless of their relevance, I think we can use these to improve and change around the project. We really need to change a lot since our school is larger than the space we chose. I think, we should really stick together for the last few weeks and not mess around too much. We didn't have anything until two days before the deadline.

Today we visited Stanford University to explore the architecture of the buildings. The church, for example, had an amazing interior. It had a large-diameter dome that was crafted with translucent glass. Also, in the church, there were many thick pillars. I think these were used to hold up the remaining weight of the church. Outside of the church- in the main quad, there were many arches that were the main attraction. There is a specific name for a series of arches supported by columns- they were called arcades.

In the d.school- or design school- the ceilings were naked, there was a roof- but no ceiling. Apparently it was a source of inspiration for the students. The d-school was designed for students who were interested in design and prototypes. The materials of the classroom were very inexpensive, cheap , and easy to make. In my opinion, I believe all the buildings were structured in such an attractive way- I found the building very attractive and amazing.

In Chapter 2, Paul Goldberger expresses the architecture of the Chartres Cathedral, the University of Virginia, and the Unitarian Church in Rochester, New York. He re-introduces the character of Karsten Harries, and explains the "ethical function of architecture". Goldberger expresses the gap between aesthetics and practical function. He believes that we can just look at buildings the way they are- or we can understand their principle and admire their beauty using aesthetics. Chartres and University of Virginia are both buildings where aesthetic ideas are shared with a larger social idea. Goldberger emphasizes falling water- that it should be observed as a social idea- he believes that it symbolizes the relationship of family and nature...or the relationship of home and hearth.
Goldberger describes the architecture of the Unitarian church in great detail. We can visualize the square shaped room, the concrete ceiling, and the corners open to the light towers. He compares this building to the Yale Art Gallery-because it also has a brick building, with a concrete interior, a similar roughness. He also describes how the beauty can't be seen at first glance- but it can be seen when observed in great detail and multiple times. Paul Goldberger takes a stab on the idea that many works of architecture that we love and care for the most- are not real works of art at all. By saying this, Goldberger does not mean to say that our taste in architecture is bitter. Instead, he expresses that it is difficult to not adore the classic forms of architecture (quote)" It is difficult not to cherish the tile-roofed, white houses of the Mediterranean, the shingled cottages of New England, the brick commercial buildings of the main streets of Midwestern American cities". He emphasizes that humans have a mentality of reacting well to some forms and shapes, and not well to others. He believes that we create a foundation of appreciation based on the ordinary. Goldberger wants us to observe in great detail- when we say that we want to differentiate buildings and their beauty. Conclusively, Goldberger says that it is not any easier to say that architecture is a form of great art, than it is to say for music or a painting.

The Civic Center in San Francisco is an example of classical Greek architecture. It follows two main concepts of architecture- the dome and columns. The dome was used by early Greeks as the center of their building. It can be designed in any way- but there is only one shape for a dome- a semi-sphere.  Domes can be lighted interiorly, or in some unusual exterior lights. At night, the domes are usually visible- since they are lighted interiorly. However, in the past- there were only candles and fires. The Greek domes, over 200 years ago, were never visible. They had no lightning inside that would give it a glow. The Civic Center also has columns. The columns were used widely over 200 years ago, by the Greeks- as well as the Romans. The columns are used to distribute the weight of the building into the pillars.

This is a building in Shanghai, China. It is located in a waterfront area called "The Bund". This is an example of classic architecture because it composes of many classic architectural elements. For example, the dome at the top is lighted in gold interiorly (inside). The structure of the dome was used frequently by the Romans. This dome looks as if it is made of translucent glass. Another element we can see are the columns. The columns were frequently used by Greeks and Romans. The columns were used to distribute the weight of the  structure. If not used properly and precisely, your structure could topple over. Your columns should be strong enough to stand the natural elements- especially water and wind.  Another element we can see are the small windows. The Greeks used the idea of small windows to keep the thermal heat indoors- especially during the winter.

This is an example of Gothic Architecture. Gothic Architecture is usually seen in France- of the cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe. This cathedral has many arches at the gate. At the top, we see pointed towers that can be interpreted as columns. Gothic Architecture has been used in many countries- especially during the medieval period(s).

http://steventmcfall.com/classes/imd110/projects/artmovement/images/pcd04-77.gif

This is an example of classic architectural patterns in our modern life. The White House, as seen above, has at least one aspect of classic architecture- the four columns at the entrance. The columns were first used by the Greek and the Romans. The columns served as a weight-distributor. The column would hold up the surplus weight of the building. Also, the small windows were/are used in Greece. The Greece used these so the heat would stay inside the building, especially when it was cold outside. Another aspect is color. The Greeks used white to reflect the heat of the sun, and we can see this pattern in the color of the White House.

This is a concept used by the Greeks- the columns. Columns were used to evenly distribute the weight of the structure. As seen in this image, we can see that columns did not have a uniform design. Some were original- smooth and long; while others had the carving of elegant designs- seen especially in the Ionic and Corinthian designs. Although the designs were usually different, they all served the same purpose. There was no limit as to how many columns a building could have- although it would degrade the beauty, elegance, and attraction of the building.

This is an example of classic architecture. It is an arch from the classic architecture that was first developed by Romans. Arches are usually used for main entrances. This arch was painted in dull colors- a brown arch should not be on a wall that is painted yellow. We see this is an example of classic architecture because it is an architectural concept of Romans. 

This is an example of Gothic Architecture. It has three main arches at the entrance, and two above the main entrance. At the very center, outside,there is a glass circle that could be used as a mural. The building has a bland, yet dark, color. It gives off an intriguing glow. There is a "vault" in the arches at the entrance. This building looks very enormous in volume. At the very top, there are two tall structures, that may represent towers. These "towers" look as if they are depending on the lower structure for stability.

This is a structure in British-Columbia, Canada. As we see in the picture, this building has 3 arches at the entrance of the structure. Below the base of the arch, we can see they have their independent column. Next to the arch, we can see miniature figures of priests. As we look beyond the arches, we can see that they create a "vault", or extended arches. Above the (outer) arches, we can see patterns in the architecture. There are small openings, which may be windows. In general, the color of the structure is mostly the same. The building looks enormous, even from the outside.

(If you can't see the picture above, type this into google images-------- 3353386528_e5178377a9.jpg

This is a Greek structure, Parthenon. It was a temple located in Greece. As visible, it is "surrounded with columns". We focused a little bit on the architecture of wall-and-column. It was a little confusing for me, because I don't see how the columns can hold up in inclement weather, or in heavy weights.
The Parthenon is an example of classic architecture because it was one of the earliest structures in Greek architecture.