Explorations Unit Summary

The Coming Circle

The Coming Full Circle

Community

            In architecture I think of sustainable communities, which are communities that are planned, modified, or built to promote sustainable living. This can pertain to environmental and economic sustainability. These communities are rapidly appearing and gaining interest in the public eye.

Stewardship

            Stewardship has many definitions but pertaining to architecture, I was looking for environmental stewardship. According to the EPA, Environmental stewardship is the responsibility for environmental quality shared by all those whose actions affect the environment. In less words it really means sustainability and to take responsibility when pertaining to the environment. And one structure that I think about locally is the Proximity Hotel, which is the only hotel with Platinum LEED certification in the country.

Authenticity

            To me it means to be original or to make a replica. But in architecture I think of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies Van der Rohe, and Edward Lowenstein. The reason I think of these architects is because they actually created their own style of architecture and had their own principles pertaining to architecture. They had an original idea and since there ideas were known they have been replicated over the years with some changes thrown in which may have been for the worst leading us away from great design principles over the years.

Innovation

            Innovation is to come up with a new idea or in this case a new design. And I immediately think of Modernism in the 1900s because during this time we actually exercised structural preservation. Such as the Louvre renovations, Boston Public Library Expansion, and the Monticello renovations. We also started a thing called deconstructive design in which the designers wanted their design to differ from many other designs. Such as the Vietnams Veterans Memorial, Wexner Center, and Aronoff Center. In which the buildings looked as if they were falling apart.

Finally

            I felt that these terms were very vast at first but they really do relate in many ways. Stewardship to me is the term that can be applied to all of these; all of these terms require responsibility in some way. Sustainable communities definitely require a great deal of responsibility in the planning process when you consider the entire factors that are involved. 

[Pair] ing Down

[Pair] ing Down

Meditation/ Celebration

            When I think of these to terms I immediately think of our final project for studio and drafting, because our goal is to create a space that is a meditation space as well as a celebration space. Which is actually rather difficult if you sit down and think about it.

Light/ Shadow

            These terms also remind me of our final studio project, because we have to define the two spaces by altering and manipulating the natural light of the room, which I am finding very difficult to do. But light and shadow allow the essence of reality and duality into the image.

Transpose/ Juxtapose

            Transpose means that two things change place in this case to better a design, however juxtapose is when to things are placed closely together to help electrify a vast contrasting visual. Which reminds me of what we have been told all along when pertaining to projects, because you want to make your images pop and not be looked over.

Literal/ Abstract

            These terms are probably some of the hardest concepts to grasp in IARC because when you first get in the program you want to draw inspiration from another work but you don’t really think about it so you just end up taking more than you wanted from someone else’s design. But this reminds me of the window project in studio because we had to manipulate light and as I have learned you never want to be too literal. “Oh you know the building that looks like a piece of furniture (Roth, 584)?”  Phillip Johnson acquired inspiration for this building by a broken pediment. Maybe a bit too literal.

Monologue/ Dialogue

            These two terms are a long-term friend of the IARC student. Monologue is how your project communicates its purpose, if it’s a hammock then it will communicate as being a hammock. Dialogue is when your projects communicate multiple ideas, this is usually achieved after completing many iterations. Dialogue is what everyone wants their project to attain. During the modernistic phase the architecture seemed to have lost it’s ability to connect or speak to people. It was when a man by the name of Mario Botta said that there was “a need for images, for emotion in architecture, a need for architecture to speak once again to people (Roth, 587).”

Finally

            After completing the opus and thus being probably the shortest one that I have ever done, I realized that the words that were chosen this week were to me almost like an overview and left us thinking about probably the most important terms in our career as IARC students.

Reflections Unit Summary

Reflections Unit Summary

            The reflections unit was definitely a unit that involved a lot of change. We started out learning the origins on modernism and looking at the architecture of the Age of Enlightenment.  We also learned that we must study our past structures and know them for they could bring forth inspiration. We also took notice of the industrial revolution and the emergence of new materials such as iron and glass. This unit spoke strongly about how important it is to continue the cycle of architecture, meaning that we must constantly keep deriving ideas from the past and incorporate our own little twist on the design. We went through it seems numerous revivals and many eclectic styles as well. But that was all apart of the cycle that architecture is in. To be very honest I do not think I would want to imagine a world where the age of enlightenment and the rise of modernism did not exist. We experience the industrial revolution and all of these amazing and astonishing feats; however, we do this still in search of our own American style of architecture.

Road Trip

Road Trip

Roots

            To me roots mean the basic origin of something or its source. In our readings in Roth we learned that in the nineteenth century, pertaining to architectural development, while there were periodic changes in the creation of new building types that benefitted new building materials, historical precedent determined the architectural building forms. He quickly went on the defense by saying that it wasn’t because nineteenth century architects lacked imagination, it was simply because that the detailed and accurate knowledge of architectural past was so new and growing very rapidly. Eventually this led to eclecticism in which the architects would barrow certain building forms and details combining them to make a magnificent structure. We also saw to great examples of this on our trip to Falling water and Monticello. We saw Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovation of opening up space and rejection traditional forms and building methods. We also saw this at Monticello, in the fact that Thomas Jefferson wanted to have a plantation house but on the other hand he wanted it to differ from the traditional plantation. In the two previous examples we saw how both architects knew the traditional style but wanted to throw it out the window and expand their imagination.

Compression/Release

            Compression means to make something denser to simplify it if you will. Release to me means to liberate something or to set free. And in the early steps of modernism the era of machines made architecture slightly easier and done at a more rapid pace. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said “I see industrialization the central problem of building in our time. If we succeed in carrying out this industrialization, the social, economic, technical, and also artistic problems will be readily solved (Roth, 527).” Louis H. Sullivan discovered that his skyscrapers have twice the amount of vertical piers, thus he can reduce the size of the window planes, which also gave the illusion that the structure was much taller than it actually was.

Congruence

            Congruence to me means to be in agreement or harmony with someone or something. In our reading in Massey we learned that the Art Deco style was characterized by geometric motifs. We also learned about Orphism in which Sonia and Robert Delaunay decorated their apartment with square armchairs covered in geometric textiles and matching rugs, and walls hung with beige patterned linen. The designers thought all of the aspects of the interior should come together to create a complete work of art.

Materiality

            When I hear materiality I think of two words: quality and character. The Art Deco style also applies to this term as well in the fact that most of the designers used only the rarest materials, giving their work a very high quality. The Art Deco style almost never incorporated paintings in the design, as the decorations were more than enough, although the one exception to this was the use of the mural painting, which formed a luxurious interior for the Art Deco Style.

Concept

            Concept means an abstract idea or a general notion. One concept that seems vaguely familiar from our reading is that of the Modern Movement architects believed in a universal style for all interiors, public or private. The Art Deco designers greatly disapproved of the Modern Movement because it neglected individuality. Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe invented ahistorical modernism in which he rejected past references.

Summary

            I believe that these opus words were truly meaningful and related to the reading very well and I think all of these terms are very well related and can be intertwined within one another. Because anything can be simplified by simply looking back at where you came from. And congruence is very simplistic because it has been used by many civilizations over the years. All of the materials in your design should go together and create harmony. Lastly concept shows a great deal of character or materiality.

Between Silence + Light

Between Silence + Light

Craft

Well this week we didn’t do too much but we did go to Monticello and Falling Water, which not only was probably a once and a lifetime trip for me, and I must say thanks to our teachers who set it up. The first place that exemplifies a great deal of craft is our first stop, which was Monticello. And I must say that the craft was excellent pertaining to looks and technology. He had wonderful ideas that separated his house and traditional plantations

Technique

            Technique was used in many different ways at Falling water from the way that Frank Lloyd Wright kept visitors out of the Kaufman’s private sections of the house by making the hallways cave like, to how the construction crews saved the structure from collapsing by the use of steel beams. The techniques of Monticello are also very astonishing like how Thomas Jefferson used only local made materials to and how the wood on the front of the building was disguised, as stone was very effective.

Virtual

            Virtual to me means the existence of something without it actually being there. In Falling water the cantilever of the structure makes you feel that something is supporting the structure although you cannot see it there are steel beams that hold the structure. This also applies to the wooden stone on the front on Monticello.

Public & Private

            Monticello definitely can fall under these categories in the fact that Thomas Jefferson took one third of the space for himself. Also he kept his slaves hidden because he was ashamed of having them, he did so by making an underground section for the slaves he also made a rotating door from the kitchen to present the food and a wine elevator to bring the beverage. Falling water minus the guesthouse is essentially a private space that was built specifically for the Kauffman’s.  As I stated earlier pertaining the darkness of the hallway decides the type of area that it is, also I think the hallway in general does this because the public spaces are left open and undisturbed.

Language

            To me language means how well an area communicates with the guests or persons that are viewing or experiencing the space. And I believe that the languages of both of these structures are very strong in the fact that they let the persons know what should and should not be seen and or experienced.

Finally

            I think that the words for this week are very great and very influential; they are very important and mean so much. Craft is a very important characteristic in everything that we do as architects. Our technique shows and is carried out in all of our work it is sort of like a routine. Virtual is like our presence or our magic put into our work. Public and private is how we guide our viewers through our work. Language is a very key factor in how others perceive our works.

Precedent Analysis Essay

1970s Enlightenment

            Citicorp Center is one of New York City’s tallest skyscrapers containing 1.3 million square feet of office space, distributed on fifty-nine floors, towering nine hundred and fifteen feet above 53^rd street in midtown Manhattan. Its unique forty-five degree roof decorates and imprints the New York City skyline. The angled roof was originally to serve as high-rise penthouses, which would truly allow Citicorp to be considered a multi-use space. Also the building’s façade consisted of aluminum and reflective glass, although over the years the aluminum has become dirty and the effect is not as great as it once was. But all of the beauty does not rest at the top of this marvelous structure; from the ground its centrally positioned one hundred and fourteen foot stilts elevate the building. The stilts are centrally positioned to allow the structure to cantilever seventy-two feet over the historically enriched St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Citicorp Center was designed by architect Hugh Stubbins Jr. in 1972 and reached the point of completion in 1977. The structural demands of Citicorp puzzled many minds until a man by the name of William LeMessurier, whom designed the bracing system that would support the weight of the building as well as the pressure that the cantilever threw into the mix. In 1978 it was found that the joints, which made the bracing system possible, were too weak and that wind speeds reaching or exceeding seventy miles per hour could send this massive work of art to its demise. Also the structure was the first American skyscraper to acquire a tuned mass damper, which would balance out the structure and reduce the amount of movement caused by wind speeds by over fifty percent. As if the scale of verticality and height was not pressed on enough, the property also contains a sunken plaza, which has an entrance to the ground level of the enormous seven-story atrium, as well as the convenience of a subway, which is said to be one of New York’s busiest subway stations. And if at this time one is not in the building exploring and unveiling all of its beauty he directs you towards the ground level and towards the area of commerce by adding a magnificent waterfall next to the broad staircase. I feel that Stubbins wanted to welcome many people into the retail section of his design, because it seems that all of the little delightful moments stop at the atrium, it is the hearth of the structure as well as a very popular and well known public space to relax and enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee from one of the many coffee shops that the atrium has to offer. Looking at the lager picture this wonderful structure could be called the hearth of Manhattan in the fact that the modernistic and energetic design influenced future structures in the vicinity. One building that Citicorp inspired would have to be the “Lipstick Building,” which is that of post modernistic design evolving from the 1980s. Citicorp also influenced the environmental hardware, which it’s surrounded by, such as crosswalks, streetlights, and walking signals. This is truly amazing to see how one revolutionary and different structure can nurture and revitalize a struggling community.

Alternatives Unit Summary

Alternatives Unit Summary

 

            The Alternative section began with medieval architecture and the architectural inactivity of the Roman Empire. The building started back under Charlemagne and the Frankish Kingdom in the Early Middle ages. It was referred to as The Carolingian “Renaissance”; which was the first attempts to recapture the triumph of Classical relics. It was during this time period that Romanesque churches appeared in such places as Germany and France. The Monastery Church of Saint Michael, in Germany is a perfect example of the massive Romanesque Architecture that they wanted to attain. So similar to the Romans in the Foundations unit we learn that the civilizations of the Early Middle Ages were surrounded by beautiful Roman ruins of which they modeled their new structures to.

            The next part is The High Middle ages and the invention of Gothic architecture by Suger, whom was an abbot of the Monastery of Saint-Denis. He looked at the Romanesque and made some improvements, such as pointed arches and ribbed vaulting. He also added stained glass rather than using the traditional stone on the walls. These massive intricate structures often took several generations to complete. Also the Gothic cathedral appeared in this period of time. Which these were not comparable to any other structure during any point in time, Roth describes them as a bible for the illiterate, thus being because the walls were covered from top to bottom with sculptures symbolizing biblical passages.

            Our last stop is the architecture of the Renaissance era; it was during this time period that art and architecture make a collision. Also the immersion humanism began during the Renaissance, in which they would reread the works of ancient authors such as Cicero, Virgil, Plato, and Aristotle. But what set these scholars apart from the ones previously is that they did not want to figure out how they would incorporate the ideas of the ancient civilization into their own structures, they cared more about what the ancient scholars had to say. Also instead of reading what someone else interpreted from the ancient authors, the humanists of the era wanted the original documents. The Renaissance also brought the new idea and beauty of a natural landscape into the picture.  Humanism is the philosophical view of human values, which then leads to mathematical comprehension. The work of this era was definitely rewarded, because after all of the studying of ancient authors they achieved the hierarchy of the ancient Roman structures upon the completion of Brunelleschi’s Dome.

            This unit is amazing; it really brings the use of knowledge and understanding to relativity. It is a wonderful comparison and makes anyone want too look back and look at our mistakes in the world of architecture. This unit backs up the main points and purpose by giving the reader something to compare to. They give the attempts to recreate ancient structures and the process that leads up to the accomplishment of the recreation. And it’s kind of ironic to see that something so difficult was actually very easy to establish a solution. I honestly think that this section will help tremendously in the world of architecture.

Grammar: Syntax

Grammar: Syntax

Audience

            Audience is any living thing that perceives a design or a work of art, whether it is one person or a thousand. Really an audience decides the success of an object or space. In studio we presented or boards that represented how we perceived our buildings. Everyone’s group did very well and showed great work, but they presented it to the whole class and got input back about the project. But the afternoon class gave input about the boards without seeing them and hearing the people of the group represent their work, so even if there is no presenter your work will always have an audience.

[Re] Visions

            Revision is when you make a change to the original object, to enhance it possibly. And I know this term very well because we do it all the time in drafting. First we start a project on bond paper then after examining it we overlay it in vellum paper and revise or add detail to the overlay. But also a spectator giving constructive criticism on a project, this mostly happens in studio, can put a revision into motion.

Here is the final vellum copy of the perspective exercise from the book.

Character

Character to me means an attribute or a highlight of a person’s work, one specific detail that is sort of like their visual signature. But it also can pertain to how delightful a project is, such as the beautiful domes of ancient Rome are sort of like their architectural signature. So far in drafting I haven’t found my architectural signature and I guess my character would be considered messy.

Here is a picture of an eye that I drew one night out of boredom, and it represents character through elaborative detail.

Transition

            According to me everything goes through some sort of transition through a period of time, especially architecture. This week in theory class we saw how a transition was made from the architecture of the Renaissance to the Baroque and Rococo styles of architecture where all the ancient styles of architecture would be reborn. It can also mean the story that a design can go through, from the drawing board to a three-dimensional model, over a short span of time.

Here is a picture of a chair that I saw and I really like transition that furniture has been through over the years.

Datum

            To me datum refers to a datum line, which is a line that is meant to lead the perceiver’s eye throughout a story or into a space. Almost everywhere we look we will see some sort of datum line, such as in the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. which my friend and I visited over spring break, and saw numerous amounts of datum lines. As you can see a datum line does not have to be a physical line, it can be an implied line.“ Everything in it is arranged in such manner that one part supplements the other and that the spectator is stimulated to let his eye wander about ceaselessly (Roth, 411).”

Here is the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Can you establish a datum line?

Summary

            I believe that these words are very crucial in the wide world of design and also in life. For me to remember terms it is best if I can incorporate them in daily life and I think that this set of terms will stick with me throughout my time on this earth, and they will definitely impact many more aspects in design.

Deliverables

Deliverables

Outline

I.               Introduction: Thesis statement

II.             Body

a.     History

b.     Functionality of the space (interior & exterior)

c.      My presence of the space (interior & exterior)

d.     Use of the space (what happens inside and out)

III.           Conclusion: Restate four areas and thesis 

Drawings

            As of right now all of my drawings will be ink on bond.

I.               3 point perspective of the exterior looking up

II.             Walking in

III.           Interior view of atrium

IV.            Exterior view looking up

V.              Context view of the sunken plaza

VI.            Northwest corner view of stilts looking down

VII.          2 point perspective

VIII.        At night (possibly watercolor)

IX.            Walking out

X.              View from the street

More drawings may be added to the list if they can be found, also there may be multiple drawings of some images.

Questions:

            Some people show that it is being called Citigroup Center and others Show it being called Citicorp Center, which is it?

P Week

P Week 

Periphery

Periphery to me means the out most boarder of an object or a picture, such as the edge of the page or the border such as the property that a structure is on. Every structure or design has a boarder that is implied although the boundary could vary between designs. While in D.C over the spring break I took many pictures and below I will show a statue that may have a hard time expanding beyond its boundary.

 

Portfolio

            In first year, although it has not been long, I have had the chance to experience exactly what a portfolio is unfortunately. A portfolio is an accumulation of ones work throughout their career. And I had a portfolio check recently and it is actually is a detailed collection of your work. So here is a picture of the national archives, a very large portfolio.

 

Process

            In design the most important thing is your process, it how you get from the beginning to the end of your work. Even if you don’t realize it you follow some sort of a process. What I usually do is brainstorm or get inspired by something to spark an idea, then I usually make some iterations or sketch models, then I try to abstract it or focus on a certain detail, then it’s presentation time. Below is a picture that I took in D.C of a place where they follow a strict process, the Capitol building.

Perspective

            Perspective is how we perceive something, weather it is one point, two point, ect. But it’s very difficult, if not impossible to draw something to the human eye’s perfection. It’s the view that we have of an object such as a corner view or a view looking straight at it. Here is a building that I took a picture of in D.C. I thought that it was a very beautiful structure.

 

Professional

            Professional to me means to have some sort of uniform to a design or technique, a sense of organization. It can also mean someone whom gets paid for providing some sort of profession, such as a designer working at a firm. What better example to show than the white house, for some reason I think its very professional.

 

Finally

            All of these tings come together in the end to result in a good work ethic, or what will be done in the real world. All of these things actually go into creating a portfolio, or documenting your time through work. Also all of these things take part I a process.

Foundation summary

Foundation Unit Summary 

            I think that the foundation unit is the most important unit with many basic principles of design. But what comes to my mind as most memorable is commodity, firmness, and delight. This was one of the very first things that we learned about, and it makes plenty of sense as to why we did. It was taught, commodity being the functionality of a design or space, firmness being the structure or how well it is built, and delight being its attributes such as rhythm and proportion or how we see the structure. I think that these are the most important concepts to any design, because we all should keep these in mind when we are constructing an idea or design. And I think that the history that we got from Roth and Blakemore backs up the idea of commodity, firmness, and delight. We learned for the most part that all of the designers before us, such as the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians, all applied these principles to their design for the most part.

            I think that another key principle is Story. Because everything has a story behind it, weather it is process or inspiration. In my studio class we are doing a project called Found in Translation, and we are making pathways and portals all derived from a single story. So the story is hidden in the details. Looking back at ancient Egypt we find that stories are carved into the walls of the structures as of in modern times the stories have been abstracted within the design or they are not present at all in the structure. The structures of ancient Rome have kind of took away the written words and let the structures meanings be lost in translation or have a double meaning. For instance the meanings behind the columns representing the the importance of the king, who would have thought that they would be referencing the male reproductive organ.

            Also another important term is scale, because scale is shown through every architectural structure. If you take a look back on ancient architecture of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, you will see that scale plays a substantial role in their structures. For instance the pyramids of Giza exemplifies various use of scales, starting with the smaller pyramids spanning to the larger structures. The Parthenon is another great example of scale, because one cant help but to notice that the large structure stands out over all of the other structures in the acropolis. Thus allowing the scale to tie in to hierarchy, because it is the main focal point of the acropolis. Looking at ancient Rome you will notice that the Coliseum is a magnificently large structure not only compared to the rest of ancient Rome, but also compared to many structures to this day.

            I am in a sense satisfied with the structure of the foundations unit, thus being because we would learn a term and then the term and meaning would be reinforced through the reading and the material. But also rather than shoving the information down your throat, the course gives you all of the facts and allows you to do some research on your own, and establish your own opinion concerning the architecture and the theory, which reinforces the structures.

Timeline

575 AD

INSTITUTIONS

• Saint Columbanus left Ireland traveling to Gaul with a ship full of monks to practice religion.
• Bishop Martin of Bracae in Germany banned people from decorating with evergreens.
• The first Japanese Buddhist monastery is established in 587
• Augustine will found a monastery in Kent town a.k.a Canterbury
• Visigoths are converted from paganism to Christianity.
• The "Dark Ages" continue 
• St. David Patron saint of Wales dies
• european silk industry
• Mohammed founder of Islam
• Plague over 

GOVERNANCE

• son of 'Ariat was put on the throne of Yemen for a short period of time, as 'Abraha II
• Persian Army defeated the Abyssinians.
• Heraclius becomes emperor of Greece.
• Church of St. Gregory 
• Death of Gallus the Roman
• Scottish Dal Raida is independent
• Pope Benedict I is authorized
• Sudan and Northeastern Africa convert to christianity
• Polynesians settle Easter Islands

COMMERCE

• Monk Augustine travels to British Isles to start conversions.
•  Justinian's missionaries smuggle silkworms out of China
  
• St. Columbia spread Christianity to Scotland
• Buddhism spreads to Japan

TECHNOLOGY

• Turks make a drink out of coffee beans.
• Africans use coffee beans as money and food. 
• Burial Mounds
• pottery
• Iron weapons
• Kongo Gumi temple business was founded in Japan

575BC

INSTITUTIONS

• Fourth temple of Hera is started
• Ishtar Gate is in construction
•  Lao-tsu (founder of Taoism) is born
• Buddha, Buddhism in India
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Milesian school
  
• Battle of Yanling
• Lelantin war
• Kingdom of salamis

GOVERNANCE

• Nebuchadnezzar builds empire
• Temple at Jerusalem destroyed by Nebuchadrezzar II
  
• Start of Babylonian exile for jewsCyrus the Great frees the jews
  
• Apries Egyptian ruler
• Peisistratus
• Crisa occupy Delphi

COMMERCE

• Trade open with inland Celts to Mediterranean
  

TECHNOLOGY

• Thales correctly predicted solar eclipse
  
• Pythagoras born
  
• Genesis composed
  
• Temple of Artemis
• Confucius born
  
• Athenian democracy begins
• Anaximander first to write in prose
  
• Miletus city of philosophy

 http://www.entireliving.com/posts/category/health/

http://books.google.com/books?id=fyBb_Xh5hqIC&pg=PA1951&lpg=PA1951&dq=%22575+AD%22+institutions&source=web&ots=Q9kDMuKUrL&sig=IxbwFEDJ8Dw9gJz8DjI-ydHj2Zg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result

http://meaindia.nic.in/foreignrelation/yemen.htm

http://www.dacb.org/stories/ethiopia/_ariat.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=eyal467_oy8C&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=%22575+AD%22+institutions&source=web&ots=Nx5SD6empk&sig=UpBjePHG_WJXsE6VGuW6UW-dbeM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result

http://www.netdeva.com/lisalindberg/seasonal-celebrations/winter-solstice.htm