2.13.2009
2.10.2009
A Multitude of Scaled Figures, Boundaries, and Vig nettes
“Sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbing is just a grain of sand”. Carrie Underwood demonstrates the use of scale in her recent musical smash hit “So Small” by relating a gigantic structure to a mere grain. In Architectural designs, we use scale to show the relation between a “scaled figure” to a piece of furniture, building, or space. Scale takes a measurement and constrains it to a reasonable distance to show how an object faces up to a person. A wonderful, yet sinful place that exaggerates this is the city of Las Vegas.
In the city of Las Vegas every building, hotel, resort created there is flashy, full of lights, high style, and entertaining. Las Vegas does this to keep the Unified theme of life and excitement. Merriam Webster notes that Unity is “a combination or ordering of parts in a literary or artistic production that constitutes a whole or promotes an undivided total effect.” Unity is a bunch of parts coming together to form a harmony. For example, a perfect example of Unity is a composition in music. The musical notes create phrases that tie together to make a long unified piece of work.
http://www.dezeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/city-hall4.jpg
In the movie Fantasia, the Disney composer creates vivid imagery to classical and jazz music. When I listen to music my mind provokes incomplete images that show feelings and actions. The incompletion of an image is sometimes called a vignette. A Vignette shows the gist of an idea or scene. It’s narrow scoped yet still shows ample amount of information.
Boundaries show the perimeter of a site or location. Last semester we were asked to find the boundaries of the Gatewood Building on the UNCG campus. We started by walking out to the parking lot and circle around the building. Doing this gave us important information on how cars and pedestrians enter and exit the location. Boundaries can determine whether or not a specific building plan is appropriate for the site.
In design drafting, another way of showing high quality information is to show sections that inform the audience important dimensions. These sections combine the uses of scale and boundaries. Architects and designers often show section cuts, which are imaginary cut lines to show the interior of a type of material such as metal, wood, or brick. They can provide information on insulation and density.
2.03.2009
An Explosion of Materials, Ideas, and Structure
The Opus Project Series Two
Art comes from many places and spaces in the world. To an electrical engineer, to illuminate could mean to brighten an area physically. In a simple art class illumination could mean to emphasize light from the darkness or accentuate a specific type of color balance. In the Interior Architecture program we use illumination in multiple ways. Students in the “iARC” program explode color onto a page to highlight a specific type of color, mood, or theme. For example, in a chocolate customs specialty store the color brown could be scattered throughout the plans to show a chocolate theme. To illuminate – or light - a building is to make it beautiful. “…The most powerful element in our perception of architecture is light” (Roth, 85). I believe when he says this he means that the only good way to see architecture is for it to be illuminated by natural light if not artificial. For example, the pillars of Stonehenge are not as awe striking as if seen during the day. The reason is because the light reflects and creates shadows of the imaginary giants that constructed and created this heavy structure.
Cro-Magnon’s made their homes out of mammoth bones and hides; Early humans used stones to create Stonehenge; Egyptians used sand, water, clay and stone to create tombs and mastabas, but why? It is because mammoth bones, hides, stones, sand, and water were the only materials around during that specific time. Roth states, "this rich silt provided the only readily available building material - clay" (Roth, 183). Later on the Egyptians were able to acquire wood and utilize them into their structures. Sometimes architects and designers use materials to stick with a theme of the previous surrounding buildings. For example, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the Maud Gatewood building was designed with the red brick material to stay consistent with the traditional brick theme throughout the campus. I believe that materials were one of the beginning stepping stones of architecture and play an incredible role in the reasoning in building architecture today. Last week, our class had to create an artifact using materials around us. I created a mask or disguise to promote the trickery in "The Little Red" cap fairy tale using plastic cups and t-shirt fabric. I chose those materials because it was inexpensive and had eyeglass frames. Carlos' made a hat using cloth and a frame to provide firmness, delight, and commodity.
Commodity, Delight, Firmness
Sir Henry Wotton states, “In Architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight” (Roth, 11). Commodity can best be described as something that is in demand or in need of. For example, a building with classrooms is a commodity for a school. Roth also helps determine commodity by illustrating the Crown Hall by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Roth, 14). It determines commodity because if its functional it holds commodity. In an agricultural standpoint commodity can be a goods such as sugar, salt, coffee beans, gold, and silver. Money is a commodity. Everyone needs and wants money because to some people, money is necessary to live.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France can best illustrate firmness. It is held together with steel and has stood for over a century. Gustave Eiffel, created this tower with four bases and converged them to a point. This building is used as a place to observe the entire city of France and also as a broadcasting tower. Delight, is incorporated in design by using light refractions throughout the piece of architecture. The Notre Dame de Paris is a giant structure that overlooks the city with a gothic-like decoration. At night, the incorporated light fixtures attached to the building illuminate the Notre Dame de Paris in a bright radiance. Pieces such as the Louvre also provide delight by covering a gigantic pyramid in glass.
VisitingDc. February 3, 2009. http://www.visitingdc.com/images/louvre-museum-picture.jpg
Patrick Lucas states that to be idiomatic is to be “additive, subtractive, unspecialized, multi-generational, tradition bound, and shared by all”. An idiom is “a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use” (Wikipedia). “It’s raining cats and dogs”, cannot be understood without the context around the conversation. In architecture a building that has no essential use to the area around it could be an idiomatic decision.
Art comes from many places and spaces in the world. To an electrical engineer, to illuminate could mean to brighten an area physically. In a simple art class illumination could mean to emphasize light from the darkness or accentuate a specific type of color balance. In the Interior Architecture program we use illumination in multiple ways. Students in the “iARC” program explode color onto a page to highlight a specific type of color, mood, or theme. For example, in a chocolate customs specialty store the color brown could be scattered throughout the plans to show a chocolate theme. To illuminate – or light - a building is to make it beautiful. “…The most powerful element in our perception of architecture is light” (Roth, 85). I believe when he says this he means that the only good way to see architecture is for it to be illuminated by natural light if not artificial. For example, the pillars of Stonehenge are not as awe striking as if seen during the day. The reason is because the light reflects and creates shadows of the imaginary giants that constructed and created this heavy structure.
Cro-Magnon’s made their homes out of mammoth bones and hides; Early humans used stones to create Stonehenge; Egyptians used sand, water, clay and stone to create tombs and mastabas, but why? It is because mammoth bones, hides, stones, sand, and water were the only materials around during that specific time. Roth states, "this rich silt provided the only readily available building material - clay" (Roth, 183). Later on the Egyptians were able to acquire wood and utilize them into their structures. Sometimes architects and designers use materials to stick with a theme of the previous surrounding buildings. For example, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the Maud Gatewood building was designed with the red brick material to stay consistent with the traditional brick theme throughout the campus. I believe that materials were one of the beginning stepping stones of architecture and play an incredible role in the reasoning in building architecture today. Last week, our class had to create an artifact using materials around us. I created a mask or disguise to promote the trickery in "The Little Red" cap fairy tale using plastic cups and t-shirt fabric. I chose those materials because it was inexpensive and had eyeglass frames. Carlos' made a hat using cloth and a frame to provide firmness, delight, and commodity.
Commodity, Delight, Firmness
Sir Henry Wotton states, “In Architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight” (Roth, 11). Commodity can best be described as something that is in demand or in need of. For example, a building with classrooms is a commodity for a school. Roth also helps determine commodity by illustrating the Crown Hall by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Roth, 14). It determines commodity because if its functional it holds commodity. In an agricultural standpoint commodity can be a goods such as sugar, salt, coffee beans, gold, and silver. Money is a commodity. Everyone needs and wants money because to some people, money is necessary to live.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France can best illustrate firmness. It is held together with steel and has stood for over a century. Gustave Eiffel, created this tower with four bases and converged them to a point. This building is used as a place to observe the entire city of France and also as a broadcasting tower. Delight, is incorporated in design by using light refractions throughout the piece of architecture. The Notre Dame de Paris is a giant structure that overlooks the city with a gothic-like decoration. At night, the incorporated light fixtures attached to the building illuminate the Notre Dame de Paris in a bright radiance. Pieces such as the Louvre also provide delight by covering a gigantic pyramid in glass.
VisitingDc. February 3, 2009. http://www.visitingdc.com/images/louvre-museum-picture.jpg
Patrick Lucas states that to be idiomatic is to be “additive, subtractive, unspecialized, multi-generational, tradition bound, and shared by all”. An idiom is “a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use” (Wikipedia). “It’s raining cats and dogs”, cannot be understood without the context around the conversation. In architecture a building that has no essential use to the area around it could be an idiomatic decision.
2.02.2009
1.28.2009
Timeline 875BC-875AD
875 BC
TECHNOLOGY
The chain pump was invented using circular discs to pump water. This machine was used by Middle eastern, China, and Europe
Writing was in the forms of chisel on tablets.
Art was carved into stones
GOVERNANCE
Tiglath-Pileser I, ruled the country of Assyria destroying the “ancient world” and putting the society in “Dark Ages”.
Chaldaeans settled into southwestern Babylonia causing a increase in their population
COMMERCE
Assyrians rose from the turmoil and began to start a new empire.
Tiglath-Pileser III combined the two monarchies (Assyrian and Babylonia).
INSTITUTIONS
Around the time of the “Tower of Babel” A Large Ziggurat was created to worship not a God, but for the glory of man.
875 AD
TECHNOLOGY
Art is enforced by Church and helped to inspire “Sacred cups, vessels, reliqueries, crucifixes, rosaries, alter pieces, and statues of well known religious figures.
GOVERNANCE
Vikings become known all over Britain.
Battle of Edington. Alfred the Great charged the Vikings in springtime and overthrew their army.
Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum still did not contain the feud between them.
COMMERCE
Longphort’s were created in Ireland and utilized as a barrier against oncoming shore attackers.
Vikings claim the territory of Waterford, Ireland and was taken 700 years later by Henry Ireton.
INSTITUTIONS
Architecture grew steadily at the end of the 9th century using traditional castles and drew society to Churches. Churches became popular because of their elaborate high style buildings.
Prague Castle is founded and is an inspiration to future castles in the 10th century.
St. George’s Basilica inhabited Prague castle and became known as the “oldest church building”.
Saint Vitus’s Cathedral is founded in Prague Castle and celebrates examples of Gothic Architecture.
Duke of Bohemia founded one of the most renowned pieces of architecture named the “Rotunda” in 925.
TECHNOLOGY
The chain pump was invented using circular discs to pump water. This machine was used by Middle eastern, China, and Europe
Writing was in the forms of chisel on tablets.
Art was carved into stones
GOVERNANCE
Tiglath-Pileser I, ruled the country of Assyria destroying the “ancient world” and putting the society in “Dark Ages”.
Chaldaeans settled into southwestern Babylonia causing a increase in their population
COMMERCE
Assyrians rose from the turmoil and began to start a new empire.
Tiglath-Pileser III combined the two monarchies (Assyrian and Babylonia).
INSTITUTIONS
Around the time of the “Tower of Babel” A Large Ziggurat was created to worship not a God, but for the glory of man.
875 AD
TECHNOLOGY
Art is enforced by Church and helped to inspire “Sacred cups, vessels, reliqueries, crucifixes, rosaries, alter pieces, and statues of well known religious figures.
GOVERNANCE
Vikings become known all over Britain.
Battle of Edington. Alfred the Great charged the Vikings in springtime and overthrew their army.
Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum still did not contain the feud between them.
COMMERCE
Longphort’s were created in Ireland and utilized as a barrier against oncoming shore attackers.
Vikings claim the territory of Waterford, Ireland and was taken 700 years later by Henry Ireton.
INSTITUTIONS
Architecture grew steadily at the end of the 9th century using traditional castles and drew society to Churches. Churches became popular because of their elaborate high style buildings.
Prague Castle is founded and is an inspiration to future castles in the 10th century.
St. George’s Basilica inhabited Prague castle and became known as the “oldest church building”.
Saint Vitus’s Cathedral is founded in Prague Castle and celebrates examples of Gothic Architecture.
Duke of Bohemia founded one of the most renowned pieces of architecture named the “Rotunda” in 925.
1.27.2009
THE OPUS PROJECT #1
Stories
Citation : http://disneyworld.orlandovacation.com/images/disney_world.jpg
I believe that the Disney World castle is a piece of architecture that is world renowned object that represents stories and fairy-tales. For many years Disney has created movies that create ideas and notions and inspirations from cartoons that tell stories.
Artifacts
Citation : http://photomural.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/seashells.jpg
Artifacts are simply memorable objects with hidden meanings and history.
Translation
Citation : http://www.stadtwanderer.net/blog/media/Communication_by_Isabelle_Cardinal___800x600.jpg
Communication between two or more people from different backgrounds usually require translation. We use methods of gestures, music, and sometimes a written language.
Multi-View
Citation : http://www.swannysmodels.com/images/DH108pics/instructions.jpg
In Architecture, Multiview drawings help tremendously. They provide depth and perspective on ideas and suggestions.
Cycle
Citation : http://www.nhn.ou.edu/~jeffery/course/c_energy/energyl/lec004/water_cycle_001.png
Cycles such as the scientific water cycle shows how there is constant repetition and consistency. Without fail it will always happen. For example, the design cycle depicts the rise and fall of architecture based on time periods. Like music there is a decline and a rise depending on the society.
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