[RE]action!

Looking at these words i noticed that we have used each one previously and i thought to myself..."Why does Patrickwant us to write about the same words?"

rotation

The world is full of rotations ; rotations of the past, present and maybe even from the future. Rotations can be so important that they can create a movement. In the 19th century and after the civil war one can notice that many architects had rotated towards building from the foundations of the Greeks. Many buildings especially government buildings turned away from the architectural style of the British and toward the greeks because the Greeks shared the same sense of finding themselves after breaking away from their ruler. This rotation was due to a sense of connection.

 

Movement

As we move through history we run into literal movements. One that is most important in the 20^th century is the neoclassical movement. This connects to rotation because through this rotation of looking to greek and roman architecture, we moved forward and created our own designs. Movemet was one of the key elements in my design for the third skin project

 

reflection

reflections can be thought of in two ways. A reflection of work that you have done in the past or something you have seen to inspire your work. Reflection can lso be taken in the literl sense.  Using reflections is a good technique to bring people into the space. When looking into a reflective pool one can see his reflection and then becomes a part of the space. This became very true in the Baroque period when landscaping became key especially in private homes. Reflections were also critical in drawing class when we had to trade spaces. When I first looked at Hope Tally’s design I had to reflect on her design basis: from layout to detail, and realize what I did and did not want to keep into the design.

 

Source

We as architects derive many of our ideas and concepts from sources.  This again brings me back to our third skin project where we were asked to look at a source from nature to inspire our design. In this instance, sources are not always copied or mimmiced but rather are inspirations through technique or the idea of the final priduct.

 

 Illuminations

Perhaps the most powerful element in our perception of architecture is light” (Roth 85)

After writing about these words for the [re]flections week i noticed that that i myself have refclected on past weeks and have also taken new ideas that i have learned since then and progressed in though about each word. I also found that it was much easier to express my ideas with more education about the past. 

Alternatives [Unit Summary]

The alternatives unit holds the basic idea of taking what has already been done (the foundations) and pushing

 limits that many did not know existed.  Through this unit Blackmore and Roth ventured through styles from

 gothic and renaissance to French Baroque. In all of this styles we see how selected artists decided to take what

 was already made and make it even stretched these ideas to bigger limits.

Death and illness overwhelmed the growing populations during the dark ages leading thousands to turn to some sort of salvation and the construction of cathedrals throughout Europe.  Designers and architects kept in mind their foundations (commodity, firmness and delight) and built from there.  These designs became more complex and exaggerated to emulate a “heaven on earth” and were of gothic and Romanesque styles. An example of these overwhelming structures is the Duomo cathedral in Florence Italy.  It’s height is a connection to the reaching for the heavens and it’s large dome shape and use of different textures and materials make it stand out from the rest of the city.  In France, the Abbey church shows us an example of a sanctuary, an escape from every day life. It focus on geometry also has a close connection with bringing order into the world due to all of the mass chaos at the time. 

 As we move out of the dark ages we venture into the renaissance or the “revival” as most call it.  This was definitely the time of improvement and advance... 

 

Grammer: Syntax

[Re] visions

 re⋅vise : to alter something already written or printed, in order to make corrections, improve, or update

vi⋅sion: the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the vision of an entrepreneur.

 

These two parts that come out of the word revision are key in the architectural world. We are part of a constant process of creating, adding, and subtracting (revising) to create what we imagine in our minds (vision) Sometimes these visions are not always our own but are built up from the basis of another’s such as the Romans who took from the Greeks who took from the Egyptians.  Three Greeks adapted the post and lintel construction from the ancient peoples of Egypt or maybe even the people from Stonehenge and used it to better their construction. With this post and lintel construction they used pillars or columns, which were then taken by the Romans who created orders from Doric to Corinthian styles. As we go down in history everything becomes more detailed and refined to create what these cultures believe to be perfection. Although some visions can be taken from previous peoples, others are original and come straight from the mind of the designer.  Recently we have studied

 

au⋅di⋅ence: a regular public that manifests interest, support, enthusiasm, or the like

 

As architects and designers we look to please an audience. That audience is not always the same one it actually varies in size shape and train of thought. We can be presenting a plan for a new playground at a grammar school to a selected few or for the new Yankee stadium to a rather larger crowd.  Audiences can be easily swayed or manipulated by design as well for example Piazza di St. Pietro is so grandiose and elaborate that one feels like he is in a higher place, somewhat God-like.  This same idea of feeling like you are higher is brought through France.  When one looks at the French Baroque homes of the middle class, he would think he was looking at a palace.  In fact this structure is a series of structures meant to look like one. This fools the audience into thinking that these peoples are richer than they truly are with a wu wu in the central square showing strength in numbers.

 

 

char⋅ac⋅ter: the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

 

Have you ever heard the phrase “This has character!”? What does this actually mean? That it came to life? Well in a sense when something has character a part of it comes to life for someone or some group through its specific detail and execution. When we think about the statue David, Michelangelo’s design might come straight to mind.  His rendition portrays the aiming of perfection of man to God.  The piece shows that “David” is still a growing boy due to proportions in the structure but nonetheless he resembles features of “perfection.” Bernini’s David on the other hand shed's David in a different light. This David looks more mature taking a more active pose than Michelangelo's. This fighting position and strong muscular build depicts David in a fighting state rather than his preparation for battle. This alludes to the nation always in battle to be on top.

 

 

tran⋅si⋅tion: movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, and concept

 

This past week in studio has been spent celebrating “moments” We ventured out of the geometric world into the natural world to find inspirations and celebrate “moments” within nature. We are currently in the process of taking an abstraction of this element we were inspired by in nature and also by the drawings we have done of them.  This is the process of transition, taking inspiration from nature and turning it into design.  We have learned about these transitions several times in art history class especially this week when we studied the transitions of America from a dependent to an independent nation. After the American revolution, there was not only a change in who ruled Americans but even the look of American architecture.  This can be seen in even the smallest of home decor, the chair. While the old chair looks more weighted to the ground, the new revolutionary chair is more slender and uplifting. 

 

Dat-um: a single piece of information, as a fact, statistic, or code; an item of data.

As designers, we like to find and create order. The simplest way one can do this is to create lines, both to guide and to contain. Datum lines are often used in presentation to create a visual guide that is more pleasing to the eye and understandable.  Musicians lines to contain various notes and guide the eye in order for one to translate this piece of art.

In architecture, datum is created through wayfinding. During the Baroque period that datum started going from public to private. When you enter a home, you venture into the rooms where visitors would come. As you go deeper and deeper into the home you will find the more private rooms that only the home owner would go into. 

In Conclusion... 

New York Times Building- then and now- OUTLINE

History

 I. Creators

 II. Design Intent

 III. construction, material use, detail.

 IV. What was the use and significance of the building

 V. Significance of the surrounding area- it's remarkable location.

Use

 I. Headquarters for the New York Times newspaper

 II. History of the Company

 III. What happened to company and occupancy of the building?

Art World

 I. Jean Claude and Custou 

II. How the meaning of the building can change and have an importance to others.

Turning Point

 I. New Designers

 II. New Design

 III. New Purpose

New Meaning

 I. New Years Ball

 II. Advertising techniques

 III. A completely different use and stile in the same location.

Plan of Progression- Questions

These are some of the ideas of drawings i will have.

How many interior or plan drawings are necessary to have?

Could i be taking a better approach?

Is there a source that you think might help me to find more photos?

p week!

Periphery is a great boundary at the end of a surface and/or area. Courtyards are an example of periphery because they are enclosed on all sides by surrounding buildings or walls. Pertaining to periphery created around the courtyard at Palazzo Medici, “Inside, the rooms were arranged around a central court, which opened up at the bottom through an encircling arcade of delicate Corinthian columns,” (Roth 376).

pe⋅riph⋅er⋅y - the external boundary of any surface or area.

In architecture, we learn all about the interior and exterior of a space. The periphery or the boundary becomes important through design, texture, size and shape. It is what allows one to know this is where the form starts, this is where it ends, and this is what makes it different from it’s surrounding environment. Forza Iltalia! This definitely holds true to the Duomo in Florence Italy. While the rest of Italy is made up of three to four floor villas with generically the same shape and spanish tile roofs, the Duomo is a massive structure that pertrudes into the sky. It also brings a great deal of contrast through it’s dome shape and it’s unique range of color and texture. 

 

“You fantasize about a man with a Park Avenue apartment and a nice big stock portfolio...For me, it's a fireman with a nice big hose. [Samantha]”

Sex and the City quotes

port⋅fo⋅li⋅o - a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings, etc.

Throughout the semester, I have done an array of work to build up my portfolio. As I look back I can see what my talents are as well as the things I may need to work on.  I believe that a portfolio is more than just an array of papers in a case, but rather displays someone’s many gifts. I also use my blog as my portfolio where I can actually talk about what I have done.  As the years keep going our portfolios become larger and we have many things to look back on and to show others what we can do. This could also help in the future if you were going for an interview for an internship or a job.  Portfolios come in many shapes and sizes for example mine come in an 24 x 36 case while Michael Angelo's is scattered all over italy.

 

 

“I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000-step process.”

Thomas Alva Edison quotes

proc⋅ess  - a systematic series of actions directed to some end

Every outcome once had a process.  Throughout architecture there has been a great deal of process through experimentation, editing, and pushing the boundaries.  This was greatly expressed throughout the renaissance.  The arch and the columns have been edited throughout time and eventually perfected and also changed. it took a lot of process to get from something like the temple of Hera to the temple of Athena in the Acropolis.  In studio we have to show not only our final product but also the process that we took to get there such as our midterm project- panel portal.

 

 

"The practice of drawing, as described by Vitruvius, also sounds remarkably modern, for he writes of ground plans (ichnographical) being laid out with compass and ruler, of elevation drawings (orthographia) being 'a vertical image of the front', and of perspective (scaenographia) with shaded and retreating lines converging at a vanishing point,” (Roth 122).

“Intarsia Trompe L’oeil, in which perspective is used to give the effect of three-dimensionality” (Blakemore 100). 

per⋅spec⋅tive - a technique of depicting volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface.  To give your design more depth and a realistic feel, one would draw in perspective. The most common are One and two point perspective but there is also such as thing as three point perspective.  Perspective can also be used successfully when taking pictures. When it was time for me to take a picture of my portal panel I though of different angles and perspectives to shoot it in to really showcase my work. 

“A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.”

Alistair Cooke quotes

pro⋅fes⋅sion⋅al – white-collar, expert

The first day i walked into the doors of the STAC building i knew i belonged. The one thing i do remember from that day was when Tommy said " The art students here are the blue collar, but we're the white collar" For the past few weeks in Susan’s class we’ve been drawing and studying different aspects of buildings on campus- mine being the E. U. C. also known as the Elliot university Center.  We studied such things as detail, circulation, context, and scale and choose  selected images within our groups. With these pictures, we then had to design a board that celebrated that building and showcased the works on it. This was something like what we would have to do if we were presenting a design idea to a potential client’ it’s all about being professional!

[P]lease Summarize!

The periphery of my education here at UNCG will eventually come to an end. I'll have to leave my familiar habitat at the studio art center with nothing but my portfolio. Looking back into the past at my five years of experience and countless lessons i have learned I'll be pushed out into the real world expected to become what they call a " professional." 

 

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” -James Joyce

“We are the boys / That fear no noise / Where the thundering cannons roar.” -Oliver Goldsmith

Conceptive Perspective

Found in Translation [And Then...]

Found in Translation

“This one's got a story rather than being a series of cool vignettes.” - Nick Cave

Once Upon A Time...

FOUND (ATION) IN TRANS (LATION)

"Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the pathways to dwell in."  This quote is taken from the bible and i think it makes a great deal of sense to use it as the basis of my foundations unit summary.  This first half of the semester was spent with Roth and Blakemore searching within the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece to find out where our foundations came from. They believe that at the foundation of every piece of architecture, there exists commodity, firmness, and delight. The reason why this quote is so appropriate is because all of these civilizations, although at great distances, have a common foundation: religion.

SANDSTONE

Egyptians based all of their architecture on religion. They used order, symmetry, and geometry to create these structures that have stood the tests of time and their infatuation with religion was shown through passage both literally and abstractly (real and ideal).  While the Temple of Amon creates a literal passage in the front by using large scale figures (hierarchy), the temples of Giza create an abstract passageway to the afterlife through symmetry. The Egyptians also split their architecture to male vs. female structures. While the temples of Giza, built to house the pharaoh was built up and on top of the ground with a sleek finish to contrast the surrounding area.  The temple of Hatshepsut, built to house the queen, was carved out of a mountain in context within the surrounding area. Its structural emphasis was also horizontal rather than vertical like the pyramids.

LIMESTONE

The Greeks, although separated by many city-states had a unified design style based on their religion.  As we ventured into the Acropolis that housed many of these temples that venerated the gods, we learned about the three main parts to an architectural space (large or small) porch, court, and hearth. The Greeks believed that these gods stood for various things and built according to their character. The Temple of Athena is a piece of true perfection within the acropolis because the Goddess Athena was supposed to be all knowing and all-powerful. This building captures the goddess through it’s grandiosity, symmetry, and detail. A smaller less detailed building that sits on the top of the acropolis is the Temple of Athena Nike.  This building describes its goddess best through position and size.  The goddess Athena Nike was the messenger to Athena therefore it has to be at the top to see what is going on below. It is also very similar in detail to Athena because the goddess was a close part of Athena. All of these architectural pieces portray commodity, firmness, and delight and are the prototype of western architecture today.

MARBLE

 

The Romans became the archetype culture of the Greeks by taking and perfecting many of their ideas such as religion. The Roman culture is the perfect balance of ideas from East to West. Like the Greeks at one time the Romans believed in many gods, in fact the same gods with different names. For example the goddess Athena became Minerva.  At this point in time the Coliseum became a structure of great importance, the mother of all entertainment. Its circular structure provides a surrounding view of the focal point in the center and its slight inclination with hight provides everyone with an unblocked view. This became the prototype for today's hybrid: the theater.  Once the roman empire fell Christianity became the sole religion. At this time may romanesque and gothic cathedrals were constructed such as St. Peter's Basilica.  Architects played with the ideas of light, though windows and stained glass and height through stretched orders to create a reaching for the heavens or a heaven on Earth. The presence of Christ radiates from the hierarchal ribbed ceilings and domes down the nave onto the alter.  

Through the progression of time, from generation to generation Architectural styles have been created, modified, copied or made new. This is the ever going cycle of not only architecture but of everything in life. Although this is true we can never forget our foundations just as a christian does not forget his lord because without the first stone, a piece of architecture cannot be created.