Ethan's Opus Blog

Unit Summary: Explorations

2009-05-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.uic.edu/depts/ahaa/classes/ah111/L26/26-32.jpg

Cenotaph for Isaac Newton

http://www.holtzendorff.com/vacations/israel/images/GizaPyramids1.jpg

Pyramids

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q1Lmk1nLL._AA280_.jpg

Grey Overcoat

http://www.bradcarlson.com/drawingtable/ft/research/HobbitHouseInside.jpg

Hobbit Hole

http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/2008/week26/index.html

Minas Tirith

http://www.uncg.edu/euc/boxoffice/images/taylor.jpg

Taylor Theatre

http://www.wiu.edu/theatre/facilities/images/sceneshop1.jpg

A Scene Shop

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4614866/87037_Full.jpg

Blacksmithing Forge and Anvil

Hebron Rock Colony

http://www.gryphonsmith.com/fileg/toronto/elven/g-rune.gif

Symbol of the Grey Wanderer

Week 14

2009-05-04T18:54:00.001-07:00

Community: The idea of community takes on a new dimension during this latest century. Though people have lived together since the dawn of time, there are two important building styles that enter the design community. The first, the suburbs, is more a collection of designs rather than a single design. It results in closely spaced houses with similar designs. The second is the rise of the apartment complexes. Small housing units close together, though not totally foreign, is presented in the form of taller buildings. This idea plays into Ken Yeang’s theory that these buildings attempt the “re-creation up in the sky, of ideal habitable urban conditions found at ground level.” (Roth pg. 609)

Palace of Abraxas Apartment Complex

Stewardship: The idea of stewardship is a very important one to the world of architecture and design. This term addresses the very important concept of sustainability and longevity of materials. There is a major switch in the viewpoint of design. No longer are architects designing only for the now, but also for the future generations that will follow. Roth says that this idea emerged to facilitate the continuance of the human family. He says this “requires a parallel concern for sustainability of the biological environment, the sustenance of the encompassing community of flora and fauna on which humans are utterly reliant” (Roth pg. 608).

Good Sustainable Stewardship

Innovation: In the early twenty-first century, many changes and evolutions in the building industry occurred. Just as glass and steel revolutionized the early 1900s, the changes in the way the materials are manipulated revolutionized the early 2000s. New buildings, such as the Birds Nest built in 2008, began to come on the scene. These materials shape the beginning of this new century. Also the introduction of the computer revolutionized the way that we design buildings entirely. As Roth says, “turning to the computer for initial design work and subsequent design development will seem second nature to architects” (Roth pg. 611).

The Computer helped to revolutionize the field of Design

Authenticity: In this part of the century, we begin to see a disappearance of authenticity in the world, mainly with the institution of the suburban neighborhoods. There are styles that are borrowed from all across the globe that are twisted into cheaper versions of these exotic styles. Over the years, these styles blended into the grand melting pot of culture, making it hard to distinguish between the individual, unique styles. As Roth writes, “Compared to a half century ago, architecture today is to a far greater extent a global phenomenon.” (Roth pg. 610). Because of this greater reach, the blending and degradation of the original style is also to a greater scale.

An example of a Suburban House

The latter part of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first marked a period of change in the way we designed buildings in the past. We move from buildings constructed for one single purpose to buildings that serve a variety of purposes. Buildings are now being made with renewability in mind. Materials such as bamboo that replace themselves quickly are being used in place of slower replenishing materials like wood. We now, as a people, push from the now to the future of humanity as a whole.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Week 13

2009-04-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

meditation/celebration – These two words describe the process that occurs upon the first viewing of a new building. When I first see a new structure, I first think about what the building is trying to convey to me. What is the building telling me? No part of the building is insignificant, as Roth writes, “The mind does not interpret incoming data as signifying nothing.” (Roth pg. 67) All of these parts come together to form ideas about the structure. After I decide what the underlying idea is, I think about how well it does what it was intended to do. After this, I enjoy the building because of the feelings that it conveys to me. I celebrate the elements that come together to form the structure in front of me.

This column reminds me of the strength that it carries. It is perhaps the most celebrated building style.

light/shadow – Details that live on the façade of a structure are what, in my opinion, make a finished product. The only way that these stand out, however, is that they hit by a combination of light and shadow, allowing the details to pop out to the eye. Our eyes, as Le Corbusier says, are “made to see forms in light.” (Roth pg. 67). We see the pairing of light and shadow and it draws our eyes because of the contrast that exists there.

transpose/juxtapose – In music, the term transpose relates to the key of music. When you transpose a piece, you take a melodic line and move it to a key that is more easily performed. Juxtaposing music allows the composer to translate one phrase into multiple similar phrases later in the piece. To apply this to architecture, I see the phrases as motifs in the building patterns. An idea may be translated (or juxtaposed) somewhere else along the façade, or it may be transposed into a similar (but not identical) idea. This repetition of ideas plays into the appeal of rhythm in a structure. Roth writes that, “This is one way that architecture is like music, for both must be experienced in time.” (Roth pg. 76)

The idea of sails is repeated, but not copied, through this structure.

literal/abstract – The relationship of the literal vs. the abstract is very important to the we view a building. If we all viewed buildings based purely on the literal viewing, I do not think architecture would be nearly as affective. We would see the buildings for what they are; a collection on stone, metal, and wood arranged into a tidy pile. We can appreciate the building for that, but only because of the work that it took to create that nice stack of materials. It is only when we add the abstract that a building really transforms before our eyes. We see not only the effort, but also the symbolism that “inhabits” the building. Roth says that the human mind is, “programmed to seek meaning and significance in all sensory information sent to it.” (Roth pg. 67) We see the inspiration behind the building and the metaphors embedded in that thought.

A pile of materials or a tomb for the dead?

monologue/dialogue – In theatre, these two terms tell a lot about the characters as well as the situation and setting. In a monologue, we learn about a character’s personal intentions and motives through a one-sided conversation to the audience. In this direct conversation, the purest of intentions and truths come out. In a dialogue, the audience is not involved as much. It becomes more of a conversation between two characters, with the audience acting as an outside observer. If we substitute the word “character” with the word “element”, the descriptions can apply to architecture. In a dialogue with the observer, one sees the surface of the building. In this view, we are not able to decipher the underlying meaning of the building. Since the architect has been described as an “engraver of the history of his time” by Eugene Raskin (Roth pg. 119), we can say that the words “spoken” tell the story of the times. Only through the details and the understanding of the Literal vs. the Abstract are we able to “hear” the monologue that the architect tells through the structure.

All of these pairs of terms have something very important in common. They all provide a stark contrast from the other. These contrasts, however, come together to form the overall product or structure. Without these contrasts, the buildings would be very two-dimensional and flat. The contrasts provide the added dimensionality and depth to the building.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Week 12

2009-04-22T07:25:00.001-07:00

Speculate: The word speculate brings the idea of inspection and analysis to the mind. We do this all the time with buildings (and other things, as well). When we see a grand building, our first reaction is to think about why it exists in the world. It is by no shear coincidence that this happens, though. It is the intent of the designer for this to occur, to inspire some thought or idea. Roth explains that, “A building also has a symbolic function and makes a visible statement about its use.” (Roth pg. 16)

This "Monument to the March Victims" has mainly a symbolic function.

Compose: This word, for me, has a very particular meaning. As a musician, the first idea that comes to my mind is a musical composition. To create a grand piece of music, one my first create smaller themes and phrases to build off of. These smaller ideas, made up of only a few notes and basic rhythms, combine to create the great music that we know today. This idea can also be reflected in architecture. The phrases and themes are the materials that are chosen and then combine to form the overall structure. Friedich von Schilling summed it up best when he said, “Architecture is frozen music.” (Roth pg. 103)

A short phrase of Music

Energize: When I hear the word “Energize”, I think of building or creating electricity, or excitement. I think that any designer wants to create a sense of excitement and wonder for the building that they create. This is the way to make the building memorable and stand out in the minds of the people. This definitely is part of the delight portion of a structure and uses both the ideas of the Speculate, Compose, and Shape terms.

The Stairs at the Tassel House create excitement in its design.

Shape: Since the foundations unit of this class, the idea of basic shapes and geometry in buildings has been very important. In the early days, they sought new ways and shapes to build with. As time progressed, they changed and combined these shapes into grand and elegant structures. These shapes are very important to the way that we view buildings as well. As Roth writes, “The mind also seeks out mathematical and geometrical relationships…” (Roth pg. 71) Our minds are programmed to find these symmetries and shapes because order pleases the mind.

These random geometric shapes combine to make an overall structure.

Stretch: A stretching in architecture, in the most literal definition, can be a dangerous thing. So, I think that this term is not defining so much of a pulling motion, but rather a pushing motion. It is this pushing into the future, not the pulling of the past, that makes a building great. As Roth puts it, “Humans have an apparently irrepressible desire to ‘push the edge of the envelope.’” (Roth pg. 51) This idea of pushing forward can be found in structures such as the theoretical Cenotaph for Isaac Newton.

The Cenotaph

All of these terms focus on the actions involved in creating a building. Not only do they look at the actions of the mind, but also the physical world. All of these terms come together to create a structure that will not only last physically, but also emotionally.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Peer to Peer Review

2009-04-20T07:59:00.001-07:00

I selected the Grove Park Inn to do my peer-to-peer review on for the Precedence Analysis Project. The structure, built around the same time as Coral Castle, shares many styles and materials with my building as well.

Though I could not find the paper on the blog, the outline, justification and drawings show good progress. The outline is very well organized and structured in a way that makes sense in the flow of the paper. The beginning tells the inspiration of why it was built and the style that it reflected. It then goes on to discuss the building materials and details that make up the building. Lastly, it focuses on how it has changed and adapted with the times. The ideas in the paper sound very good and I look forward to reading the whole paper. The only suggestion that I would offer, based on the outline, would be to look at delving a little deeper into the analysis of the structure. It might help by asking why the structure was built and for what deeper purpose. Also, consider why it has stood the test of time for almost 100 years.

The drawings at the Draft pin-up looked very good and well planned. I have no suggestions on that other than to keep up the good work! I hope that this helps you in the course of your project!

Patina of Place: Reflections

2009-04-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Artifact: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Furniture
Nature: Like some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, some of his furniture also contained elements of nature.
People: The furniture was very sparse in his homes and designed more for the aesthetic and not for the use of people. This caused a few problems when people tried to live in them.
Material: Most of his furniture was made from natural materials.
Symbol: These pieces of furniture show the change that is occurring in the residential furniture. Furniture now is being designed to the room, instead of being made to serve any purpose.

Space: Crystal Palace
Nature: The greenhouse space is constructed primarily to house plants and other warm weather life. It has an impact on plant life (a good one) in a time of rapid industrial growth.
People: The people of this time period really enjoy these places because they become a grand place to hold parties and show off wealth. This impact is left in the minds of the lower classes.
Material: These buildings are made with the newfound materials, glass and iron. They are the primary reason that these types of structures exist. Without these technologies, buildings made primarily of glass would not be possible to construct.
Symbol: This building symbolizes man’s dominance over nature and their ability to capture living plants all year round. This leaves a new mark of superiority over nature.

Building: Marshall Field Warehouse
Nature: This building goes a lot against nature. It does not borrow any styles or themes, nor does it aid in the progression of nature.
People: This building was very important to people because it was a storage place for trade goods fro the Marshall Field department store.
Material: This building was built primary from stone, borrowing on the palazzo style from Italy.
Symbol: This building symbolizes the change to a society that focuses so heavily on trade and commerce. This idea is not new, but the level to which it is pursued is a great leap for society.

Place: Chicago
Nature: Though the city itself goes against nature in its industrialization, the architecture borrows a lot of styles and detailing from nature. Some ideas, such as leaves and trees, make a big impact on the detailing and bordering of buildings.
People: The people of Chicago embraced the changing times and were open to the new styles. The impact that they left set the bar for design style of America.
Material: Chicago employed a wide range of materials, spanning from new materials steel and glass to older materials such as concrete and stone.
Symbol: Chicago symbolized the pinnacle of architecture and designers. It was the ultimate place for advancement in the United States and (arguably) the world at this time.

Reflections: Unit Summary

2009-04-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

In the Reflections Unit, we moved from the 17th century to the early twentieth century and to many locations across the world. The span of this time period covers many different styles and building materials. We move from buildings made of stone and wood to buildings made of glass and iron. This was a period of extremely revolution in architecture and the world as a whole.

Revolution, by definition, is a period of change. Whether this change is for good or for bad, however, is not always clear. This term can also apply to many different situations. War is the most common connotation, a revolution from a bad government or a changing of leadership. Other connotations, however, are revolutions in arts, technology, and general ways of thinking. This is especially apparent in structures such as the Cenotaph for Isaac Newton. This design, though entirely conceptual, is an astounding break in the traditional building planning of the time period. The traditional thought of the time period was that for a building to be appreciated as architecture, it had to be constructed in the physical realm. This means that it could not exist only in the realm of imagination and design. This new way of thinking is just one of the many examples from this time.

The next revolution in architecture is found in the late 19th century. The introduction of glass and steel into the building medium created new and exciting ways of construction. The flexibility of these materials allowed the steel to be shaped into whatever shape was need, all while keeping its strength. The glass could then be molded to the frame. This allowed for new types of buildings such as the greenhouse, train station, and skyscraper.

From a technical revolution, we move next to a cultural revolution. During this time period, imports from the east to the west became more and more abundant. Eastern themes pervaded all aspects of life, such as dress, art, and furniture. This also showed up in architecture in the details and dressings.

Near the end of this unit, we focused more on the United States and its own revolution in architecture. We, as a country, were trying to establish our own cultural style. One of the major players in helping us to this is the great designer, Frank Lloyd Wright. Though he is not the only American designer (as it seems at times), he is definitely one the most important. He incorporates building styles from many areas and unifies them into one, much like the culture of the American people. Many different types of people come together into one, unified country.

The title of the past unit, “Reflections” could stand for a variety of ideas. One interpretation is very literal, a reflection in one of the new important materials, glass. I think, however, that it is entitled this because it describes the mind of the people. It was a time of reflection and introspection for the people, leading to needed change. This period is very important in the evolution and revolution of architecture.

Week 11

2009-04-15T08:42:00.001-07:00

Roots: Architecture, much like what the word describes, is a series of layers. From the beginning of the human need for shelter, architecture has been “building” concepts and designs on top of the very basic roots of this art. Each new level of ideas builds off of the first and simplest foundations. The Casa Mila found in Barceona, Spain, has modern ideas, but is “inspired by Moorish traditions” (Roth pg. 511).

Casa Mila

Congruence: In architecture, buildings (most often) have some unifying idea that binds the structure into one unique art piece. Without this Congruence, the building may seem random and the meaning may be lost on the observer. The flowing of ideas must be present in every level of the design, tying together many different ideas into one. One of the best examples of congruence is found in the Cenotaph for Isaac Newton. It uses the ideas of basic geometrical forms to “re-create[d] the vault of the heavens, whose planetary mechanics Newton had explained” (Roth pg. 450).

Cenotaph for Isaac Newton

Concept: This is idea that allows the building to be congruent. This Concept, or theme, of a building is what and why the designer buildings from the inspiration he receives. This can also be viewed as the mood that the designer is trying to get across. In the Cathedral of Saint-Sernin, the idea of a cross is embedded directly into concept of the building.

Cathedral of Saint-Sernin

Materiality: The choice of materials in a structure is very important to the overall feeling that an observer takes away from any design. So, the designer has two main options for the materiality of a building. One, the virtual materials, such as art and images to convey moods and Two, the actual structural materials such as wood, stone, brick, etc. In the Tassel House, seen below, we see the materials flow from artwork to artwork, described by Roth as “the use of metal for both structural and decorative elements and the artistic assimilation of lighting fixtures (Roth pg. 513).

Tassel House

Compression : Release: Compression and Release is an interesting idea in architecture. This idea shows similarities to such actions as breathing, giving motion to an otherwise motionless structure. Even thought a moving building would be unstable, the architect can shape the structure to make it resemble these actions in a stationary form. This idea of Compression and Release also parallels an idea in music called “Dissonance”, which is (most) always followed by a Resolution. This idea creates a sound which makes the listener uneasy, until the chord is resolved to a more pleasant sound. Music is made up of many pairings of dissonance and resolutions, just like buildings.

Renaissance Designers Captured the Compression/Release in the San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

All these ideas add together to shape the feelings that a building gives off. These ideas build from the roots of the past to combine into one congruent concept. With these foundations that shape our ideas, the buildings take shape with the choosing of materials and the construction and combining of these themes.

Precedent Analysis – Writing Draft

2009-04-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

Coral Castle – Modern Antiquity

“I have discovered the secrets of the pyramids, and have found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons!”

- Edward Leedskalnin

The Coral Castle at Homestead, Florida, is an intriguing structure to study. It is a place of mystery at the technique and amazement at the scale. Equally important is the man and the ideas that spurred the structure into existence.

Edward Leedskalnin was born in Riga, Latvia on August the 10^th, 1887. Not much is know about this man until around the age of 26, where the main motivation for building this structure is discovered. Around 1913, Ed met his Agnes Scuffs, or as he called her, his “sweet sixteen”. She was his one and only love and he looked forward to their marriage later that year. When the day before the ceremony arrived, Leedskalnin received word that she had called off the wedding. This crushed him and he immediately left the country.

Leedskalnin traveled and lived in many different areas, such as Canada, California, and Texas, before settling on Florida as his place of residence in 1918. He lived in Florida City from 1918 to about 1936. During this time, Ed solely built the magnificent structure first known as the “Rock Gate Park”, later known as “Coral Castle”. This structure, which will be outlined in greater detail later in the paper, is an incredible monument to the unrequited love that he had for his “sweet sixteen”. This complex is made of over 1,100 tons of coral rock; hand carved and set by Leedskalnin alone.

In the later years of his residence there, he was bothered by a subdivision that was arising near his home. So, in 1936, he left and moved to Homestead, Florida and took the castle with him. Over a period of three years, he moved the entire structure ten miles with the assistance of a friend and an old Republic truck (the only recorded help he ever had) to his newly purchased ten acres in Homestead. After the move was complete, he erected walls and towers to surround the structure, giving him the privacy he desired.

After the structure was finished, Ed decided to open the castle to the public. For ten cents, he gave tours of the structure and sold pamphlets on his beliefs of how education should be entitled “A Book in Every Home” and one on the life cycle called “Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Life”. He also wrote a pamphlet entitled “Magnetic Current” in which he challenged the established rules of magnetism and the very structure of the atom. He was able to make a good amount of money, enough to sustain him for a many years.

In December of 1951, Ed’s health started to decline. He left the castle, leaving the note “Going to the Hospital” on the gate and got on the bus to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Within three days of his arrival, he passed away in his sleep. He was 64 years old.

To this day, Ed’s Corral Castle is still largely visited. This is due in part to the enormity of the structure and monument that he left behind, but it is mostly due to the mysteries that still surround this place. The construction techniques still baffle engineers. They still do not understand how one man could create this grand structure.

This structure is fairly basic in the techniques of construction and resembles early structures in our past, such as the pyramids and Stonehenge. It is made to large bricks of coral rock laid on top of one another. The amazing part is the shear weight of each brick, around 1 ton each.

The main building challenges arose from the weight of the rock, but also because one man had to do it alone. He had to design a way to lift and set blocks of immense weight with the aid of technology. He was asked one time how it was he accomplished this, and his only remark was that he understood the laws of weight and leverage well. This is amazing because in his life, he only achieved a fourth grade education, yet he was able to build this grand monument alone.

The layout of this structure is rather unorganized, almost random. There are living and working quarters in the bottom right corner of the walled area and the monuments’ are scattered between the walls. On the center of the structure, on the north and south walls, are two immense rotating gates. One of the gates weighs three tons and the other weighs nine tons. Both are perfectly set and can pivot on a single point with the push of one hand.

This structure is very mysterious for many reasons. The first is that all of the construction was done at night, preventing anyone from observing the building process. There are many ideas that surround the process, ranging from a very strong crane all the way up to harmonics and levitation with sound. Some of these ideas may border on the science fiction, but right now all of these ideas are possibilities because there is no good explanation of how it came to be. The only secret was a plaque found above his bed after he died that read, “THE SECRET TO THE UNIVERSE IS 7129/6105195.” Other than this, we have no insight on his method.

Leedskalnin is important to the architectural community for many reasons. The first is because of the nature of his structure. In a time when the world was advancing in styles and ideas, Leedskalnin designed and built something very primitive, diverging from the norm of building. He is also diverging from the norm because of the way he went about it. In those days, many people were coming together to collaborate ideas and skills. He alone designed and built the structure without the help of anyone else.

When Edward Leedskalnin set out to construct the Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida, his main focus was not to leave us a structure that could be studied and regarded as “great”, but rather to express the love that he was denied. Through his hard work and struggle for twenty-eight long years, he built a structure that satisfied both of these ideas and will have us trying to figure it out many years down the road.

Works Cited:

Daczynski, Vince. "Edward Leedskalnin." Unexplained Mysteries. 20 Feb 2006. 8 Apr 2009. mysteries.com/column.php?id=62255>.

"Who's Ed?." Coral Castle. Florida Attractions Association. 8 Apr 2009 .

Week 10

2009-04-08T06:52:00.001-07:00

Craft: When I think of the word craft, I do not think so much of a profession or trade, as some definitions may describe. I, on the other hand, think of the time consuming and arduous task of handcrafting objects as opposed to mass production. This dedication to detail and quality is found in many of the great structures that live on today. This typically is used for one purpose: to provide “a treat for the eyes” (Roth pg. 92). There are some uses of detail that serve another purpose, such as the flying buttresses of Notre-Dame de Amiens. These handcrafted supports serve to preserve the structure as well as to add to the overall look.

Public/Private: The distinctions between public and private areas and spaces became more and more distinguishable as buildings became increasingly ordered and civilized. The idea of privacy in the home or in any structure is not a new trend, but it does make a larger appearance as we travel through history. This idea is displayed in the “Porch:Court:Hearth” idea. The hearth is the most private area and is reserved for only a select few. As privacy is emerging, so is the idea of special spaces reserved for the public. Areas such as the Piazza of Saint Peter’s were constructed solely for the purpose of gathering together. A “broad space” was built to “accommodate the crowds” of the cathedral (Roth pg. 408). This is one of the first times a special space was reserved for gathering, other than for reasons of commerce.

Technique: Building techniques have changed and evolved over many ages and many different civilizations. The changes in techniques have allowed us to move from simpler structures to grand buildings that reach very high into the air. One of the most crucial components to advances in technique are the changes in technology. These two go hand in hand, advancing alongside each other. The advances in technology allow the techniques to be completed with greater ease. In turn, advancing and new techniques call for new technology to complete the task. As Roth explains very simply, “How we build says as much as what we build” (Roth pg. 52). These techniques show how far we have come as a people.

Language: Language in architecture could apply to many different ideas. The first and most obvious is the language of communication. With communication and common language, people are able to tell others what ideas they want to convey through the design and building of a structure. This could also describe the way a designer communicates to the builders, presenting their ideas in a way that both parties can understand. The second way is the language of the materials. The materials communicate a lot to someone who is “listening” to them. Wood and Leather can portray a more natural and moving feel whereas stone and marble portray a solid, permanent feeling. The materials can also attest to where they were gathered. For example, in the Santa Maria Novella at Florence, the use of white marble is characteristic of Italian buildings of the time period. The third use is much more important, not to the physical building itself, but how the building is regarded through time. The inspirations, techniques, and crafting helps to shape the feelings that the designer wanted to convey through the materials and designs chosen. This is the most important because it uses the language of vision and beauty as opposed to the language of spelling and grammar. Because our mind is trained to “seek meaning and significance in all sensory information” (Roth pg. 67), we are able to interpret even the smallest details into something more powerful than just a composition of random materials.

Virtual: The term “Virtual” is most commonly associated with the technical revolution and the phrase “virtual reality”, referring to the simulation of a false reality, but I interpreted it a little different. If we look at the term “virtual reality”, we see that it describes a divergence from the norm of reality, or an alternative to that norm. In architecture, a virtual structure is one that stands out from the norm, a divergence from every other structure that stands. This can apply to real or purely conceived buildings. The best example of a virtual building is the Cenotaph for Isaac Newton. In its conceptual design, it breaks all forms of everything that was possible at the time, a break from all conventions and rules. Roth says that this was a “new scale and a new simplicity of form” for this time period (Roth pg. 450). Even though it was not possible to build, the ideas that it inspired shows us that people were thinking against the flow of the commonplace forms and guidelines.

Summary: These terms all describe forward thinking in the minds of the designers. They are finally beginning to look away from the past and turn towards the future of design. The look away from the possible towards the impossible, slowly making it the possible. This time of growth and change, both in society and in the minds of the people.

Week 9: [Re]actions

2009-04-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

[Re]actions

Rotations: When I hear the word Rotations from an architectural “lens”, the first idea that comes to my mind is the design cycle. In this “rotation” of through, all of the ideas that come together form the framework for the structure that is envisioned. In this cycle, the ideas flow continuously from conception to finality, changing and evolving each step of the way. The most important idea that the architect must always keep in mind is the end result. As Sir Henry Wotten said, “The end is to build well.” (Roth pg. 11)

The Design Cycle

Movement: Movement is a defining characteristic in the “move” to a more free way of thing, specifically the Baroque period of history. The best example of movement in architecture is displayed not in buildings, but in sculpture. Two of the greatest designers, Michelangelo of the Renaissance and Bernini of the Baroque, both carved statues of David out of stone. The differences in these two pieces show the change that has occurred over the course of about one hundred years. In Michelangelo’s David, the figure is very solid and unmoving, almost inside of the “box”. In Bernini’s David, the figure is very loose and full of motion, very out of the box. Henry A. Millon said it best when he said, “The Renaissance building exists to be admired in its splendid isolated perfection. The Baroque building can only be grasped through one’s experiencing it in its variety of effects...” (Roth pg. 397) He goes on to say that the Baroque space, “is independent and alive - it flows and leads to dramatic culminations.” This is the major difference in this new period of architecture.

The Davids

Reflections: Reflections are a very important part of any building. It can serve two functions, as both a commodity and a delight. As a commodity, it can be used to view oneself, say, in a dressing room or bathroom. Its main function, however, is as a delight. In the days before mass production, mirrors were very rare to own. They were very difficult to make and therefore expensive. They were bought by the rich, mainly to make a large space look larger by reflecting the room back on the observer. It also amplified the light making the space brighter. As Le Corbusier said, “Our eyes are made to see forms in light.” (Roth pg.67) With a mirror, our eyes can see it twice as fast!

Mirror's Reflective Power

Source: The source of a building, to me, arises from the inspiration for building it. This source is the reason it was built and, more importantly, built for a purpose. The inspiration, therefore, cannot be over looked. Many reasons can arise for the building of a structure. The first and most obvious reason is because it is needed for some purpose. This is probably the majority of buildings we see in our daily lives. The second reason is to commemorate something or someone, a living, usable monument. This may be special places we visit rather often, but not everyday. The third are the buildings that arose and revolutionized the world, the ones that arose as a challenge to the time. These buildings, such as the Château de Versailles, pushed the builders, designers, and engineers of the era. Roth says that for western civilizations, the goal was to “push the limits and exploit new technologies and building methods.” (Roth pg. 51) These are buildings that require a special visit and are not common.

The Chateau de Versailles

Illumination: The way a building is illuminated is very important to the way we experience a structure. Light brings out the details in whatever it hits. In this way, it can either help or hinder a designer. Light can be used to change moods, just by how intense it is. It is also very important to the reflective aspect of buildings, as it is the key component. Light helps us se the beauty in a structure. As Roth writes, “The perception of textures is dependent upon the quality of light falling on the building.” (Roth pg. 85)

The effects of Light

All of these ideas come together to influence the reactions that the viewers have inspired by these structures. Movement, Illumination, and Reflection show how people see a structure and the details within it. The Source and the Rotation go hand in hand to shape what king of reaction is wanted, based solely on the design choices that are made. In this way, a designer can inspire feelings by the choices they make.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Patina of Place: Alternatives

2009-03-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Alternatives Unit:

Artifact: Staircase at the Library of San Lorenzo

Nature: The stairs in the Library of San Lorenzo reflect a cascading waterfall in the design. This emergence of natural elements and patterns are very characteristic of Renaissance.

People: This artifact is very important for the people because it provided entry to this new place of collected knowledge. This impacted the environment, or rather, the people in the environment very greatly. It let them move from place to place with ease and make it less challenging to gain knowledge.

Material: The staircase is primarily made out of shaped stone and marble. The way the stone is shaped, however, it reflects moving water in its form.

Symbol: This staircase is a symbol in many different ways. The first way is that it symbolizes the rise to knowledge and the journey that each step of the journey represents.

Space: Piazza of Saint Peter

Nature: This area in front of Saint Peter’s goes against nature on every level. Where there would be trees and grass, there are pillars and stone. This space also brings order to the disorder of nature.

People: This space is a grand gathering space for the people of the area because it is one of the few areas that people can gather together outside.

Material: This area is mostly stone and contains fountains, adding a thin layer of natural elements to this unnatural space. The theme of water is prevalent throughout the city.

Symbol: This area is constructed so that they surrounding structure resembles outstretched arms, showing the welcoming feel that the church is encouraging.

Building: Versailles

Nature: Like the other structures of this time, this grand building chooses the order of the built world over the disorder of natural world.

People: The people of this time did not approve of the construction of this palace and to show their discontent, a revolution arose mainly because of this building.

Material: This building did not spare anything in the construction. It had the finest stone and glass, as long as a grand hall of mirrors.

Symbol: This building was the symbol of grandeur for the owners and revolution for everyone else. It inspired outrage at the thought of the waste of money during this difficult time in history.

Place: Venice

Nature: This floating city defies nature entirely. This area is built on top of logs lying on top of a swamp. This city is also very ordered and

People: This city shows the adaptability of the humanity. The people adapted from land to water.

Material: This city is made of many different materials. The base is made of wood and water, leading to the next layer of stone. The buildings on top of this are made of many different materials such as marble, stone, and wood.

Symbol: This city symbolizes the resolve of the human spirit. They live with many challenges every day and have built a beautiful city up from the swamp.

Alternatives Unit Summary

2009-03-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

In the reflections unit of the History and Theory of design, many important structures and ideas were studied. In the main areas of focus, ITALY, FRANCE, BRITAIN, and GERMANY, we, looked at many structures that appeared beginning with the medieval era and leading into the period of the Renaissance.

The first type of structure that we looked at was the great CATHEDRALS of the medieval world. Structures such as the cathedrals at Salisbury, Amiens, and Cologne are each very different in the facades and details, but they all share a general, cross shaped layout. It is during this time that the ideas of the intricacies of mathematics arise in the building plans as well, incorporating ideas of the golden ratio first employed in the ancient world.

From there, we moved to Florence, ITALY and looked at the DUOMO. This structure, with its towering dome, dominates the horizon in Florence. This dome is unique in many ways. First, it is actually constructed using two separate domes combined into one, and inner dome and an outer dome. Secondly, it takes ideas from the ancient world’s pattern of dome construction and adds new ideas from the medieval world. Lastly, this dome becomes the comparing point for many other structures of this time. This is the pinnacle of architecture and many other designers look to this one for inspiration.

After the Duomo, we moved to the period of the RENAISSANCE. The first area we looked at was the floating city of Venezia, or VENICE in Italy. This city, built on top of floating logs over a swamp, shows the new ideas of conquering space. The designers of this city faced many challenges, but this did not lessen their resolve. This city shows the change from building structures as a part of the environment to making extreme changes to the environment to accommodate people. Another theme we see arising from this city is the importance of order in city and building planning. In the city plan of Venice, as seen below, the presence of clearly ordered streets is very apparent. This idea of order and planning on the scale of buildings all the way up to the layout of cities stays with us even today.

We then moved to different building forms. The first is the PALAZZO form. This building type served as a place of both commerce and residence. In the Palazzo Meddci, there are very distinct divisions for these purposes. The first floor was reserved for Economics and any business that the family took part in. The second floor was used for entertaining guests of the family. The third floor was reserved only for the family and served as the living quarters. This style was very popular for the merchants of Italy.

The last part of the unit focused on the transition to buildings of the RENIASSANCE with straight lines and a more square form to buildings of the BAROUQE with curved lines and a more flowing form. This is very evident in designs of Michelangelo (Renaissance) vs. the designs of Bernini (Baroque). In their respective statues of David, we see many differences in the feel of the pieces. Michelangelo’s statue has a more solid, motionless, restfull, and rational feel to it. Contrasting this statue, Bernini’s David s very fluid, full of motion, in the action, and more emotional. The Renaissance, in this respect, is classified by RATIONALITY and the Baroque is classified by EMOTION.

In this unit, there are a few very important ideas that I think stand out more than the rest. The first is the idea of ORDER. This idea begins in the Renaissance and continues today. The idea of change and growth from in the box thinking to out of the box thinking is also a very important idea to take away.

Week 8

2009-03-25T12:56:00.001-07:00

week 8 prompts : the opus project

grammar : syntax

[re]visions: In architecture, one of the most prominent ideas is taking something old and reviving and revising it into something new. The designers of the renaissance understood this idea very well and used it to their advantage. Designers such as Michelangelo used the Grecian and Roman ideas along with their own visions to bring new ideas of incorporating the new with the old onto the scene of design. At the Library of San Lorenzo, Michelangelo used the Roman Tuscon Doric columns along with the new scrollwork patterns in the walls of the library. Roth says, “The heavy pairs of columns appear to be carried by light, curved scrolls attached to the wall.” (Roth pg. 381) This idea was something new and innovative in the world.

Columns at San Lorenzo

Audience: When a designer is planning a structure, the first point he must take into account is who is going to be living in and around the structure, observing it daily. In this way, architecture is similar to the performing arts, such as theatre and music. Especially in theatre, the design of the set, lighting, and sound is always created with the audience in mind. We will always choose what is better for the audience than what is better for the designers and builders. In the Place de Vosges in France, we see the builders appealing heavily to the audience, trying to convey a sense of grandeur by uniting the buildings together into one grand façade. The delight of a building is very important to the way an observer sees the structures, because, as Roth puts it, “delight involves, at every turn, subjective responses that differ from individual to individual, culture to culture.”(Roth pg. 67) This means that a designer must take into account everyone when designing a structure.

Arches of Place de Vosges

Character: What most people notice first about any building is the feeling that they get from it, or the character of the structure. The designer can shape the character of a building in many ways. Simple choices in the façade of the structure, such as heavy looking supports or lighter looking supports can project a feeling of seriousness or lightheartedness, respectively. This also ties into the idea of the theatre, with the choices that actors must may to get across traits of their characters to the audience. They may choose to carry themselves in a lighter way to show playfulness. With a simple change, such as making their steps heavier, they automatically project themselves as more intimidating or threatening. In the Piazza of Saint Peter’s, we see the character is very welcoming. Roth says that the buildings on either side of the courtyard “were intended by Bernini to symbolize the embracing arms of the church.” (Roth pg. 408)

"Arms" at Piazza of St. Peter

Transition: The transition points in a building can be the deciding factor in the enduring quality of a structure. This quality in very important in renaissance buildings, such as the staircase at the Library of San Lorenzo designed by the great Michelangelo. This staircase transitions from the ground floor to the library a few feet higher, but it represents much more. This transition represents in the mind a stepping up to knowledge, accepting the challenges that go along with it and continuing forward. It also shows that many ideas and people can come together for the pursuit of the same thing. Roth writes that this transition became, “the major element of this space…” (Roth pg. 381).

Stairs at San Lorenzo

Datum: Datum is given conditions of something, or in this usage, the given conditions relating to architecture. This could be anything from the ways that a material can be used down to the lay of the land. A designer must think about the entire datum before design. They must know how a material works and doesn’t work; how different looks and ideas will present themselves to the audience. One of the defining features of the Renaissance was a move towards ordered buildings and spaces, even entire cities. The World does not occur in an ordered way and so this was a move against the datum of the time. Alberti says, that “Beauty is that reasoned harmony of all the parts within a body, so that nothing can be added, taken away, or altered, but for the worse.” (Roth pg. 362)

Ordered Plan of Santo Spirito

These ideas listed above all address ideas that the designer must take into account in the earliest design process. The datum of the building is the most crucial, as this is what will make the building structurally sound. The other ideas, transition, character, audience, and [re]visions still are major concerns of the designer, but do not come until later in the process. The character and audience of a building is very important in the last stages and is basically a performance by the designer and builders that will stand the test of time.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Deliverables Articulation

2009-03-19T21:59:00.001-07:00

Views List (media subject to change after questions):

1. Aerial View – Black Pencil on White

2. 9 Ton Gate – White Pencil on Black

3. The Rocker – White Pencil on Black

4. Chair – Black Pencil on White

5. Moon Fountain – Black Pencil on White

6. Polaris Telescope – Black and White on Neutral

7. Tower Side View – Black Pencil on White

8. Tower With Stairs – Perspective Drafting on Vellum

9. Tower – 3D Rendering with Google SketchUp

10. Umbrella Tree Table – Color on White

Outline:

Title: The Coral Castle Conundrum

Thesis Sentence: The Coral Castle, built by Edward Leedskalnin, is a modern day architectural wonder similar in mystery and grandeur to structures such as Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza.

Introduction:

I. History

A. Edward Leedskalnin’s Early Days

B. Move to America

C. Motivations for Building

D. Opening of the Castle

E. Ed’s Later Days

F. Post Ed.

G. Other Contributions by Ed.

II. Design

A. Construction Techniques

B. Building Challenges

C. Layout

III. Mysteries

A. Building Rumors

B. Hidden Conspiracies

C. Possible Explinations

IV. Impact on our World

A. Modern Beliefs

B. Modern Day Marvels

C. “The Road Less Traveled”

Conclusion

Questions:

1. My first question regards the drawings. What kinds of media are acceptable to use and what is recommended?

2. As a non-major, I am concerned with the end quality of said drawings. I know that what is expected is set very high, but how does this differ from the majors to the non-majors?

3. What specific ideas do we need to address in our essays?

Week 7

2009-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Periphery: The periphery, or boundaries, of a building are very important to the overall presentation of a structure. This term, periphery, not only means the boundary as a whole, but also the boundaries of individual objects and shapes. This idea is most apparent in the façade of any building. In a building face, there are many patterns and shapes that draw the eyes. These interconnecting boundaries draw the eye and give the structure the grander that we see from the perspective of the observer. Blakemore describes these relationships as “Aedicular arrangements”. (Blakemore pg. 58)

The facade of the Palazzo Meddci shows us how the boundaries of arches and lines can come together to draw us in

Portfolio: A portfolio, by definition, is a collection of parts that come together to create a whole object. In this regard, one could say that a building is a “portfolio” of different materials and designs that come together to create the overall presentation. Roth says that this collection of parts comes together to fill a need that we have as humans. He says, “…they are expressing in wood, stone, metal, plaster, and plastic what they believe…” (Roth pg. 6)

This structure, the Villa Rotunda, is made of many different ideas, yet comes together as one amazing structure

Process: The process of the design is very important to creating a structure that will stand the test of time, not only in a physical sense, but also in the minds of the population. The whole building begins with a purpose, some reason for its creation. This could be tied to the Commodity of the structure, or for some other use. The next part is the design and planning stages. This is when the majority of the Delight is added to this “recipe”. This is a very crucial stage, because the ideas that will come together to make up the structure enter here. The last and arguably most important is the actual construction. This is the Firmness of the structure and is the most easily observed part of the process. This is the finished, hopefully perfected version of the building. This is what people will remember. As Roth says, “…the end must direct the operation.” (Roth pg. 11). In the process, we must all remember that the last part is the most important.

We see that planning is very important in this first floor plan of the Palazzo Meddci

Perspective: The way a building is view is very important to the overall presentation. As humans, we have a very limited range in perspective and this fact must be taken into account during the design process. Because our range is limited to about six feet off the ground, the designer can play to this and create optical illusions for the viewer at different levels in the structure. This is technique is achieved by the great Michelangelo in the Chapel Sistina. To give the illusion of a vaulted ceiling on a flat surface, the great artist painted the ceiling with a specific perspective in mind. He was able to “…creat[e] a perspective illusion of depth greater that there truly [was]”. (Roth pg. 381)

In this picture, the way the object is viewed is very important to the true nature of the way we perceive it.

Professional: The idea of professionalism refers to the quality of a structure or its design. One could speculate that the more intricate and detailed a structure is, the more professional the work. This is not always the case, however, because in structures such as the Ospedale Innocenti, the simplicity of the structure is what has made it more professional looking. Therefore, structures must maintain some balance of detail and simplicity to add to the overall professionalism. This must be taken into account during the design process. This idea is highly debated, though, of how much detail should be put into a building. It ranges from John Ruskin’s belief that “ornament is the chief part of architecture” to Adolf Loss idea that “the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from utilitarian objects”. (Roth pg. 90)

The little detail, other than the small circles in the arches, add to the professionalism of the Opspedale Innocenti

In this grand week of “p’s” there are many ideas that are very important to the design process. The ideas of Process, Perspective, and Portfolio must happen in the beginning stages when the building is beginning to take shape. These ideas help to guide the building to what it will be in the future. The other ideas of Periphery and Professionalism speak to the much more detail oriented parts of the structure that appear in the construction process. This coming together of details adds personality (another p) to the structure.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Blakemore, Robbie G.. History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe. 2nd. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006

Week 6

2009-03-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

Composition: The composition of a building shows much about the designer and the area in which it is built. The components of a building are equally important to all aspects of the three main aspects of building, commodity, firmness, and delight. If a building is made, for example, out of marble, it stands the test of time, it can be made into any form, and is appealing to the viewer. Marcus Vitruvius says, “Now these [aspects…] should be so carried out that account is taken of strength, utility, grace.” (Roth pg. 11). In the composition of the cathedral of St. Sernin in Toulouse, one can see a lot of stone, marble, and glass. This shows that the building is made to last and reflects the divinity of which is discussed inside.

porch : court : hearth: The porch, court, and hearth idea arose during the Grecian era and has stayed with our world until even today. The Porch section of a building is the entryway or doorstep into a structure. The court section is the meeting space, or the area for most of the inhabitants. The hearth section is the most reserved, most private area of the building. It is reserved for only a select few that use the space. Roth describes this style originating in the megaron, which, “consisted of an entry poarch..., a vestibule, and the throne room…” (Roth pg. 218) In the diagram of the cathedral of Ste. Marie in Souilac below, the porch, court, and hearth are clearly defined.

diagram: The diagram of a building is very key to understanding the inner construction of a structure. It shows all of the inner workings that cannot be seen any of the exterior views or sometimes even the interior views. In the design phase, it can be very helpful to have a top diagram that allows the designer to see any problems before the building is constructed. In Sir Henry Wotten’s words, “…the end must direct the operation.” (Roth pg. 11) In this way, the diagram is the hope for the building and throughout the process the builders try and stay true to the main idea. In the diagram of San Miniato al Monte, we can clearly see all pillars and rooms in the structure while observing from one point.

impression: The impression that a building leaves on the observer is perhaps one of its greatest functions. The feeling that the designer can impart to the viewer is part of the “Magic” of architecture. One of the main components to this idea is the material that is selected to form the building. Wood may give the building a more natural impression, whereas stone may give the building a more permanent and strong feeling. Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.” (Roth pg. 58). This means that our buildings, once constructed, show us what they were really meant to be and represent. One of the best examples is that of a medieval cathedral, specifically the cathedral of San Vitale, shown below.

details: The detailing of a building is very important to many ideas behind the building. This work, which normally goes unnoticed on the small level, is seen on a more overall scale. The details add to the impression that we get of a building. If there is a lack of detail, the building may be taken a more plain. If there is an abundance of detail, we normally take that building as more grand and exquisite. Though the detail portion may not have any foundational use, C. V. D. Patmore says that, “Life is not life at all without delight.” (Roth pg. 67) Even though there is no practical use, it is just as important. In the Ospedale Innocenti, the detail work at the meeting point of the arches shows how important embellishments are to architecture.

All of these ideas of composition, details, and impression are very important to the way we as humans view the buildings around us. Not only do these ideas influence the way a building impacts us on the surface, but also how it impacts our emotions. This is what keeps us always searching and learning about the past before us and how it influences the way we design the future.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Blakemore, Robbie G.. History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe. 2nd. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006.

Honor's Abstractions: Patina of Place

2009-03-02T14:05:00.001-08:00

Patina of Place: In a description of the book, Patina of Place by Kingston Heath, the writer talks about a very important idea called “Cultural Weathering”. This idea looks at the way society can leave a “cultural imprint” on the landscape and the way that the environment influences the structures that are built on it (Project MUSE). In this specific unit summary, I will address the city of Athens in Greece and observe how the landscape affected the way that the people designed their structures and the way that their structures modified the environment. I will look at many different scales of objects, ranging from the chair to whole cities. Through observation of the differences in these scales, one can find characteristics that apply to all ranges of scales and cultures.

Subject: Foundations:

- Artifact – The Chair

- Nature: The chair is not a naturally occurring object in nature. This divergence from the natural path shows

- People: This artifact was very important to the people of this time period. We can see this through the elaborate designs and sturdiness of these pieces of furniture.

- Material: The chair, being a smaller item, was normally made out of cheaper natural materials such as wood and leather. A change in materials, such as using stone or marble, could show a difference in status to the people of town. The more rare the material was, the higher the status it reflected.

- Symbol: The chair symbolizes the leap from sitting on the ground to creating a special device that is used only to sit on. This shows the advancement from a primitive culture to a more civilized one.

- Space – The Forum

- Nature: This aspect is possibly the most important to the forum style. Since it is no more than an open space in a city, nature plays a large role in its creation. There was not much modification to the landscape in this building style and people adapted to whatever the land gave them to work with.

- People: The forum’s only purpose is for the people. It is a place for people to gather and engage with one another in socialization and commerce. It really has no other purpose that this.

- Material: The main materials that existed in the forum were found underneath the peoples’ feet. On top of the ground was a layer of stone, providing a defined boundary for the area.

- Symbol: The forum is symbolic for many reasons. The first and most obvious is that it represents a place for socialization with others of a like society. This is the place where the members of a town could gather to talk about the daily occurrences or events that took place. The second reason was that it was also the economic center of town. Since this was the place for people to gather, the merchants took advantage of this. You could find just about everything you needed to live comfortably in early civilizations in these areas. This area was also a gateway for people that may have traveled to a new area. They could go here to meet new people and learn about the community.

- Building – The Parthenon

- Nature: The designers of the Parthenon took advantage of the natural surroundings when they created this structure. It is at the highest point of the Acropolis and it can be seen throughout the town. In this way, it uses the natural world to proclaim the might of man.

- People: This people were very important to this building because it was created mostly to play to the “Delight” portion of the design triangle. The only function it served was as a temple and it was used only for that purpose.

- Material: The materials that are used in this building are all very strong and sturdy. The stone and marble show the “Firmness” of this building and the materials have certainly stood the test of time, surviving from then to the present.

- Symbol: The Parthenon symbolizes how far that humans as a people have advanced. This building serves no other purpose other than to provide a place of worship for the goddess Athena. Humanity has now reached the point in time where they can build these grand structures not for the use of their people, but mainly as a symbol of the goddess.

- Place - The Acropolis

- Nature: The Acropolis, which is built on top of a plateau, uses the environment to its advantage. This place is the highest spot in the town and it can be seen anywhere in the city. In this case, the natural environment added to the majesty of this site.

- People: This place was very important to the people of Greece, especially the ones that lived in Athens. This site was a place of pilgrimage and every so often, special ceremonies would be held in honor of the goddess.

- Material: The materials that make of this site are primarily stone and marble. Because stone is such a resilient material, the use of these materials reflects the immortality and everlasting symbol of power that the goddess is known for.

- Symbol: Every one of the structures at the Acropolis is amazing, but together they symbolize the might and building prowess of the people that designed and constructed them. The fact that there is more that one grand structure goes further to show their might as a people.

In the case of Athens, Greece, we see that people are still building with the environment instead of against it. There is an idea of opposition beginning to emerge, however. On the artifact scale, we begin to see a divergence from the previous styles of building with the established environments. We also still see the environment playing a role in the design process. In the cases of the Forum and Acropolis in Athens, we see that they are built around the existing environment and take advantage of natural occurrences.

"Project MUSE - Technology and Culture." Project MUSE. 2009. The John Hopkins University Press. 2 Mar 2009 .

Unit Summary: Foundations

2009-03-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

In the Theories and Foundations unit of the History and Theory of Design, we learned many ideas that can be found in the very earliest of structures and continue to be with us today. These underlying ideas are found on every building from the very beginning and can be found on every building afterwards. This span of time covers the prehistory all the way up to the end of the Roman Empire.

One of the first ideas that we learned in this section was possibly the most important. Sir Henry Wotten says in his book The Elements of Architecture that “In architecture, as in all other operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well-building hath three conditions: Commoditie, Firmness, and Delight.” (Roth pg 11). This idea can be applied to all structures, no matter how small or large. They all contain at least some of all three of these ideas.

From there, we traveled to many prehistory sites around the world to make observations on similarities in their construction. One of the major ideas we took from these structures is the idea of SCALE. A structure can be built on the individual, room, building, community, region, or nation scale. We also found building blocks that make up all of the buildings of this time. These ideas of lines vs. circles and wood vs. stone are very important to later structures.

To begin the Foundations unit, we looked at the Egyptian culture and saw many important ideas that emerged from this people. In their society, the worship of many gods, or polytheism, dominated much of their structures. Another important part of their beliefs was the afterlife, which is demonstrated in the many elaborate tombs and burial sites in Egypt. Because these ideas were very important to the people, the two main building styles were the Tomb and the Temple. We saw how their location also played a large role in their building processes. Due to lack of wood and other organic materials, many of the buildings were made out of stone. This made the need for new stone shaping tools arise. Here we saw the major pieces of architecture, the post and lentil and the pyramid form, emerge. These processes went through many changes and evolution, but the perfected styles eventually arose.

The next place we visited was the area of Greece. This city was very important to the world of architecture because it introduced many ideas such as the Orders and the “Porch:Court:Hearth” idea. The first idea, the Orders, show the need for different styles of building in the same area. There are five different orders, the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. These orders are all unique, but share a few similarities, such as basic shape and design. The idea of the “Porch:Court:Hearth” is one o the most important and is used in every building since then. The porch part of a building is the outer entrances and lobbies. The next, the court, is the interior space where most people would gather. The innermost area is the hearth, and is reserved for only a select few. If we compared this to a house today, the doorstep would be the porch, the living room would be the court, and the kitchen or bedroom would be the hearth. In Athens, Greece, we looked at the Acropolis and the buildings that occupy it. These buildings, especially the Parthenon, show the ideal forms of these orders that were developed over the course of the culture.

The last area we looked at was that of Rome. This area was very similar in many was to Greece, but it has many differences as well. This Empire uses both a revival of the old orders plus a melting pot of all the styles that are occurring in other cultures. The empire extended from Hadrian’s Wall all the way down to Egypt. Because of this, many different cultures brought their own unique styles to the forms. One of the biggest advances in this time period was the used of concrete and vaulting, leading to the creation of the arch and dome. The focus now was not so much the advancement of the construction, but how the building appealed to the senses, the “Delight” portion of the building. The best example of the Roman building style is found in the Pantheon. It incorporates the columns of the Grecian period as well as the dome and arches of the Roman period.

All in all, the world of architecture is moving from a more pre-civilization style city to cities that resemble our own, modern ordered cities. In this relatively short amount of time, many advances are made that are still with us today.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Week 5

2009-02-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

Presence: The presence of a building is very important to the overall feeling we get from a structure. This pertains mainly to the “Delight” portion of three main concepts of design. The building’s presence is what first draws us into the building, the first capturing of attention by the observer. This could pertain to many pieces of the structure, such as the details in the design or the facing that is put on the building. In the Villa of Mysteries on the outskirts of Pompeii, we see specific attention paid to the ornamentation of the villa, especially to the paintings on the walls. These scenes draw people in to the building to observe the art. On this, Blakemore describes the art as having an affect on the observer. She writes, “the viewer was projected beyond the plane of the wall through the use of architectonic representation that could be interpreted as real three-dimensional construction…” (Blakemore pg 57) This style brought people to the structure so that they could be active participants in the building.

Precedent: Precedence in architecture is everything that has come before to lead up to the parts of the design. For example, in the Pantheon in Rome we see many different building styles coming together into one structure. There are examples of the Columns, Arches, Domes, and Oculus all in one single structure. Roth says that the Pantheon was, “the culmination of important experiments that had been pursued for over two centuries.” (Roth pg 259) These experiments came together into the structure that we see today.

Moments: Moments, or the divisions in the buildings architecture, are very important to the way a building is used by the inhabitants around it. This is very apparent in the House of Faun, which is like a mini city in itself. It contains many different structures that are all found in a major center, located in the location at Rome. It is broken up into many pieces, but still exists as one unified area. Roth says that this building was like many of the other Roman buildings which were, “composed of parts that had recognizable proportional relationships and clear connections.” (Roth pg 271)

Duality: Duality in a structure can apply to many different aspects of a building. It may apply to the function of a building, playing two or more roles in a community. It may also apply to the delight of a building, becoming a symbol with many different meanings in the minds of the observers. One of the structures that most demonstrates this concept is the bath form. Not only was the Bath a place that served a purpose in the daily lives of people, but it also was a place for socializing with people of the community. Roth says that these places were built so that the, “pleasures of the baths served to divert the populace.” This idea plays into the “bread and circuses” of the Roman Government. (Roth pg 269)

Metric: The layout of any structure is (normally) not left up to random chance by the builders. The designers make specific, mathematical choices in the layout of their buildings. These metrics appeal to the human desire for order and structure. This idea is very apparent in the layout of the city of Pompeii. The city is designed with two main roads crossing in the center of the town and the rest of the city laid out in a grid around these two main roads. This idea has been passed down from the Romans to our city planning today. Roth says that, “In numerous European cities today, these grid plans survive in varying degrees in the medieval street patterns.” (Roth pg 253) This shows the importance of order in the world of architecture.

All of these ideas add to the way that buildings are now viewed in this period of architecture. Buildings are changing from single purpose buildings to buildings that serve many different purposes in one place. Also the need for order and divisions is arising from the chaos of the past. We are moving towards the buildings that we know today.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Blakemore, Robbie G.. History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe. 2nd. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006

Building Selection + Justification

2009-02-19T21:33:00.001-08:00

One of the most understated and mysterious pieces of architecture made in recent times is perhaps the Coral Castle. Conceived, designed, and built solely by Edward Leedskalnin, this site has been compared to ancient sites such as the pyramids and Stonehenge in the enigma behind its construction. The building resides in the city of Homestead, Florida, where Edward settled at after moving around from Latvia, Canada, California, and Texas. Many monuments built to Ed’s “Sweet Sixteen” also surround this main building, giving the site a very ancient quality about it. The building project, being done by only one man, was in progress from the years 1923-1951, a total of 28 long years. When the site was completed, Ed lived out the rest of his days at this site by giving tours of the complex. This site is very significant to architecture because it puts a great challenge to Roth’s idea that, “Architecture, in contrast to all the other durable arts, requires the services and contributions of many hundreds of participants in large buildings.” (Roth pg 12). This is one of the only great structures that has been completed by one man alone and it is able to stand the test of time.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

"Who's Ed?." Coral Castle. Florida Attractions Association. 19 Feb 2009 .

http://www.crystalinks.com/coralcastle.html

Week 4

2009-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Source: The source of any piece of architecture (especially famous examples) is very important to our history as a whole. Buildings normally arise out of some kind of need for the people that build them. In the case of the pyramids of Egypt, the people needed somewhere to store the dead and to provide a way to gain access to the next life. In the case of Greece, the Parthenon served as a monument and a temple to the goddess, Athena. On this, Roth says that this “function” is “the pragmatic utility of an object – its being fitted to a particular use.” (Roth pg 12)

Archetype : Prototype : Hybrid: These terms are very important to the evolution to modern building styles in our world today. The first, archetype, is the first building style that is the original. The second, the prototype, is the next version of the building, the next step in the process of design. The third, the hybrid, is the combination of the previous styles into a final, perfected version. This is very apparent in the three main styles leading up to the pyramid. The first, the archetype, is the mastuba. The second is the step pyramid, which leads to the final style, the great pyramids at Giza. Blakemore says, “The Giza trio represents the culmination of pyramid building by the Egyptians.” (Roth pg 196)

Entourage: The entourage is a grouping of structures that accompany a single main structure, adding to the grandeur of the site as a whole. This idea is very apparent at the Acropolis in Athens. The main structure, the Parthenon, is surrounded by many other grand structures, but none as mighty and that temple. Some of these buildings, such as the Temple of Athena Nike are very good examples of architecture of the time, but are not the main focus of the designers. They serve only to add to the main focus. Roth says that this was done so that “the pilgrim saw framed by its columns the site where the Persians had been repulsed.” (Roth pg 233)

Hierarchy: Hierarchy (or the ordering of importance) of buildings is very apparent throughout the ancient world, especially in Greek cities. The best example of the structuring of buildings is the group of buildings at the Acropolis in Athens. The space is arraigned with the building of most importance, the Parthenon, in the most prominent place in the area and in the overall city. It can be seen from anywhere in the area. It is also eye catching because it is very elaborate and precise in its design. The reason Roth says that this building is so important is because of the extraordinary precision of its construction and the subtleties and refinements used in its design.” (Roth pg 237).

Order: Order is very important in the early foundations of Architecture as well as today. In the Greek world, there existed five main orders, most easily demonstrated in the columns. These orders are as follows. The Tuscan form is very simple, but very strong. The Doric column is the most massive of all the columns and can be anywhere from 4 to 6 ½ times taller that its width. The Ionic column is more slender and is also more ornamental. It is about 9 times taller than its width. The Corinthian column is even more slender and is about 10 times taller than its width. The capital is very elaborate. The last order, the Composite column, is a combination of the Ionic and Corinthian columns. Roth says that, “the orders became part of the basic architectural vocabulary from the Renaissance in the fifteenth century down to our own times.” (Roth pg 30) These styles revolutionized the realm of design.

All of these terms are very important because they all show a very special change beginning to occur. What this shows us is that the people of this era are beginning to move away from the disordered spaces of the previous eras into a more structured building style. Terms such as order, hierarchy and the group of Archetype: Prototype: Hybrid show us that the architectural world is evolving to recognize the need for an organized and ordered system by which to base all other structures after.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Blakemore, Robbie G.. History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe. 2nd. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006.

Week 3

2009-02-11T12:10:00.001-08:00

Scale: One of the first steps in the design process is to decide on whom it is being built for and what purpose. The scale must be one of the first things to be decided. The scale can be on many levels such as the individual, the room, the building, the community, the region, and the nation. Roth defines scale as, “how big a building is, relative to the size of the average human being.” (Roth 75). In the case of the temples of Egypt (as illustrated below), we see that most of the structures are built for the community scales.

Unity: In the advancement of early civilizations, unity between lines, circles, mountains, curves, and squares was very important. Each of these ideas separately was very important pieces of the overall puzzle of early architecture. When these parts joined together, many new and exciting structures were formed. Objects like the pillar began to come in to popular use in later civilizations, such as Egypt. These pillars brought together the line, circle, and mountain into one single purpose. The purpose of many pillars, called a hypostyle hall, was to provide a grand entrance into the chambers beyond. Roth says that this room was, “filled with columns and lit by clerestory windows.” (Roth 206). This chamber, in my opinion, was well lit so that it could bring a higher level of detail to these grand columns.

Boundaries: The building of divisions in architecture is one of the characteristics of this new advance in building. Boundaries can symbolize areas of importance or of separatism from the outside world. One of the best examples of the boundary is Stonehenge. It is theorized that each tier of the structure may have symbolized more and more importance as you move towards the center, which would have been the place of most importance. Roth says that this place may have been, “the manifestation of a social covenant, a symbol of communal purpose.” (Roth 173).

Section: The sections of a building are very important. Since early design, buildings have been divided into three main sections. These parts consist of the porch, court, and hearth. The porch section lies in the outer parts of the structure and it is the area that leads into the inner parts. The court is the gathering area for the observers and users of the structure. The hearth is the innermost area and is reserved for only a select few. In the drawing of the Parthenon below, it is divided into three clear sections. This sectioning is referred to as a “Megaron” by Blakemore (Blakemore pg.30).

Vignette: In a vignette, many pieces come together to tell an overall story or to reflect a certain message. In the site of the Acropolis (as represented below), we see that there are many separate structures that all come together to form a place of worship to the Greek gods. This also applies to each individual structure. In a single building, we see many parts making up the whole. Roth writes that there is “…a fusion of pictorial imagery and building functions…” in the Temple of Zeus at Olymipa (Roth pg.96).

This time in history was very important to the advancement of architecture. We see that are moving away from purely functional buildings to structures that will dictate the way buildings are constructed from then on. The ideas of scale, unity, and boundaries also played a bigger role as architecture evolved because more and more examples of these ideas are beginning to show up on the structures during this time. The sectioning of buildings also plays into these buildings and now shows up in most structures during this time. The idea of the vignette, many parts to tell a story, also shows up in structures such as the Acropolis.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

Blakemore, Robbie G.. History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe. 2nd. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006.

Opus Week 2 - Revist

2009-02-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

Material: The materials that are used in a structure are very important to not only the appearance of the structure, but also the stability, durability and texture of it as well. Roth says, “the visual, or optical texture of a building refers to its visual pattern at the large scale, whereas its haptic, or tactile, texture refers to what can be physically felt with the human hand” (Roth, pg. 80). This is important in the choosing of materials because one cannot be concerned only with the aesthetics of the overall product, but also the smallest details of the feel of the building. This can be used by the architect to evoke certain images as well, such as a rustic feel (wood, earthy feelings) or a regal feel (fabrics, marble). In my rendering of the “The Primitive Hut” by Laugiar, the wood textures give the structure a very natural feeling.

Idiom: This term is very important to any building in existence. This refers to the intentions behind the building. In “The Wedding Rocks”, the temple sits on top of two rocks joined by ropes. It shows the division of light and darkness and reflects creation. It shows the balance behind the universe in its construction and design. As Roth says that, "Architecture...can be 'read' in a comparable way. ARchitecture is a nonverbal form of communication..." (Roth pg. 5). In this way, we can interpret the meanings behind a structure, seeing what the designer intended us to get from the work.

Commodity: Firmness: Delight: These three terms are perhaps the most important to architecture as a whole. These words describe these purposes for which architecture is valued in our society. The first, Commodity, is basically the purpose for which the building stands. This can range from a bike shed to the grandest of cathedral, as my renderings below illustrate. The second, Firmness, focuses on the materials of which the building is made of. The firmness of a building dictates how long a building will stand to the test of time. The third, Delight, is how the building appeals to the senses. The way a building looks is determined by delight. All of these ideas come together to describe every building on some level or another. Sir Henry Wotten in his book, The Elements of Architecture, says “In architecture as in all other operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well-building hath three condition: Commoditie, Firmeness, and Delight.” (Roth pg. 11) This means for a structure to be built well, all of these ideas must be prominent in the design.

All of these ideas come together to bring out the true meanings behind the structure. The Illumination and Materials that are used in a structure give the building variety and draw the observer in to view the full grandeur of the building. The ideas and intentions behind the design convey the artist’s intent. Commodity, firmness, and delight all come together to tell us why a building was created. All of these ideas are embedded in every aspect of the structure.

Roth, Leland M. Understanding Architechture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. 2nd. Colorado: Westview Press, 2007.

2009-02-04T08:21:00.001-08:00

Scale: One of the first steps in the design process is to decide on whom it is being built for and what purpose. The scale must be one of the first things to be decided. The scale can be on many levels such as the individual, the room, the building, the community, the region, and the nation. Roth defines scale as, “how big a building is, relative to the size of the average human being.” (Roth 75). New York is a good example of this because it contains structures on all but the nation scale. House fulfills the individual and room scale. Offices fulfill the building scale. City blocks and districts fulfill the community scale. The city as a whole meets the region scale.

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/new-york/images/s/new-york-city.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/314389046_a0396e4dbb.jpg?v=0

Boundaries: The building of walls and divisions in architecture is one of the characteristics of this new advance in building. Boundaries can symbolize areas of importance or of separatism from the outside world. One of the best examples of the boundary is Stonehenge. It is theorized that each tier of the structure may have symbolized more and more importance as you move towards the center, which would have been the place of most importance. Roth says that this place may have been, “the manifestation of a social covenant, a symbol of communal purpose.” (Roth 173).

http://www.wayfaring.info/tag/stonehenge/

Mastuba: The mastuba is the building blocks of the great pyramids. These buildings, which served as houses for the living and tombs for the dead, show the importance of the afterlife for the people of Egypt. These people, who were very religious in their daily lives, put a high value on the care of the dead. Roth says that in some of the tombs of kings, “a burial shrine of wood was built, and the adjoining rooms were filled with grave goods and regalia for use in the next world…” (Roth 195). This shows how much the Egyptians valued the afterlife.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/images/pyramid_gallery_mastaba.jpg

Pyramid: This structure is perhaps the greatest advancement in architecture during the Egyptian era. This is the most perfect version of the pyramidal structure and showed the engineering might of the people. These structures still stand today and embody the mountain, line, and square building themes. Originally, these grand structures would have been finished with a smooth limestone and capped with gold. They would have been the dominant structure on the horizon. Roth says that when Napoleon found them he “reportedly calculated that there was enough material in the three [pyramids] to build a wall 3 meters high and 1 meter thick around the whole of France.” (Roth 197).

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/2936941.jpg

This time in history was very important to the advancement of architecture. We see that are moving away from purely functional buildings to structures that are more symbolic that useful. Huge structures built purely for the dead show that humans are recognizing that buildings do not only serve a purpose, but also can be a beacon to others to convey a hidden meaning, such as power or superiority. The ideas of scale, unity, and boundaries also played a bigger role as architecture evolved because more and more examples of these ideas are beginning to show up on the structures during this time.

2009-01-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

Illuminate: This is one of the words that first sticks out to me. In theatre, lighting is a very important tool in the design of a set piece. It allows the finest details in a design to be brought to the surface by making it easier to see what is laid out in front of the observer. Since theatre so often reflects the real world in a literal representation, the same is true in interior architecture. Roth says, “Perhaps the most powerful element in our perception of architecture is light” (Roth, pg. 85). He goes on to say that “the perception of textures is dependent upon the quality of light falling on the building” (Roth, pg. 85). In the two pictures below (even though they are of different structures), you can see the differences between using differing levels of light. Both walls are a white color and are made up of some kind of stone, but we get two separate feelings and textures because of the lighting difference.

Artifacts: Objects that societies that have come before use are what we can refer to as artifacts. These objects may be very small or very large and serve a variety of purposes for that specific society. The interesting part is through the examination of these objects, one can see details about that culture as well as what they considered important enough to make a device or object for. The picture below shows the famous landmark Stonehenge. Though its purpose is unknown (but highly speculated), what we do know is that the people put some value on very large structures. If it were used as some kind of calendar system, we learn that they placed a very high value on predicting events. If it were a religious meeting place, we see that they held religion very high in their lives. Roth says, “Architecture is the crystallization of ideas, a physical representation of human thought and aspirations, a record of the beliefs and values of the culture that produces it” (Roth, pg. 159).

Story: The story is, to me, the most important part of any structure. The history behind why it was built allows us to understand past people and their motivations behind their actions. If we do not have the story, we get the object, but not the why that brought it into existence, the commodity part of the formula. Roth says, “Architecture is arguably the most accurate, the most truly revealing, human cultural artifact” (Roth, pg. 12). In the picture of the coliseum below, we see that this is a magnificent building not only in size and grandeur, but also in purpose. This was a great meeting place for the people of the ancient world and was constructed for the purpose of their entertainment and to allow them to gather.

Material: The materials that are used in a structure are very important to not only the appearance of the structure, but also the stability, durability and texture of it as well. Roth says, “the visual, or optical texture of a building refers to its visual pattern at the large scale, whereas its haptic, or tactile, texture refers to what can be physically felt with the human hand” (Roth, pg. 80). This is important in the choosing of materials because one cannot be concerned only with the aesthetics of the overall product, but also the smallest details of the feel of the building. The two samples of texture below inspire two different feelings in our mind based on the past experiences with these materials. This can be used by the architect to evoke certain images as well, such as a rustic feel (wood, earthy feelings) or a regal feel (fabrics, marble).

Multiple Views: The way that an observer views a sturcture is one of the main dilemmas of an architect. This is because no two people will see the exact same object in exactly the same ways. Based on the experiences of the person’s past, the person will see the meaning and the mood in a completely different way. Roth says that this “is perhaps the area with which most people, architects and users alike, have difficulty. This is partly because delight involves, at every turn, subjective response that differ from individual to individual, culture to culture” (Roth, pg. 67). In the picture below, two objects are visible at the same time. Which one do you see first? The lady or the saxiphonist?

The ideas of the story and artifacts are very important to learning the history of a structure or any other item in the past. It allows us to not only look at the object itself in great detail, but also into the minds of the peole that created it. Looking at these details such as illumination, materials, and multiple views lets us build a personal connection with a building. With illumination, we are able to see the textures and the variety of them in any given building. With different materials, we are able to connect through touch to a constructed work. With multiple views, we are each able to have our own personal experience with a structure and let us take away something completely different than anyone else may.

Timeline Project - Years 2000 AD and BC

2009-01-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

2000 BC

Institutions

- Stonehenge is believed to have been completed.

- Sabium the Semite-Amorite is King of the Amorite-Babylon Dynasty.

- Apil-sin follows Sabium twelve years later.

- King of Leubingen dies.

- Pharaoh Mentuhotep IV dies.

- Pharaoh Amenemhat I begins rule in Egypt

- Hinduism may have originated during this time.

- Paletstine region is very unstable politically.

- Damascus, Syria is believed to have been created.

- Sumerian Culture ends around this time, but beliefs are passed on.

Technology

- Horses are tamed and used for transport.

- Bronze Age begins in Ancient China.

- First written accounts of Schizophrenia.

- Sumerian cubit is defined as 51.72 cm of copper.

- Drill turned by bow invented in Egypt

- Looms are depicted in murals.

- Bellows are invented.

- Balance scales found in Egypt and Mesopotamia

- Lock and key made in Mesopotamia out of wood

- Invention of the battering ram.

Governance

- Town of Mantua is presumably founded.

- Decline of Harappan Civilization begins.

- Twelfth Dynasty begins in Egypt.

- Xia Dynasty begins in China.

- First of the Minoan palaces on Crete is built.

- Egyptian-Nubian war takes place.

- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt take place.

- Amorites take hold of Ur.

- Ancestors of the Latins arrive in Italy.

- Celts move from Germany to Wales in Great Britian.

Commerce

- Farmers and herders migrate from Ethiopia to Kenya.

- Postal system for royal messages is founded in Egypt.

- Some roads in Crete are paved with stone.

- Alfalfa is cultivated in Iran

- Women Merchants begin trading in Sumar.

- Chinese make crude oil for lamps and heating.

- Raising of Silkworms begins in China.

- Farmers in Near East raise cattle for meat and milk.

- Egyptians abandon animal domestication efforts to take up hunting and gathering.

- Watermelon, figs, tea, bananas, and apples are all cultivated in the Western Hemisphere.

2000 AD

Institutions

- Vicente Fox Quesada elected president of Mexico.

- Vojislav Kostunica becomes president of Yugoslavia.

- Tarja Halonen becomes first female president of Finland.

- Stipe Mesic becomes president of Croatia.

- George W. Bush becomes president of the United States of America

- Pope John Paul II apologizes for the wrongs of the Roman Catholic Church.

- Vladimir Putin becomes President of Russia

- Yoshiro Mori becomes prime minister of Japan

- Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah of Selangor dies after a 55-year reign.

- Tsar Nicholas II and Family are canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church

Technology

- Y2K, one of the first computer bases scares, passes without event.

- First cloned pigs from adult pig cells.

- International Space Station begins holding permanent residence.

- Microsoft releases Windows 2000.

- Nupedia (predecessor to Wikipedia) is created.

- Working Drafts of the Human Genome are completed

- The High Engergy Transient Explorer (HETE II) is launched

- Personal Computer Ownership exceeds half of all households.

- Wireless computing takes off with new standards- Bluetooth, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), and General Packet Radio System (GPRS)

- Scientists create element 116.

Governance

- Tuvalu joins the United Nations.

- The Constitution of Finland is rewritten.

- Brazil celebrates its 500^th anniversary.

- Millennium Summit at UN Headquarters.

- 2000 Summer Olympics are held in Sydney, Australia.

- Iraq rejects new UN Security Council weapons inspections proposals.

- Israel and Syria hold peace talks.

- Israel withdraws IDF forces from Lebanon after 22 years.

- First North and South Korean presidential summit.

- Fuel protests and blockades in United Kingdom.

Commerce

- America Online is bought by Time Warner for $162 billion, the largest-ever corporate merger.

- Albania joins the World Trade Organization.

- Alan Greenspan is reelected for a fourth term as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman.

- The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at 11,722.98.

- NASDAQ reaches all-time high of 5,048.

- Computer Pioneer Datapoint files for Bankruptcy.

- Anti-globalization protests in Prague during IMF and World Bank summits.

- Montgomery Ward announces it is going out of business after 128 years.

- United States v. Microsoft for antitrust law violations.

- Hans Blix becomes Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_BC

http://www.answers.com/topic/20th-century-bc

http://www.infoplease.com/year/2000.html

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/00discoveries5.html

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/spacestation1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000

http://www.answers.com/topic/2000

http://www.answers.com/topic/antiquity