RR #12

sources:
http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Museums-Paris/Beaubourg.shtml

BP #12

good design for all...



Nobody likes to get wet when it rains.

Umbrellas have been around since ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and even the Middle East. In old paintings and sculptures umrellas are seen over royalty and as fashion items. In Rome, women would sport their umbrellas (or parasols as many called them back then) in the colors of their favorite chariot team.

Eventually, umbrellas were made waterproof for staying dry in the rain. Today, there are many innovative designs for umbrellas.

this is what chair cards have done to me

i was babysitting friday night and we were watching toy story 2 and i've gotta say, when i saw that there was a CHERNER CHAIR in al's office i got really excited! i'm not sure the 2 year old understood the importance but that's okay (;

REVERBERATIONS...echoing what came before [US#2]

 WHICH WAY IS BEST? writing and breaking and re-writing the rules as the world develops and the search for the best goes on.




SURFACE & WORSHIP:
 week 5: As many empires spread out across the land due to climate, access to water, and most importantly TRADE, ideas and cultures were also being spread. All of this sharing led to a rise in religion [mainly Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism]. RULES WERE BROKEN: earlier Pantheon-like churches in the west transformed to basilicas and soon after the dome was brought inside and pendentives were introduced. Gothic churches began to come into play and their high, vaulted ceilings allowed light and music to dance around and reverberate off the walls. These churches had claristories that let light pour in as well as colorful stained glass windows that were not only beautiful but also told stories. This "light dancing" was seen in other churches through mosaics inside and out throughout the east.

San Marco Basilica in Venice incorporated light and mosaics to make the place DANCE.

 RAISING BUILDINGS, LOOKING TO GOD:
week 6: The "dark ages" were finally over and it was time to come outside and figure out the world. Through travel and the method of loci [memorizing locations by using words] many maps began to appear and unfold-usually inside [sacred] circles on paper. Maps also took form in buildings, spaces, objects, and places. The way they looked and the way they were built told about how the world was laid out and what was important during those times. Architecture was also developing as these world ideals developed and the rules were still being broken. This time was all about CATHEDRALS, CATHEDRALS, CATHEDRALS in the west. Pointed arches were introduced and allowed buildings to be much taller and flying buttresses brought in more light. Central spires dominated the building frames. These buildings were all about drawing attention in by setting themselves apart from the city as well as being the tallest thing one could see. The goal was to make these buildings as tall as possible as if reaching toward heaven and making a connection to the earth. They were also meant to bring the eye up to God who is much bigger, reminding everyone of their need for Him and for the church.  These "maps" tell us that it was all about the church. These cathedrals varied slightly in materials and form depending on the region.

St. Sernin in Toulouse, France is a great example of discussions from this week. It serves as its own "map", telling us that hierarchy was important as well as religion. Its height and Gothic spire lead the eyes up to God, reaching toward heaven and reminding everyone of their need for Him and the church.

RULES, RULES, RULES:
week 7: As the Renaissance begins, it becomes a major time for learning, philosophy, and education. The East and the West both had different ideas of what the rules should be, and each had their own rulebook. The West was all about breaking the rules of the Gothic era and looking back to the Classical era for inspiration for the future. It was all about surface structure and placing man first. Romanesque arches were combined with Greek columns and a Renaissance flare was added. Through ornamentation and materials [surface structure] a statement was made of wealth and education. It was all about appearance and making a statement in the West. In the East it was all about maintaining connections with the past. Instead of replacing buildings they'd simply rebuild them and perfect the structure/style. Instead of building up their facades, they celebrated them through shiny surfaces and mosaics. While their rules were similar to those of the West, the difference was in the details.


 In the WEST the Santa Maria del Fiore was a major expression of wealth. The main focus of the city is the church, putting it above the city on the scale of importance. In the EAST, architecture was perfected. In China, dougong brackets were used and perfected, making them resistant to things such as earthquakes, and preserving their buildings for years to come.

A.D.D. DESIGN&PUSHING RULES:
week 8: As rules are written, they're also going to be tested and pushed. This is exactly what happened during the seventeenth century. Facades in the West started to border on outrageous. The fronts of buildings were built up with different layers of facades and different styles were incorporated. Baroque style was introduced at this time. It was a theatrical appearance that often capitalized on "looking impossible". It was all about dematerializing things like stone, making buildings look lighter. While buildings were more Renaissance, looking back to traditional architecture, the curves came in the gardens. Andrea Palladio was doing big things in Italy at this time as well. He democratized architecture by making farm villas in Venice based on things like the Pantheon and other palaces and big places. He also spread them out and gave them control over the landscape-an early idea for suburbs. He wrote his ideas down and, thanks to the printing press, they were published and spread all over the place. Many ideas still seen today originated from him. While design in the West could be described as "A.D.D. Design", things in the East stayed mainly the same; buildings didn't change much but rather were perfected.

The Palace of Versailles was distinctly Baroque and was ALL ABOUT THE KING. He not only had a grand palace and tons of servants [showing his power], but he also dominated the landscape through landscaping and fountains, etc, magnifying his power. Many buildings after emulated this palace and its grandeur.

EXPANDING&EMULATING:
week 9: The eighteenth century was all about exploration. As colonies expanded and spread out, many ideas were spread around, much like when ideas were shared through trade. Francois Mansart developed a four-sided, double-sloped roof that the king was a major fan of. Many buildings to come had this roof. Many buildings around France also emulated Versailles and its palace-like quality as well as its control over the landscape. Buildings were made to ideally last far into the future (kind of like the pyramids of Giza way back when). Industrial revolutions were happening at this time and there was a rise in science and engineering as well as the introduction of the Enlightenment era. People started leaning more toward science and exploration rather than following what the church told them to do. Observatories and other scientific buildings were built to further the scientific exploration. A new concept of architecture as a LANGUAGE was introduced [partially by Roland Barthes]. Buildings began to emulate other buildings yet had their own specific language as well. In addition, an Eastern influence began to show up in the landscaping of the West. During this time, everyone had something to say-their own language, so to speak, and the rules were definitely BROKEN.

The Place des Vosges in France emulated a king-like home. It was made up of a series of units meant to house multiple people [early apartments/suburbs]. There was an open space in front of it, much like many palaces. It gave many people the opportunity to look like the king even though they weren't.

REVIVALS, REVOLUTION, AND GROWTH:
week 10:" When you go into a revolution the world turns upside down." This is exactly right. As Industrial Revolutions were happening and improving technology [and ruining air quality], everyone had something to say. In America it was all about status and being "gentile". Rules were rewritten and, again, Classical styles were looked at. "Pure", Classical-style buildings were built by those such as Thomas Jefferson and they set the standard for the land. Classical ideals are still found today: The state capitol is Greek-like and pure while the Federal government is Roman and democratic. There was [and still is] this mentality of "put a [Greek] white portico on it and it's important". Glass and cast iron [thanks to revolution] were being used everywhere as well. They can span a greater distance than wood or stone could so buildings could be even taller and more massive. Because this time was all about showing off, this was a very good improvement. Different types of buildings began to show up like conservatories and train stations. MEANWHILE there was a Gothic revival. Interiors were Grecian and modern while outsides were Gothic. Another ideal of the time was "looking backward to create something new".  With so many revivals and new ideas going on, the search for WHAT WAY IS BEST continued on...


Many revivals and new ideas were going on during this time of growth and change. While the Virginia State Capitol reflects a Classical revival, the Lyndhurst Castle reflects a more Gothic revival. The Chatsworth Conservatory shows innovation in building using cast iron and glass.

As people learned, explored, invented, and developed, everyone had something to say. Some looked backward and put their own spin on it, while others, thanks to engineering, enlightenment, and revolution, had their own new ideas. The question of WHAT WAY IS BEST still remains unanswered as we see Gothic, Classical, and many other buildings from each of these past ideas still around today.




image sources:
http://confessionsofanartblogger.blogspot.com/2010/10/st-sernin.html
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/sijpkes/arch374/winter2001/sfarfa/ensayo1.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/17355/Interior-of-San-Marco-Basilica-completed-about-1071-Venice
http://www.chinainfoonline.com/ChineseArchitecture/Dougong_Brackets.htm
http://www.wayfaring.info/2007/04/11/palace-of-versailles/
http://www.essential-architecture.com/PA/PA-034.htm
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/Jeffersn.html
http://www.gaitainteriors.com/blog/?tag=interior-design
http://soa.syr.edu/faculty/bcoleman/arc523/lectures/523.crystal.palace.images.html

BP #11

When I think of modernism, it's hard to think of anything that HASN'T been modernized, really.  Just the other day I read an article about a refrigerator that gave a list of recipes based on its contents. That prompted my blog post response for this week.



Way back in the day people used to use ice or snow from the mountains (or locally if it was cold enough) to keep food cold. In the 19th century, people in England used ice boxes made of wood, lined with tin or zinc, and insulated with cork, sawdust, or seaweed. In 1834 Jacob Perkins invented a machine that used a vapor compression cycle to work.

Warmer winters in 1889 and 1890 caused shortages of natural ice in the US and spurred the use of mechanical refrigeration. Early versions of the refrigerator started popping up in the 1910's in the US. Freon was introduced as a way of cooling food in the 1920's however it wasn't the most environmentally safe way of going about things.

By the 1980's more modern and safer versions were being made that were more affordable and included features like automatic defrosters and ice makers.

Today refrigerators have televisions built into them, can tell you what to cook based on their contents, have multiple drawers for different things, and even come in the form of a table! As technology and needs advance, so do the forms to meet the functions.

this table has a refrigerator core so there's no need to get up and walk to the fridge for cold food!

sources:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5378774_history-refrigerators.html
http://www.keepitcool.com/history_of_the_refrigerator2.htm

RR #11

When I think of Germany I don't exactly think of expressionism or emotion. This is why when I was reading for last week and I came upon "German Expressionism" I had to read more.

sources:
http://www.original.rolandcollection.com/rolandcollection/section/14/706.htm
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=1668

monticello or falling water?

a pattern language

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein is a really helpful little book to have on hand. It lays out basic features of any house or space and tells you what the space is, helpful, commonsense things about the space, and some aspects that should be included in the space. It breaks things down into different categories and many of them can be used in this as well as future projects. Here are a few that can be incorporated into St. Mary's.




1. THE INTIMACY GRADIENT
"Unless the spaces in a building are arranged in a sequence which corresponds to their degrees of privateness, the visits made by strangers, friends, guests, clients, family, will always be a little awkward."


This section suggests that the private bedroom shouldn't necessarily be in the front of the house and so on. The level of privacy should start off open to the general public and should narrow down to public, semi-public, and then to private. 





2. COMMON AREAS AT THE HEART
"No social group-whether a family, a work group, or a school group-can survive without constant informal contact among its members."


This section talks about how access to common areas should not be at one end of the space or through the middle of the space but should be tangent to the space to be most successful. Common areas should not be hard to get to or to locate and should always be open and available for groups to gather.




3. THE FLOW THROUGH ROOMS
"The movement between rooms is as important as the rooms themselves; and its arrangement has as much effect on social interaction in the rooms, as the interiors of the rooms."


Here, the size of circulation space is discussed. If passageways are too small it makes people feel unhappy and uncomfortable. Generous passageways are favored and can sometimes include furniture and such. Also, "A hall or passage that is generously lit by the sun is almost always pleasant." 

BP #10

Warren De La Rue made the first known attempt to make an incandescent light bulb in 1820. He put a platinum coil in an evacuated tube and put an electric current through it. It was pretty efficient, but way too expensive to use commercially.

Throughout the 1800's many tried to make a more cost-efficient version of this light bulb. In 1879 there was finally a breakthrough. Thomas Edison and Joseph Wilson Swan created an incandescent lamp that burned for around 13 hours. Edison developed a lamp with bamboo filaments that lasted 1200 hours the next year.

The invention of tungsten started the development of the modern tungsten filament incandescent light bulb by the General Electric Company and William Coolidge in 1906. This is the light bulb we use today.

In 1930 photo flash light bulbs were introduced into photography.

General Electric created a fluorescent bulb in 1938.

The first fluorescent bulb and fixture were displayed to the public at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

In 1976 Ed Hammer invented an efficient, spiral shaped compact fluorescent light bulb. This is the bulb we see and use more and more today.

Today we see incandescent bulbs, CFL bulbs, LED lights, neon lights, and more.

Only when we think back to the days of candles and oil lamps do we realize just how far we've come. Thank goodness for revolution!


sources:
http://invsee.asu.edu/modules/lightbulb/meathist.htm

RR #10

http://www.arthistoryguide.com/Arts_and_Crafts_.aspx
http://decorartsnow.com/category/wallppaer/c-f-a-voysey-trustworth-studios-wellspring-textiles-burrows-extreme-makeover-david-berman-the-spotted-pig/
Massey Reading
Understanding Architecture by Leland Roth