Reading Comprehension 6

1.  The arts and crafts movement in architecture embodies the spirit of craftsmanship. In rejection to the machine aesthetic buildings that took rise during the industrial revolution, arts and crafts architects valued wood more than any other material. In Europe the arts and crafts appeared to be a Hodge podge of styles echoed in one building. Despite this range in styles seen in these European structures gothic elements and ornamentation were most frequently seen. At the Red House by William Morris we see repetition of steep gabled roofs, placing emphasis on verticality just as gothic architecture did in the cathedrals during the sixteenth century.  Although wood was heavily used in the English arts and crafts movement, masonry most often adorned the exteriors of the buildings.  When moving across the Atlantic and looking at American arts and crafts although the structures have many similar features there are slight local adaptations to this building from that make it unique from its European counterpart.  In America the brick and mason exteriors are replaced by wood siding.  The gamble house by Greene and Greene encompass what this movement was all about it America. Constructed almost entirely of wood great attention was given to even the smallest detail.   It was the American arts and crafts movement later gave rise to the bungalow home which became “The” style for suburban residential architecture for decades.  

Red House

Gamble house:stair way

http://www.gamblehouse.org/_img/photos/int/porter-stairwell.jpg

2.             Supply and demand regulate architectural form” a quote from Adolf Loos an Austrian designer who in the early 20^th century began the rejection of ornamentation, which can be speculated, ignited the modern movement.  When understanding how this quote relates to modernism we have to ask what building materials were in great supply and demand at the rise of this movement.  With the development of the assembly line steel and concrete were more readily available than any period prior in history.  Combined with the use of these materials and Loos’s thought of rejecting ornamentation the modern style arose.  Structures began to take on the image of the very thing producing the materials in which they were built by, the house had become a “machine for living.” When thinking about the “machine” immediately the word efficient comes to mind. This leads me to speculate that these “modern” structures must have been just as efficient.  However through readings and class discussions I have come to the conclusion the house imitating characteristics of the machine are not.   These houses have been criticized for their crude and unlivable nature. The efficiency of this style home had become so out of control at the Farnsworth house, designed by Mies Van der Rohe that the client actually sued the architect or how unlivable the structure was.  It appears that now as we move to a more environment conscious society a great emphasis on sustainability in architecture has emerged. Although we still see structures similar in form to those of the early 20^th century being built it appears that a shift in construction methods as well as material use has been made. 

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/images/jpgs/chicago/farnsworth_house_gmad06_3.jpg

3. Although Frank Loyd wright practiced as the same time the Bauhaus movement was going on his interiors mantained a level or warmth, clutter, and livability. The following rendering is a study of bauhaus principles of color theory and materiality, and reduction of excess ornamentation and clutter applied to Wrights Falling Water.

 

Alternatives+Reflections: More Conversations

After review my peers interpretations of the alternatives and reflections unit I have been able to gain a more universal understanding of what these two units meant as they were happening as well as the implications they have upon us today. After reviewing Kayla, Corry, and Leslie's alternatives essay a common thought that was this unit was all about breaking rules. The first evidence of this deliberate rule breaking in architecture was seen in the gothic cathedrals. As a completely new design language these structures have forever changed the way we see worship and spirituality. The second main theme of this unit was the rise of the renaissance. Althought this movement stood for the re birth of classical ideals, these ideals were applied in ways never seen before, for example the use of a temple structure like the pantheon as a residential structure seen at the villa capra.    

  

   

Frozen pizza can humorously summarize the alternatives unit for it is an alternative of the true italian dish its self.  Although the creators of Digiorno are drawing inspiration from the classical pizza they are rexpressing the idea of what it means to be a pizza through a modern, consumer friendly lens. (Photo credit: Kayla Mcdonogh)

Next was the reflections unit. Having reviewed Daniel, Blakeny, and Abigail's blog several main themes of this unit link all three's opinions on this unit. The first being the notion of reflection. I feel as though this idea of reflection is referring to the concept that our lifestyle, principles and culture are "reflected" into the structures that we design.  The second underlying theme of this unit is revolution. This period in design was a time of great social and political revolution which played major roles in our design process. None of these revolutions is more obvious than the industrial revolution, which brought new building materials and methods to the practice of architecture. 

Point: Reflections

           The reflections unit embodies several major design movements through out the late 18^th and 19^th century. The nineteenth century was a time of revolution.  The revolutions took form politically, socially and economically. All of these changes led to a change in design as well. During the nineteenth century we see a variety of competing design languages as architects struggle to understand what it is to be “modern”

            Beginning the reflections unit we began to explore the American colonies.  The nineteenth century in the colonies was a time for establishment of a young nation. Designers sought out to create a style that was classical in nature displaying Grecian like structures and facades while at the same time rejecting lavish decoration and ornamentation of the baroque period in order to make a statement of separation from the king. These style structures are most often seen in government buildings such as the state capitals of Virginia, North Carolina, and several others

            Moving back to England we see a more varied style of designs. The rise of the industrial revolution let to many new materials such as cast iron as well as engineering strategies. No single structure from the nineteenth century better personifies the industrial revolution as the crystal palace. This structure applies gothic architecture concepts such as verticality and a great emphasis on repetition of like elements to a place of commerce, romanticizing the idea of business and commerce. In the crystal palace we see a break from a holistic design style as seen in the baroque period and begin to see structures in which the shell and the objects contained with in the shell speak two very different languages.

            Another competing design concept in England and France during the nineteenth century was the fusion of eastern and western design styles. Chinese, Japanese, and India design styles were all applied to European design concepts. These foreign styles brought a level of excitement and exoticness to traditional artifacts such as bowls, vases, furniture and wallpaper, as well as spaces and buildings.  No building of the nineteenth century displays these eastern influences, as thoroughly as the pavilion at Brighton hall. With an exterior of Indian origin and an interior highly decorated in Chinese motifs the pavilion displays culture and worldliness through the lenses of English design.

            The final design movement covered in the reflections unit was the rise of English arts and crafts.  Headed by the concepts of William Morris two quotes can summarize the ideals behind the arts and crafts movement.  The first is “ We wish not to reject the machine, only to master it” and the second “ the right question to ask in respect to ornament is simply this, was it done with enjoyment?” Arts and crafts designers sought to create a style incorporating past design philosophies with a high level of wooden craftsman ship.

 

This image of an Olympic diver can accurately summarize the reflections unit.  Although his impact with the water is the same each time the journey from the diving platform to the water is never identical to the one before. Just as no nineteenth century design style spoke the same language they each have impacted our design languages today as we “reflect” upon them

reading response 5

1.     1. The garden chair seen in the image below represents a revolution is design on two planes. The first revolution seen in this chair is the design language. Built in the mid 19^th century we see a language of the long forgotten gothic cathedrals condescend and embodied by a chair. Another revolution this chair implies is a cultural one. Made from cast iron this chair marks the rise of the industrial revolution that led to a new way of life for many.

 

2.     

                 2.  When thinking of nineteenth century design two words come to mind, revolution and reflections. Although nineteenth century designers were influenced by the idea of revolution they were still deeply interested in the practice of reflecting upon past designs and cultures in an attempt to make the “modern.”  Although traditionally we see Greek and roman influence in these reflections designers were careful to not forget about eastern influences such as Egyptian and Chinese designs.  When analyzing all aspects of design, artifact, space, building and place we can an eastern way of thought applied to each in the 19^th century.  

 

 

In this Egyptian revival chair we see the traditional x shape design that was traditionally reserved for the highest ranking officials of Egyptian culture applied to a residential chair.  Although in the Egyptian design the chair would be highly ornamented with hieroglyphics to tell a story this 19^th century chair tells us its story through stylized floral decoration and a portrait.

Increasing the scale to place the entrance to the Red house from the arts and crafts genre of design features aspects of Japanese structuring .The repetition of wooden mullions from this to thin is a technique applied to traditional Japanese residences. 

 

Building: when examining buildings from the nineteenth century that is heavily imbedded in eastern influence the royal pavilion of London stands out about the rest.  Remnants of Muslim mosque are pronounced through pointed domes as well as towers raised up above the roof of the building. 

http://4.bp.blogsot.com/_w4ifTToAw5Q/TD8sllbmuolAAAAAAAACgs/xA9TSJedfIQ/s640/sidehall.jpg

 

http://www.sutterantiques.com/oneview.php?id=170271&view=6

 

http://www.freefoto.com/images/1015/12/1015_12_2---The-Royal-Pavilion--Brighton--Sussex_web.jpg?&k=The+Royal+Pavilion%2C+Brighton%2C+Sussex

Alternatives : Perspective

Form: 2D

Scale: Space

The Marble Hill house is a Palladian villa built in the mid 1700s. Framed by foliage, the faced speaks a language of harmonious unity and rhythm through the repetition of like elements