arc 188 final study guide

Give several examples of order:

-classical orders -plan geometric order (rectangular, triangular, fractal, etc.) -ideal geometry -geometry of making -biomimetic order

name the four primitive place types Unwin focuses on

-hearth -theater -altar -bed

lineaments

"...the whole matter of building is composed of lineaments and structure. All the intent and purpose of lineaments lies in finding the correct, infallible way of joining and fitting together those lines and angles which define and enclose the surfaces of the building."

What is "ideal geometry"?

-"Ideal geometry is not quite of this world. It offers the seductive but unattainable promise of perfection." -ideal geometry generally implies that regular and ordered visual appearance and discipline in composition is more important than practical or social organization -ideal geometry either overrides the geometry of making or lifts it to a more disciplined level in search of perfection.

purpose of parallel walls

-"In many buildings, space is organised using parallel walls. It is easy to put a roof on parallel walls. They also resonate with our four horizontal directions." -The parallel alignment of two series of buildings defines what is known as a street. . . a space bordered . . . on its two longest sides by houses; the street is what separates houses from each other, and also what enables us to get from one house to another, by going along or across the street."

stratification

-"Stratification is more about the differences in experience it provides at the different levels of a building than it is about appearance." -"Architectural stratification is not just about spatial organization; it is about the subtle and dramatic orchestration of people's experience of their relationship with the ground, the subterranean world and the sky."

Identify the six "geometries of being" discussed during the last lecture:

-lines of passage -lines of sight -measuring -social geometry -circle of presence -six-directions-plus-center

Make a comparative list of attributes of: The archetypal "temple"

-not a building, an idea -aloof -independent, does not relate to other architecture -not "for" humans, but could be "for" God/Gods -usually very easily seen, the dominant building in the environment

Identify four criteria for appraisal, or virtues, that help you to enter into guided, effective criticism:

-Order -Balance -Elegance -Coherence

ideal geometry is either

-a human imposition on the stuff of the world -an underlying organization of the universe

Identify the three ways that buildings speak:

-anthropomorphically (through "character") -metaphorically -quotation (through allusion or reference)

Describe one possible "attitude toward ideal geometry" (of the ten such attitudes Unwin describes) and explain how that attitude may affect the work of the designer?

-belief that ideal geometry produces beauty and harmony -certainty that ideal geometry is "right," that it produces perfect form -submission to ideal geometry's authority -use of ideal geometry as an expression of control . . . and subjection of material and people to an abstract ordering principle -dependency on its legibility, predictability and consistency -gratitude for the ready-made intellectual structure it offers -use of it as a counterpoint to irregularity -investment of it with symbolic or mystical significance -love of the difficulty and cost of realizing it and expression of power, sacrifice, and status -playing with it as a game of alignments and coincidences

Describe several ways designers achieve balance:

-between old & new -between part & whole -of materials -of structure -of use -etc.

Name five "things that are there" that humans have used to make architecture:

-caves -trees (shade, point of view) -water -rocky ground or boulders (can determine the elevation, where to put stairs) -hills

What is another word for anthropomorphism, when it comes to how buildings may be read?

-character -ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human. -resembling or made to resemble a human form.

in architecture one has to deal with a number of different conditions. identify five of the ten or more conditions Unwin lists that the architect needs to address:

-climate conditions -purpose/use -time -materials -place/location

What is "the geometry of making"?

-essential to the construction of buildings -not so much a power of architecture as a force that conditions building -includes the geometry of structure -discipline that controls industrialised building system -the geometry of making disciplines the dimensional coordination of the components of industrialized building systems

Describe several ways that architecture can be considered to be an art of "making frames." Be as specific as possible:

-frames conceive identification of place, enclose you from the outside world -frames support/help; architecture offers such support -framing exists in all architecture, the dinner table where a family eats for example -architectural framing determines purpose

How does Alvar Aalto's house at Muuratsalo exemplify the idea of Occupying the In-Between?

-illustrated the theme 'transition, hierarchy, heart' -place of occupation in the in between, a place not just to pass through but to be -aalto's summerhouse courtyard is, though it has no roof, a room of the house not completely outside or inside, in between

Make a comparative list of attributes of: The archetypal "cottage"

-not a building, an idea -in context with the ground -purposeful for human use -adjusts with the climate -coexists with other architecture, not usually the dominant building

According to Unwin and the lecture, you could say there are approximately nine "basic elements of architecture." Name as many of them as you can:

-platform -ground -wall -pit -marker -roof -opening -pathway -focus

Identify and define the seven Themes in Spatial Organization:

-space and structure -parallel walls -stratification -transition, hierarchy, heart -occupying the in-between -inhabited wall -refuge and prospect

examples of ideal geometry

-straight line, circle, square, triangle -plane, sphere, cube, cone, tetrahedron, pyramid -right-angle, axial symmetry, proportions (1:2, 1:3, 2:3, 1:√2, Golden Section) -geometry of complex curves, fractals, etc

List the four possible relationships between structural order and spatial order:

-structural order is dominant -spatial order is dominant -spatial and structural orders in harmony -spatial and structural orders are separated: they co-exist, each obeying their own logic

According to the lecture given last time, there are a number of "modifying elements" of architecture. Name as many of the ten presented as you can:

-temperature -sound -use -scale -time -materials -smell -air movement -light -touch

What does unwin say about the location of the throne room at the Palace of Tiryns?

-the path to the throne is a spiral, it changes direction twice during its course -makes the heart of the palace seem much more deeply embedded in its body

Draw a plan (top down) view of a social geometry that would encourage a small group (6 to 8 people) to come together socially:

6 to 8 people around a camp fire

peter zumthor's thermal baths drawing of a box into separated boxes signifies the act of :

Architecture conceived of by subtraction—by carving away from solid mass to create usable spaces in between

Time is an important modifying element in Zumthor's Thermal Baths at Vals. Write a paragraph (4-5 sentences) in which you identify at least two different ways in which the participant experiences time.

At Zumthor's Thermal Baths at Vals, Peter Zumthor signifies the meaning of time by avoiding it purposefully. He did not wish to include any sort of clock for the people that would use the space, as he wanted the concept of time to be forgotten. He did eventually install 2 small clocks out of high demand, but his architecture serves as a calm space to get away, and he wants people to not think of time and other outside stressors.

Why does Unwin discuss the Vitra Fire Station in his discussion of "six directions plus center"?

Because the Vitra Fire Station uses distortion to alter one's perspective of the 4 directions horizontally and the 2 vertically. This example is a unique way of understanding the significance of six-directions-plus-center, because the Vitra Fire Station conflicts with it.

What kind of geometry did Maya Lin use in her design of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial? a.___social geometry b.___geometry of making c.___ideal geometry d.___a. and b. only e.___a, b, and c f.___none of the above

E

Ben Jacks identifies four "practices of walking: sighting, reading, measuring, and merging. What is the principle feature of merging as a walking practice?

Merging, according to Ben Jacks, is a crucial practice of walking through/with architecture. The individual experiences the distinction and connection with the outside world, and its scale for design when practicing merging. Jacks references Irwin in this section.

Why does Unwin consider architecture being the identification of place as the best possible definition of architecture?

because architecture is more than just the design of buildings. Architecture is the identification of place as meaning is to language. "Place is where the mind touches the world"

The word analyse comes from the Greek analyein, which means to -___________________________.

break apart, unloosen

The primitive place types such as hearth, bed, altar, and theater first arose out of human __________________.

needs

According to Unwin, architecture is the identification of ___________.

place

Unwin writes: "works of architecture are instruments for managing/manipulating/orchestrating relationships with the world (with topography, climate, our gods, each other, time . . .) rather than merely __________________________ objects."

sculptural

what are ben jacks' four practices of walking

sighting, reading, measuring, and merging

How does the geometry of making affect the work of the designer?

the designer must balance the divergent influences of social geometry and geometry of making.

what does the cover of "analysing architecture" by Urwin suggest about architecture?

this drawing suggests unwin's concept of six-directions-plus center. It can also suggest the identification of place, as the boy is using the ground as a threshold between himself and the outside world.

"elements such as walls and doorways, roofs and markers are the architectural equivalents of _________________________________" (as in parts of speech in language)

verbs

unwin writes "works of architecture are instruments for managing/manipulating/orchestrating relationships with the world (with topography, climate, our gods, each other, time ....) rather than merely sculptural objects." did the temporary architecture of The Clothesline Project affect your experience of the quadrangle around the university seal ("the Hub")? If so, how?

yes, it affected the way I understand and interact with the Hub. I mainly recognized how it demonstrates the presence of time, and how time emphasizes the meaning of the seal.