Architecture Final- Quiz Questions
Which of the following best describes the structural system of the Bibliotheque St. Genevieve?
A load-bearing masonry exterior wall conceals a cast-iron frame inside.
Which of the following best describes the basic parts of a small Roman city?
A north/south street, an east/west street, and a forum near the intersection
Which statement best describes Bramante's Tempietto?
A small, circular chapel building with a dome above and encircled by correct classical columns.
How much of New Orleans is located below sea-level and where is most of the high-ground located?
About 50% of New Orleans is at or below sea-level with high0ground areas located near the Mississippi River
Which of the following best describes the structural system of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul)?
An ascending series of partial domes supporting an enormous central dome.
Which statement best describes the Baroque Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (four fountains)?
An exuberant and extreme manipulation or distortion of classical architectural forms.
Which of the following best describes the structural system of the dome at S. Maria Della Fiore (Il Duomo) in Florence?
An octagonal ribbed dome and a circular "corbeled dome" built simultaneously with an "external shell" layer on top.
Which of the following is not an element of component of the Bordeaux Villa by Rem Koolhaas?
An underground sauna and mineral bath fed by hot springs deep within the Bordeaux landscape
How was the idea of a "Campus," introduced by Jefferson at UVa, different than traditional university organization in the early 19th Century?
Before Jefferson's University of Virginia, university organization was usually based on traditional monasteries.
As discussed in class, what relationship was observed between Baroque sculpture and Baroque architecture?
Both tended to express twisting or exaggerated form
The creator of the great dome at Santa Maria della Fiore (Il Duomo) in Florence has often been described as the first great architect of the Renaissance. He was instrumental in developing perspective drawing and in the development of structural engineering. He was also a key figure in renewing interest in "classical architectural forms." Who was this important figure in Renaissance Architecture?
Brunelleschi
Which of the following best describes the change in the classical orders from the Pantheon to Hagia Sophia?
Classical Orders, based on ancient Greek models, were no longer thought to be important or relevant when Hagia Sophia was built.
What is the term used to describe the uppermost level of windows in the nave of a Christian Basilica? (Hint: these windows are above the roof of the side aisles and bring light directly into the nave.)
Clerestory
Which of the following best describes Piranesi's Carceri series of etchings?
Dark, macabre depictions of the makeshift inhabitation of enormous classical ruins—the opposite of classical order.
What attitude toward programmatic function is evidenced by the work of Peter Eisenman?
Eisenman insists on detaching architectural form from the immediate or conspicuous service of practical function
In the Baroque Period architects often employed the use of a particular geometry which was thought to embody the idea of duality or the unity of opposite qualities. What was the name of this geometric shape seen in the dome of the Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (four fountains)?
Ellipse
The blocks of the French Quarter in New Orleans are characterized by which of the following?
French Quarter blocks are square, with long thin lots and buildings featuring abundant covered outdoor spaces
What is the term used to describe the arrangement of multi-story columns such as those seen on the Campidoglio or in the building below?
Giant Order
Which of the following best describes the relationship of building structure and building enclosure (glass skin) at the Pompidou Center?
In an unusual configuration, the primary structure of the Pompidou Center is outside the enclosing glass walls
Which of the following best describes the Eames house?
It is a "case study house" (#8) which explored the use of "off-the-shelf" parts to make a simple frame building
Which of the following best describes the house called "Falling Water" by Frank Lloyd Wright?
It was built above the most spectacular natural feature of its location in Pennsylvania
Which of the following describes the Katsura Imperial Villa near Kyoto, Japan?
Katsura is a complex array of spaces forming interconnected pavilions interspersed with gardens and outdoor areas
Who was the architect who created this vision of living in a single building with so many of life's necessary elements contained within?
Le Corbusier
Which of the following architects was an employer and a mentor to the young FLW?
Louis Sullivan
The dome of the Pantheon was an extraordinary technological achievement in Ancient Rome and its span was not equalled for another 1500 years. The dome admits a single source of natural light into the enormous space below it, what is the name given to the opening at the top of the dome to allow light into the interior?
Oculus
The Bullitt Center is described as being "net-zero" or "net-positive" in its energy use. What does the phrase net-zero mean?
On an annual basis, the building (connected to the urban power grid), generates as much energy as it uses
Who is the architect of Saint Benedict chapel in a small village on a Swiss mountainside?
Peter Zumthor
Which of the following best describes the structural system of the Colosseum (or Flavian Amphitheater) in Rome?
Rows of curving barrel-vaults supported by masonry arcades stacked one-upon-another to form the oval "bowl shape."
The SunShower House was constructed using SSIP's/ What does SSIP stand for?
Steel structural insulated panel
Where would one expect to find tension forces at work in a simple beam spanning between two columns?
Tension would typically be found in the bottom half of a simple beam.
Which of the following best describes the "Golden Section" or "golden rectangle" proportioning system?
The "Golden Section" is a proportioning system divisible into squares and yet more "Golden Sections"
What is the program (use or purpose) of the Altes building in Berlin by Schinkel?
The Altes was, and is, a Public Museum - often said to be the first
When Frank Gehry completed his Guggenheim Museum in Spain it seemed to spark a period of rapid economic growth as a formerly declining industrial town became a center for cultural arts and design. What is the name given to this economic phenomenon generated by famous or conspicuous works of architecture?
The Bilbao Effect
What is the name of the largest and most famous Greek temple on the acropolis?
The Parthenon
Which of the following is the correct name for the Villa designed by Andrea Palladio with four identical porticos facing away from a central dome in four different directions?
The Villa Rotunda (aka Villa Carpa)
Gothic buildings were constructed by teams of masons who's structural concepts were based on experience and estimation rather than on careful calculation or tested scientific principles. Which of the events below called that "pre-engineering" building method into question near the end of the Gothic period?
The catastrophic failure of two vaults in 1284 at the Cathedral of St. Pierre d' Beauvais.
Which of the following is the most accurate description of the ken in traditional Japanese architecture?
The ken is a unit and a proportioning system based on a 2:1 proportion- such as a 6x3 tatami mat
Accomodating what new technologu caused the greatest change in the ways citites were envisoned?
The proliferation of the private automobile
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the architects Bernini and Borromini?
The two architect/artists were rivals, vying for the attention of elite patrons.
What is the interval of reconstruction for the special temple complex that is so important to an understanding of Japanese culture and architecture?
This Shrine or Temple is re-built every 20 years
Which of the following is the term used to describe this comprehensive control of design in a single building?
Total Work of Art
Which of the following best describes the "syntax of materials" at Fallingwater?
Vertical piers clad with rough limestone; beige stucco edges on horizontal slabs; and red, steel-sash glazing
Which of the following best describes the architecture of Alvar Aalto?
a gentler modernism, more materially eclectic and devoted the enhancing human experience and detail
What is a Stoa?
a long, thin building with a row of columns in front and a series of small rooms behind the columns
Which of the following best describes the Open Plan as we have discussed it in class?
an open plan uses fewer walls to separate functions than a traditional plan
What is the "Hellscraper" described in the Module 12 Weekend House?
an underground home, skylit from above
Our exploration of the Sendai Mediatheque revealed an interesting similarity between this "high tech" building made in 2000 and the 1929 "Villa Savoye" by Le Corbusier. Which answer best describes this similarity?
both buildings use a variation of the "domino" frame with columns (or "tubes" and Sendai) and flat floor slabs
which of the following best describes the Bordeaux Villa by Rem Koolhaas?
constructed for a client in a wheelchair, the Villa has an elevator the size of a room to access a vertical library
which of the following is the best description of the entry to the Thermal Baths in Vals, Switzerland?
the baths building is accessed through a tunnel from a neighboring hotel, there is no exterior entry
Which of the following best describes the primary construction material of the frame in the upper levels of the Bullitt center?
the building uses carbon-sequestering "mass-timber" construction in the upper floors
for the chair depicted, which of the following best describes the material used to construct this and many related pieces of furniture?
the chair is made of molded plywood
