Unit Summary 1

WEEK ONE: objects, spaces, buildings, places

During the first week of class we focused on the theme of objects, spaces, buildings, and places. We focused on the pyramids at Giza and Stonehenge. As a class, we discussed meaningful rituals and systems. The principal ideas we studied were double meaning, subculture, and “maps of meaning.”

-Double Meaning: Objects mean and mean through alternative expressions.

-Subculture: A culture derived from another culture.

-“Maps of Meaning”: Study of relationships between elements and a way of life. 

WEEK TWO: circles, groves, and stacks

The theme of the second week of our semester was circles, groves, and stacks. We discussed how the elements and principles of design influenced the design world throughout history. The elements we discussed were:

-Circles: sacred spots, the sun and moon

-Groups: groups of people, groves of trees, and verticals

-Stacks: Mountains

We were asked if we thought environments influence rituals or do rituals influence environments. In my opinion, rituals influence environments because structures are designed for a reason. Designers study rituals to design the best background for the ritual to take place in.

  WEEK THREE: expanding the idea of cirlces, groves, and stacks

Throughout the third week of the semester we talked about the Athens Acropolis. We discussed the spaces throughout the western buildings. The megaron, a porch, a entering space. A court, the receiving space. The hearth, warm center. The Parthenon, the first part of the Acropolis, is located in Athens, Greece. The Propylaia and the Erectheion are two other parts of the Acropoilis. The Erectheion was where Poseiden struck the ground with his trident instead of Athena. 

WEEK FOUR: commodity, firmness, and delight

The fourth week of the semester we talked about the building forms of imperial Rome.

-Commodity: useful arrangement of quality and interrelations of spaces

-Firmness: performance, stability, integration, safety

-Delight: ability to create a sense of place

We talked about how Rome promoted centrality. For our blog we were to pick a specific place on campus and discuss how it showed commodity, firmness, and delight.

WEEK FIVE: frozen music

During the fifth week of the semester we discussed the idea that architecture was frozen music. The book explained how religion is integrated into architecture. For our blog post we composed a poem around an image we selected in class. 

Layers

From top to bottom there is harmony

Repetition at each layer

The spirals lead me up and down

Unity throughout the structure