Coming Full Cirlce

[COMMUNITY]

This being the final week of opus i wanted to tie not only these words together, but the whole year. The design world is a community, we think in ways that not everyone can. There is a unique bond between designers everywhere, and it can even be seen in my own studio class. We as a community then work outwards and try to use our designs to serve the community. Architecture serves a purpose to the community, or according to Sir Henry Wotton, well building hath three conditions:commodity, firmness and delight."[1] Architects and designers serve the community by making buildings that are functional, lasting, and visually pleasing. Without the community architecture would only be a building with no purpose. When looking back at what we talked about in history this week historic preservation is to me what brings them all together. The reason that buildings are preserved is to keep the story of the previous cultures alive and imbedded into the community. A recent example of this is when  we went and visited Monticello. Over time it has been preserved to keep what made it so magnificent at the time still alive today. It is all about keeping what was in the community before still thriving in the future, something we want to happen to our designs as well.

[STEWARDSHIP]

Over time, historic preservation has become more and more popular. Massey writes, "Alongside new builds with sustainable elements, there is also a trend to refit and refurbish existing buildings: a sign of increased interest in sustainability and in the historic past".[2] The world of design is finding it more important to keep what we have in good shape to save not only the history, but our earth. We have a stewardship as a community to take care of our planet and the resources and materials that are within it. We also have a stewardship to take care of what the past has created for us. The architecture of the past teaches us about our own design and how we can better it. By preserving the precious buildings that are already around us we are making sure that for generations the history will stay alive and keep on inspiring my own work.

[AUTHENTICITY]

With whatever design there is, whether it is your own or anothers, it is always important to keep the authenticity of it alive. When a design is created it says something about the person who made it and their own personal style. In the end, it is the character that a designer puts in their work that gives it its authenticity. When relating back to historical restoration authenticity is the key. If the renovation looses its authenticity its lost all the history and stories that it once hold, thats why restoration has to be taken into such careful consideration. A perfect example is the restoration of the Tate Modern in London. The building began as a power station but turned into an art museum. What is so great is that it keeps its authenticity and "rather than disquise and attempt to supplant the building's original purpose, the swiss architects...exploited the might of the vast turbine hall as the key public space of the building"[3] The restoration didn't strip the original building sown but rather embraced its character inside. 

[INNOVATION]

As time passes the world of design keeps finding new innovations that transform future designs. The good innovations are embraced and used over and over in time in different ways and different styles. The bad ones however are often used as teaching tools of how not to construct a design or building. In restoration its all about innovations as well. The restoration itself is an innovation on its own, it is something new compared to what was there before. There are also innovations on how to do the restoration. As time goes by better ways of taking care of a restoration are handled. Finding the least disruptive way to get things done is the greatest leap a restoration can have. The OMA(office for metropolitan architecture) "are best known for uniting the latest technology with cutting-edge architectural theory"[4] Architects are using more technology and innovations in their work to make the  best experience possible. There are also architectural innovations such as in the Boston public library. Th old is connected to the new in such a way that it is fluid and  cohesive by a "defining wall along the southwest side of Copley Square, a major open space in a newly developed portion of Boston"[5] Innovations are what spur future creativity and design.

[WRAP-UP]

Over the past semester we have dawned back on a plethora of words and it is important to realize how those and the world around us effect not only design as a whole, but our own design. This week I focused on how historic restoration tells a broader story than it is made out to be. Design is about creating new innovations and experiencing failures and successes to get to a final product. Its important that there is a level of authenticity so that the design remains true to who made it. By creating these good designs we are giving back to the community, who are the consumer we aim to please. And by giving back we are being showing stewardship not only for those we design to, but the history and past that we come from.

[CITATIONS]

1-Quote from Sir Henry Wotton

2-Massey pg. 225

3-Massey pg 228

4-Massey pg. 235

5- Roth pg. 505

[PAIR]ing down

[MEDITATION/CELEBRATION]

In studio we have been exploring creating a space that is both celebratory and meditative. The title of my project was finding a balance, and I think it applies to the project, design and architecture. Whether the two spaces are combined or separate they both share a unique bond with each other. The room within itself could contrast, or the room could contrast with its surroundings. The key is to find the balance between the celebration and the meditation to create a cohesive environment. A perfect example of this is Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright. The structure is both a celebration of impressive architecture and design, while also a meditation with the natural environment that it’s nestled in. Wright uses organic shapes and cantilevering structures which is “creating a harmony between the natural beauty of the setting and the interior living space”.[1] He mastered celebrating the land by creating a space to meditate and reflect within it.

[LIGHT/SHADOW]

Light and the shadows it makes is more than just a natural element, it’s a tool and material of design. The use of light can completely change a space and the emotion that it provokes to the user. In my studio project I used the diffusion of light through a repeating pattern to create a connected space that brought all surfaces in the room together. In architecture it is important to use light as a way to shape your design. An example of this is in Ando’s Church of the light. Ando says that the three materials he used were concrete, steel, and light. He used light and shadows to create the space and create a unified building. The Goldstein House also shows how light and nature are used as a material rather than just a happening. Large glass panes allow the light to stream in while also creating one space, or combining the exterior with the interior. John Lautner the designer said he “wanted to shape infinite space”[2] bringing the two worlds together through such mediums as light.

[TRANSPOSE/JUXTAPOSE]

When I see these two words and I relate them to the past week the College Life Insurance building is the first thing that pops into my mind. The building is essentially a series of three pyramids in the Indiana land. They are very ironic to their location and use, seeing that it was an insurance life insurance building with classical Egyptian designs for the dead. However they are still impressive and work with the land. These classical forms are juxtaposed to the flat landscape to create a visual interest and bring the land alive. The pyramid form however is transposed from its original setting and use. The original use of the pyramid was a burial location and was on the dessert sand, however these pyramids serve none of the same purposes, but have the same form. Another example of the pyramid form being transposed was at the Louvre. He added a “transparent pyramid in the court, marking the new public entrance.”[3] This glass pyramid stood out against the previous structures design and style.

[LITERAL/ABSTRACT]

In design it is important to distinguish between the abstract and the literal. What inspires and influences my design should not be my design but should be an abstract idea of it. The literal in turn influences the abstract. Eero Saarinen is a master at creating architecture that takes that literal idea and turning it into a functional abstract idea. The TWA terminal shows how he “decided to make a building that would suggest the miracle of flight.”[4] He made a building that took the structure of a bird’s wing and abstracted it into a functional design. He also did the same thing with the Dulles airport in Washington D.C. Design uses inspiration to create your own in a abstracted and new way.

[MONOLOGUE/DIALOGUE]

A design speaks its own language to the viewer. Each person sees this language as something else, and interprets their own version of what its saying. Architecture also has its own language as well. A building can speak a monologue and stand all on its own. It also has a monologue because it tells the story of the land and what is inside of it. It is important to also have a dialogue as well. There has to be a dialogue with the inhabitant and their needs, or the building must speak t its function. Phillip Johnson stated that “sooner or later we will fit our buildings so that they can be used”[5] The function of the building must be part of the dialogue that it has with the user. A building also has to have a dialogue with the land. The Notre Dame du Haut for example has a dialogue with natural elements that surround it. It interacts with both the light and the natural landscape around.

[WRAP-UP]
A space is not limited to what it encompasses, but also what surrounds it. Natural elements like light and shadow should be used as a material in a design, and not just as something that happens. Further, a design must juxtapose to the landscape which it is placed, but at the same time there must be left room for transposing a design from the past. The design can either be literal or abstract, whichever represents the design the best. The deign has to take in those surroundings it’s in and have a dialogue with it, while also having a separate monologue. And finally a good design must be celebrated and meditated over at the same time.

[CITATIONS]

1- Massey pg. 85

2- John Lautner quote given in class

3- Roth pg. 574

4- Roth pg. 554

5- Phillip Johnson quote given in class

Action Verbs

[SPECULATE]

The way that we learn history is to speculate what occurred in the past. History is more than just dates and happenings though, and one must analyze everything that was going on to get a good grasp of why things happened. In our precedent analysis project I chose the Bauhaus and I am speculating the effects it had artistically and socially. The Bauhaus was more than just a school for the arts, it also was a symbol of the renewal of the country after a time of war. Styles such as the Bauhaus must also be studied to discover why architecture was being built the way that it was. In the 20th century modern design started to be seen more and more. However, being a design student I must speculate what really was modern or Modern. Modern is what classifies an architectural style, whereas modern is what classifies the buildings of this time that were more contemporary and broad than those of the past. The only way to tell the two apart is to speculate about how they were built and their place in design. It is also important to speculate what architecture means to you and its place in society. Corbusier said “a house is a machine for living”[1], and he designed his homes to serve a very specific purpose. 

[COMPOSE]

Composing is putting pieces together to make a whole polished work. It’s about finding the right way to make everything work together in a harmonious way. In both design and architecture making the final composition is what really matters when looking at a final finished product. A composition can have many inspirations that it pulls and is inspired from. During the 20th century architecture was pulling from the art world. Art Nouveau, Art Deco, post-impressionism, and expressionism are just a few of the types of art that found their way into buildings. Borrowing of ideas and styles led to new designs and ways of doing such. When talking about the Paris Salon d’ Automne it “established in 1903 as a fine art showcase, but from 1906 design was included”[2]. Art and design were fusing together. Composition can also refer to a building 

t

hat is completely designed in every aspect. The Barcelona Pavillion for example worked not only as a work of art, but as the complete work of art. The pavilion was the mediator and the things inside were just the extras.

[ENERGIZE]

That little extra something that sets off your work from another’s gives it the energy that it needs. In today’s world we want to see something new that hasn’t been designed before, and that’s the challenge to being a good designer. When designers like Corbusier were creating new residential and commercial pieces exploration of other building was taking place. Factories and airports wanted to be just as stunning as other buildings around. The AEG Turbine Factory built by Behrens was built to reflect the technology inside. Behrens built it because he saw it as a way to “advance the ennobling effect of art on technology.”[3] Buildings that were normally seen as just places to produce goods were now given a boost of energy to influence culture in more ways than they had before.

[SHAPE]

Design is a tool to shape the world around us. Architecture can influence and also be shaped by the culture we live in, and how we view style. Often looking back in history by studying architecture we gain more knowledge than just about the buildings of the time, but the world and society they were in. Sometimes these buildings shape our minds with the shapes their in. Architects began to break out of the box and build designs that were rhythmic and fluid in their shape to create visual interest and invoke emotion. Antonio Gaudi was famous for his designs that had flowing shapes that were inspired by nature and the human body alike. He believed that, “Buildings should not fall over under sunlight”[4], and that they should have enough curving lines to still have a unique shape. Along with an exterior shape, the building must be shaped from the interior as well. Hector Guimard believed, “It is not the flower to take as a decorative element, but it is the stem”[5], showing that he believed in a well shaped frame and s

tructure as well as outside.

[STRETCH]

To create the best work one must stretch he boundaries and create something that is both intelligent and new. It is important to think broader than to stay trapped in a box. Finding that balance between stretching it but still being pleasing is the work of being a designer. In the 20th century, architects were stretching what they had previously done and were creating new modern designs. The modern movement then took off, and was being seen all over. The reason that it was all over the world however was due to an advance in literature and technology. Magazines, movies, and radios were among the mediums of delivering information. When this flowing of ideas occurred in “the 1950’s the speed and ease of inter-continental travel and the proliferation of media like films and television disseminated the American Modern look throughout the world.”[6]

[WRAP-UP]

The 20th century was all about stretching the boundaries to create new energized original work. Designers were speculating the work of the past to help them create in the future. They were thinking more about the final composition and making both the interior and exterior shape the whole building. Architecture was used to shape both a space and the culture and society it was in.

[CITATIONS]

1- Quote from Corbusier(in class)

2- Massey pg. 91

3- Roth pg. 521

4- Quote from Antonio Gaudi(in class)

5-Quote from Hector Guimard(in class)

6-Massey pg. 160

[ROAD]trip

[ROOTS]

Origins, background, history, foundations, roots. Everything and everyone is rooted into something, or has roots to the past. I myself am the daughter of Lorri and Pat Rhode, I’ve been influenced by them and I am tied to their roots as well. My life experiences, precedents, and my personal style are the roots to my design. Everyone has a different style because their inspiration is rooted in different things. Roots can also refer to how a design or type of architecture is started. Louis Sullivan states about the skyscraper that it is a “tall commercial building arose from the pressure of land prices, pressure of population…vertical transformation, masonry construction into metal frame, and ideas from spans in bridgework”.[1] The skyscraper has its origins in Chicago, and it is a symbol of the growing cities and reach upward in design. Advances in technology made the skyscraper possible as well as new materials. As the industrial revolution began space also became an issue, and another root to why the skyscraper arose, literally. Architecture began to take more vertical shapes as to save space and to keep the city compact. New advances in the design and architecture world are often the roots to new styles and building types, as seen by the skyscraper.

[COMPRESSION/RELEASE]

When I put together the two words compression and release I think of the creation and spreading of a design or style. Being a creative person means that you have the ability to compress all the ideas you have and create a final polished work, or in a sense release your ides from your mind to be visualized by others. The word pair can also describe the way that a style spreads from one place to the next. For example the Bauhaus style, also known as the international style was created in Germany in 1919. A leading creator Walter Gropius stated, “let us desire, conceive, and create the new structure of the future, which will embrace architecture and sculpture and painting in one unity”[2] Gropius worked to combine all the arts and produce a style that fused both art and technology as one. The Bauhaus school helped to compress all the arts in one building, and then release the style and their work to the world. The Bauhaus style started in Germany but it soon spread outward, such as its emergence in America as the International style. The style was thus compressed together, and then released to other countries.

[CONVERGENCE]

The coming together of many parts to create a unified whole is a convergence of pieces. In both design and architecture there must be a flowing together of ideas to create a unified finished piece. In studio we have been discussing the way that two light effects can come together to create a unified co-inhabitance. Such pairs are: light and dark, celebration and meditation, colored and un-colored, etc. I wanted to focus on light and the absence of such for mine. Convergence can also be the combining of past styles. Greek and Roman styles can be seen all throughout the 19th century in a combined and redone way. However, they still took what was already done and reused their ideas. The arts and crafts movement also demonstrates how ideas are converged in history but in a different way. The movement combined home-made goods with technology and the industrial revolution. “The twin forces of industrialization and urbanization dictated a new way of life for the population as a whole”[3], and the two converged to create a new style that unified them both. Design is about taking two different perspectives and meeting in the middle.

[MATERIALITY]

Materials have great effect on the final look and outcome of a piece of work. The materials you use can change the entire design and concept of a building. During the 19th century steel and glass were two of the most popular new materials used. They were inexpensive compared to other materials of the time and they could be widely used for many functions. A good example is the crystal palace built for the world expo in France. The whole structure was made of steel with glass windows all around. It changed the way that designers built, and led rise to other steel structures such as the skyscraper. In 19th century Chicago materials started to be used more for structure and less for decoration. Louis Sullivan says, “We have learned that ornament is mentally a luxury, not a necessity, for we have discerned”[4]. Sullivan saw that the two are different things and that materials were not always needed to just add more on to the building than necessary.

[CONCEPT]

The concept is the simple organizing idea in a design. Every piece should have one, and it should correlate throughout the whole thing. The concept is what its all about, and what it represents or tells about. Successful designs are ones in which portray their concept in their design, materials, etc. used and not by specifically stating it. An example in 19th century architecture is the Larkin building built by Frank Lloyd Wright. He wanted to keep all of the work down in the center atrium, so he kept it open and put everything else on the sides of the building. His focus was on the work down in the office building, and the large atrium to do so. On a more commercial scale, Wright’s homes also had a strong concept behind them. The Robie House, as well as others, focus on the horizontal and how it stretches the house out compared to the tall skyscrapers of the time. It is noted that, “at every point, the horizontal line is stretched and emphasized, internally as well as externally.”[5] Wright’s concepts for most of his houses were this horizontal line contrasted with a vertical fireplace.

[WRAP-UP]

A design is inspired by a concept. That concept is what unifies the entire piece together, or what converges all the smaller details into one style or design. The finished building has its roots in that concept and the precedents that inspired it. A concept internally compressed so that it can be externally released as a visual for others. Finally, this concept is put together and includes every piece of the building from the furnishings to the materials used.

[CITATIONS]

1-Louis Sullivan quote(told in class)

2-Roth pg.523

3-Blakemore pg. 7

4-Louis Sullivan quote(told in class)

5- Roth pg 497

Between Silence And LIGHT

[CRAFT] 

One of the most important things to have in a design is good craft. The craft of a piece says a lot about both the designer and the design itself. This weekend I visited both Monticello and Falling Water and the craft in both was impeccable. Both had a different style of building, but both were taken with the most extreme of care. For example, the way that falling water fit into the landscape perfectly and looked like it belonged there was amazing craft. Craft can also refer to the arts and craft movement of the 19th century. The movement came about because of the industrial revolution and some speculated that it was “the most important design reform movement to affect the interior in the nineteenth century”[1] and that it “widened the debate about what constituted good design”.[2]The debate about the use of machines was highly debated between both architects and designers alike. William Morris was someone who preferred hand-crafted over machine whereas Charles Ashbee thought that “we do not reject the machine, we welcome it but desire to see it mastered”[3]. The main argument was if the machine could make products with as fine a craft as a person. Over time the industrial revolution would prove that machines made both high crafted objects with a lower cost and less time. 

[PUBLIC/PRIVATE]

A piece of architecture is like a mystery, it’s not always known what is inside. Sometimes you will never know what is because it was built for the private use only. On the other hand there are public spaces where the core of the building is. For example, in Monticello Thomas Jefferson had two very private spaces. One was his library and room where he did all of his private work and wanted none of his 50 guests to see. Another area was where his slaves worked and slept. Socially, he wanted to keep the slavery hidden and also he wanted to keep the integrity of the place. Falling water also had private areas that were kept away from other guests. Frank Lloyd Wright used both his architecture and nature to distinguish these public and private places. When leading to the private bedrooms the halls were very dark and uninviting, whereas the public rooms were kept full of light with the many windows. He also used a lack of windows to keep the main house private from the guest house. When looking from the guest house not one window of the main house can be seen which provides a private space. Altogether, architecture can serve as a tool to keep private and public spaces separate.

[TECHNIQUE] 

Each designer has their own technique of how they create and build a building. It can be anything from the way they connect materials to the type of materials they actually choose. At Falling Water for example Wright uses a canteliever system to make the house look almost as if is floating above the water. The design is very technical as well as fits in with part of the 4 elements that Wright wanted to design by. At Monticello Jefferson also has a technique of disquising beds in the walls at his home. Designers also have a technique of how a building functions. The Paris Opera House was built by Garnier to be a very pubic and social affair. To achieve this he built a very large staircase to circulate people around he building, which means you see and are seen more by everyone. The staircase functioned as Garnier’s technique in building.

[LANGUAGE]

Language is what we speak and write, but sometimes its what we portray without doing either. In the 19th century languages seemed to blur into each other and speak of the past. The language of pieces of architecture told of the styles they tried to resemble and revive. The Houses of Parliament in London is a good example of the way that the designers, Pugin and Barry, tried to keep the original language of the building even after it had burned down. It was “decided that the general style of the new buildings should be medieval, so as to better integrate the surviving portions of the original buildings”[4], and this is exactly what Pugin and Barry did. During this time eclecticism, “the informed and selective borrowing of historical building forms and details, rooted in associationalism”[5] took over the design world and brought back the language of the past to inspire the designs of the future. Language can either be a barrier or a tool to connect one culture to the next. In architecture however, the language only helps to express the designer’s vision. Language can also refer to the connection between architecture and the land around it, and the conversation that the two have with each other such as below at Falling Water. 

[VIRTUAL]

The dictionary definition of virtual is, being such in essence or effect though not formally recognized or admitted. To me the first thing this makes me think about is the difference between literal and abstract. In studio we always learn to not always make something exactly as it is stated, or literally, but to take that idea and abstract it. Abstraction still has roots in the reality but is virtual because it is not formally recognized as such. When speaking of virtual in architecture I think of the facades that are placed on buildings. For example the Home Insurance Building in Chicago has a massive façade but really supports nothing but itself. The interior is supported by a metal framework that keeps it up, and the façade is plastered on to it. Looking at it you think that the façade is holding it up, but in reality it does nothing of the sort. In architecture there is a blurred line between virtual and reality and it is up to the viewer to figure it out.

[WRAP-UP]

The craft of a building is what defines it. This craft is developed by the designer who uses his own techniques to create a mastered design. Such incredible places are made by the use of the designers language and style. Their language can include many tools such as the use of public and private space, and the difference between the real and the virtual. The designer uses all of these to create a fully well crafted piece that is both functional and delightful.

[CITATIONS]

1-Massey pg. 7

2-Massey pg.31

3-Quote by Charles Asbee

4- Roth pg. 476

5- Roth pg. 469

[RE]ACTIONS

[ROTATION]

Styles, fads, and designs all come and go in a continuous rotation. Rotation is a uniform variation in sequence. After one style comes another, but somewhere along the road that style usually repeats itself in a new and interesting way. Classical designs can be seen in newer work, but they have variation from before. Rotation has relation to both cycle, reform, and revival. Cycle is when there is no change in the rotation and design stays consistent. Reform is when the changes made in a rotation better an individual or society as a whole. And revival is when an old style in the rotation comes again later in time. An example is St Paul cathedral built by Christopher Wren. It borrowed French classical designs, and tried to revive Roman architecture. The large dome was very reminiscent of renaissance designs, making it closing relatable to St. Peters cathedral. Also, other Roman and Greek designs were being reused in newer architecture. A rotation back to classicism was taking place after a time of such alternative thinking and free thought.

[MOVEMENT]

Relating back to rotation, movement is also another term in design for the progression of styles and architecture. Movement can refer to multiple things though. It can mean a style movement when a new type of architecture and design are introduced. One such movement was the Art Nouveau, which was seen in such places as Belgium and France. In Art Nouveau design it was to “create a fully integrated and contemporary environment was the pivotal aim of the movement.”[1] Design movements are often driven in a certain direction, and the work is used to express such. Movement of power also took place at about the same time. During the Industrial Revolution power shifted from only being in the upper class, to the middle class as well. Before, “previous decisions about the style of interiors had concerned chiefly the upper classes…this changed with the Industrial Revolution and the rise of a new bourgeoisie”[2] was formed amongst society. And finally, there was movement of goods amongst countries. Trade routes, such as the Silk Road, helped to transfer goods from one place to another. World fairs were also a way that products, industry, commerce, and agriculture were showcased to other regions.

[REFLECTION]Architecture is more than just a building, and the interiors inside. Architecture is a reflection of the society that it exists in. When one examines a building they need to ask themselves what it is really trying to express about either the people inside or the surrounding region. For example, the Laurentian library vestibule speaks greatly about what is inside. Three staircases lead to the door showing that you are “rising” to the occasion, and pulling up oneself to achieve knowledge. Knowledge is also portrayed by the windows that look like they are on the exterior of a building, but really they are in the interior. It shows that the outside knowledge is being pulled inward. All of these pieces are reflected outward to society making them better understand what lies inside. It is important in design work to be able to reflect the purpose to the audience clearly so that they know what the intention was.

[SOURCE]
The flowing of goods began to really take place when trade routes began to be used more in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Goods were either shipped to another country, or close replicas of the style were made there. When replicas were made they looked to other regions work as sources to make their own work. Ukiyo-e was a Japanese art that was the source for many other works. In the east, women were depicted in the same flat and highly stylized way that they were in the Japanese original. Previous work can be a source for inspiration, and lend ideas to newer work. Many buildings are built with a previous style in mind. For example, The Houses Of Parliament burnt down and was rebuilt in the same gothic revival style as before. In the Houses Of Parliament, “The plan was integrated with historical references in the detailing that enhanced the functional meaning of the building”[3], which shows why the same style had to be used. Gothic architecture was making a comeback in design at the time.

Source Sofa

[ILLUMINATION]
What better way is there to illuminate something then by natural light. In studio we have been focusing on how we can incorporate light into our designs so that they are multi –dimensional. A great example of light illuminating a space is the Crystal Palace. Paxton wanted to create a space that seemed like you were outside and “created a transparent building without visual limits”[4]. Paxton achieved such a feeling when “Its cast-iron members were painted predominantly blue, so they tended to merge with the sky”[5] He was able to illuminate the goods within by creating a structure that made you feel like you were not in such.

[WRAP-UP]
Design is all one cycle that rotates over and over in time. Classical styles reappear and disappear just as quickly as they came. Design movements also come and go. Some movements are new, or others have a source which they build off. These new styles are reflections of how society is feeling and their views at the time. They illuminate what is going on at the time both socially and politically. 


[CITATIONS]

1- Massey pg. 33

2-Massey pg. 7

3-Roth pg. 477

4-Roth pg. 487

5-Roth pg. 487

Grammer:Syntax

[AUDIENCE]

An appropriate design is one in which it realizes the audience that it is being presented to. The audience has to be kept in mind so that no one is offended or anything isn't read in the wrong way. Design is almost a production, or a creation, to the world. We are the audience for the magnificent pieces of design and architecture of the past and the present. We are also the audience of new creations that people are thinking of daily. In class we have critiques so that we can judge and improve the work of our peers. The best advice is that which comes from others, and by putting our work out there we get constructive criticism. Audience also refers to the way that architecture portrays theatrics. In the Capella Cornaro built by Bernini what makes the piece is the use of light and such theatrics. The statue is lit from behind making the main focus on the dramatic statue in the middle. This new Baroque style that was arising strove for “the fullest possible effects of molded space, manipulated light, brilliant color, and sensuous detail, Barque architects…created an architecture that, increasingly, was concerned predominately with the shaping of space”[1] Baroque style was all about visually pleasing the audience that saw it.

[REVISIONS]

The best way to get better at anything is to try again and again, and get the most practice as you can. By revising your work you are making it better each time. William Zinsser, an English professor wrote that, “The moral was clear: crafts don't get learned by listening.”[2] To make your work better you must take your previous work and revise it so that you can build on what you already have, but make it that much better. Revision can also come from peers. The opinions of those around you can provide the help needed to make a completely polished work. The church of St. Peters is a wonderful example of revisions done to architecture. Over time many new pieces were added or removed, and the church changed styles to reflect what was predominant at the time. Bramante and Michaelangelo both worked on the church, and when Michaelangelo was finished there were revisions that “would be undertaken by later architects in the Baroque period." [3]

[CHARACTER]
The thing that makes your work stand out is the character that it has. Character is what makes something unique and interesting, something never seen before. It is important to give your work that little thing that makes it better than all the rest. With both design and architecture it is important to put your own character in it. Referencing back to St. Peter’s church, each designer that added to it put a special part of themselves into it. Michaelangelo for example took the work on the dome designed by Bramante, and finished it with his own character added. Character can also refer to a certain style such as baroque. A “baroque space is independent and alive-it flows and leads to dramatic culminations”[4], and this flow is what gives it the character it has. Borromini captured the character of the Baroque period with much success in his churches. When speaking of San Carlino one can see the “special character of the building, a character that would become more common in Baroque architecture”[5] later on.

[TRANSITIONS]
A transition is what relates one thing to the next. It is the phase when one thing is leaving and the next is coming in. Transitions are all around us, most we don’t always notice. Night and day, summer and winter, happy and sad, budding of a flower and the blooming of it. Everywhere something is transitioning. There are many transitions in the design process such as between having an idea, and making an iteration. That iteration stage then leads to a final model. There is also a transition between the work I did in the beginning of the year, and to what I am producing now. There are also transitions in the history of design and architecture. One style leads to the next, which is then borrowed from to get to the next period of design. Recently we learned how the renaissance led to the baroque period, which then led to a revolutionary period. There are also smaller scale transitions such as in the Palazzo Medici. Each floor of the building transitioned starting at; business followed by entertaining, and finished with family.

[DATUM]

A division, a marker, a definer. A datum is the line that keeps everything organized and orderly. A datum separates the negative with the positive space. Recently in perception and communication we worked on boards(pictures seen below) and we had to make sure there was a clear datum line so that the information and pictures were easy to read. Datum lines also help to enhance a building by adding visual interest. 

[WRAP-UP]

Design is a production. It has to have all the makings of such to be complete. There must be character, it is what adds excitement and uniqueness. Secondly, there must be a plot to the story and it must follow an organized pattern, or datum line. Third, it must have transitions from one part to the next, so that it is still unified. When the whole seems complete there must be revisions so that it all works together. And finally, it must be pleasing to the audience it is presented to.

[CITATIONS]
1-Roth pg. 435
2- Zinsser, William. "First, Use Plain Enlish" Yale Alumni Magazine March/April 2009.
3-Roth pg. 376

4-Roth pg. 397

5-Roth pg. 411