Evaluation of Architecture
Interior Design II
Things to consider….. Technology - what was available and used – machinery, tools
etc… Did society use available technology or develop new?
Economy - Monetary systems of people – wealthy and poor have different resources available for building – ornate or plain
Aesthetics - apparent visual beauty – concept of beauty varies form person to person
Culture - traditions, religion, art, music all influence design
Habitat - elements, topography, available resources (wood, clay, metal…) what elements was the structure
sheltering from?
4 Basic Shapes used… Square
Rectangle
Circle
Triangle
3–D Shapes used…in order to enclose space
Cube
Rectangular Prism
Cylinder or Column
Pyramid or Cone
Ancient Architecture….what can you see? Observe ancient architecture. It has always existed!!!
Consider the TEACH theory.
Remember it evolves from basic shapes to 3 dimensional shapes.
British Isles…
■ Rectangular Prisms
■ prehistoric
Egyptian
Pyramids Funerary Buildings Created for Monarchs &
Nobles Stepped Design Granite, limestone, and
sandstone - Both sun-dried and kiln-dried bricks were used extensively
Hieroglyphics were decoration as well as records of historic events.
Egyptian
Cylinder or Column
First stone capital = papyrus flower & lotus
Nile floods deposit fine clay, allowing ceramic arts to develop early
Sandstone, limestone, & granite available for obelisks, sculpture, and decorative uses.
Ramps – build on the way up, decorate as it’s taken down
Mesopotamia – Babylon, Assyria, Persia
Cube Planned city building,
cobblestone streets, and architecture itself have their beginnings here
Mud brick on a raised plinth (platform base)
Walls are ornamented on the outside with alternating pilasters and recesses
Flat roofs, supported on palm trunks, (assumed)
Ziggurat
Greek
Prisms & Columns The temple is the best known
form of Greek architecture. reflect the importance of religion. The political purpose - to
celebrate civic power Beauty lies in ratios & proportions
= The Golden Mean made from limestone which was
cut into large blocks. Marble was readily available. It was used mainly for sculptural decoration.
Roman
Columns & Circles
One architectural technique that came into use by experimentation was the arch
Romans perfected it using a keystone in the center of the arch and allowing gravity to work.
Ancient America - Mayan
Pyramid Monumental construction Buildings erected on platforms Upper walls decorated Lime stucco painted vivid
colors Every day dwellings were
rectangular
Architecture Evolves….. See that all architecture evolves from basic shapes to complex
shapes. Architectural detail evolves with the growth of technology, economics and education.
Notice …architecture repeats trends and moves in a cycle through history.
See that people travel the world carrying their knowledge of what buildings in different places look like. This evolution changes architecture.