Heating

One of the most common heating systems in the Western World is the HVAC. There are also other systems, such as geothermal heating, furnaces, and radiators. While the Korean system, ondol, strictly heats the floor from below, HVAC units can be placed in the ceiling or basement with a series of ducts running through the space to heat individual rooms.

The Ancient Roman heating system, hypocausts, was a two-foot deep area beneath the main floor which allowed fire to travel, heating the floor from below. The Korean heating system, ondol, moved the heat and smoke from the kitchen area to other areas of the space through underground flues. One main similarity between the hypocaust and the ondol heating systems is the use of an underground space to heat the living area floors above.

Ondol

HVAC

Hypocaust

Infinity

The Infinity Room, an art installation designed by Doug Wheeler, is "like walking into a cloud of milk." The space is focused on physical space and how humans interact within it, using a full-day cycle of light (annotated to a short 32 minutes) to highlight the experience. Wheeler is able to control the light by composing the room to be devoid of corners.
The author of the piece, Tyler Green, went to the exhibit to experience it for himself. He said he entered the space when it was in the 'mid morning' sensation of light, it was composed of pinks and purples, but once he looked away he could see black spots due to the bright light. Then the space became so bright that his eyes began to play tricks on him, and soon he was squinting to the point of tears. By the end of his experience, Green wrote “One of the greatest experiences ever. Feel privileged to have been in it.”
Personally, I feel as though I would really dislike this installation. Maybe it's because I'm from Seattle and I am used to gloomy, grey, and cloudy surroundings. Such intense bright lights would not be something I would want to sign up for, especially since I have to live with the awful "prison lights" inside of Kirwan Tower, which I complain relentlessly about.
This space teaches me that although I personally prefer softer lighting, others can find an array of bright to soft lighting to be exceptionally helpful to their daily lives. Natural light has the ability to control how our bodies function and without it we suffer greatly.

Suburbia

For my object/space/building/place assignment, I focused on suburban houses. I originally wanted to do Italianate architecture, but then I remembered we had to focus on the 1950's to now (instead of yknow, the 1850s, in which case Italianate would have totally worked).

For details, I chose vinyl windows. They are crucial it seems to the contemporary suburban home. Economical and energy efficient, vinyl windows are a smart addition.

What suburban home is complete without some heavy, dark, La-Z-Boy furniture and Home Goods decor and beige walls?

This is a perfect example of a suburban home. Two car garage, vinyl siding, faux shutters, dormers, perfectly manicured green lawn, and a picture-perfect mailbox.

Another great example of a suburban street. American cars, wide streets for kids to play on, and houses that are all the same distance from the road. Classic!

Palladio

Palladio influenced Western architecture by heavily borrowing from Ancient Rome. He was the first to make residential architecture draw upon religious architecture. Palladio also popularized the aesthetic of buildings with the same facade on each side, and he used columns for decoration instead of support.

Rose Window

Rose Window: pretty,

detailed, encapsulating,

colorful. Rose Window

Columns

For my column compositions, I printed images that I thought showed how important and interesting columns are. Besides being an architectural detail, they are used as support. I also wanted to show the detailing in each, especially since there is such a range from simpler (Doric) to incredibly ornate (Corinthian).
Another detail I added was in the title, as each column name has an 'i' in it, I drew it to look similar to the column on that page.
I am also interested in exploring how the three columns have influenced the other columns and post that we see today. You can see similarities in many, but I will definitely be looking into it more.

[ no photo because I turned my compositions in ]

Klismos

The Klismos Chair is a perfect example of using texture and line to create a refreshing take on an everyday object. Take the legs, for example, the curved lines add an interesting component, allowing the chair to become unusual and thought-provoking. The back of the Klismos is comfortable and inviting, while the seat of it has an engaging texture, but the material allows for some give, improving the comfort of the, otherwise, all wood chair.

I personally am quite fond of this chair, I think it looks quite contemporary. I am curious to see what it would look like if it was done in lucite, or if it was upholstered; I think it would take on a completely different approach but still maintain its intrigue.

EDIT:
I found some examples of a lucite and upholstered version! Although I'm not a fan of the 'ghost chair' trend, I could get used to a ghost Klismos chair, and definitely prefer it to the upholstered one (which looks like a sad, too short dining room chair).

Rendering

My rendering was based on the principle unity. In the three buildings--Miller Hall, Whitehall, and R. G. Anderson, there was the overwhelming presence of brick and white-ish mortar. Two of the buildings (Miller and Anderson), featured large windows that allowed for a sufficient amount of light to come through. Although the buildings all look like they are from a different time period, they are unified through the brick, which I tried to show through my composition.

Mod

The Experience Music Project, or 'EMP', is located in the South Lake Union district of Seattle, WA. It was designed by Frank O. Gehry, and was constructed in 2001. It is composed of over 21,000 aluminum and stainless steel shingles, and 280 steel ribs. The space itself is about 140,000 total square feet, and it's tallest point is 85 feet high.

It was also the first constructed space that was designed using CATIA.

Cathedrals

The Salisbury and Cologne cathedrals were both built around the same time, and were the earliest to start construction of all four cathedrals. Both are extremely vertical and share strong Gothic characteristics. The interiors are similar as well--both share similar arches and ceilings, and the nave's are almost identical, with the main difference being the slenderness of Cologne.

They also use light in the same way. They both feature stained glass throughout, allowing natural light to come through and beautifully illuminate the interior. This element connects the two buildings and helps pull them out of the dark ages.

Geometric

 

The 'Square Head' building is captivating. The sculpture in Nice, France, has been turned into an inhabitable space, and utilizes several interesting traits. The texture of the human-like part is smooth, it looks like human skin, but the square reflects light and looks more industrial. By taking advantage of the textures, the sculpture begins to look more life-like.

The Temple of Neptune at Paestum in Italy is a perfect example of architecture with columns. The massive form of the columns is striking and intense. The emphasis on the temple really relates to the buildings purpose: to praise and honor a god.

The Louvre Pyramid seems to be mainly focused on light. To enter the Louvre, you take an escalator from the base of the pyramid to below it. The pyramid serves as a tremendous skylight during the day, and at night becomes an art installation when it is illuminated.

Aldar HQ, in Abu Dhabi is the worlds first circular skyscraper. The design is original and heavily contrasts with the rest of the skyscrapers in the world.

Stonehenge

My interpretation of the original purpose of Stonehenge would probably either be that it was used as a calendar or a place for rituals--such as burials, weddings, or seasonal celebrations. One thing I found interesting in the reading was how the alignment of each stone shows a sophisticated understanding of time, the seasons, and the sky. I was also amazed by their method to ensure the lentil stone didn't fall off. The ball and nook 'lock' was a really intelligent way to achieve that the stones fit.

I am also very interested in the homes the people lived in. The thatched roofs on the neolithic homes add an interesting texture, while the inside of the neolithic homes had a very utilitarian look to them. Everything inside would have to be practical: fireplace for warmth and cooking, a food area to eat in, and a sleeping area. This practicality would be very beneficial in keeping a family feeling unified.

cross the campus

This photograph of Blanding Tower, was taken from my room. Although the assignment was supposed to be centered more on buildings or places around campus, I wanted to focus more on how our campus interacts with Lexington.

Initially, when I took this, I thought of the element line-considering the strong, vertical lines of the building itself and the wires on top of the building intercepting the sky, but also how the Tower juts through the horizon, almost obstructing the view. But afterwards, I was also interested in how the colors of the sky play off the building and, equally, how the light is setting behind it, making the campus look peaceful.

I think the emphasis on the building and sky is a nice juxtaposition, not necessarily complimenting each other, but they also have some harmony.

I am very interested in photography, so I set this up in the rule of thirds, while also trying to get some depth of field (which is difficult with an iPhone!).