21st Century

After the lecture on Monday, I saw how design has transformed through the 21st century. The technological revolution has allowed information to be more accessible than ever before, and allows communication between people around the world to be much easier and more effective. Technology in general is continuously changing material production, and the construction process. For example, we learned how digital technology has revolutionized how spaces are designed through complex, curvilinear, and biomorphic forms. The museum shown in the slides is a very complex and interesting structure, and was able to be designed with digital technology. Although most things discussed in the lecture are very positive influences on design, we also learned that not all are good. Eco-friendliness has been neglected through manufacturing, such as the 3285 pounds of hazardous waste produced by one American each year. However, materials that are eco-friendly have been incorporated in design in the 21st century. We also learned how the depletion of air quality can make someone sick with the various forms of indoor air pollution. Without fresh air and proper ventilation, bacteria or fungi can build up. Over time these things have been improved and continue to improve. 

Concrete encounter

Today I was able too see how cement and water are mixed together in order to create concrete. Through this process, we learned there must be a balance of cement and water to create concrete that will dry at the correct speed. Its interesting how the Romans were the first to use concrete as a building material, and it's still something we often use today. It's a very easy manipulated material, and is quite easy to carve and create ornamental pieces out of it as well.  I filled a glove with this concrete and it became a solid form shortly after class. It was also became very warm while it was curing, which was surprising, and exciting because of how cold funkhouser was this morning. Concrete is the single most widely used material in the world and has been important in structures from the time of the Romans up until today. 

Unit 2 Summary

The first example of scale in unit 2 which helped me understand design as an integrated practice was the powers of 10 project. Each of us were given a small square with an image on it and we had to recreate that image on an 8x8 piece of paper. It was interesting to see each square come together to make one large image. This showed me how objects that vary in scale can create a message when linked together. Another example where I saw the use of various scales was in Roman Architecture. Many of their architectural structures were vast in scale to accommodate the needs of the rapidly expanding empire. Not only did Romans do this, but many other cultures as well. Through this unit I came to find how many cultures express their faith through architecture, usually expressing it through a massive structure. In class we also discussed how certain buildings are build much larger than its surroundings so it can be spotted from far away in order to give some direction. On the University of Kentucky’s campus, Kirwan and Blanding tower really stand out and let whoever sees them know how far away they are from south campus. I do believe there is a connection between scale and the principles and elements discussed in unit 1. The elements make up the object/ structure which is either small or large in scale. We can apply the principles to scale in terms of whether or not the scale is balanced, unified, harmonious, or in proportion to one another. Perhaps emphasis could be placed on an object due to the contrast in scale of its surrounding objects. All designs can be described and analyzed by understanding scale. They are designed on a certain scale for specific reasons, and we can generally seek out why.

Here is each of our small squares making up one large image, showing how objects smaller in scale can relay a message when linked together on a larger scale. 

This is a photo of Kirwan and Blanding tower from a distance. This shows how buildings which are much larger in scale than the surrounding buildings stand out, giving a sense of direction.

The Colosseum in Rome was built very large in scale to accommodate its rapidly growing empire. 

Material Thoughts

Material properties can create strong sense of meaning & experience in an environment. Different materials used to form a structure/ object can make us feel a certain way. As the example given in class of the chair and bench made from pencils, the one with the pencils faced upward make us feel uneasy. We see that the materials used to form that chair would not be comfortable, therefore we do not want to sit in in. We can see the materials used to form the easers on the pencils would be more comfortable, so you would choose to sit on the bench rather than the chair. We use our senses to determine how the materials in an environment will affect us. Although they may be aesthetically pleasing, they may not be comfortable to touch, and vice versa. Materials also play a role in the environment depending on the climate of an area. The material type used to construct a building whether it be natural, processed, or synthetic is generally selected based on the environment it will be in and how it will be affected by the climate. 

Here is a photo of the materials used in Machu Picchu, my case study.The plateau on which the city was built was also the place where the construction materials were extracted. Stone played a role in this structure because they did not have a large difficulty collecting it. 

Chairs

In class, I saw multiple chairs made from different materials and styles. I believe something "modern" could be described as something that uses new ideas or materials and better functions than past designs.
My sense of scale has changed through seeing different objects and buildings at different scales throughout the unit. Scale varies through the purpose of a building or object and who is designing it. With some cultures, most buildings are constructed at a very enormous scale while others are constructed at a much smaller one.

Timeline

It was interesting to see all the different time periods/ cultures on one timeline. Mainly because I had not thought of them in a particular order and how each transformed from one to another. We see circles, stacks, and groves in the first efforts and how they have stayed with us up to modern day. Through the timeline we also see how each time period borrows certain principles and elements from past time periods. For example, Rome borrows ideas from ancient Greece but adds significant ideas, such as the arch and the dome. Strong continuity is expressed through Greece, the Renaissance, and post modernism. The Gothic time period, modernism, and present day are different, taking advantage of new materials and technologies. Also a strong idea expressed is continuity through time.  We see a change in materials through time as well, while Ancient Greece uses more wood and stone, stained glass in the Gothic period, iron in the classical revivals, titanium in deconstructive, and steele and glass in modernism. It is also mentioned how in present day glass can be used to construct an entire building. As for light and color, we see a strong sense of polychromatic work from the first efforts all the way up to the modern time period, opposed to both the lack of color and polychromatic work from the modern time period to present day.

Case Study 2 (Scale)

This is a sketch of the steps at Machhu Picchu. It’s apparent that this sight represents stacks and contains various textures as well with the grass and stone steps. As for scale, the steps make up a small part of the site as a whole.