“The end is to build well. Well built hath three conditions: firmness, commodity, and delight.” – Sir Henry Wotton
utilitas: useful arrangement, quality, and interrelationship of spaces
firmitas: performance; stability and integration, safety
venustas: ability to create a sense of place, a positive effect
firmness: structure, withstands the test of time
commodity: functions well, meets necessary requirements
delight: harder to measure, different for everyone
On our field visit on Friday, February 4, 2011, we visited a variety of places on UNCG’s campus. We were told to focus on three main groups: form, materials, and axes. We met in the Moore Humanities and Research Administration building and talked about its entrance. The entrance is circular then divides into an administrative area and a hallway of classrooms. On the floor, there is a rippling effect made but the used of a granite or stone material that flows out from the center of the circle. These ripples break up the linear floor and add a curve quality to it. We also talked about the use of glass and columns in the area. The side of the circle that faces the street outside is made of clear glass that is divided up into different sections. The windows were stacked in a certain order that gave it a pattern, and also the effect of natural light gave the area a more delightful quality. The back and side entrances are all made of glass, and signify where student or professors will be moving in and out of the building. Opposed to the clear glass that marks the entrances, there is an area of frosted glass that represents the administrative area. On the outside and inside of the building, there were columns that flowed with the shape of the circle. The ones on the inside were hollow and used as decoration, while the ones on the outside were firm and supported the building.
The second place we visited was the Elliott University Center. We visited the area on our last field visit, but we focused more on the axis, commodity, delight, and firmness. As we walked through the main entrance, we were told to notice the axis that runs through the building to the Walker Parking Deck. The axis didn’t run to the center or any certain area of the parking deck, but just into the side of the building. Although the axis goes straight through the building, it does not end at any significant area on College Avenue or Walker Avenue. As we entered the building, we took over the whole entrance area and talked about how well the area was made. The natural light gives it a more pleasant delight factor, and it seemed to be firm and function well. The walls were concentric circles, and the architect used the variation of light and dark wood to put more emphasis on the area. The air vents on the walls broke up the circle panels, and need to be integrated into the space better. As we continued to the back of the building, there is another circle to balance the larger one out. The also both signify entrances, like the glass in the MHRA did. At the point, Patrick talked about anti-axes. We followed the one that led to the library lobby, then continued to the front entrance of the building that looked out at college Avenue. Here, we spoke about the ionic columns that also ran in a circular pattern. The Stone Building that is directly across from the library entrance mimics this circular pattern of columns. The axis from this point lines up with the middle of Walker Avenue.
We then walked to the center of College Avenue, where the largest circle made out of stone is on the ground. The four points around the center are the library, education building, home economics building, and the music building. Patrick said the only one that seemed off was the home economics building, but if you though of the history of the campus it made more sense since it used to be an all women’s college.
Our next space was the Music Building, which reflects the entrance of the MHRA. There are rippling effects on the ground that correspond with the circle that marks the main entrance to the building.
Out of all the spaces we visited, I thought the Jackson Library entrance had the highest firmness, commodity, and delight. It is a center for the entire campus, and although it hasn’t been standing for hundreds of years, it appears to be built very well so it will last a long time. In terms of commodity, it is the central storage for nearly all of the book and information on campus. It has always been a place for students to do research, study, or meet in groups or pairs. In terms of delight, the entrance is very open and the half circle porch area is less harsh than if it were a square. The circle could represent students and knowledge coming together, and how each influences the other.
