BP 14

object:
an object that I believe is well-designed, but most of all is special to me is a teddy bear I got when my grandma died.  all nine of her grandchildren received one that my mom and uncles had specially made for us.  each one is unique, and made out of an item of clothing she owned.  because of this, each bear reminds me of a specific memory where she was wearing that outfit.  when people ask, what's one thing you would grab if your house was on fire, that would be it for me.  I don't have a picture of it and didn't bring it to school with me so I can't take one.


space:
a space that I believe is designed well is the court-yard area of the louvre where the pyramids are set into the ground.  the sheer size of the surrounding building is extremely humbling and puts you in your place, especially when you think about all the amazing art that is inside.  when you walk through the arched tunnel, the space opens up before your eyes and covers a lot of surface.  this is juxtaposed to most of the other buildings in paris, which are very vertical.

building:
a building that I think reflects my design values is the pantheon in rome.  light is an important aspect of design to me, and the focal point of the pantheon is the oculus.  there is this huge idea that the world is inscribed inside the building, and each detail has a specific meaning and purpose.

place:
a place that reflects my design values is an outdoor hammock.  a hammocks sole purpose is to create a comfortable and relaxing place for people.  it has a strong connection to nature and outdoors, which I like to incorporate in my design.  the way the natural sunlight shows through the leaves is always changing the space under the tree, so this creates a setting that is different time you use the hammock.  I want to design places that are unique to every person and will have them experience it in a different way.

images:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/jennymg/1/1272042162/hammock-under-the-mango-tree.jpg/tpod.html
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/schue141/matt_machete/2008/02/free_at_last.html

unit summary 3: explorations

unit summary 3 [explorations]

march28-march29

exploration: the act of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it; thorough analysis of a subject or theme.

we began this unit by looking at the world’s fairs and their different purposes.  they were commemorative, commercial, collaborative, and celebratory.  commemorative fairs would reinforce relationships between countries or people, commercial were supported by the government and big businesses and focused on industry and art, collaborative fairs were competitive and intensively international, and celebratory fairs were meant for nations to show off and would indicate world events and reflected peoples feelings across the globe. 

architecture and design was simultaneously looking backward and forward, but particularly forward from the 1930’s on into more futuristic design.  the venues the world fairs were held were usually made with temporary materials and were torn down when the event was over.  this goes hand in hand with the idea that new architecture isn’t lasting, like older architecture is.

this temporary architecture leads to a more aesthetic movement where everyone is having different conversations and speaking in different languages, but are all looking to create something modern.  this is shown in the larkin building designed by frank lloyd wright in 1904.  the building has an open atrium where all the secretary’s work and the offices are on the border of the building.  the electrical systems are in large columns on the exterior of the building, which allows the open area in the center.  this is wrights attempt at creating something modern and that has never been done before.

art very much influenced architecture at the turn of the 20^th century.  the idea of post-impressionism as the exploration of material and light and the emotion of the image carried over from a canvas into design.  this idea is exemplified in antoni gaudi’s casa batllo.  he plays with what materials can do and how light is reflected upon the building by using tiles as the surface material.

because everyone is searching for the new modern, this leads to a variety of modernisms.  it varies from types of buildings: skyscrapers, homes, offices, etc., and the materials used: glass, metal, tiles, etc.  each architect and designer has their own take on what they believe modern is; some think it is all about the design, whether or not it is a convenient space for people, while others believe it is all about creating a space that works hand in hand with people and their needs.  there are five major categories of modernism: arts & craft, art deco/art nouveau, bauhaus, classical revival, and decorators.

we then move to the suburbs of america during this time and specifically focus on the greensboro area.  many more people build traditional rather than modern homes in the suburbs, but Edward Loewenstein build more modern homes that are speckled throughout the city.

these more traditional suburban homes lead to a need for decorators.  the first generation of designers start out as untrained women who seemed to have an eye for decorating.  men then entered the second generation of decorators that went through the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s.  one decorator in particular, t.h. robsjohn-gibbings incorporated scandinavian design into decorating.  he used blonde wod throughout his work and re-designed the ancient greek klismos chair to make it more modern.

as designers continued this quest to be modern, some of their work seemed to not fit in with the surrounding area.  for example, frank lloyd wright’s guggenheim museum and john johansen’s mummers theater didn’t adhere to other buildings that were in the surrounding environment.  they created buildings that were new and different, and that show their take on modernism.

historic preservation, technology, and locality are three challenges in modernism.  historic preservation: this was a challenge because designers and architects who were making an addition the a historic building or creating something for it had to respect the history of it and then echo it in their design.  locality: this was a challenge because designers had to work with their surroundings.  this is exemplified in moore’s sea ranch condominiums.  they sit on a cliff overlooking the sea, and even though they create more verticality to the cliff, they still blend in with the landscape.  technology: this created a challenge because some designers and architects didn’t know where to but the electronic systems of the buildings so they could still have the space they wanted inside, so many of them showed it on the exterior of the building.  others would have dedicated floors for the electronic systems so they wouldn’t interfere with the floors people used.

one image I would chose to sum up this unit is that of the capital gate.  I chose this image because this unit is very much focused around modern and the quest for the newest form of it, and this is a building that I believe is an example of present day modernism.  it represents that this quest hasn't, and will never end.

images:
http://www.alamedainfo.com/seattle_worlds_fair_1962.htm 
http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Cresswell/What_Is_Architecture.shtml 
http://www.perfecttravelblog.com/2009/08/gaudis_casa_batllo.html
http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/loewenstein.htm
http://blog.2modern.com/2006/10/modern_oklahoma.html
http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2006/05/17/weekends_the_sea_ranch.php
http://www.cosmoworlds.com/photobase/adnec/adnec-abu_dhabi_national_exhibitions_company-04252008.htm

two views of design

temporary vs. lasting design


design on a dime vs. charles & ray eames

the eames' legacy plays into today's design star philosophy in the aspects of the role education plays in interior design, the importance of credentials and experiences for the design field, a holistic approach to design, experience and life skills a designer attains, and the role of the media in interior design.  I think the main difference between the two is that the eames' dedicated their whole life to design and architecture, while design stars don't.  there seems to be a lack of substance and purpose in design stars beliefs and the things they create, and lack of craft.  they don't necessarily have to develop a personal style and weren't pushed to create something new and unique, but rather just a new interpretation on something that has already been done.
design stars mainly just try to design spaces that are appealing to the eye, but don't connect from space to space.  on the other hand, the eames' had a holistic approach and a deep sense of connection, which was articulated through detail and the amount of thought they put into every design.
the role media plays in the interpretation of interior design has changed from mainly magazines to tv shows.  the shows of today don't portray the time it takes to design a space or the thought process and extensive details, which makes it seem like it doesn't take that much effort.
credentials, experience, and education are all very important aspects to interior design, as well as any other career.  during schooling you receive knowledge and experience that you can't receive anywhere else.  teachers proved valuable resources and have a much broader understanding of the field, which they then pass along to the students, where design stars who never went to college haven't received this.
the eames' provided lasting design, while design stars proved temporary design.  buildings and spaces aren't meant to last anymore, and that takes away from the potential and impact of design and architecture.

RR 13

full circle.


the guggenheim museum
frank lloyd wright
[1956-1959]


the guggenheim museum, located in manhattan, new york city, has a curved exterior as well as interior which stands out from the surrounding landscape.  ramps lead up the multiple levels of the museum, and decrease in radius as you near the ground floor.  wright thought differently about how artwork should be viewed, thus defending the spiral rooms rather than rectilinear ones.  the spiral ramps that line the interior of building create a dramatic and stunning central area.
the museum was originally meant to be a private gallery for solomon r. guggenheim.  it later was changed into being a public museum of modern arts, which forced wright to make some adjustment, however he refused to change the curved walls, however this didn't fair well with artists.  although inventive, this was a very impractical idea because square paintings don't hang well on curved walls.  this expressed the architect's of this time periods "insistence on a rationalized functional aesthetic ran up agains the need to express monumentality, particularly in large civic structures." [Ching]

- the central space is accessible directly from the street, which is an "important breakthrough in the relationship of modernism to civic space." [Ching]
- new york city's first real modern building.
- made of concrete ribs that form a dome at the top.

the guggenheim museum can be compared to the paris opera house in a sense that the both showcase not only the art/performances, but also the people who are there to view it.  the curved ramps and open center of the guggenheim allow you too look directly across, up, or down the interior and see people on the different levels.  the paris opera house had a grande staircase where people would socialize and be able to view the people around them with ease.










information and images from:
- ching

- good interior view
http://our-odyssey.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html
- how you could view others
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=234344
- shows the contrast of the spiral in the new york landscape
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32224170@N03/3352894744/

BP 13

the legacy of scandinavian modern to design today is shown through the klismos chair by t.h. robsjohn-gibbings.  he re-designed the chair in 1961 using a blonde wood, which is a classic scandinavian design aspect.  I chose this chair because it was first created by the ancient greeks, then restored, which shows the lasting effects of good design, but also how robsjohn-gibbings made it modern in today's eyes.  the chair, when it was originally crated, would have been considered modern for its time.  robsjohn-gibbings then just took the original chair and updated it to look modern in today's world by changing the type of wood to blonde wood and adding a sleek finish to it.

ancient klismos chair

robsjohn-gibbings klismos chair

RR 12

the main event.


paris opera house
[1861-1875]


the paris opera house was created from 1861-1875 by the designer charles garnier, who was just thirty-six at the time.  he as a designer also won the prix de rome before designing the opera house.  the building itself is placed at the intersection of several streets, placing emphasis on it.  garnier's design "blends the double columnar colonnade from the louvre with elements from michelangelo's facade on the campidoglio, blending the royal symbolism that would have appealed to napoleon III with the republican symbolism of michalengelo's work." (Ching) 

- has multiple entrances: the performers' entrance, the carriage entrance, the street entrance, and the royal entrance, which allows the emperor to walk directly indoors.
- the front and most decorative facade out of the four entrances was the street entrance.
- made of steel but covered by stone and brick.


one prominent feature of the paris opera house is the grand staircase that is in between the main entrance and the theater.  the amount of space it takes up is nearly the size of the theater itself, which puts even more emphasis on it.  it was widely used by the opera goers, and going to the opera became not only entertainment, but also a social event.  people would be able to have conversations and view other people before and after the opera.  it's interesting that the theater takes up just a small part of the building when it is the reason the building exists in the first place.

information and images from:
- ching
- this picture shows the front facade
http://oneshotexhibition.org/blog/?cat=10
- this picture displays the grand staircase
http://www.suilebhan.com/2011/01/12/the-best-seats-in-the-house/
- floor plan
http://humanscribbles.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html

BP 12

"good design for all"

when thinking about good design for all, I considered who or what "all" included.  I then thought that this might not include just people, but also animals and nature.  this lead me to chose nearly any outdoor park as a space that would have a "good design for all."  parks have a strong connection to nature, while still accommodating to peoples needs, pets, and wild animals.  parks provide a place for people to run, bike, walk, have a picnic, paddle boat, and many other things.  they also don't destroy nature for the sake of people, but rather incorporate the two.  good design for all includes not just people, but also animals.  parks don't tamper with animal's homes, and pet owners can take their animals to the park to enjoy the outdoors.  parks can also be enjoyed during nearly every season, by nearly everyone and everything.

images:
http://pleated-jeans.com/2010/08/24/how-to-throw-a-bomb-ass-picnic-yo/
http://www.glenviewparks.org/Parks/outdoor-walking-paths.htm

unit summary 2: reverberations

unit 2 [reverberations]

february 7- march 25

reverberations: to be repeated several times as an echo;  appear to vibrate or be disturbed because of  a loud noise;  to have continuing and serious effects.

week one: expressions of faith in stone + glass: is all architecture frozen music?: composition:  eyes dance across surface, music enfolds, light washes from above. worship spaces stand as tangible expressions of faith in glass and stone.

expressions of faith are shown in all different areas of the world.  the pyramids of egypt show this through hieroglyphics that are carved into stone, then later the greeks showed this idea in the parthenon and the romans in the panthenon.  after that, shikara, or the hindu cosmos, shows the dance of the Indian temple to express their faith in their god.  this idea is echoed throughout time, but represented in different ways by different cultures and regions.  some buildings make the eye dance on the interior, while others make it dance on the exterior.  this just represents which surface the designer or architect decided to ornament the most and show the connection to god through the details in the building. the creation of these buildings shows that the money of the empire is put into religion, and also trying to create the biggest and best building to show power.

the idea of all architecture as frozen music is represented in the way the interior of the building and the wall reverberate sound throughout the space.  the types of instruments or variations of vocals can be completely altered in different settings, whether it is in the african safari or a gothic cathedral.

“music as well as architecture is a visualization of the time and construction of space.” – toyo ho.  architecture and music both consist of structure + function. 

week two: unfolding scenes - a world of maps: coke can cathedral: regions + perspectives:  the first millennium ends, the modern world map unfolds: we see more enlightened places + people than previous notions of the “dark ages.”

cognitive map – mental processing by which an individual can acquire code, store, recall, and decode information about the relative locations and attributions of phenomenon in their everyday or metaphorical spatial environment.  deals with objects, spaces, buildings, and places as maps and what they depict.  a good example of this is the Ste. Marie cathedral.  the floor plan is in the shape of a cross where the main section is broken into three sections made up of three circles.  this divides the space up and leads the person through the space, like a map would.  also, the overall building appears very peaceful and serene, but if you look closely at the detail, it is gorish.  the scale that the person views the building has two completely different effects and represents two opposing ideas.  at the center of cathedrals is the heart where the altar is and the connection between the two sections meets.  also, it is where heaven is prominently inscribed in the cathedral.  the height and the dome or pointed tops relate and point to the heavens.  the stained glass windows tell stories and also let large amounts of “holy” light in upon the worshipers.  all of these aspects also show the position of man and heaven, and tries to represent the connection between the two.

week three: the great eastern + western design rule book: dialogues + conversations: architecture of happiness:  making rules to break with gothic ideas and re-link to the ancients of the western world: observing continuities with the past in the east.

the great eastern and western design rule book mainly applies to the renaissance, which took place during the 14^th and 15^th century’s.  the east was more about expanding your inner world while the west deals more with expanding your physical world, but both regions “followed the rules” of design during this time period.  in the east, the kasara temple in india represents the idea of the dancing eye and is not only just a religious space, but also a place for worship and praise.  in the west, the palazzo medici’s surface and materiality represents the three levels of the interior.  it layers stone, but the amount of texture on each level goes from rough to more refined to show the lower levels as less important, and the higher levels that are further from the street as more important.  the interior and exterior clearly shows that man and his needs are the most important part of  this building.

the idea of the architecture of happiness during the renaissance is show by designers trying to get away from cold cathedrals and searching for beauty and the delight quality of design.  they were focused on the feeling of a space and tried to introduce rules into the design world.  this brings about the question, does the architecture of happiness have rules?  in my opinion, it doesn’t.  the feeling of a space and the way it is perceived is different for each individual, and opposing ideas or feelings can be happy for one person, but unhappy for the other.  there can never be a list of items that if included in a building, object, or space will make it happy for every single person.

week four: spare no expense: coloring outside the lines: nautilus:  as western rules made + written, designers work across genre + scale to bend + break them: eastern designers maintain a continuous approach.

the next cycle of design is not to follow the rules, but now to break them.  andrea palladio, a very influential architect from the renaissance, designed many buildings that now “broke the rules.”  he designed the san giorgio maggiore, which had a façade made of white marble while the rest was made of plain brick.  the front also breaks the rules by not following one precedent of design, but rather combines multiple facades with different influences.  designers played with different lighting, porches, landscapes, staircases, wall paintings, vestibules, facades, and much more.

during the baroque period, architecture looked like it was pushing the limits and wasn’t possible.  this period of “architecture on drugs” experimented with the fluidity of buildings, shimmery ornamentations, and new representations of ideas.  the sant’ivo alla sapienza in rome has a ceiling that is made up of circles super imposed in a triangle, which is different than anything that people had seen before then.  the san carlo alle quattro fontane’s façade goes in and out and makes it look very fluid.  this involved experimentation in materials and they way they could be used, but also still keeps the idea of stacking.  there are two examples that represent the difference between the baroque time period and the renaissance.  the statue of david done by michelangelo portrays david standing straight up and looking calm, serene, and like he is thinking.  the statue of david done by bernini shows david crouched over and in the process of slaying a lion.  the renaissance was more a time of thinking and viewing, while the baroque was one of action.

trade routes influenced objects, spaces, buildings, and places.  they changed the decorative arts, illustration, fine arts, fashion, food, dance, music, manners, and much more.

week five: colonial expansion -  breaking new ground: semiotics + language: an architecture parlent.  colonial expansion brings ideas + people around the world. in these encounters, emulation and maintaining difference both become important.

colonial expansion during this time period brought about advances in the engineering and science worlds.  rather than creating buildings and seeing how much weight the structure could support, engineers began thoughtfully thinking about the structure of a building that was determined by how much of a load it could carry.  this time period could be defined by: the sequential understanding of history, engineering materiality, rational and logical systems of thinking that were different than the church, and changing practices in terms of industrial revolution.  the quest for being modern that has always been present throughout time continues, and there is a split between thinking + writing and making which will eventually lead toward the enlightenment time period.

semiotics is the uncovering of the latent meanings in everyday life.  this ties into the language of the building, which was also changing.  the language of architecture was turning more persuasive, and had more of a sense of purpose and representation of an idea.

week six: turning matters on end: industrial revolution – and the world goes round: the dollar bill exercise.  architecture and design obscure significant political, social, and cultural change brought by revolution and invention throughout the world.

our direction is now focused on expansion in American during the 17^th and 18^th century’s.  in the north, we see more georgian style of architecture, which is very symmetrical, and the most decoration is on the front of the house.  however in the south, the architecture is similar to Palladio’s work (England) due to the trade routes.

the cycle of revolution goes from rotation, to cycle, reform, renaissance, revival, then back to rotation and continues this pattern.  as America goes through revolution, we see changes in architecture that go hand in hand with the changing nation.  seating, slaves and servants, dinner wear, etiquette, and many other things change, which in turn changes the design of a building or house to accommodate these new aspects.

to me, this picture of a man standing at the center of a tunnel represents this unit.  the tunnel echos ideas throughout time, but has a uniform similarity throughout the whole thing, just as design and architecture does.  it is constantly following this pattern of making and breaking the rules, and man is at the center of it all.  there is a movement out of the "dark ages" and into the enlightenment period, and cycles of design and revolution that move in a circle and repeat themselves.

images:

-http://www.123rf.com/photo_7115752_shikara-decorations-on-the-parsavanatha-jain-temple-khajuraho-india.html

-http://cics.bsu.edu/cicsworld/nmcewan/2010/10/

-http://www.michaelarnoldart.com/Gianlorenzo%20Bernini%20Painter.htm

-http://www.newsmild.com/2010/10/16

BP 11

a present day building that I found on the internet is the capital gate.  it is a leaning tower in abu dhabi, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  it is the most acutely leaning building in the world, leaning out 18 degrees where the leaning tower of pisa only leans out 4 degrees.  it was designed as a tribute to His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who is the late President of the UAE and the Father of the Nation, and also to represent the cities evolution and progress throughout the years.  "Capital Gate’s distinctive futuristic design, aesthetic splendour and technical excellence makes it a modern marvel and a celebration of human achievement that reflects the dynamism of Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the tower provides a historic link to the past by integrating with the grandstand at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, one of the world’s most modern exhibition venues." (capitalgate.com)  this building represents present day modernism to me because of the sleekness of its deign, and the technical advances that have been made so it is able to stand with such a lean.

throughout architecture and design history, there has been a constant journey to be modern.  once that idea of modern is achieved, another design will present itself and then that will become the new modern.  it is a never-ending journey that nearly every designer attempts to achieve.  at the turn of the twentieth century, everyone is talking in different design languages, but everyone is also still trying achieve modernism.  I think it was so important for people to be working so hard to be modern during this time because of everything that happened leading up to this time period.  there was revolution in design and world fair's that brought about new and different ideas.  I think that designers and architects were tired of the old designs and the making and breaking of rules, and attempted to change the cycle all together.  although the making and breaking of rules is always evident in design history, these designers tried to create something completely different and modern.  




sources and images:
http://weburbanist.com/2009/09/22/10-peculiarly-precarious-buildings/
http://www.capitalgate.ae/
http://hoteldesign.nu/abu-dhabi-hyatt-131
http://www.arnewde.com/architecture-design/capital-gate-tower-architecture-by-rmjm-in-abu-dhabi/
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/capital-gate-parametric-design-results-in-worlds-steepest-leaning-building/

RR 11

follow the horizon.


Robie House
Frank Lloyd Wright
[1908-1909]

when Frank Lloyd Wright began designing urban houses in the chicago area, he developed an expression called the "prairie house."  this incorporated the horizontal lines of the prairie into the buildings he designed and made them more flat, covering more surface area, rather than tall.  wright began working on the robie house in 1906, which is located on the south side of chicago.  "wright pulled the house up out of the damp clay of the prairie, so that the main living level is on the upper level, with three bedrooms in the cupola on the third level." (Roth)  the main floor is divided into two different sections: one that contains the living room and dining room, which are connected except for the free standing fire place that "divides" it in two, and one that contains a guest room, kitchen, and rooms for the servants.

- used steel beams to support the long structure
- regarded as the finest prairie house
- officially called the Frederick C. Robie House
- integrated lighting and heating into the ceiling and floor
- designed nearly all of the furniture in the house

in many of wright's designs, he creates a cross-like floor plan with the fire at the heart.  although the robie house doesn't have this floor plan, wright created it so it is like the two sections that cross one another are divided and set next to each other, rather than crossing.  in this aspect, the fire is still placed at the heart of the house.  also, the house doesn't have any blinds. instead, wright created art in the class that not only added to the horizontal aspect of the house, but also created privacy because the glass would distort what was going on inside the house.  the entrance to the robie house is unlike that of many others.  wright hides the front door so you have to walk to the side of the house and appreciate the architecture to enter, rather then having it be visible and easy to access.




information and images from:
Roth
- gives a general idea of what the house looks like
http://jameswoodward.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/frank-lloyd-wright/
- glass art that provided privacy
http://www.chaosss.co.uk/CP/?p=5
- floor plan
http://bryndakirk.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/the-history-of-architecture/robie-floor-plans/
- the furniture he designed for the house
http://vincemichael.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/whats-going-on-at-robie-house/

BP 10

revolution of communication.


for my object, I chose different forms of communication that vary throughout the years.  this carries a message of revolution, as well as evolution of technology.  it shows the different classes of people that were able to afford the latest technology, as well as more servant like people who are used to translate messages or provide services for the user.

I started with one of the simplest forms of communication, paper.  it is still used today by nearly all people, but wasn't as available as it is now when it was first created.  papyrus was sometimes named in honor of emperors or officials, which could have angered or pleased the people of the empire.  I then moved on to foot or horse messengers.  they could carry a message from place to place in the form of paper of memorization of the  message.  this would be useful if it were a military message and the messenger was captured and killed because they would not be able to find evidence of the message.  the next from of communication I chose was the telegraph and morse code.  this was one of the first examples of using electricity to communicate between two or more people. the next example is the telephone.  this allowed either person to hear the other person's voice, rather than reading or depicting a message.  when this was first created, it was mostly used for wealthier people who could afford the latest technology, which created some class separation.  email is the next example, which uses the internet to communicate.  although it doesn't involve hearing someones voice, it allows you to attach files or other messages and send them to a mass group of people.  the last form of communication I chose was the cell phone.  this now contains the ability to hear someones voice, to send emails, send text messages, and a variety of other technological advances.

papyrus:
papyrus is an egyptian word in which the word "paper" is derived from.  it was first used around 500 BCE by the ancient egyptians.  various sizes and types of papyrus were often named in honor of officials or emperors.  this usually happened during the Byzantine and Roman time periods, and has been found in the Mesopotamia area, Asia, and Europe.

foot or horse messengers:
common in Egypt and China around 200 BCE.  messengers would run on foot or ride horseback to relay a message from one place to another, whether it was about war or a variety of different things.

morse code:
in 1836 by Samuel Morse developed the electrical telegraph.  this was new technology of the time that worked by sending pulses of electric current through wires.  morse code was made so the pulses could be translated into words or phrases.

telephone:
the telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray in the 1870's.  it uses a wire-based electrical system and allows two people to communicate and hear the others voice.

email:
the first email message was transmitted in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson.  it was sent between two computers that were sitting right next to one another.

cell phone:
was first widely used in 1971 and made it much more easy to communicate while doing other tasks.

information and pictures:
-http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/papyrus.htm
-http://pwcs.bennett.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=d74435b3ae8520de66236d3df0e5709b&pageid=87961&sessionid=6e79174b3d28c2ac32fa2872cafda80c
-http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_communication.htm
-http://www.history.org/visit/planyourvisit/monthlyspecials/
-http://inventors.about.com/od/tstartinventions/a/telegraph.htm
-http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2007/06/016420.htm
-http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventors/a/telephone.htm
-http://bullybloggers.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/you-cannot-gaga-gaga-by-jack-halberstam/
-http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/spring2002/cmsc434-0101/MUIseum/applications/emailhistory.html
-http://www.wyso.org/
-http://cellphones.org/cell-phone-history.html
-http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/01/09/macworld_apple_stuns_macworld_crowd_with_multi_function_iphone_device.html

RR 10

beautiful industry

Salt Works of Chaux

[1800 CE]

Claude Nicholas Ledoux designed the Salt Works of Chaux from 1775 to 1779 that is located in eastern France between two villages near the Chaux forest, which is near Besancon.  the building was a factory that extracted salt from the brine, and replaced a factory that was very near to it, but was very small and didn't work nearly as well as Salt Works.  the forest supplied wood needed for that kilns that extracted the salt from the brine, which was then brought to the place it was originated.

"Ledoux's plan called for a semicircular arrangement of buildings, with the house of the director at the center and the salt-extracting buildings to both sides." (Ching)  the circumference of the semicircle consists of storage buildings, with the entrance directly across from the director's house.

salt was very expensive in France during the 18th century due to taxes, so Salt Works had to be very highly secured because people would try to steal or smuggle salt.

- entrance included a small prison and guardrooms.

- the round and square columns that make up the front of the director's house have been interpreted many different ways.

- "it seems that Ledoux wanted to show the column as if it were in the process of being formed." (Ching)  

- possibly the first architect-designed factory ever made.

while the Salt Works buildings are clearly industrial buildings, they appear as if they would be a church or possibly a government building.  it is interesting how much the director's house resembles the Pantheon.  they both have very plain exteriors with the same entrance of columns and triangular roof.  however, the Pantheon had a dome roof while Salt Works had a pyramid-like roof with a raised section at the top.  this was build during a time when everyone was trying to be different in terms of ideas, design, architect, and much more.  the square and circle columns on Salt  Works are probably the most interesting and dominant aspect of the building.  they draw your eye to that part of the building, which is different in comparison to the Pantheon, where the columns are very plain.

information from Ching
- I chose this picture to compare and contrast the Pantheon to Salt Works
http://www.valenciastonesarasota.com/stonehistory.html
- this picture shows the director's house and one of the side salt-extracting buildings
http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Claude_Nicolas_Ledoux
- this shows the plan of Salt Works
http://www.art.com/products/p12258505-sa-i1634300/claude-nicolas-ledoux-general-plan-of-the-salt-works-in-the-ideal-city-of-chaux.htm
- a good view of the columns
http://www.lodgephoto.com/blog/royal-salt-works-the-story-behind-the-picture/27/

BP 9

colonial expansion on architecture + design


colonial expansion to the united states
saint peter's square obelisk (rome, italy) : washington monument (washington d.c., america)


I think saint peter's square obelisk and the washington monument are very good examples of colonial expansion to the united states.  they are both placed in the capital cities of rome and america, and are "wu-wu's" in each city.  while the washington monument has a long reflecting pool that stretches longer than it is tall, the obelisk has a road that leads out into the city in replace of the reflecting pool. each of these directs your attention to either the object itself, or away from it into the rest of the capital.  on saint peter's basilica, there are also statues that look out into the city, which supports this idea of each object looking out onto the city.

the obelisk from egypt was brought to rome by emperor caligual in 37 ad, and originally stood in a spot that was to the south of the basilica.  sixtus v had domenico fontana move the obelisk to the center of st. peter's square in 1586 where it now stands and also works as a sun dial.

the washington monument was built between 1848 and 1884 as a tribute to military leader and president george washington.  it weights 81,120 tons and stands 555 feet tall with a wall thickness ranging from 15 feet to 18 inches.






colonial expansion from the united states
golden gate bridge (san francisco, california) : vidyasagar setu (west bengal, india)


the vidyasagar setu in west bengal, india is very similar to the golden gate bridge in san francisco, california.  they both have two main structures that support the bridge, and are both symmetrical.  they also both use cords that reach from the top of the two structures to the road of the bridge to support the structure.  the golden gate bridge is red and the tall structures are broken up into four sections while the vidyasagar setu is grey and only broken up into two sections.  although they are both very similar, their languages are different.  the golden gate bridge is somewhat softer looking and the two main cables connect, while the vidyasagar setu is much more sharp looking and the two main cables don't flow together.

the golden gate bridge

the vidyasagar setu

information and images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter's_Square
http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Exterior/Obelisk/Obelisk.htm
http://www.dailyventure.com/journal.php?day=WashingtonDC
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc72.htm
http://www.visitingdc.com/san-francisco/golden-gate-bridge-picture.asp
http://www.shibpurinternational.com/sublink/html/Tourist%20Spot%20Vidyasagar%20Setu.htm