The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own, we have no soul of our own civilization. Frank Lloyd Wright

Architecture

The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own, we have no soul of our own civilization. Frank Lloyd Wright

Architecture - The art and science of designing buildings, bridges, and other structures to meet our personal and communal needs. It is also a vehicle for artistic expression in threedimensions. The architect mediates between the client and the selected site Two things determine an architectural building or style: Environment and Technology. Environment = distinct landscape and climactic characteristics of a local site. Technology = The materials and methods available to a given culture.

Through History. Oldest buildings are Load Bearing Construction Innovations in architecture lead to: Post-and-Lintel Construction Cast Iron Construction Wood Frame Construction Steel & Reinforced Concrete Construction Steel Cage Construction

Load-Bearing Construction = The walls themselves bear the weight of the roof Pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu, 2530-2470 BCE

Post-and-Lintel Construction = A horizontal bean supported at each end by a vertial post or a wall

Parthenon, Athens, Greece, 447-438 BC

Arches were perfected by the Romans: they allowed for greater span than post-and-lintel construction Round Arch = A curved, semicircular arch. Pointed Arch = An arch that rises steeply to a point at it s top. Pointed arches are a very noticeable element of Middle- Eastern Architectural design. Arches

EERO SAARINEN. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO (1966).

JOHN A. ROEBLING. Brooklyn Bridge, New York (1869 1883).

Vaults Vaults were a natural extension of the arch: line up one arch behind another to create a tunnel. Allowed for complex networks of tunnels in architecture. Modern example: explore Rice University.

Colosseum, Rome, 72-80 CE

Astrodome Modern sports arenas are based off the Collosseum! The Collosseum was especially important in the design of the Astrodome

Dome Domes were also a natural extension of the arch: it is a hemispherical space created by rotating an arch 360 degrees on it s axis.

Cast Iron Construction = Iron that is rigid and strong due to the addition of Carbon. Was also a product of the 19th century s Industrial Revolution Changed the realm of architecture It was a welcome alternative to stone and wood. Allowed for the erection of taller buildings with thinner walls Has great strength but is heavy Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, 1887-89

Figure 11.14, p.222: Engraving of Sir Joseph Paxton s Crystal Palace, London (1851).

Wood Frame Construction = A framework skeleton of 2x4-inch wood beams nailed together.

Accessibility: Woodframe construction became the foundation of American domestic architecture because it was CHEAP and EASY to build. Democratic, available for everyone.* *obviously, this photo is from an era when, in fact, this type of house was not available for everyone due to racism, bigotry, and hate.

Wood Frame Construction in Chicago began in 1833 Great Chicago Fire in October, 1871 Burned for almost two days Killed approximately 300 people Destroyed 3.3 square miles of the city, mostly in the business district. Left 100,000 people homeless

Steel and Reinforced Concrete Construction SKYSCRAPERS!!!!!!!!! Fireproof Solved the problem of urban crowding Visually dynamic Louis Sullivan. Wainwright Building, St. Louis, MO (1890).

Like Wood-frame construction, but Steel Ornamentation Lots of Windows Verticality Light, graceful instead of massive and heavy Steel-cage construction

MODERNISM = Architectural style that prioritizes volume (space) over mass (weight). Founded by Le Courbusier All about Function Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Gravity defying, technology allows for flexibility in design Geometric simplicity Exposed structure of building Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, Seagram Building, New York Cuty, 1958

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Museum of Fine Art Houston, TX, 1974

The return of wit, ornament, and reference Direct response to formalism of modernism; reject modernist rules. Function replaced by diverse aesthetics: color, symbolism, expressive decoration Postmodernism Philip Johnson and John Burgee, College of Architecture, University of Houston, 1983-85

Modernism = Form follows Function (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) Postmodernism = Form for it s own sake

Green Architecture = Architectural practice that is sustainable and environmentally friendly 1. Smaller buildings 2. Integration and compatibility with natural environment, or preserving nature in an urban environment. 3. Energy efficiency and solar orientation 4. Use of recycled, reusable, and sustainable materials

Infrastructure = In a city, the systems that delivery services to people (water, waste, energy, communications, public transportation Design and building practices that reference the layout of a city and accommodate the people in the city Highways, Parks

Skyscrapers, 1906, New York The Empire State Building