Opus 5 - Voices

Metric

Although we don't use the metric system here, we use measurements daily in an architecture program. We have to figure out what size to construct our studio projects in relation to the scale of a person. Our measurements have to be exact in drafting. We even use it in drawing, using makeshift tools to figure out what size an object is in a sketch. Since the metric system is used in other countries, I think this word shows that our designs have to be able to translate across other cultures. You have to consider the perspective of other people when trying to perceive and understand your design.

Precedent

The Basilica structure is the precedent for many buildings, especially the cathedral. "Saint Peter's and other early churches were clearly derived from the great imperial basilicas, but additional modifications were necessitated by the special needs of Christian worship" (roth pg. 282). As you can see in my sketch from class, the basic form of a circle was added on to over time. "Subsequent churches in Italy and other parts of the West tended to follow the pattern provided by the Constantinian basilicas" (roth pg. 282).The use of a square shape, central axis, cross shape, and the dome were experimented with over time in different regions.


It took the fusion of East and West to come to a final compromise of the different shapes. This fusion happened at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.


Presence

Hadrian's Villa from ancient Rome represents the word presence on two different levels. First, the fact that the villa was located right outside of the city, making it not "present." The political leaders used it as an escape from city life. Here, the rules of society didn't apply to them. Also, the villa is so large it has a huge presence in the area it stands. It shows off the extravagant lifestyle of the person that owns the villa compared with the commoners that surround them.


Moments

In Suzananne's class, we spent the week drawing 5 different scenes from our assigned building. I had the EUC so I chose important moments that are easily recognizable as from the EUC. A moment is something particularly special about a design, structure, or drawing. It's what kicks up a design an extra notch.

This relates to history class when learning about the pendentive. "Hagia Sophia was a physical representation of the fusion of empire and church, for to the Byzantine mind, the cube surmounted by a dome was a model of the universe, the earth covered with the dome of heaven" (roth pg.290). The goal was to create a dome structure that was even stronger and could bear more weight. This is a diagram of how the pendentive works:



Duality

Duality was important to me when designing my circulation zone for studio. I wanted to use this concept to create a place that could be used on multiple level, literally.

Duality was also important to early Christians. "During the early periods of persecution, Christians tried not to direct attention to themselves" (roth pg. 278). They met in peoples homes and burial tombs. These places not only served their regular function, but also that of a church. Later when the religion became the official of Rome, they had to create new structures that would meet all of the needs of the church. "The Christians required not only buildings that would accommodate large numbers of converts, but also enclosed spaces that would facilitate hearing the spoken word and chanted psalms" (roth pg. 279). In this age of sustainability, it's important for designs to work on multiple levels and be used for more than one thing.

Summary

The words of this week opus all have a strong connections to issues I've been dealing with in school. When building something in studio, visually designing something in our drawing classes, or learning about the past in history, these five words are important things to consider. Metric reminds us of the importance of accuracy in measurements and if a design has accurate presence in relation to a person. Presence and Moments have to do with creating something special that creates an impact in a design. Duality means taking these ideas and making something that can be used in multiple ways and has more than one meaning. We use precedents in the design world to see what people have done before us and how they used these different concepts. This helps us figure out how to build on what they have created and hopefully improve upon it.