rEading cOmprehension 2

[1] --In my opinion Hersey made quite a few valid points. Ideas usually feed off of things that have already been done, they’re just tweaked. To say that the temples were built from the idea of sacrificing and offering makes a lot of sense. Specific trees were made to represent specific Gods and the offerings were placed at that particular tree. Once the temples were built, they were used for the same thing. When Hersey said that the columns resemble people I made the connection almost immediately. The rings around the bottom which represent the bound feet, the fluted shafts which represent the blood vessels and veins, it is all true. Then there’s the capital that symbolizes the head. The Greeks believed in asymmetry and things being natural, I feel that they piggy backed off of nature when it came to the ideas for the temples.

[2] --In my opinion to avoid such a blunder as mis-reading when you use the internet as your major information source would be to cross reference the information you come across. Cross reference with other official websites like .orgs or .nets or even .govs. As a finishing point, refer to a book to verify the information. I would suggest starting off in a book but since we’re discussing the internet those would be my suggestions. I feel that the interpretation of images alone depends on your own individual personality. I can view a picture and my interpretation of it can be completely different from someone else’s. Think about if all record of our world today was lost and 3000 years later the inhabitants come across a single photo of the past. Depending on the imagination of the finder, the story could be either very extravagant or quite boring.

[3] --Hatshepsut was a female and that in itself was a difference of opinion shown. Not only did she stand out during her rule but she also stood out after. Instead of the typical large stacked pyramid covered in limestone and topped with gold, Hatshepsut was a part of the design that was unique to the eye and in meaning. The temple of this pharaoh was built into the mountain side and blended in because of the material and color. You wouldn’t know it was there if you didn’t already know. It was stacked but not anywhere near as high as those of the males’ temples. Her tomb was open to the high priest and had a very clear way of entrance. The pyramids had hidden entrances to keep others out. I believe because she was a female her way of thinking was completely different from other pharaohs. It wasn’t about standing out and having all the power, but more about bettering the people and being a respected ruler.

[4] --Egyptian life was focused around the Nile for survival. They knew their land and were able to live well off of it. Often, the river would flood so the Egyptians knew exactly when to plant what crops to produce. On the other side they were surrounded by desert and cliffs. Because specific materials such as limestone were so abundant of course this is what they used for building materials. Egypt was a polytheistic culture and also believed in the afterlife. Their architecture of the Pyramids of Giza made it evident that their lives are focused on getting closer to the heavens and because they believed in the afterlife, they felt they had multiple lifetimes to achieve the ideal. These temples were not made to be entered by just anyone. ON the other hand we have to Parthenon in the Acropolis. Greece was a water based empire. They relied heavily on the importing and exporting of goods. The Greeks were more exploratory with their architecture. They expanded upon Egyptian ideas and altered them to achieve the ideal. Although the Greeks were also a polytheistic culture they did not believe in the afterlife. The way they saw it was things came to an end. They were not afraid to take architectural risks. Like the Pyramids, the Parthenon was larger than the other temples around it showing the representation of power or significance. The Parthenon was meant for the public with its open columns.





[5] --Egyptian tombs are meant to be seen, that’s why they were built in such a large scale. They were supposed to show the power that the individual buried there possessed. Egyptian furniture, however, was built lightweight to make the process of it carrying over to the afterlife easier, theoretically. Just as body organs, jewels and other meaningful things were buried within the tomb with its owner, furniture was also considered precious items that should be carried on.

[6]--From viewing these two images I conclude that within the Grecian society males held more power than females. Notice that the male sits on the thrown as the females seem to be catering to him. Also, I noticed how around the top rim of one the urns the headdress made of leaves is painted and from my experience I’ve usually always seen males with these on. As I’ve mentioned before I believe that the interpretations of these will be different depending on the person. It’s hard to determine how valid information is if there’s only a picture to go off of. I may think that men dominate over females from viewing the picture of the urns but in reality the man is the slave and the women are maybe getting prepared to harm him.

Point: Theories

So far, throughout the semester we’ve discussed multiple themes in class. The ones that have stood out to me the most are the powers of three. We’ve discussed multiple theories of viewing architecture using this idea of “the Power of Three” such as Jules David Prown’s; “artifact” (description, deduction and speculation) and Dick Hebdige’s; double meaning, map of meaning and subculture, as well as Roland Barthes’; semiotics, ideologies and signs. To me however, Vitruvius’ Commodity, Firmness and Delight are the three I can best understand.
Although, since the 18th century commodity, firmness and delight have, I’m sure, changed meanings or the meanings have been broadened, what I took from this lesson was this: commodity refers to the function of the architecture. Does it fit the purpose intended, not saying that there has to be one overall purpose for something? Does the space or artifact function well? Have the ides clearly been conveyed within this space or within this artifact? For firmness, this refers to structure. Is the structure of the space or object built well? Is the frame functional and safe? This is sort of the bones of the operation, the inner arrangement. Finally we have delight which is different for every person discussing this. There may be some similarities but all in all it will be different. Is the structure of the object esthetically pleasing? Is it enjoyable and pleasant? Does it give you that warm, fuzzy feeling on the inside? This is a personal and internal decision. Architecture is built for people, If it’s not enjoyed it’s almost like a waste of time and resources.
An object to me that I feel satisfies commodity, firmness and delight is this cardboard chair called “the wiggle chair” designed by Frank Gehyr. It’s made of corrugated cardboard and although I have not sat upon it, so the delight actually might not be there, I still find it very appealing. After reading a little about it they say it’s quite soft to the touch and very stable. This chair reminds me of one built by a classmate of mine Corry Mears last semester. I have sat on his chair and found it to be an interesting experience. I cannot compare the two because, again, I haven’t sat on the Gehyr chair but it helps give me a general idea.


As I lay in my bed at night I can’t help but to think back when we learned about the aedicule. This has been a concept that’s stayed with me since it was first introduced a few years back. I truly believe that all basic forms of architecture started with this simple design of four columns and a roof. To take a turn, I also believe that three columns could be just a sturdy if we refer back to the powers of three. So far history and theories has introduced new ideas to me about architecture. Its one thing to see architecture through your own eyes but to be able to view it through a multiple of others is amazing.

http://hubpages.com/hub/the-art-of-recycled-furniture; 2010

rEading cOmprehension 1...

[1] -- I feel that a ceiling fan meets Wotton’s definition of commodity, firmness and delight. It fulfills commodity because its purpose is to cool off a person or provide a breeze for someone indoors or who’s just plain hot. With its slanted blades moving in a circular motion it forms a refreshing gentle wind for those without air conditioning or something light for those warm summer nights. The unit fulfills firmness because the structure is well thought out and sturdy. The fan is able to spin at slow and faster speeds without flying away or falling apart. It fulfills delight because on hot summer days and even warm summer nights the draft provides and enjoyable alternative to having to sit and hear the loud air conditioning to cool down.



[2] --

[3] --I agree that the U.S. generally does feel the need for more space so when it comes to our very own classroom some problems arise. The largest issue is of the seats being so close together or us having to sit so close together. At times there’s competition over the arm rest, someone with both arms on the rests to either side of them causes an inconvenience or an issue when personal space comes into play. Bumping elbows and legs is not comfortable. Our attitude towards space is the more the merrier. If the room was more crowded there would be the issue of walking up and down the aisles or having to pass someone to get from the middle of the row. People tend to go above and beyond to avoid simply brushing up against someone else.

[4]--I’m not sure if I completely understood the reading but I do believe there can be architecture of happiness. In the reading de Botton write; “Architecture may well possess moral messages; it simply has no power to enforce them. It offers suggestions instead of making laws. It invites, rather than orders, us to emulate its spirit and cannot prevent its own abuse.” I think architecture of happiness is in the eyes of the beholder. A home can be an extremely happy place for the person who lives there but may not have the same effect on someone visiting the same home. Here’s an image of my bedroom which to me is a very happy place. It’s where I go to relax and take in the events of the day. Being in someone else’s room does not have the same effect because it’s not your personal space. It’s laid out to where I can see the television as I lay in my bed. My work area is set aside so that there are not many distractions. The pictures on the walls provide a visually pleasing element to ease the mind. It’s where I feel comfortable and safe.

rEflection... (what I learned from others)

As much as I’ve learned about myself during this project, I’ve also learned from others. It’s always exciting to see how other people interpret the same space and information you had, where they get their inspirations and ideas. Most people who had the loading dock space chose to do a loft type area mostly for the living or sleeping space. This made a lot of sense because the space was very tall and this helped save floor space. If I would have had the same space I would have chosen to do the same. With that being said, it was more interesting to me to see the ideas for the administration space. Like Kacie’s proposal with the sliding glass doors. Where the bathroom was the central area and the glass doors slid to either close off other spaces or open them up, but with the glass that open feeling remained. I really enjoyed that and that was something I wouldn’t have thought of. It was tough to make the space adequate for your own artist/client as well as keeping it neutral enough where if someone else came to stay it could be easily changed or suited for that person. I think I’ve learned a little bit of everything from everyone else who presented. I’m not sure if I can name all those things right now, but I know they’ll start to show in my work from now on.

rEflection... (what I learned about myself)

The time has come to reflect on this final project I just finished. I’ve definitely learned some of my strengths and weaknesses. When first assigned the work, I was already nervous. We had to take measurements and draw a plan from them. Might not sound that hard, but it was crazy. One wrong measurement and your whole plan would be off. As the process progressed however it got a bit easier. I learned that perspectives are really a strength for me. I’ve always enjoyed drawing them and seeing how closely the finish product resembles the space. In this case it was seeing if the finished product was what I saw in my head because this was my personal design. A weakness I’d have to say would be laying out my board. I don’t think I put as much thought into it as I should have and it caused problems for me in the end. I’ve never had to do a project quite like this where everything was up to me. The color scheme, furniture placement, wall placements and deciding the size of things was all my ideas and visions. I’ve learned a few things about what can work in a space and what can’t. Like bathrooms don’t need to be huge in a small space, you only spend a small fraction of the day in it. Add necessities and be done. I also learned a lot you can do with concrete. Stain it and paint it, it doesn’t have to remain in its normal state. Overall, I really enjoyed this project. I absolutely feel that I’ve grown from this experience as a designer and as an artist. I’d be more confident going into another project similar to this one.

Redesigned space for Stoel...

For our final we were assigned a space within our building and was asked to redesign it for a visiting artist. The time frame was from about a few days to a semester, so not a lot was necessary, or so I thought. Although this space was for a specific person, it still had to be able to accommodate all types of artists and people, be versatile. I was assigned the administration building. The hardest part was taking the measurements in the space in a short amount of time because these are the admin offices, you can't just wonder in because you forgot something. So pictures were helpful..







After that we had to draw our technical drawings; floor plan and section elevations. After we planned out our ideas and plans, we had to build the model in sketch-up. That was the longest process because it was first time using it and I had to restart like 3 times, but overall I think it turned out great. It feels good to know that these are my ideas that other people can see visually. I can walk them through it with sketch-up and my hand drawn perspectives. I chose the furniture placement, room separations and color scheme. That feels GREAT to say. Overall I'm very proud of myself and the work I've done. Of course there were things that could have been changed or improved on, but there will always be changes to be made, I think.

Finished products:












A few things I might have done better would have definitely been the layout of the board. I feel like it could have flowed a lot better to make it more understandable to someone who's not apart of the major. A super graphic would have also been more creative. And also to record more of my progress. I always remember that I should have taken pictures and stuff after the fact. I don't take care of my first attempts at things, and that's if I keep up with them. I'm trying to get to the point where taking pictures and blogging because a part of the process as a whole, not an after-the-fact type of thing.

As the end of the semester approaches I can now reflect on my work and the progress I've made throughout my first year. I'm eager to see what next year brings and to put forth the improvements I've made.

sCavenger hUnt cLues 5-7.. Pick a car, redesign and add more style

SOoOoo.. this is my car.. resemble anyone?? haha.. I wanted to have fun with this assignment, so instead of just doing a simple "pimp my ride" type of car, i decided to turn it into one of my professors. The colors didn't come out the way i planned for them to but overall i'm happy with it. I hope he doesn't take this the wrong way, it's all in fun :-) This concludes my first year of Iarc..