Task 1 - Back Briefs
Coursework 1: The Patchwork Technique
Three separate essays will be assigned to complete over the course of this academic year, for each we must choose a building to write about. This technique is designed to simulate the research process.
The final submission will consist of all three patchwork essays combined in to one, each essay being 500 words each, 1500 words total for the final submission.
The subject of the patchwork can be chosen from a variety of topics. Must be about two different buildings from different periods though in the same context (location), the main objective is to extensively research and analyse these buildings.
All patchwork projects will be completed and submitted and presented in pairs.
Patchwork 3:
- Chance to reflect on my research style
- Develop critical thinking and analytical skills
- Opportunity to improve the previous two patchwork essays
At the submission date, a hard copy of the patchwork (‘s 1, 2 and 3) must be submitted as well as a 5 minute PowerPoint presentation. And also must be submitted on NOW.
Coursework 2: Research Blog
Homework will be assigned (usually) on a weekly basis and should be completed during the week given as not to fall behind. Homework assignments may be in the form of:
- Essays
- Drawing
- Model making
- Research
When feedback is given on the homework assignment, I must reflect on it and evaluate how I can improve my performance in the fields lacking.
During this course I will learn how to:
- Evaluate information and use it to develop investigation strategies and responses
- Advanced methods of visual, verbal and written communicative responses
- To also understand how to properly reference my sources for the information gathered to avoid plagiarism
Blog must be submitted by: Friday 18th October 2013
Final submission date: Friday 16th May 2014
- There will be a penalty of being capped at a low 3rd grade for failing to submit any homework on the blog.
A reasonable amount of time must be invested into making the appearance of the blog as well as the presentation of it up to professional standards.
When researching, sites such as Wikipedia, answer.com and any blog sites must be avoided (to ensure best possible grade).
Coursework 3: E-Test
The E-test is a multiple choice option which will assess my knowledge on architecture based on specific areas
- The subjects of architectural context covered during seminars and lectures
- Image identification displayed in our seminar and lecture sessions
- And our individual research blogs
This coursework will assess my ability to identify and evaluate through discussion and formal critique on all of the covered contexts of architecture, such as:
- Social
- Historic
- Cultural
- And the architectural contexts of cities and landscapes
I will also learn to distinguish the relationship between historic and contemporary architecture.
Task 2 - Project 1: Understanding Phenomenology
The Nottingham magistrate’s court was designed by the Nottingham County Councils architecture department and was built in 1996, for which the year is the Queen of England had visited this building on the day of its birth. The magistrates of Nottingham were originally housed in two separate buildings however, since the construction of this building, they have all been housed under one roof. The Nottingham magistrate’s court was designed by the Nottingham County Councils architecture department and was built in 1996, for which the year is the Queen of England had visited this building on the day of its birth. The magistrates of Nottingham were originally housed in two separate buildings however, since the construction of this building, they have all been housed under one roof. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is supposedly the oldest inn still standing in England. Built in 1189, the inn was a stop for crusader soldiers for a quick pint on their way to Jerusalem. Since this pub is so old, there are no records of any architect having designed it. The Park Tunnel was designed by the architect Thomas Chambers and built in 1855. The primary use of this tunnel was to allow horse drawn carriages access to the Park Estate however, the tunnels path gradient was too steep for the horses to walk up thus making the tunnels primary function useless. The tunnel was a residential area in Nottingham for the wealthier members of society. It was also used as a path leading to a hunting ground for which the duke of Newcastle would take. |
1. "Use a dictionary of phenomenology to help you write one paragraph about your understanding of phenomenology. Think Particularly about how it relates to architecture and design. Try to find concrete examples to illustrate your description."
The book ‘A Dictionary of Philosophy’ refers to a number of philosophers attempting to accurately define ‘phenomenology’. The philosopher Edmund Husserl established phenomenology and attempted to ‘ground all knowledge in the contents of experience’. Husserl believed that experience is the source of all knowledge. This can be applied to architecture as it has had a system of trial and error for centuries. Many civilizations in many different times, discover new and creative ways to cultivate various materials to be used in architecture. Knowledge of these cultivation and construction techniques are used to this day. For example, in Alberti’s and Pallasmaa’s text, they describe the most favoured material used by ancient architects. The Lime was most highly praised by ancient architects, they discovered this element, and procured it from extremely hard and compact, white rocks. 2. "Take one quote from Pallasmaa's and Alberti's text and write about what you think it means and why it is important to you." "Architecture is a certain type of object & space used." This quote from Pallasmaa's and Alberti's text, can be interpreted as believing architecture to be an object for which one may interact with. A sound structure strategically situated to suggest a particular sensation/ feeling. Pallasmaa believes that 'inhabitants, when interfacing with a building, become "spectators", experiencing architecture as an image.' However, the word 'used' could mean one of two things, or both. The first is that architecture is a tool used by architects to control the experience of the habitants. The second is that it is a space used by the habitants to simply accomplish what they went there to do. |
The images below are my own impressions of the sites I visited.
The drawings below illustrate the shape of the structures and describes the shape of the materials used to make them.
For one of my assignments, I had to make a model of one of the four sites I visited. I chose to make a model of the Magistrates Court as I believe it had the most effect on me. The objective was not to make a literal translation of the site, but I had to physically develop an impression I got from the site, into a 3-Dimensional form. The images below display my impressions of the Magistrates Court.
We gave the name ‘A Different Perspective’ to our project because of the way it alters ones senses. Our idea is centred on the way the Park Tunnel made us feel during our visit, the foremost impressions we got from the tunnel was its echoing silence and intimidation. We had all agreed upon this site because it was the space that could be altered the most. The main senses we selected to focus on are sight and sound. Our primary objective was to change the experience of the Park Tunnel by altering these negative impressions and replacing them with positive ones. The reason why we chose sight and sound to alter is because they are the prominent senses that were being effected by the tunnel. We tried to change the experience testing out a number of methods.
The images below and above display my sketches of the ideas development and the series of design ideas we went through to reach our final outcome.
Task 3 - Project 2: Ergonomics
The Parthenon
The Parthenon affects the way in which people perceive the structure, this is the ergonomic nature of the Parthenon. Being built on an uneven surface the structure displays a curved design to facilitate the uneven ground below it. As the diagram on the right shows, the lines are in fact curved. Another effect of this structural technique of using curved lines, the building appears to be a great deal lighter than what the materials used would suggest, like the heavy stones using for its construction. |
Ancient Theatres
The area of the bench seats where the legs are situated are designed in correspondence to the many hours that people need to be seated in theatres for. For they are expected to sit through several plays and performances at a time. The advantages of this ergonomic design are; that it facilitates the movement of the legs which decreases the amount of numbness generated by the act of idly sitting down. It also facilitates the ability to stand up, this was important then because of the lack of hand rests in the bench seats. It was done by clearing out an area directly below the seat, enabling the right amount of leverage to be generated. The placement directly below a person’s centre of gravity is what gives people the ability to do this, and was taken into consideration when these seats were designed. The drawing on the left illustrates the inward curve of the seats. |
Le Corbusier’s Modular Man
Corbusier developed the modular man during the time of WW2, in 1943 and later on published in 1950. Corbusier would then use his modular man development and incorporate it into how he deigned his buildings, including buildings such as his government complex in India, Chandigarh. It received widespread praise. The modular man was conceived to be a universal system of proportions in design. It was devised to resolve mathematics and the human form, to be used in architecture as well as in many other design areas.
Corbusier developed the modular man during the time of WW2, in 1943 and later on published in 1950. Corbusier would then use his modular man development and incorporate it into how he deigned his buildings, including buildings such as his government complex in India, Chandigarh. It received widespread praise. The modular man was conceived to be a universal system of proportions in design. It was devised to resolve mathematics and the human form, to be used in architecture as well as in many other design areas.
Ergonomics of Park Tunnel:
There are many ways in which one can respond to the site of the park tunnel to achieve an ergonomic product. One way is taking in the stimulus of your senses and applying it to the design, for example;
- The Park Tunnel is Dark - Incorporate the use of luminous materials in the design
- The Park tunnel is eerie and somewhat frightening - Restrict the amount of visual intake in the design
- The Park tunnel is too steep - Apply the use of a way to level the ground in the design
etc...
Possible furniture designs for the space:
A way in which one can design a furniture for this kind of space are;
Because the level of the ground in the park tunnel is uneven, being that it gets steeper as you continue through the tunnel, one could elevate one side of the furniture to make it even all around. Alternatively, if the tunnel is too dark, one could use reflective materials in the design incorporation of the furniture. Another thing that could taken into consideration when designing furniture for this space is the temperature of the tunnel, it is usually cool during the day but becomes very cold during the night, a method in response to this information may lead one to design the furniture using thermal materials.
References:
http://ergou.simor.ntua.gr/research/ancientGreece/AncientGreece.htm
http://www.iconeye.com/read-previous-issues/icon-065-%7C-november-2008/modulor-man
There are many ways in which one can respond to the site of the park tunnel to achieve an ergonomic product. One way is taking in the stimulus of your senses and applying it to the design, for example;
- The Park Tunnel is Dark - Incorporate the use of luminous materials in the design
- The Park tunnel is eerie and somewhat frightening - Restrict the amount of visual intake in the design
- The Park tunnel is too steep - Apply the use of a way to level the ground in the design
etc...
Possible furniture designs for the space:
A way in which one can design a furniture for this kind of space are;
Because the level of the ground in the park tunnel is uneven, being that it gets steeper as you continue through the tunnel, one could elevate one side of the furniture to make it even all around. Alternatively, if the tunnel is too dark, one could use reflective materials in the design incorporation of the furniture. Another thing that could taken into consideration when designing furniture for this space is the temperature of the tunnel, it is usually cool during the day but becomes very cold during the night, a method in response to this information may lead one to design the furniture using thermal materials.
References:
http://ergou.simor.ntua.gr/research/ancientGreece/AncientGreece.htm
http://www.iconeye.com/read-previous-issues/icon-065-%7C-november-2008/modulor-man
Task 4 - Academic Writing and Plagiarism
Is Critical Thinking about being Critical in the usual sense of being negative or is it about 'thoughtful thinking' ? Please explain
The process of thoughtful thinking could be interpreted as a very abstract term, meaning that it has no real definition, just the thinking of everyday situations. However, critical thinking has a different meaning, it gives us the chance to analyse both the upside and the downside of a chosen subject area. I would define critical thinking as a way to give reflective feedback on a topic however, the feedback must be given in a non-bias manner to avoid a personal input, it is purely for the benefit of the one being critically thought of. I would also go as far as linking it to a form of meta-thinking, where one critically thinks about ones own process of thinking. Again, this can neither be a positive nor a negative form of thinking.
After reading Jennifer Moon's chapter, do you think you knew what critical thinking was? do you think you could use critical thinking as a learning tool?
Upon reading Jennifer Moon's chapter, I felt my opinions on critical thinking in resonance with hers, the idea of requiring a built competence of subjectivity to truly understand the idea of critical thinking is indeed true. Critical thinking is a powerful learning tool as it allows one to look at their work from a different perspective and make judgements based on those perspectives, which could be crucial in an architectural design process.
Write a short report on plagiarism based on the following literal quote: "Plagiarism is intellectual theft" (Breach, 2009, 124). Please finish your report by including your own experience regarding plagiarism and using reference system. Were you aware of the relevance of acknowledging sources?
I partially agree with the quote "plagiarism is intellectual theft". But first I will list a few reasons for why people plagiarise; A reason that people plagiarise others' work is to get ahead in a subject that they would otherwise be unable to complete, or make constructive evidence to support in. For example, a student may commit plagiarism just to complete an assignment, with no interest in theft or assuming ownership in anything, this is due to their laziness however, does laziness to cite sources make one a thief? If the intention was not to steal or claim ownership on an already existing theory/idea, does that make it theft or even ethically wrong? I do not believe so. I believe that the only thing unacceptable is the ignorance of properly citing a source of information. I have used many ideas and thoughts of many writers, architects, artists, theorists yet I had absolutely no intention to steal nor play the works off as my own, I purely had no clue how to properly reference a piece of information. On the other hand, I can sympathise with the person who came up with the theory/idea who has had their work 'stolen', sometimes it can take years, even decades to come up with a truly unique idea, where in these days a person can merely press: CTRL C + CTRL V and present those ideas as their own would be truly frustrating. In conclusion, I do not believe that the word 'theft' would be the most accurate word to use, yet I can sympathise with the victims of plagiarism to an extent where i believe it's ethically wrong to assume non-existing rights over a piece of work.
The process of thoughtful thinking could be interpreted as a very abstract term, meaning that it has no real definition, just the thinking of everyday situations. However, critical thinking has a different meaning, it gives us the chance to analyse both the upside and the downside of a chosen subject area. I would define critical thinking as a way to give reflective feedback on a topic however, the feedback must be given in a non-bias manner to avoid a personal input, it is purely for the benefit of the one being critically thought of. I would also go as far as linking it to a form of meta-thinking, where one critically thinks about ones own process of thinking. Again, this can neither be a positive nor a negative form of thinking.
After reading Jennifer Moon's chapter, do you think you knew what critical thinking was? do you think you could use critical thinking as a learning tool?
Upon reading Jennifer Moon's chapter, I felt my opinions on critical thinking in resonance with hers, the idea of requiring a built competence of subjectivity to truly understand the idea of critical thinking is indeed true. Critical thinking is a powerful learning tool as it allows one to look at their work from a different perspective and make judgements based on those perspectives, which could be crucial in an architectural design process.
Write a short report on plagiarism based on the following literal quote: "Plagiarism is intellectual theft" (Breach, 2009, 124). Please finish your report by including your own experience regarding plagiarism and using reference system. Were you aware of the relevance of acknowledging sources?
I partially agree with the quote "plagiarism is intellectual theft". But first I will list a few reasons for why people plagiarise; A reason that people plagiarise others' work is to get ahead in a subject that they would otherwise be unable to complete, or make constructive evidence to support in. For example, a student may commit plagiarism just to complete an assignment, with no interest in theft or assuming ownership in anything, this is due to their laziness however, does laziness to cite sources make one a thief? If the intention was not to steal or claim ownership on an already existing theory/idea, does that make it theft or even ethically wrong? I do not believe so. I believe that the only thing unacceptable is the ignorance of properly citing a source of information. I have used many ideas and thoughts of many writers, architects, artists, theorists yet I had absolutely no intention to steal nor play the works off as my own, I purely had no clue how to properly reference a piece of information. On the other hand, I can sympathise with the person who came up with the theory/idea who has had their work 'stolen', sometimes it can take years, even decades to come up with a truly unique idea, where in these days a person can merely press: CTRL C + CTRL V and present those ideas as their own would be truly frustrating. In conclusion, I do not believe that the word 'theft' would be the most accurate word to use, yet I can sympathise with the victims of plagiarism to an extent where i believe it's ethically wrong to assume non-existing rights over a piece of work.
Task 5 - Failed Architecture
By visiting the website http://failedarchitecture.com/ I have gained a more informed understanding of what is expected of a successful work of architecture. For example, the ever changing architectural requirements and trends to keep up with, like the demands of societal, cultural and political needs.
One example of a successful work of architecture is evident in the design features of the Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago. This building was designed specifically and uniquely for the purpose of patient care. It was designed to be a unified and comprehensive approach to healthcare for women through all stages of their lives, while responding to the increasing demand for high-quality care. However, as times change, so does the requirements of the continuously developing society. It became that this structure had to be demolished in favour of research in another field, like advancements in medical research, or technology. This building was solely designed for patient care and nothing else, the structural design of this building interfered somewhat with the new function that it had to fulfil. Although this building was successful in meeting its functional requirements, it became obsolete in the way that it had to be repurposed. This begs the question of whether success in this field is limited to the point where the purpose of the building becomes no longer needed. Or whether the building is so diversely constructed and thoughtfully integrated, with many engineering and design features that it will never become obsolete, and continue being of use in some way. Withstanding the test of time. |
The image above is of the largest shopping and leisure centre in Scandinavia, called 'fields'. This building is situated in Orestad, Copenhagen in Denmark.
The fields centre was described as a great failure on the basis of particular design, location and political reasons. Some believe that there are three particular reasons for why fields was a failure. The first reason was because the construction of this building was decided by the Orestad Development Corporation. This was a violation of the Danish Planning Guidelines, and as a cause of this, it has had a negative effect in construction of large out-of-town shopping centres. And has also effected local trade. The second reason is that the building was controversial to begin with. The area before the shopping centre was originally a protected natural park. The controversy had become intensified by the environmentalist groups. However, the Orestad Development Corporation had ignored the pleas of these citizen-represented groups. Also, the building itself did not fit into its particular context, Christian Kvorning the Senior Support Engineer at Milestone Systems in Denmark says "The large shopping mall was allowed to turn in an inward-facing direction, without the slightest attempt to create life in the surrounding streets". With the construction of 'fields', Orestad lost a substantial amount of urbanism potential.
Based on the information above, I believe that a way to avoid failure in architecture is to be mindful of one's surroundings, in terms of how to compliment it instead of completely disagreeing with it. Another point I caught was to also consider the effect the building will have on other similar constructions, and the effects it's going to have on trade and other important elements.
The fields centre was described as a great failure on the basis of particular design, location and political reasons. Some believe that there are three particular reasons for why fields was a failure. The first reason was because the construction of this building was decided by the Orestad Development Corporation. This was a violation of the Danish Planning Guidelines, and as a cause of this, it has had a negative effect in construction of large out-of-town shopping centres. And has also effected local trade. The second reason is that the building was controversial to begin with. The area before the shopping centre was originally a protected natural park. The controversy had become intensified by the environmentalist groups. However, the Orestad Development Corporation had ignored the pleas of these citizen-represented groups. Also, the building itself did not fit into its particular context, Christian Kvorning the Senior Support Engineer at Milestone Systems in Denmark says "The large shopping mall was allowed to turn in an inward-facing direction, without the slightest attempt to create life in the surrounding streets". With the construction of 'fields', Orestad lost a substantial amount of urbanism potential.
Based on the information above, I believe that a way to avoid failure in architecture is to be mindful of one's surroundings, in terms of how to compliment it instead of completely disagreeing with it. Another point I caught was to also consider the effect the building will have on other similar constructions, and the effects it's going to have on trade and other important elements.
Task 6 - Islamic Architecture and Identity
1. Research, analyse and compare a medieval Islamic building (i.e. La Alhambra in Granada, The Mosque in Cordoba, The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, etc) and a contemporary design, Masdar City.
The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also called the Mezquita and the Great house of worship of Córdoba, or the Cathedral of the assumption of Our lady is a medieval Muslim house of worship that was converted into a Roman Catholic Christian Cathedral in the Spanish city of Córdoba, Andalusia. The house of worship is regarded as one in all the foremost accomplished monuments of moorish architecture. Since the early 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman catholic church to allow them to pray in the cathedral. This Muslim campaign has been rejected on multiple occasions, each by the church authorities in Spain and by the residence.
The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of opaque gem, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made of items of the Roman temple that had occupied the site antecedently, including multiple other destroyed Roman buildings, like the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were a brand new introduction to design, allowing higher ceilings than would well be doable with comparatively low columns. The double arches accommodates a lower Moorish arch associated a higher semi-circular arch. The notable alternating red and white voussoirs of the arches were impressed by those within the Dome of the Rock. and conjointly fit those of the Aachen Cathedral, that were designed virtually at identical time. A centrally settled honey-combed dome has blue tiles adorned with stars.
The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also called the Mezquita and the Great house of worship of Córdoba, or the Cathedral of the assumption of Our lady is a medieval Muslim house of worship that was converted into a Roman Catholic Christian Cathedral in the Spanish city of Córdoba, Andalusia. The house of worship is regarded as one in all the foremost accomplished monuments of moorish architecture. Since the early 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman catholic church to allow them to pray in the cathedral. This Muslim campaign has been rejected on multiple occasions, each by the church authorities in Spain and by the residence.
The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of opaque gem, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made of items of the Roman temple that had occupied the site antecedently, including multiple other destroyed Roman buildings, like the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were a brand new introduction to design, allowing higher ceilings than would well be doable with comparatively low columns. The double arches accommodates a lower Moorish arch associated a higher semi-circular arch. The notable alternating red and white voussoirs of the arches were impressed by those within the Dome of the Rock. and conjointly fit those of the Aachen Cathedral, that were designed virtually at identical time. A centrally settled honey-combed dome has blue tiles adorned with stars.