The Architecture Thread

[bèlla]

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[Rigatoni]

I haven't been able to post too often here lately, but I'll try to join in on @sampa 's challenge when I can. I'm planning on going into detail on the styles I've learned about from prehistory to present age, and how certain ones factor into more recent designs we see today. I may also post on some other architectural styles I've discovered recently. Hopefully it'll bless sampa on her journey and others in finding new styles they like.

 

[Tone]

Modern Treehouse

@Tone Here you go.

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Beautiful, can you imagine the smell, the feel, and the sound!

 

[bèlla]

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[Rigatoni]

Anthony,

Thanks for chiming in.

I looked at the picture earlier and couldn't place the roof but I knew I saw it before. Then I remembered the period houses in the UK. Sometimes television comes in handy.



I'm glad you like them. You wanted beachfront properties. The second one mirrors your style. But the first contains many features you'd want in a family home.

I like Victorian houses. The layout is choppy and has to be modernized. They didn't have a lot of bathrooms! But they're neat projects nonetheless.

You'll build your dream home of course. Any idea what style you're leaning towards?

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

For sure. I was getting into shows about homesteads, treehouse construction and tiny houses at one time myself, as well as a Canadian-based home repair series. Programs like that can really invigorate your inner architect / interior designer.

I do love beachfront and anything with a tropical vibe. I'm not completely sure regarding my idea dream home design, though. Definitely something modern or contemporary, but perhaps with rustic or eclectic elements as well. I'm not a fan of anything too box-like or stark, it needs some level of character. But I'm torn between something tropical near the ocean or a forest cabin concealed within a lush forest. It would need spacious rooms, an abundance of natural lighting and windows, natural materials mixed with steel, perhaps earthy tones, a sleek exterior, and an inviting, cozy interior.

Perhaps I need to do more searching to see which designs catch my interest, but I really like designs that are almost surreal and unusual. I think my ideal home would be a modern cabin suspended in the air (like a treehouse) surrounded by trees. I love being by bodies of water, so a river nearby would be a plus.


How about you?

 

[bèlla]

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[sampa]

sampa,

I've looked at the first image more than once. The front looks like an addition. The sun room definitely is. The second picture reminds me of a thatched roof cottage. You can see examples here.

@Rigatoni Would you agree?

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

thank you! I love those pictures of thatched roofs. So cute. I would love to spend 2 or 3 days there may be with a woman cooking a meal or some kind of homestay. I imagine waking up in the morning refreshed after a good night sleep.

 

[sampa]

was getting into shows about homesteads,

I think homestead should be one of my house styles I do. I'm going to write it down for one of my days. I like the idea of permaculture and homesteading.

I'm partial to water but I like the country too. I want land most of all. I've been poking around the mountain states looking at property. I can't live in the city anymore. Wyoming looks nice.

I'm partial to water also. the one-way I resolved that without the cost is finding a nearby body of water that I can run to. It was hard when I lived in the middle of farmland though. But I did have a goldfish pond with a waterfall which was nice.

I like large rooms with floor to ceiling windows and lots of natural light

me too!!! I am all about light.

 

[bèlla]

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[bèlla]

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[Rigatoni]

Neolithic Architecture

Architecture began with very humble origins, starting with the practical dwellings of Paleolithic Stone Age nomads in western and southern Europe. These shelters consisted of multi chambered caves, rock shelters and temporary, wood tent-like structures. Permanent dwellings would be of little use to small groups of migratory predators constantly on the search for food.

About 9,000 B.C., mankind entered the Neolithic age (or New Stone Age), and acquired skills such as farming, hunting, growing crops, domesticating animals, pottery and cloth weaving. They also developed complex social structures within village communities, which marked the beginning of civilization. However during this time, architecture still consisted of crude fabrications with building materials consisting of timber, straw, wattle and daub, and mud.

Illustrations of a Paleolithic hut and of Neolithic housing at Catal Huyuk

The first monumental construction arose from the need of protection from enemies, an even greater need than protection from the elements. Such as with the discovery of the biblical city of Jericho, dating back to around 7,000-6,000 B.C. in Jordan. The buildings in Jericho consisted of rectangular, two-room houses, which were finished with lime-plaster for the walls and flooring. However, the city was enclosed by powerful stone walls and defensive towers made with noticeable technical skill.

Ruins of the ancient Neolithic city of Jerico

More impressive Neolithic architecture, ironically, wasn't meant for practical needs, but rather to serve emotional and spiritual needs. Monumental construction during this time (megalithic) consisted of massive stone blocks assembled together in basic structural arrangements - without mortar. In some cases the blocks were merely leaned against each other. But in other cases a post-and-lintel, or trabeated construction, was used, in which vertical uprights hold up a horizontal beam. In addition to post-and-lintel construction, which is so significant it's still being used today, the megalithic builders also invented the technique of corbeling - masonry blocks gradually projecting forward progressively from a wall plane at successive courses to bridge a gap and support an opening or overhang.

Megalithic construction was no easy feat for a society with such crude technology. However, they were able to accomplish these massive structures due to abundance of labor, endurance and limitless time. Tombs and nonsepulchral monuments (such as Bronze Age temples) were also given the megalithic treatment.

Ruins of Hal Tarxien (Bronze Age temple in Malta) and Stonehenge (Bronze Age monument in England)

 

[sampa]

Day 7. Mansions. I imagine these to be a lot of fun for family get-togethers. Especially if a family is quite extended. I wonder what other good uses would be for mansions? What could be a way that it could be used in such a way that isn't related to status and money and godly living? Can you think of any examples? I think there are scripture that talks about our place in heaven having many rooms?
Also can anyone tell me what each of these styles is? I'm curious.

 

[Rigatoni]

Ancient Egypt

The Nile River was an a vital resource of food, fresh water, nutrients for crops (when the river would flood annually) and transportation to the Egyptians. Natural barriers protected the river valley from invasion and disruption; the landscape in general was the guiding force of Egyptian civilization. Egyptians had the most materialistic and otherworldly of views on reality, and sought to create an architecture that would match the scale and grandeur of the environment: the river, mountains and desert. Their complex religion also evolved to obsession with the cult of the dead, even more so than Neolithic society.

To ensure immortality, elaborate means of preservation and protection were made for the dead, as well as provision for good sand services believed required in the afterlife. Flat-roofed, bench-shaped rectangular structures known as mastabas were constructed as tombs or literal houses of the dead. These structures were made of adobe brick and stood 20 to 30 feet above ground. The bodies of the deceased were buried 30 meters below ground in these structures, and inside they contained chapels where traditional rituals were held. Mastabas were placed near each other in proximity of the pharaoh's burial ground, creating an necropolis (or city of the dead).

An enormous funerary complex was designed for King Zoser by Imhotep - the first recorded architect in history. An enlarged mastaba became the core of the gigantic superstructure, with five additional mastabas built on top with maintained height but reduced length and width at each successive level. Thus, the first ever pyramid was not the pure, geometric form we're used to seeing, but rather was a step pyramid. Instead of traditional sun-baked bricks, large blocks of cut stone were used. It was the tallest structure in the world at the time, standing at 204 feet in height.


Egyptian necropolis (with mastabas) and the Step Pyramid of King Zoser in Saqqara

A pure, geometric pyramid shape was attempted in what is known as the Pyramid of Medum. However, it resulted in structural failure and collapsed into itself. It wasn't until the reign of the great pharaoh Khufu that a true equilateral shape was successfully constructed in Giza, known as the Great Pyramid - which was now the tallest man-made structure in the world. Additional pyramids were constructed at Giza for kings Khafre and Menkure; all three were lined with smooth, polished limestone on the exterior and capped with a sheath of gold. Nothing that followed could match their grandness.


Collapsed Step Pyramid at Medum and the Great Pyramid in Giza

After Khufu, pyramids grew smaller and smaller in scale, and eventually the pyramid-building impulse was gone. This is partly due to gradual economic and political decline, and possible dwindling of resources. Grave robbing also became a major issue as the pyramids were not as impregnable as initially thought. Burial chambers were now concealed by being carved into the depths of nearby cliffs. On top of all this and with the shift in power towards priesthood, temples now became the focus of cult construction. Egyptians built temples to honor a specific god rather than kings.


Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Temple of Khons

Temples consisted of four parts: an entrance highlighted by pylons, a prarie style courtyard, a hypostyle hall and a sanctuary. Pylons stood 40 meters high, and stone obelisks along with statues of the pharaohs stood before the pylons. The square courtyards were lined by columns and open to the public. The hypostyle hall featured clerestory openings that flooded the room with natural lighting, however access to the hall was limited to high officials; the sanctuary was limited to priests only. Columns were constructed according to their design orders, with the principle forms including: Palm, Papyrus, Lotus, "Tent pole" and Papyrus with an open bud.


Temple of Amun at Karnak

Egyptian architecture was not just about somber temples and despondent tombs, but also an affirmation of abundance of life filled with trading, farming, administration, crafts and enjoyment. Even the tombs were filled with colorful depictions of life, and temples contained columns that reflected a celebration of the living forces of nature. This richness and vitality of Egyptian life was also evident in their secular construction.

 

[bèlla]

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[Rigatoni]

Ancient Near East

Cultures that succeeded each other in ancient Mesopotamia produced styles that were limited and diverse, in contrast to the development of Egyptian architecture which was comprehensible, organized and enduring. Although, they provided a number of prototypes for that of Greek architecture - the second greatest architectural style in existence.

Sumer
The Sumerians were one of the first civilizations of the world, with Sumer considered the cradle of civilization. They invented a complex system of measurement which resulted in the creation of arithmetic, geometry and algebra. Their religion was based on the elements and led to the invention of astrology, by which they believed they could predict and control the environment. Mud bricks were used in their construction, which eventually proved disastrous as they're water soluble. Later on, the Sumerians covered soluble mud bricks in burnt brick to protect from the elements; this method was also used in the well known Ziggurat at Ur. The differing levels of the ziggurat have dimensions which follow numerical ratios important to the Sumerian people. Access to upper levels was celestially aligned to the northeastern face oriented to summer solstice sunrise. It was close to 100 feet in height (although could have been much taller) and was dedicated as a shrine to their moon god.

Restoration of the Ziggurat at Ur

Assyria & Neo-Babylonian Revival
The principle cities of the Assyrians (i.e. Nineveh and Nimrud) are associated with the historically-related events of the Old Testament in the Bible. The Assyrian people were great warriors and hunters who conquered vast areas of southwest Asia.

The last Assyrian kingdom of Nineveh fell in 612 B.C. However, Assyrian kings still around in Babylon who kept their political independence, chose to revive the Babylonian culture, rather than continue their own ways. In contrast to the Assyrian and Sumerian cultures, this revival was a soft and elegant in nature. Architecture was extravagantly embellished with luxurious ornament and brilliant brick reliefs of sacred animals. The Ishtar Gate is the most impressive remnant of this period. The gate led to the inner city and the the most well known of all ziggurants of ancient Mesopotamia, the Tower of Babel.

Reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate

Illustration of the Tower of Babel in Babylon

Israel
Hebrew and Neo-Babylonian architecture are historically, perhaps even stylistically, tied together. The focal point of Hebrew architecture is King Solomon's temple, built in the tenth century B.C. in Jerusalem. Despite being destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar when ancient Israel was conquered in 587-586 B.C., the temple was eventually rebuilt after the Jews were allowed to return back to their homeland in 539 B.C. by King Cyrus of Persia (although rebuilt on a more modest scale). The temple was replaced by another structure under King Herod the Great, and was later destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. The western "wailing" wall (built by Herod around the temple vicinity) however survived, and has become one of the world's most sacred architectural symbols still around today.

Illustration of King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem

Persian Empire
Beginning around 560 B.C. with Cyrus the Great, and having conquered all of the civilized world from the Indus to the Danube rivers along with his successors, the Persians were certainly not "barbarians", as all foreigners were considered by the Greeks (who resisted the Persian takeover). They were respected even among their enemies, and developed a sense of self-esteem and imperial posture. The Persians thus desired to construct magnificent structures, and ended up fusing various forms from their conquered territories: mud-bricks from Babylon, cedar roof beams from Lebanon, precious materials form India and Egypt, gold form Sardis and stone columns carved by Ionian Greeks (although quarried nearby). Despite its eclecticism, Persian style was distinct and coherent, and found its monumental footing at Persepolis. Their architectural program was completely secular, with religious buildings being restricted to humble towers or platforms.

Illustration of Xerxes' Hall of Hundred Columns at Persepolis.

Asia Minor and Syria
The Hittites were partly Aryan peoples who overran the Near East around 1,700 B.C. Fortresses were their best-preserved structures, which displayed sophistication in construction methods and concepts of powerful military architecture. A significant contribution of this people group was the "hilani" or loggia building, typically used for palaces, which would eventually influence Greek and possibly even Christian architecture. The structurally expressive and human forms used in Syrian loggia column design also contributed toward Greek architecture.

Reconstruction of Syrian Caryatids

 

[bèlla]

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[sampa]

Day 8. Universities. Notre Dame is near me and I go running there from time to time. Indiana University is where I graduated from in Bloomington. Such a beautiful place made of limestone. West Point New York is where I fell in love with running. The Army gave me an ultimatum in 1992 that if I didn't pass my PT test that they would kick me out of the army. So I started running on my own time, fell in love with the scenery of the architecture and Hudson River and the rest is history.

All the other universities I have not been too but they caught my eye and I'm curious to see.

 

[Rigatoni]

Day 8. Universities. Notre Dame is near me and I go running there from time to time. Indiana University is where I graduated from in Bloomington. Such a beautiful place made of limestone. West Point New York is where I fell in love with running. The Army gave me an ultimatum in 1992 that if I didn't pass my PT test that they would kick me out of the army. So I started running on my own time, fell in love with the scenery of the architecture and Hudson River and the rest is history.

All the other universities I have not been too but they caught my eye and I'm curious to see.
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Those are stunning! I love the designs for Salve Regina University, Cornell and Princeton especially.

Notre Dame is really interesting as well; it seems to be based on the Beaux Arts style, especially because of the paired columns used to support the dome and at the entrance.

 

[sampa]

Those are stunning! I love the designs for Salve Regina University, Cornell and Princeton especially.

Notre Dame is really interesting as well; it seems to be based on the Beaux Arts style, especially because of the paired columns used to support the dome and at the entrance.

thanks for the information. have you been to the universities that you mentioned that you like? Also I might go to Notre Dame tomorrow if there's rain. It will allow for social distancing because of the large space and prayer. Going to run from the campus soon during their first kickoff of the season with football. Should be interesting since it will be 20% capacity and no tailgating.
I hope someday to visit some of these universities and others, I love learning institutions and places.

 

[sampa]

Day 9. Libraries. I have never visited any of these, but I might visit the one in Ann arbor if I see my good college friend next year.