Voices

Presence
Buildings have a presence that makes them unique. They invoke emotion in you that causes you to perceive that building in a certain way. In Egypt the pyramids show the world that hierarchy was something of great importance. The materials of Limestone and gold echo a presence of greatness throughout Egypt. In Greece, Athena’s home, the Parthenon presents you with the presence of power. She placed her home on the Acropolis so that every other building would lead your eye towards it. “The building that best symbolizes the Roman enclosure of space and the powerful effect of such defined spaces is the Pantheon.”(Roth 257) it is a structure that illuminates the presence of heaven. The oculus found in the dome was seen by the Romans as a gateway to heaven from their world. Also any drawings you create should withhold a presence. Pulling the viewer into them and making them feel as if they are truly a part of the moment.



Precedent
Precedents are something that continually need to be used in design. Precedents give inspiration to a designer and help them get started in their design. Precedents should be a tool to help keep you thinking continuously about your main idea. An assignment in Suzanne’s class this week was to find five precedent pictures that we would be inspired by in our drawings of the building we were given. These precedents influenced me to go out of my comfort zone and try a new style of drawing. In history the “Roman theaters, [were] derived from the Greek models…”(Roth 264). They took the Greek models and got ideas from them to make their own theater, they were inspired by the Greeks. Precedents can only be helpful, another resource to utilize.

















Picture by Lok Jansen










Moments
This week we have been working with moments in Suzanne’s drawing class. Exploring the Ferguson Building on campus I encountered some moments that I found made the building unique. I drew the rounded staircase that is on the outside; it is unlike any other that I have seen on campus. If the viewer has ever used theses stairs, immediately when they see the drawing they will know where it is. This is what makes a moment, something that stands out. In history, buildings capture moments. The details, style and materials used capture moments of history that take us back so that we get a feel of how things were in the time they were built. Pompeii is a wonderful of example of a moment. “When the site was uncovered in the eighteenth century and excavation began in 1748, the first detailed evidence of everyday Roman life came to light.”(Roth 264) The volcano ash buried the village and preserved ancient artifacts that give us insight into what life was like in Rome.


















Duality
Duality is known as an opposition of two things. When working with the translation project for this week I found that there was a duality between the white and black paper I had to use. The duality between white and black also had a strong connection with my fairytale. In the story the good was struggling to avoid being overcome by the evil. When drafting there is often a duality between line weights for instance when portraying an object closer you would use darker lines. In Rome "A clearly defined division between the ceiling and wall was often articulated by a stucco cornice molding crowing the wall." (Blakemore 60) Duality has always been a factor even in ancient times.















Metric
When thinking about the word metric measurements immediately come to mind. In drafting we use measurements constantly to make sure a room or building is conveyed accurately. "The Romans were expert in the manipulation of three-deminsional space."(Blakemore 51)Which is shown in buildings such as the Baths of the Diocletian. The baths are linked by water but are also separated into three separate spaces. By creating these spaces you see the dualities of each section. Metric can be thought of as a system. In comparing the baths to a mall the system really shows. Malls as well as the baths are a place for being social while you achieve what you came there for. The space needs to be made to accommodate many masses of people with a layout that is functional for the flow of the people.
















Summary
All topics discussed this week have been ideas that are commonly used in our world. Most everything has a presence that it portrays to the world. You find measurements are taken into consideration for the purpose of finding a scale that works well with the human body. Metric things are thought about when designing anything. When walking through the world moments are everywhere, people create moments by being unique. Moments that are permanent are found in ancient artifacts and buildings. You often see these artifacts used as precedents in design today. These buildings often have a sense of duality within them, none are the same as the other.