Williams, IAR 221 Reading Response 3

The Xinyang Palace is a building that was meant to claim power and authority. During this time (400 BCE) buildings were often used to claim authority. The building was symmetrical and the eathn core was surrounded by bays on all sides to emphasize the monumental size.

The acropolis has two levels that correspond to the porches on the east on on the west. Athena is facing east and the north area was dedicated to Zeus. The building is also on a mountain which supports the story of Athena being absent from her city to retrieve her mountain.

http://www.nashville.gov/Parthenon/Athena/index.asp 

This is an image of Athena showing that she is the most important aspect of this structure. She is made more important by her size in the statue. Also, you can see by the person she is holding in her hand. This person is the size of an actual human which shows how large the statue is.

The Acropolis was build to praise a god and the reasons for the structure of the building are formed around the ideas and stories that were told by the people of the gods. The Palace however, was built to claim power and show the emperor as a monumental and authoritative person through this structure.

Williams, IAR 221 Blog Post 3

Our group focused on technology. Both the acropolis and xianyang used columns to elevate the height to create an optical aillusion to make buildings appear larger. The acropolis uses columns to screen light through at a certain height and uses the height of the building to protect Athena. Both of these buildings use earth to elevate the building.

Space: The acropolis has many smaller buildings leading to the parthenon while the xinyang is power representing one person

Experience: The acropolis is more simplistic and you progress through each site to get to the top of the mountain.

Principles: The acropolis is made for god and not man while the palace was made for the emperor; however, they are both places of worship

Presence: The xianyang has a wall around the area for protection, and the acropolis is on top of the hill which also provides protection. Both of these buildings are designed symmetrical and project spaces with other spaces.

size: xingyang was made in the valley and used for more political meetings. The acropolis is built for religion and meant to praise Athena which is why it is on top of the hill.

Order: Hierarchy affecting ego, politics, power, worship in the acropolis and xingyang.

Scale: In both of the buildings it becomes more intimate the furthure you go inside and the outside is more elaborate.

Surface: The palace is monumental to show power and the acropolis is built from stone.

Social Media in Venezuela

Latin American countries have come to be third in usage of social media next to China and the United States. In Venezuela the amount of social media used is about 68 percent of the 7 million internet users. In Venezuela, Market cross comes up with marketing strategies. An example of how social media has drastically affected this country is Baudel, who had been arrested for his revolutionary movement, has now joined twitter and spoke about it to reach other people of the country who may be attempting a movement themselves. He is now able to openly oppose his government and oppose his leaders without being imprisoned. This can bring out the ideas of other people who get this information who have similar opinions and change who governs their country and what the government is about. Social medial allows the people of a country or government to hear about what is outside of what they know which allows them to make better judgements and have more opportunity to affect what is going on in their country. It gives them a better chance to have their own opinions on their government and leaders without being imprisoned and provides them with knowledge to change the way things are done. With social media comes more knowledge to average people because it becomes impossible for leaders to keep information away from the people of their country. When average people have more knowledge about what is happening in the world and what is being done secretly by their own government, they are better able to take care of themselves and prevent corruption in governments from progressing.

http://eccosocialmedia.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/social-media-in-venezuela/

http://latinamerica.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2010/05/11/venezuelas-social-media-revolution-chavez-and-imprisoned-general-start-twitter-battle/
http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/20101101/hugo-chavez-twitter-president-of-venezuela-reaches-1-million-followers/

Color week

Williams, IAR 221 Blog Post 2

 Our group observed building and landscapes that represented the way architects intended to show society through the way they built. They followed the more traditional greek ways of building and attempted to modernize it. Although this was not very succesful in many of our school buildings, you are able to see the modern attempts because of rounded edges. For example, the art building has a rounded edge and smooth glass windows; however, this attempt was greatly unsuccessful because of the lack of symmetry within the building. The architects seem to have put this building together thoughtlessly and trying too hard to make it look modern. This shows a  lot about how today things are not built with as much thought and purpose as they were back in ancient times. I think this is because people have lose importance in beliefs and made things more about how they look and how they seem. Buildings now are more focused toward self greatness instead of representing the society or religious beliefs. Society makes buildings, so the builders have made society appear this way through their thoughtless actions and superficial motives. A main focus in this was stacks because the stairs and brick are stacked to provide more strength, and the stairs gradually becoming wider causes the entrance to appear farther away and more important.

Also, circles are a part of this environment because there is usually one focal point that we are led to. In a single building, there is generally a center of attention; the entrance. And all these buildings are focused around the main or center unit, which in this case is probably the Eliot center or a type of meeting place.

In ancient times, builders sculpted buildings in a way that provided information to others through their work about religion, ideas, and cultures. This was very successful because although the people make culture through their buildings and works of art, the buildings also provide culture and religion to upcoming generations. I think this is why our society has lost importance, culture, and religion. It is more focused on fake aspects of making things look cool, then making them look cool in a way to show our culture and provide meaning in the work. This is how the art building has been made so poorly and will not provide culture or beliefs to future generations through its architecture.  Overall, rituals influence environments, and environments in return, influence rituals.

Although I believe these buildings were not done in a thoughtful way to preserve our culture and beliefs, The three pictures I have posted are all more successful than the art building because they do show symmetry on both sides, which is important for balance and relating materials into one theme. For example, using a theme of circles in all different places, possibly in different ways throughout the building instead of adding random shapes. Sticking to one theme is a better way to make an idea prevalent and successful.

Light in a Space

 This picture is taken inside of a box made of foam board 18" by 12". This box was made to define light into four parts inside a space. From this view I am showing the two larger shadows on the outside of the light and the two smaller ones toward the inside of the light. The larger piece of board in the middle is to catch some of the light coming in from the side and also create a shadow interrupting the light.

From this side I am showing the whole view of the inside space and the point of the light source. The light is coming through one tall slit opening in the side and the back is left completely open to make it seem larger. The one tall slit of light coming in is the most important point in the space. There is a skinny column right next to the light source where the light hits and reflects from this surface. This point emphasizes the importance of the light coming in sharply onto the boards.

This view also shows the multiple light spaces that are cast onto the floor, up the wall and across the ceiling through the whole space. By making the box  seem larger using scale figures, leaving the back open as a cut out, and projecting one slit of light into the space, I have emphasized the importance of the light traveling all the way through the space dividing it into different intensities and sharpness of light.

This is another picture showing the light entering the space. It is hard to see, but right in front of the cut there is the thin piece of board that goes from the floor to the ceiling that the light is reflecting onto.

Williams, IAR 221 Blog Post 1

Theory of Design Reading Response 1

Importance of water in Ancient Civilization

Our group read about an ancient town in Pakistan. The town was all built around a large public bath and all of the houses were facing towards this bath. This shows that the people most likely centered their lives around religious beliefs and that water was the main focus and importance behind their religion and the way they built their town.

I did a pen drawing to represent the importance of the water to this ancient community. The middle section represents the water and the squares surrounding the water represent how the homes and buildings of this community are centralized around and facing the water because of its importance to religion.

This ancient civilization also most likely feared the water. I have illustrated the brick wall in pencil. This is an important factor to this culture because it shows that they feared the water because they used fired brick, which is stronger, to keep it out. Also, through their bath that is in the center of the town. It makes a point to keep religion and the importance of water to religion known through the fired bricks that were used to keep the water out and also to build a large community bath