Abstract This paper explains that American Impressionist Mary Cassatt began using a Japanese motif in works such as "The Fitting", one of a series of ten color prints, which are considered among the landmarks of Japonisme. The author points out that, while most American architects in the early 1900s looked to European architects for ideas, Frank Lloyd Wright found Japanese design and art more inspiring. The paper concludes that now, in the 21st century, Japanese creativity has taken a new approach based on electronic and computerized technology advances combined with art, called animation, or anime in the Japanese language, which is an art form eagerly consumed by the market.
From the Paper "Van Gogh wrote his sister how Buddhism was also impacting his life. He even shaved his head to look more like Japanese. He deeply studied the works ?not to simply comprehend Japan art by copying it, but to dig down to the very roots of Japanese culture to be able to generate original creative impulses of his own from the encounter.? American artist Frank Benson painted Impressionist images of table settings that mingled Japanese, Chinese, and American objects. Benson also applied Japanese technical considerations to his paintings. This interest is especially evident in a group of black-watercolor washes that suggest the swiftness and economy of Japanese ink painting."
Abstract The regulation of building construction can be traced back 4,000 years to cultures such as the Chinese, Greek, and Roman empires. Building regulations arose from the attempts of our ancestors to establish ways to control or avoid devastation from building fires and construction failures. Today, there are a number of specific parameters that affect the cost of buildings, including government building codes, which are enacted to protect public health and safety; these can take the form of both prescriptive and performance requirements, as well as industry demands that may not be reflected in actual building codes themselves, which consist of such desirable factors as climate control, elevators, and other aesthetics. Based on the efficiencies provided by standardized codes, the trend toward adoption of such codes nationally and internationally would seem to be a prudent choice for builders and municipalities. This study examines what the three code-making bodies within the United States were doing, are doing, and how they are now working together to produce a common building code for the United States to improve the safety, aesthetics, and functionality of the building conditions required for the entire country. The hypothesis of this paper is that, as a result of this leadership and innovation in the United States, improvements in building codes will extend to the developing countries of the world.
From the Paper "Gene Fessenbecker, author of Building Codes and the Construction Contractor, says that, "The regulation of building construction can be traced back 4,000 years to cultures such as the Chinese, Greek and Roman empires. Building regulations arose from the attempts of our ancestors to establish ways to control or avoid devastation from building fires and construction failures. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson tried to establish some of the earliest design and construction regulations in America for the purpose of protecting public health and safety" (Fessenbecker 1). Today, there are a number of specific parameters that affect the cost of buildings including government building codes, a which are enacted to protect public health and safety; these can take the form of both prescriptive and performance requirements, as well as industry demands which may not be reflected in actual building codes themselves which consist of such desirable factors as climate control, elevators and other aesthetics. This study is intended to examine what the three code-making bodies within the United States were doing, are doing and how they are now working together to produce a common Building Code for the United States to improve the safety, aesthetics, and functionability of the building conditions required for the entire country. The hypothesis of this paper will be that as a result of this leadership and innovation in the United States, improvements in building codes will extend to the developing countries of the world."
Tags: construction, contract, engineering, fighting, fire, ibc, law, permit, property, single, trades, ubc, union
Abstract Discusses the evolution of Mosque architecture in Fatimid Cairo and early North Africa. Describes the mosque as a place for regular, communal prayers, instruction, and observation of Islamic rituals.
From the Paper "The evolution of the architecture of the mosque can be understood as representing the evolution if many of the central tenets of Islam itself, though all mosques (regardless of their location ..."
Abstract This paper discusses how the Byzantine and Eastern cultures were the predecessors to the Romanesque and Gothic Periods of architecture in the Christian church. It points out that the Cluniac order had a major influence in the Romanesque Period, which was highlighted with few windows, thick walls, and massive columns. The Gothic period, in contrast, had stained glassed windows, thinner walls, and carved columns, with the builders of the churches incorporating Christian architecture as a means of religious aspiration. It explains that each era's architecture was a means to specifically convey their social and religious views of the Christian church.
From the Paper "The term Romanesque ?points to the principle source of the style, the buildings of the Roman Empire. In addition to classical elements, however, Romanesque architecture incorporates components of Byzantine and Eastern origin (unknown, Columbia).? Romanesque structures feature characteristic elements such as "the massive west fa"ade crowned by a tower or by twin towers, the complex design of the eastern part housing the sanctuary, and the rhythmic alternation of piers and columns in the nave (unknown, Columbia)."
Abstract William Morris and Marcel Breuer were architects that took two different physical approaches in removing worthwhile design out of palaces and putting it into the homes of ordinary people. Both brought to their design philosophy a substantial political agenda and, in fact, a substantially similar political agenda. The paper shows that Morris's politics had the gentle color of his native England in the second half of the 19th century and of one of its great philosophers, John Ruskin. In comparison, the paper shows that Breuer's political inspiration came, not from his native Hungary, but a post-WWI Germany and its socialist leanings and, later, from American abundance and willingness to experiment. The paper shows that where Morris's ideas reflected the natural life of a still somewhat pastoral England that surrounded him (especially as he had the means to choose his locale), Breuer's ideas reflected a more muscular, sinewy, hardened landscape of assembly lines and relentlessly turning crankshafts and gears. Where Morris was organic and 'green,' Breuer was skeletal and 'steely gray'.
From the Paper "Despite the intent of both men to bring good design down to earth, the results could not have been more different. Morris, because of the time in which he worked, was limited to traditional furniture materials, mainly wood and metal used only in joinery and sometimes in decoration. In fact, it was in decoration that Morris excelled. His use of curvilinear carving in his wallpapers and furniture, especially his dining chairs, makes clear his connection to the pastoral settings so familiar to educated Englishmen. In addition, because his belief demanded that the overburdened workingman have a respite from the world of shoddy utilitarian objects, (or ugly goods, as he might put it), embellishment suitable to the object and its use was essential."
Abstract This paper is a comparison between ancient Egyptian culture and more modern cultures. Comparisons are made with respect to the arts, architecture, cultural tradition, agriculture, art, religion, language, and several other areas.
From the Paper "Ancient Egyptian religion, though it was quite different from that of modern religion, has proven to be quite influential on modern society. Dating back as far as the fifth millennia BC, the period which was characterized by the development of the calender. The calender was important to religion because it was based on the documentation of religious feasts.1 The calendar eventually evolved into its present form but it was the early Egyptian version that became the basis of documenting time. The Egyptians, much like other cultures, believed in the existence of higher beings(Gods of the earth, air, and heavens).2 Much like the Egyptians, most modern day religions are all based on the worship of a spiritual presence, giving reason to believe that the study of Egyptian religion is what has influenced the worship of other God's throughout history. Another point to make about the influence of Egyptian religion is that religion was the central part of their lives for the most part,3 much like the way it is for people of the church and monks today. Other aspects of ancient Egyptian religion that can be viewed as influential could be the fact that they worshipped in temples,4 comparable to the churches and temples of today. A final point of interest with respect to ancient Egyptian religion is that they Visutskie 3 actually dealt with the idea of death and resurrection thousands of years before the Christians did with Jesus Christ. Egyptians actually celebrated the feast of Easter with the death, burial, and disappearance of their King, Osiris, on a Friday, and to celebrate his resurrection three days later, on the Sunday. The Christian celebration of Easter is, in fact, an exact replica of the Egyptian Easter with respect to time, details, theme, and objective.5 Aside from religion, perhaps the most influential part of Egyptian culture on modern culture is that of the architecture."
Abstract This paper offers a look at the history and design of the famous Chrysler Building. The writer describes both the exterior and interior of the building, as well as the architectural structure. The paper then offers some information on the architect himself, William Van Alen, and the original deal that led to the purchase of the site and plans to build the building.
From the Paper "Architect William Van Alen originally designed the Chrysler Building for real estate speculator William H. Reynolds, but in 1928, Walter Percy Chrysler, head of the Chrysler Motor Corporation, purchased the site on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan, as well as Van Alen's plans. (Sandler, 1996) Those plans were changed as the design began to reflect Chrysler's forceful personality. The project soon became caught up in the fixated quest for height that swept through the city's commercial architecture in the 1920s and 1930s. Buildings rose taller and taller as owners sought both to maximize office space as well as to increase consumer visibility. Van Alen's initial design anticipated a 925-foot building with a rounded, Byzantine or Moorish top. At the same time, however, Van Alen's former partner, H. Craig Severance, was building the 927-foot Bank of the Manhattan Company on Wall Street. Not to be outdone, Van Alen revised his plans, with Chrysler's blessing, to include a new tapering top that culminated in a spire, bringing the total height to 1,046 feet and establishing the Chrysler Building as the world's tallest, briefly anyway."
Tags: william, van, allen, car, automobile, manhattan, lexington
This paper discusses Palladian architecture, a natural form of architecture initially invented by Andrea Palladio, but really defined by Inigo Jones and Thomas Jefferson.
Abstract This paper explains that Palladian architecture did break new ground as seen in the Villa Rotonda outside Vicenza, but others working in a more fluid tradition brought residential architecture to a level of sophistication now known as Palladian architecture. The author points out that Inigo Jones, court architect to Britain's Stuart Kings, James I and Charles I, familiar with Palladio's ideas, created and completed almost 50 buildings in and around London; the Queen's House at Greenwich, taking nearly 20 years to complete, is a Palladian masterpiece, exceeding the Villa Rotonda in almost every way. The paper relates that Thomas Jefferson, founding father and President of the United States, was the architect who best expressed Palladian ideas, as seen by his own plans for the University of Virginia and his own home Monticello.
Table of Contents
A Beginning
Making Palladio's Ideas into Palladian Architecture
An American Genius Expresses Palladio's Ideas
From the Paper "Palladio was at home with such clients. Born in Padua in 1508, Palladio was an assistant stonecutter and mason in the Vicenza guild before meeting an amateur architect, Giangiorgio Trissino, who tutored him. Palladio executed some commissions for the aristocracy in the Classic tradition, arguably an unbroken line from Ancient Rome until the Renaissance. It wasn"t until later in his career, the 1560s, that he moved into religious buildings. In 1570, ten years before his death, he published "I Quattro Libre del"Architettura". So it was in hindsight, in any case, that he made claim to his mathematically precise systems of design, and to the principles gained from visual arts as well a his principle of relating his buildings to nature. Palladio's works are said to lack the grandeur of the works of many other Renaissance architects. Perhaps. But if so, they do not lack for at least lip service to the embellishments that help establish that grandeur. On the peaks of the loggia roofs and on the wings of the loggia steps, Palladio places monumental, classical statuary figures."
Abstract This paper explains that marketing professionals use store design, including music, color schemes, placement of products, and placement of advertised in-store specials, to create an ambiance that compels people to purchase their products and services. The author points out that the Starbucks coffee shop store design, which is of the utmost importance to the company, uses a terra cotta color scheme, reminiscent of coffee shops in Milan, Italy, to create a feeling of relaxation and quality. The paper relates that the company has a store design team consisting of 80 individuals that oversees store designs in various regions around the country and throughout the world; only people who have actually worked behind the counter at a Starbucks store are allowed to be embers of this team.
From the Paper "The design of a full sized Starbucks coffee shop is usually open, very clean and inviting. The smell of the coffee is enticing and the menu that is available to customers is extensive and contains several types of coffee. In recent years, Starbucks has tried to make the process of purchasing coffee more convenient with the advent of the Starbucks Card. With the Starbucks card customers can prepay for purchases, which makes the experience more time effective and convenient for customers."
Abstract Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455) was a many-sided Renaissance figure; he was a bronze-caster, sculptor, goldsmith, draughtsman, architect, writer, and historian. Among his most celebrated surviving works are the bronze doors he created for the Baptistery of the Cathedral in Florence. This discusses the circumstances in which Ghiberti secured and completed the commission to design the north doors of the Baptistery (1400-24) and analyzes their composition and character. Ghiberti's work in Florence is then compared to that of Gianlorenzo Bernini at the Baroque church of Sant? Andrea al Quirinale, Rome (1658-70).
From the Paper "In late 1400 the officials of the Cloth-Dealers and Refiners? Guild of Florence (the Arte di Calimara) announced a competition to design a set of doors for the Baptistery of the Cathedral. The Baptistery is a very old structure, the primary elements of which probably date to the seventh and eight centuries AD. The exterior covering of marble was constructed in the twelfth century and stood as an exemplar of architectural elegance and harmony. The Baptistery, which is a free-standing octagonal building located in the Piazza San Giovanni at the western end of the Cathedral, has three doors opening to the north, south and east. In the 1330s Andrea Pisano had completed a set of bronze doors for the southern entrance, and the Guild sought to complete the project by fitting similar doors, in bronze and decorated with reliefs, to the other two entrances."
Abstract This paper explains that the city of Teotihuacan was situated in the Valley of Mexico, about 50 kilometers to the northeast of modern Mexico City, which began its growth between 200 and 100 B.C., and by around 150 A.D., had an estimated population of over 125,000 people, covering an area of more than 20 square kilometers. The author points out that the geographic location of Teotihuacan provided resources of obsidian and other materials suitable for building, ornamentation, and trade. The paper relates that the surviving buildings of Teotihuacan are of an austere design, using expressive planar surfaces and massive architectonic volumes; the temples are seen as artificial mountains, connecting the people of the city to the sky as the home of the gods and affirming their centrality in the universe. Illustrations.
From the Paper "The surviving evidence for the city reveals a planned metropolis, with extensive and wide streets and avenues, very large buildings, and regions of religious, administrative and industrial constructions as well as extensive housing. Teotihuac?n reached its peak of size and power between circa 150 A.D. and 700 A.D., the "Classic" period of Mesoamerican civilization during which period it extended its influence throughout Mesoamerica. It has been called ?the dominant Middle American site of the first half of the Classic era.? "
Abstract The paper discusses the important characteristics of Roman architecture. Ancient Romans introduced many modern and sophisticated techniques in architectural design and were the first people to use concrete in their buildings. The writer explains that this is one reason why most of their buildings have managed to withstand the test of time.
From the Paper "Roman architecture is considered one of the greatest accomplishments of the Roman Empire because of the lasting impact of its magnificent buildings and sheer grandeur of the architectural designs. Roman architecture finds its roots in the Etruscan architecture of 12 B.C. and was markedly influenced by Greek architectural designs too. But Roman architects brilliantly added and subtracted on the architecture of preceding eras to introduce new unique techniques and established their name firmly in this field. They left an indelible mark on the architectural world with the power of their grand designs and original style."
Abstract This literature review research paper examines the history of the Mission Style (Arts and Crafts) furniture and style movement. The brief history of materials and style gives a feeling of how this movement evolved and grew into the Prairie home style, which includes home design. It explains how modern reaction to the computer age has adapted the Mission style furniture to include modern materials and mass production to enable more people the opportunity to enjoy the style, function, and feeling of the original-era furniture.
From the Paper "The start of the Mission Style furniture era started in San Francisco, California in 1894. This Mission Style movement started in the Mission Communities in California when the Missions were training people to be furniture craftspeople. Often the materials they used were what were available locally. These materials included timber, fine wood, finishes, blacksmith nails, castings and hardware. (Mission Furniture 1980). The furniture built in this Mission Style was and is a blend of form and function that blends the natural beauty and warmth of the materials used."
Abstract This paper examines the history behind the Great Wall of China and how the original construction of the wall was essentially nothing more than bricks, wood, grass and packed earth and how its simple structure changed very little over the next many centuries. It also discusses how
more than 2000 years after its construction, the Great Wall is still seen by the Chinese as not only an everlasting testament of the industriousness of its people, but also an overwhelming and almost mystical symbol.
From the Paper "The Great Wall played a large part in all of the early dynasties of China, but its origin can be traced back to 221 B.C. After the western state of Qin subjugated and united seven states that had been at war since the 5th century, subsequently forming China, the ruler of Qin declared himself the first Emperor of China (Dalin 15). He gave himself the name Qin She Huangdi, which, conveniently enough, means 'First Emperor' in Chinese. One of Qin's first orders once in power was for all peasants, prisoners, and anyone else available to begin construction of a massive wall ("The Great Wall of China", screen 1). What would become the Great Wall was, in actuality, several very small already-standing fortification walls connected (Dalin 15). These smaller walls had been built by past dynasties, with the same reasons in mind as those that would years later prompt the erecting of the Great Wall."
Abstract This paper explains that, although statistically the Korean War took more lives than the Vietnam War, the Korean War has been branded as America's "Forgotten War" because it was over-shined by two "greater" wars, the Second World War and the Vietnam War, which dragged on for more than a decade. The author points out that the Korean War is important because it (1) started the end of the communist expansion in the world, (2) laid the ground for the entry of democracy in the states in Eastern Europe and Russia and (3) began the American foreign policy of military intervention to gain or maintain security, freedom and democracy in the world resulting in a number of military conflicts which continues today. The paper describes in detail the Korean War Veterans' Memorial, adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial directly across the reflecting pool from the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was dedicated in 1995 by Bill Clinton and Kim Young Sam, then presidents of the U.S. and South Korea.
From the Paper "The symbolisms in the memorial are brilliant pictures of a war that will never be forgotten. For as long as the memorial continues to exist, the memories of a war, which advanced freedom at the cost of the lives of millions of people, will eternally be thought of and etched in the minds of guests. Moreover, this memorial also serves as a reminder that freedom, though sweet and liberating, must never be taken for granted and must certainly be forever guarded, secured and remain dear in our hearts. It must also be remembered that there are still countries in the world that do not enjoy the rights given by a true democracy. The pursuit for the expansion of democracy must certainly not be abandoned. Still, millions of people are yearning for a free, equal state where social, economic and political justice stands and endures."
