ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 1
INTRODUCTION
Focusing on the investigations of historical works, us students are to develop and hone historical and architectural criticism skills as well as enriching profiency in architectural language, design and ideas. This project aims to equip us students with basic architectural theories via intentions, concepts, patterns, disciplines, architectural language and contextual relationships. At the same time, the project would help us to creatively and innovatively develop and expand the derived design concepts.
PRECEDENT STUDY & ANALYSIS
This project focuses on investigating historical works to enrich architectural design and ideas. Through the study of existing buildings, we need to communicate and expand our architectural vocabulary and develop design concepts.
In a group of 5/6, we are required to conduct precedent study analysis on a given specific building through an on-line forum discussion. This precedent study analysis clarifies the research question of “why” that specific building is historically, culturally and architectural importance; and “how” the design concepts derived from that particular building can be developed to be innovatively integrated into other projects.
PART A: WIKI TIMeS On-line Discussion Forum
My group members and I were assigned the Colosseum in Rome as our building for this assignment.
In groups of four, each aspect of the building is divided into the following questions that is to be done by each members.
1)i. Who was the architect or founder of the building?
ii. What was the concept or philosophy of the architect or founder that makes the building historically significant / meaningful?
2)i. Where and when was the building built?
ii. How the context, building period and evolution makes the building historically significant and meaningful?
3)i. What is the form, or shape of the building?
ii. How the form or shape of the building contributes in making the building historically significant and meaningful?
4)i. What is the function or purpose of the building?
ii. How the function or purpose of the building makes the building historically significant and meaningful?
5)i. What were the materials and construction technology or method used?
ii. How the materials and construction technology or method help making the building historically significant and meaningful?
My research analysis posted on Times, an online interactive portal:
LINK TO GROUP ONLINE FORUM:
(click picture below)
PART B: Precedent Study & Analysis Sketch Journal
Individually, we are required to produce an analysis A4 Sketches Journal consists of illustrative and abstractive diagrams, drawings and text. The drawings should include actual and conceptual design ideas of floor plans, building sections, analysis diagrams and sketches expressing clarity and in-depth investigation of the precedent studies.
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PART C: A2 Analysis presentation board
The final assignment is to provide an in-depth analysis collected from the previous assignment and present them in an A2 board and answer based on the given questions below:
Analysis include:
A. Answers to the Precedent Study Analysis questions below:
1. How does the building reflect the spirit of the time and place for which it was built?
2. What are the initial ideas and the design concept?
3. How the initial ideas and the design concept affecting the architecture?
B. Illustration of Precedent Study Analysis in relation to the series of building conceptual elements listed below – each student is to select and conduct analysis of one element from Concept and Architecture analysis :
i. Architect and/or Building concepts,
ii. Architecture/Style/Identification of Place,
iii. Person-Container-Social relationship
REFLECTION
Through this assignment, I am able to get an in-depth knowledge about a historical building like this and identify how architectural styles have developed before and after through the years. I have gained insight on the significant architectural elements and the reasons and concepts behind them. I've learnt how to produce a building analysis through research and explore the concepts, pattern, philosophies, contextual study, architectural language history of the specific building. I have learnt how to translate these findings into sketches and diagrams for easier understanding.