HSTARC1: Greek Architecture Drawings

HSTARC1: Reaction Blog (Greek Architecture)

Greek Architecture

Greek Architecture just adds to another series sequel of Architecture eras who is more into religion based designs, which is not a bad thing. Religion was a very important part for the Greek culture. It was a big part of their traditions to serve and praise their different gods.

Since, they were really high into religion; they even named their structures in the name of their gods and goddesses for it serves as their honor to them.

I think almost of their structures were named to a god or goddess, such as Athena, Zeus, Artemis, Miletus and many more of their gods.

Personally, Greek Architecture for me is a classy era of Architecture because of the use of marbles for their columns, carved consistently to create a creative design. Wood for the roof of temples, roofs that Egyptians and West-Asiatic area didn’t had. The stylobates and entalbatures, which I only found at Greek structures. Looking at it, the Greeks were very unique of their styles of design. They started different kinds of architectural terms. They were very also unique because like the modern days, they also had the markets, the stores and the city where people interacts, it’s also something that Egyptians didn’t had. They also had entertainment.

No wonder why countries these days, use the Greek style of Architecture because of its classic and yet elegant design. They really fit at any kind of structure.

Also, for me, Greek Architecture never gets out of the trend. Columns such as the Doric and Ionic are still used at some buildings, such as museums, halls, and other countries that had been influenced by the Greek culture.

I can easily say that Greek Architecture was one of the most influential eras of Architecture. 

AFREHND: Landscape Architecture

For me, Landscaping at first sight is just all about the nature and all environmental details in a model. Details such as; trees, plants, plain grounds, and bushes and other green in nature.

When we were asked to put landscaping during the final defense at ADESPRN, I didn’t know exactly what to put on to our model, and Lei and I just decided to put some green it. Not realizing it’s all the details.

After our lesson last Monday, I learned that Landscaping is about bringing life to a house plan. I never thought landscaping was also about the stones, benches, the residents or even cars and every single detail outside the house. It makes a house plan very attractive to people. It gives an exquisite preview of the plan for the clients. It gives the plan a pleasant outer image. It brings life on every detail of the house

Landscaping also is not just about putting the design elements from one place to another; we should also be able to design the exterior part of a plan. We must make every detail reasonable on why it was placed there.

Landscape Architecture just widens my knowledge about Architecture.

Though I find it hard sometimes because I still don’t have ACOLRND to furnish my plates; it might take me time to fully learn all the fundamentals of Landscape Architecture. But nevertheless, I find it fun though it’s very crucial because you can’t afford to make several mistakes.

When we were asked to write a Manifesto about Architecture last term, I simply wrote about all the things I’ve learned in ADESPRN. The design philosophies, life philosophies, design concept, the ergonomics, the translation of music to art; that was just my brief knowledge when I started the 2^nd semester.

HSTARC1: Egyptian Architecture Drawings

HSTARC1: Reaction Blog (Egyptian Architecture)

Like the West Asiatic Architecture, the Egyptian era of Architecture was also a very religious part of Architecture. I noticed that the early generations based their philosophies of design through their faith, beliefs and gods and goddesses.

Personally, I value the Egyptian structures because they’re still almost the same when they were made. The pyramids are still a solid structure. The tombs and temples are almost the same before. The columns are still carved the way it used to be. They were able to stand still through time. Although some statues are either stolen, a lion figure with no nose, an eagle with no head, or, an empty stand where a figure once stood. The hieroglyphics on the obelisk are rubbed out. Nevertheless, they’re still rock hard solid.

Some people these days are planning to revive the Egyptian structures combined with more modern materials, which can be a good idea, but I think the ancient structures will always be more beautiful and more meaningful in today’s revived structures. I see a lot of structures being revived such as the Sphinx at St. Petersburg, some Egyptian columns at some colleges and universities. This is a good idea, because we would be able to see the boldness of the design of the Egyptian structures.

But, even though that the modernized structures are more innovative and very pleasing to the eyes, we must still not forget where they originally came from. We should always look back on how passionate they were about their lifestyles. We should also know how the slaves suffered while building the Pyramids. Looking back at their ancient structures, we would be able to recognize and remember their hard work and history.

HSTARC1: West Asiatic Architecture Drawings

HSTARC1: Reaction Blog (West Asiatic Architecture)

My personal feed on the West Asiatic was a very religious point of time in Architecture because most of their structures are prior to their religion. It reminded me of one architect that we discussed during the last term’s ADESPRN. It was Cesar Pelli, because he was a very symbolic architect. He based all his works based on what religion of the specific place. Adding Religion to Architect for me is very essential because it symbolizes a whole city and the people who live on that specific place. Hence, it’s also a very practical way to express oneself through Architecture. 

I was even intrigued by the story that people build the Tower of Babel to match the level of God and be like God so they can also reach heaven. God got very disappointed and He destroyed the Tower. Another thing that I noticed on West Asiatic Architecture is that people that time was very competitive. They challenge themselves to create something innovative that time. Just for example the Hanging Gardens, the Babylonians only had the desire to build the garden because they want to break the monotony of their featureless level country. They wanted to build something so that people would also recognize their country. Another example is like what I’ve said the Tower of Babel, they challenged themselves to be like God, and they did well creating the Tower, but they weren’t very successful of it.

To sum this all up, The Babylonians and the rest of the West Asiatic people were very sensitive when it comes to their religion. They never forget to look back at their religion. They were very expressive about their thought on gods. They were very symbolic because of their way of expression through their religion. They worship their gods through their temples and shrines.

This quotable phrase from Cesar Pelli, I think relates the said era:

“We should not judge a building by how beautiful it is in isolation, but instead by how much better or worse that particular place ... has become by its addition. If the city has not gained by the addition, we should seriously question the design and the building itself, no matter how beautiful and theoretically correct it may be."”

HSTARC1: Pre-Historical Architecture Drawings

HSTARC1: Reaction Blog (Pre-Historic Architecture)

Pre-Historic Architecture for me was the smartest Architecture of all time because humans doesn’t have the enough technology to produce quality materials to build buildings. I find it smart because they only use their natural resources such as rocks, woods, even their wastes, with their bare hands to create their shelter. I also find them traditional, because some of their creations are based on traditions and rituals, such as the Tumuli which served as a burial ground and then called Pyramids.

I also find it mysterious because, some of the Architectural figures were very questionable. Some can estimate when was the time it was built but the main question for me was how was it built. Just like the Stonehenge, although some engineers theorized that it was made by a wheel that lifts the rock through the top of the two vertical rocks, but for me, I don’t know why did they create such thing as that, it didn’t even gave them shelter because it’s an open area. If they did use a wooden-wheel like structure, how did the humans that time made it strong enough to carry a big rock?

I’m amazed by their work. It’s really mind-puzzling. Don’t look out on them because inspirations such as lake houses also came from them. They made houses through lake dwellings with wood and I think some tree leaves.

It’s really hard to imagine how they were able to make solid structures using stones and woods.

Just like what they said about the relationship between the Modern Architecture and Pre Historic Architecture, I think somehow they relate each other, but in a gradual and chronological manner. There may be some structures in Pre-Historic Architecture, that can be seen in today’s Modern Architecture, just maybe because, some of the design was  passed from one generation to the other, from one period to another. But at the same time, I object that phrase because, I believe that Architects have all different styles of Architecture. They can create numbers of possibilities on how to design an object, their uniqueness is incomparable. So to sum up, I think the Pre Historic and Modern Architecture, relates but in a far way connection because for me it’s really up to the Architect on how to design his own and make his own. I’ve learned a lot about the first genre of the History of Architecture and hope to learn more about the upcoming eras.