ARCH 210 Terms

Criticism

evaluation of an architectural monument against a set of defined criteria; can result in a judgment of value/quality

Appreciation

individual reactions to an architectural monument, but also learning to see what’s “good” in something

Interpretation/analysis

non-valuative; process of building an argument based on plausible related historical evidence, relating facts to context(s).

In this course, we are striving to…

develop our ability to interpret and analyze architecture within multiple historical contexts.

Physical evidence

the building itself and the landscape in which it stands or stood. (Formal Analysis)

Comparanda

comparable buildings and environments that we use to indicate ways of building, use and functionality, social interactions with space, etc.

Textual evidence

primary documents that are related to the building/landscape in all facets.

Examples of textual evidence

Legal documents, design records, owner’s materials and records, inscriptions, graffiti – all are part of an archive of primary sources.

Secondary scholarship/Historiography

the history of writing by scholars in a given field, on a particular building, landscape, style, or historical context of a set of architecture.

Style

a combination of aesthetic elements (form, composition, ornament) that are shared amongst a particular group of buildings generated in a particular time period, geographic region, culture, etc.

Formal Analysis

Context

Multiple histories/contexts within a particular time period and over the lifetime of a building.

Why & How

Questions we should be asking in this class

Complexity

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Cultural style and aesthetic styles

Stylistic traits grouped by visual or formal properties, which can cross both temporal (period) and/or geographic (regional) borders.

Aesthetic styles

Modernism, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Gothic, etc.

Cultural styles

Ottoman, Mayan, Hindu (Cultural terms often correspond to specific

time periods and/or geographic regions, as well.)

Period style

common traits detectable in works of art and architecture from a particular historical time period. “Medieval” thus refers to architecture built between the approximately 500 and 1500 CE. It can be found in China, Europe, India, the Americas, etc. Periods are not relegated to geographic locations!

Geographic/Regional style

stylistic traits that persist in a geographic region. French Romanesque vs. Italian Romanesque, French Gothic vs. English Gothic, etc.

Understanding past buildings by their “total context”

1. Physical presence of buildings is to be studied in their entirety and

holistically

2. Buildings should be thought of in a broader physical frame

3. ALL past buildings are deemed worthy of studying

4. Consider non-physical aspects of a building’s existence

Plan

horizontal projection of space, best represent the utilitas of a building

Section

A diagram showing the structure of a building at a single particular vertical plane.

Elevation

An orthographic drawing showing one face of the interior or exterior of a building showing all textures

*Beauty

means ornament, but even more so harmony, as in a harmonious manner in which all the parts of a building come together to form a whole

Vitruvian Triad

Utilitas / function / patron / plan

Firmitas / structure / builder / section

Venustas / beauty / architect-designer / elevation