arch theory key terms

gentrification

a process of urban development in which a neighborhood or portion of a city develops rapidly in a short period of time, often as a result of urban renewal programs.

renaissance

a period of rebirth in classical learning after a long “darkness” in the middle ages

cai-fen

a modular system of carpentry measurement for new construction, an 8-rank grading system for different sizes of timber elements

concinnitas

musical sense of harmony

haussmannization

prime example of a top-down mentality; completely redid paris and ripped through neighborhoods in the process

discourse

architectural debate between two or more opposing ideas; debate; the exchange of ideas

degenerates

referring to the adolf loos who believes people with tattoos are degenerates

mound in the wood

an idea created by adolf loos describing how you know something is architecture; it is fundamental in how we read forms that have meaning. Connects to Baalbek that makes you feel something. Connect to Zaha Hadid idea that architecture evokes emotion.

anthropocentric

human oriented

house for josephine baker

created adolf loos; unbuilt projet commissioned by josephine baker; focuses on the importance of the onlooker (outside looking in); paints baker as an untouchable object (the pool); objectification

pantheon

example of the vitruvian triad; built around 125 ce by Emperor Hadrian; a repository of imperial wealth; monumental coffered dome, stunning clarity of vision; oculus acts as giant sundial; highly influential; disciplinary importance; not specifically guided by vitruvius

ibram x kendi

makes the distinction between space racism and space anti-racism; argues there are no non-racists, only racists- people who allow racist ideas to proliferate without opposition and anti-racists- people who don’t; focuses on resource equity; moves beyond integrationist conceptions that black spaces could every be equal to white spaces; focuses on desegregation with a form of integration and racial solidarity

metabolism

japanese response / take on modernism; focused on the organic, self-regulating organism; constantly sought to rethink central tenets; against the machine metaphor; symbiotic harmony

homogeneous/heterogeneous

homo means same / hetero means different

theory vs. practice

the ability to demonstrate and explain vs. continuous and regular exercise of employment

analogical method

a mystical interpretation of a text or event in which a meaning ascends beyond literal interpretation— could transport one into a heavenly place

flying buttress

from the gothic era; piece that sticks out of the building; precedent for other pieces of architecture

pilotis

one of the 5 forms of architecture. a set of posts raising a building up from the ground

the blue mosque

combined islamic architecture with the byzantine empire.

sant’andrea in mantua

building by leon alberti; around the 1500s; inspired by the pantheon

zeitgeist

spirit of the age

raumplan

adolf loos; a method of volumetric room design that aims at presenting a dynamic building presentation

modernism

cultural tendencies, artistic formations, ideas that celebrate modernization, cultural manifestation of growth in industrial society, enlightenment

modernization

processes, technologies, renewal process of transformation from rural “traditional” culture to urban “modern” culture

modernity

paradoxical experience of the modern metropolis — fleeting, ephemeral, aspirational

dialectics

a dialogue or debate between two or more opposing viewpoints (ex: top-down vs bottom up, architecture vs building)

tabula rasa

building something on a “clean slate”

urban development

top-down vs bottom-up; jane jacobs vs robert moses

1965 landmark preservation legislation

started by jane jacobs; préservés buildings or sites with historic significance

creative destruction

a phrase from economics describing the process of incessantly revolutionizing the economic structure within. destroying the old and creating the new - planned obsolescence (ex: iphones)

“Skyscrapers” essay

meis van der roe;

machine for living

term in modernism; created by le corbussier

manifesto

proclamation

humanism

a philosophy informed by the secular study of history and science that emphasized the importance of human agency rather than supernatural forces (Leon Battista Alberti is an example of a humanist)

lineaments

the precise way that lines and angles join together; functions to prescribe appropriate place, measurement, etc.; not material; conceived in the mind; made up of lines and angles; perfected the learned intellect of imagination; alberti

architecture theory

the thinking that practice has “real” material implications and that theory somehow does not is simply false. ideas matter and they have profound “real world” affects. attempts to answer the “why” questions in architecture. no single answer; diverse and contested meanings; changes over time

barcelona pavilion

created by mies van der roe

fujian tolou

the vernacular round earthen houses

postcolonialism

a critical discourse that seems to interrogate the power relations, forms of representation, and injustices of colonialism

dual-city hypothesis

connected to le corbussier and the plan with algiers. cities have political and social imbalances. separating the native algériens from the new european settlers

ca’fer efendi

basilica of st. denis

gothic architecture; 1144; in france; flying buttress; book of suger (talked about renovating) anagogical (will take you to a heavenly place). signals to the heavens but it also a political symbol for the french monarchy

johannes guttenberg

invented the printing press which allowed for the globalization of architecture knowledge

apollodorus of damascus

alleged architect of the pantheon

vitruvian triad

utilitas, firmitas, venustas

tezkere

the genre of islamic architecture

maison domino

ten books of architecture

vitruvius; talks about the destination between theory and practice; architect should be educated in many branches of study; not immediately put into practice

yingazao fashi

systematically organized, an authoritative source, created universal standards, immediately practiced, economical, detail oriented, main goal was to reduce waste and “bad practices”, lots of frustration in text; compendium of chinese building methods in the 12th century; author is Li Jie; critical of contemporary architectural practices (at the time) specifically their lack of regulations

building vs. architecture

pevsner. bicycle shed vs lincoln cathedral. aesthetics vs function.

syntax

organization of design elements (symmetry, perspective, classical architecture)

romanesque

roman style of architecture

villa rotonda

four temple fronts. design syntax. palladianism

primitive hut

adolf loos / henry david thoreau. connecting with nature.

four primordial elements

Gotfried Semper’s idea, believes it’s the moral element of architecture ; hearth (ceramics), roof (carpentry), enclosure (weaving / walling), mound (terracing / stone masonry)

five points of architecture

pilotis, free plan, free facade, horizontal / ribbon window, and roof garden

four books of architecture

andrea palladio (guy who designed the villa rotunda); triangular pediment; inspired by the pantheon; started palladianism which has influences in buildings such as Monticello.