Point: Foundations

Foundation [Merriam-Webster]: 1: the act of founding; 2: a basis (as a tenet, principle, or axiom)       upon which something stands or is supported; 3: an underlying base or support; esp: the whole masonry     substructure of a building; 4: a body or ground upon which something is built up or overlaid

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The Foundations unit covered various building types, including some that are more than extraordinary. They baffle our minds as to how these magnificent structures were built. This leads me to an important issue, we as designers and appreciators of design should question how these buildings were constructed, and what kind of technology was used in accomplishing these tasks. I believe this unit served as a [foundation] to future architecture and design. Both through the vision of the use of stones, stone being what our present day structural foundation consists of, as well as the different building types introduced giving foundations in design which are still in use today. 

The unit included methods and techniques such as stacking. Stacking can be found in the stepped pyramids serving as a memorial or tomb. It is also seen in the Great Wall of China, where the wall is used to mark a boundary between two empires. This is a great example of how architecture can be used in a more abstract way of storytelling. The wall tells us there were political and social issues among these two empires. 

Male: Female 

The subject of male vs. female was discussed, with one case being the observation of differences between the Pyramids of Giza vs. Hatshepsut's temple. In comparing these two, the first thing to point out could be the fact that the pyramids "stand out" and Hatshepsut's temple seems to "fit in" with the natural environment. We're also dealing with polytheistic religions where there's an established dominance with male gods over  female gods. 

Real: Ideal 

The Minoan and Mycenaean periods took hundreds of years to reach the "ideal", which was the Hellenistic that lasted only 470 years. The Minoan and Mycenaean were formed by the Dorian, Ionian, and Aeolian people. Following this, the [Megaron] was introduced. The megaron began being a 3-sided structure and ultimately ended in the temple form. This being the [Foundation] of classical architecture which was carried onward to present day. 

Greek palaces were very colorful during this time which is a bit contrary to what we see today. Orders consisted of the Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite forms, all of which were getting bigger and more detailed as time passed. Temples were built to give eternal respect to those gods or goddesses for whom they were built.

As you wander outward from the "center", you begin to discover where a lot of breaking-of-the-rules and innovation was happening. The center being the major cities where the majority of development was happening.

Rome essentially included the first vision of focusing on horizontal design. A technological breakthrough arose during the Roman time. This discovery, the [arch], and the widely use of concrete lead to various new building types. The arch, which can be seen in almost all examples of Roman Architecture allows for a much bigger space inside buildings. Then came the dome which was derived from the arch, it essentially was an arch which was rotated about its axis. Bread and Circus structures are seen often throughout Roman Architecture. These were recreational buildings that were designed to help relieve the people of what was going on regarding governmental issues. 

One last thing I would like to include is the discussion on the triumphal columns. These columns, such as Trajan's Column were used as memorial storytelling devices for the leaders they were built for. The more powerful the leader, the bigger and taller the column. A theory which has been passed down from the late David Niland tells us these columns, or Wu Wu's, resemble a part of the male anatomy. Wu Wu's can be found almost everywhere we look. We use these vertical elements everyday as landmarks or for example, as a reference point to guide us in an uncommon city. Below, I've included an image of Professor Niland himself in Disney World and highlighted in red are different examples of Wu Wu's. 

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The theories of design were taken and succeeded by foundations; building blocks in which architecture and design could be built upon. This unit covered an entire host of things including: different methods and building techniques, symbolic reasoning for design, cultural issues, and the overall development of design and architecture dating back to Ancient Egypt moving forth through Medieval Architecture.