1.Select an object or a building from any time period that you believe Wotton’s definition (as cribbed from Virtruvius) of commodity, firmness and delight. With an annotated image, take care to explain the ways in which you see the definition realized through the object or building. Use design language and concepts discussed in class for dealing with precedents (5 points)
http://www.archiexpo.com/prod/classic-design-italia/designer-chair-11215-40336.html
I believe that a chair is a perfect example to describe Wotton’s definition of commodity, firmness and delight. When it comes to commodity, a chair serves its purpose of a place to aid either functional or non-functional tasks.
Functional; such as eating and working. Non-functional; such as resting, relaxation and an informal mode of social interaction.
As for firmness, in the subconscious part of every human brain, we automatically trust a chair that has legs and some form of perception of stability. But as a customer purchasing a chair we always require, desire and test for the stability of a chair and its possible life span due to its firmness. The chair I have chosen in the image above was specifically designed for the Hill House. Charles Mackintosh designed both the house and the chair. The height of the backrest of the chair and the double support of the horizontal bars insures me that this chair is sturdy enough to outlive a few generations.
Lastly, for the delight, the aesthetic beauty is the same element as the example I used for firmness. Not only does the height of the backrest and horizontal bars ensure firmness but it is also an element of delight. The neatly assembled geometric shapes & lines and the pop of red color are aesthetically pleasing.
2.Working from Harwood et al’s concept of cultural precedents, select one of the contemporary textiles illustrated above and pinpoint the influences you see from the eastern world on the production of fabric in the west. Concentrate on motifs and patterns provided in Harwood’s text (5 points)
http://www.textiledesigning.org/textile 20designs 2000078a.jpg
I have chosen the contemporary textile seen above because there are several cultural precedents found from the eastern world. Cultural precedents can be seen as another word for globalization. This is where regions or countries influence or inspire other regions of the world.
I feel that this has been influenced by the eastern world because of the precedents of symmetry, balance and geometric shapes. Eastern art and architecture “reflect a cultural vision,”(Harwood 16) they live and design with the elements of symmetry and balance. Looking at the image there is a clear representation of symmetry and balance.
Bright colors have been known to be one of the various elements used within Chinese design. Color, form and orientation are symbolic in eastern design and all three are seen in the textile above.
It has been known that “nature provides the backdrop and inspiration for all design considerations in early cultures” (Harwood 1). The Eastern countries have been said to be some “of the worlds oldest civilizations”(Harwood 16). It has a culture that has respect for age and tradition, and one of those traditions is appreciation for nature. I read that Chinese art, design and way of life has been developed through several philosophies. One of which is known as Taoism. Taoism is the individual relationship to nature.
Nature is seen in this image through the patterns and motifs printed on this textile. There are a variety of symbols that are universal that indicate the precedents of nature. Such as the blue spirals that represent water. As well as the flowers present in the textile.
3.When considering perceptions of personal and social space, Hall and others suggest that different cultures have different space needs and attitudes. Most consider that citizens of the U.S generally feel a need for more space. How does this play out in the classroom in which we gather for iar222
I feel that with any concept or element of design; culture is considered one of the leading factors to the process of designing a finished product or idea. When it comes to the idea of designing space we must consider personal space, interaction of that space and the people who will be interacting in it. “It is important to understand that every person uses their senses differently...According to the cultural experiences” (Hall) This quote, in this case, refers to the idea that depending on our own personal cultural experiences we will all interpret space differently.
This point is experienced and made an example of in our IAR 222 lecture room. In that lecture room, I feel that the laws or invisible bubble of personal space have been erased and popped. The room seems fairly large but due to the arrangement of the seating I tend to feel a little cramped. The fact that we also have been solicited to sit in the first four rows adds to the congested atmosphere. Even though there may only roughly be fifty students in the class, there might as well be a thousand.
In an Asian culture such as Japan, where it is the norm to invade the radius of other people’s personal space, the arrangement of our IAR 222 classroom would perfect but this is America. And in America, bigger is better… apparently. Though I do not agree that all things in this country should be bigger, i.e. weight. I do believe that the spacing of lecture hall chairs, specifically the IAR 222 lecture room, may need to be reconsidered or spatially renovated.
4.Speculate about whether or not there can be architecture of happiness, as de
Botton writes in the work by the same title. Provide a juicy quote the helps
give evidence to your views from the passage that you read. Include an
annotated image of a happy object, space, building, or place and specify why
and how your example exudes happiness (5 points)
http://www.cool-kids-rooms.com/nursery-decorating-ideas.html
"If one room can alter how we feel, if our happiness can hang on the colour of the walls or the shape of a door, what will happen to us in most of the places we are forced to look at and inhabit?" (13) is a fabulous quote once said by De Botton that helps descibe and show how I feel about architecture and how there can be an architecture of happiness. The happy space I Have chosen in the image above is of a baby room. I think a baby room is the perfect example of architecture of happiness.
A child is pure, innocent and completely sheltered when it is young. So in every aspect of the design process of a child's room, there is an over dose of excitement, joy and happiness. This is because a baby is new and fresh and the room reflects the parents celebration of that precious child's life. There is so much time and care put into the choice of color, materials and bedroom accessories.
The choice of color is vital because it is symbolic in ways where it indicates the sex of the baby. There is also an importance of shade of color. The brighter or paler is the most preferred. The lighter feel give the room a brighter feel, attracting more light. Light is happiness and therefore gives off the feeling of happiness. Also there is an importance of motifs, patterns and prints. Depending on the choice, also determines the development and growth of the child. All these things must be taken into consideration when creating and designing a space because believe it or not, the architectural design not only shapes the room but will add to shaping your child into the person they will grow up to be.
