Vitruvius' Ten Books on Architecture (Chapter 1 & 2)

Architecture should not be separated from the political and social life of human-beings. On the contrary, “throughout the history, architects have always been involved to some extent in politics, and have a nearly always sought positions of power and influence’’. Communist ideology in the Soviet Union had a huge impact on the architectural development of many modern nations: Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Azerbaijan. The amount of affected countries makes the topic of my analysis relevant and worth-discussing. My essay will be structured in a following way. I argue that communist ideology had an

The history of Architecture started long time ago. The nomadic were groups of people whom move from one place to another in order find shelter and food to survive. As they progress, their techniques to survive evolve. The need for a permanent shelter became vital for a better stability of the group. This is the time when the first structures that provided protection appeared. Post and lintel were the first forms of Architecture, that satisficed the basic needs. Architecture evolved to be more sophisticated and fulfill the people’s needs. Consequently, Architecture evolved throughout different periods such as: Ancient architecture, Romanesque, The medieval, Renaissance, Early modern, and the industrial age, Modernism and Contemporary

Materials included in common house construction included straw, wood, stone, sand, lime, and clay. Straw would often be used for the construction of roofs. Adobe bricks, very common in the construction of houses in the Aztec empire, would be made from water, sand, clay, and a material such as straw. The name translates to "dried brick" in Spanish. Floors might be dirt, stone, or plastered.

Timeline 300BC- Cloth Tents; the first temporary shelter to ever exist. Used by the Roman Military as a form of shelter when at war. 1597- The first Pre-fabricated homes were built. They were reportedly invented by Akbar of India, and they were the start of the temporary shelter movement.

They cut the stone and clay with saws lacking "teeth". The saws were often double sided so two people could saw at once. If the material was too hard they would drill holes into the stone or clay and cut it into seperate parts, Thats where the intellect comes in at. Also another material was used between bricks and stones and in concrete. It was called mortar. Mortar was a mixture of sand, lime and a powder gained by burning limestone plus water. Youve probably seen this inbetween brick used to build brick homes or buildings its often gray and flakey. "When mortar was used in construction underwater, a gravelly substance called pozzolana was added, which made the mortar become extremely hard when

To start the platform, they used Sun-baked bricks (made out of straw and mud); because these bricks were sun baked, buildings eventually deteriorated. The

Ancient Rome achieved many accomplishments that have influenced numerous cultures with the development of both concrete and arch having great influence in architecture. This paper discussed the development of both concrete and arch. Further discussed are the importance of concrete and arch in the life of Rome and the results of their use.

Many architectural and urban forms and elements that we witness today are largely influenced by how buildings were design and laid in Rome. Not only in terms of its external design that brought upon important messages but the design of interiors and the significance of spatial arrangement of spaces exist within them has created the sense of physical experience in the buildings as well. Rome’s urban development and the rise of architectural movement began during the time of Augustus

During the Paleolithic age the shelters the prehistoric humans designed were small huts and caves. An example of the structure is on page 11 figure 1.15, it was made out of mammoth bones, which are enormous strong mammals so I can only imagine just how strong their bones are which is probably why the prehistoric humans used their large bones. Historians even believed that these kind of shelters were used more for seasonal residence, so they weren’t a permanent home to the residents but would be their place of stay for months on end.

Augustus saw Rome as a downtrodden city in comparison to the Empire and he wanted to make life better for the citizens. Working with Vitruvius resulted in On Architecture; architectural standards for planning, design, materials, etc. used to improve the city. One of the first things they did was build a 40-mile aqueduct that brought water to the city center. After establishing a water system, he turned his attention to the housing situation. Augustus felt the houses were too small but knew there was no way to make them bigger.

Shelter has always been a necessity for mankind. We, as humans, have a relationship with the land that we must respect to live happily amongst it. Spaning back as far as the pre-Colonial Australia, indigenous Australians understood this connection excellently. Their shelters seemed to ‘bend with the land’ as they understood crucial elements within the architecture to compensate for distinctive climate and cultural factors to fit their nomadic lifestyle. Their living style was very minimalistic yet practical. The indigenous Australians only built what they needed to survive. For evidence of this, we will be looking at the text; ‘Gunyah, Goondie and Wurley: the

Prehistoric humans quickly learned to build shelters that would protect them from rain, snow and other elements of nature. Early roof designs were simple and were often little more than branches placed atop a frame; such shelters were intended for temporary use, so not a lot of effort went into the construction. However, as humans began to embrace permanent agricultural settlements, they began to develop architectural styles that were typically dependent on the local climate and available materials. Many of the roofing materials and styles in use today can be traced back over the centuries.

The human body is the ultimate tool for discovering the environment. Human anatomy is considered to be nature’s peak of perfection and certain features serve as inspiration for many architects. To study the relationship between the human body and architecture, one must not be limited to human body parts resemblance to architectural works but to a larger extent consider human emotions, sensory nerves, the mind and general human psychology. In essence everything that makes us human. In its simplest definition Architecture can be described as an art or practice of designing buildings. It is practiced in a way that accomplishes both practical and communicative or expressive requirements. To relate it to human body then Architecture can widely define the place, the site, the energy, the systems, the building, the flora and fauna. These components that bring aesthetic property to humanity apart from the utilitarian purpose it serves. The perfect balance of a normal human body and the proportions are incorporated into architecture from a point of view of imitation, idealized allusion and the actual human use. Evidence of such human incorporation into architecture is seen from the Ancient Greek Architectures where it was common for tower columns to take shape of a human being like in the colossus of the Ancient

This book was written by Juhani Pallasmaa with regard to ‘Polemics’, on issues that were part of the architecture discourse of the time, i.e. 1995. It is also an extending of ideas expressed in an essay entitled “Architecture of the seven senses” published in 1994.

The five principles of architecture that Le Corbusier proposed in 1923 can be noted in, not only Le Corbusier’s work, but also in other modern architecture, because each principle contributes to the overall aesthetic of the building, as well as providing a functional use. However, all five principles don’t have to be incorporated into one design, which is what this essay will explore. It will attempt to show that one principle can prevail over the other four, but all five are needed to create a full representation of Le Corbusier’s envision of architecture. This is shown through Le Corbusier’s villas, specifically the Villa Shodhan and this essay will analyse how the principles contrast against one another. Furthermore, a small scale design project will be created alongside the essay in an attempt to produce a unique villa through the embodiment of Le Corbusier’s five principles of architecture. Through further analysis of the Villa Shodhan I will also argue that not all principles are independent and that some principles can function efficiently without the rest. Nonetheless, Le Corbusier’s most renowned villa, Villa Savoye, utilizes all five principles; therefore, it is the most accurate image of Le Corbusier’s five principles of architecture. However, after this villa had been completed it became clear that the flat roof, which served a domestic purpose as a roof garden had failed