Ancient Rome

Rome was the civilization that had the major development in architectural engineering. This development was of the arch, barrel vault, and domes.


Coliseum

The Coliseum is a large venue that is capable of seating 50,000! This structure is constructed from concrete and stone, acting as a modern day sports arena. Like discussed above, the use of arch and barrel vaults structures are prominently used in this design.

Pantheon (126 AD)

Marcus Agrippa was the man who commissioned this structure, and it was then rebuild by Emperor Hadrian. The basic structure is a round temple with a dome, and it is the World's largest un-reinforced concrete domes in the world. This means that it has no added structural elements embedded in the concrete to act as a reinforcement to allow for better support, like modern day rebar.

Maison Carree

This structure is in South France, and it was built in 16BC. The same man who build the Pantheon, Agrippa. This Vitruvian style architecture is said to be one f the best examples of a Roman Temple. This has a deep porch, Corinthian columns, and Roman Sequence is present.

Interior Design

The interior of ancient design uses a lot of some aspects that we can even see today. They used mosaics, stucco, frescoes, ornamentation, patterned floor, and many other intricate and subtle design aspects.

 

Modern Interior Inspired by Roman Decor

Click Here to See Underground Cities found in Rome

Ancient Greece

Greek civilization was the beginning of western ideas and culture. This includes and is very visible in ancient times that they were masters of and had a large impact on the following; philosophy, science, fine arts, geography, medicine and many other important economic and social topics.


The topography of the Greek land, is that it is mountainous country, surrounded by three large sees. With this location, it made a lot of trade available like the Ancient Egyptian land, it was something that was hugely beneficial in the production of goods and structures.


Historical Civilizations


Minoan


The Minoan civilization was found in Crete around 2,000 BC. This civilization housed 40,000 inhabitants, where in the village had a central palace, called the Palace of Knossos. The design of this palace utilized inverted columns that were a sure sign of this civilization. A lot of the art work symbolized the environment around them, daily and spiritual activities, and were basically telling a story and documenting what life was like during the time period.




Artwork from this era

 

Minoan Pottery

Parthenon (Golden Age 480-400BC)


The Parthenon is the ancient temple of the Athenian Acropolis, and it was dedicated to the goddess Athena. It is said to be the most important, surviving, building of Classical Greece, it is the culmination of the Doric Order.


Interior Architecture and Décor


Flooring


The floors of this era were plastered and painted. This intricate method was done for the wealthy, and most surely should since it is so tedious. Also used was a mosaic technique with the use of pebbles, glass, and stone.


Walls


The walls are not plastered entirely but are constructed of mud bricks which are then plastered and finally finished with paint and paintings.


Motifs


Motifs of this era are something of importance because many motifs used are still used in design today. These include floral and marine life, Egg and Dart, and Greek Key.

Modern use of the Greek Key in Interior Design

US Capital Building using Egg and Dart






Click Here to See Short Clip on Secrets of The Parthenon!

Peer Review: Ancient Egypt

Lisa: I feel she did a really good job with the content chosen for her post, she really chose the best information that needed to be relayed to others interested in this topic.

Krista: I enjoyed how she focused on Nubia in her post, it was a different approach to the topic that others did not do.

Ancient Egypt

 

Near the Nile in Egypt and in Mesopotamia and Nubia, in around 4,000 B.C. signs of larger towns and more advance styles of living became prevalent in research. With the shelter and food becoming more solidified and secured people of this era were able to put more time and effort in the arts and complex inventions.

During this era their was a large growth in Mathematics, Architecture, Sculpture, and written laws. With the new style of living and advances in practices and technology came the construction of large scale buildings. These buildings were used to symbolize many things, including:

• Distinguish different classes of individuals
• Used to show power sometimes to intimidate others
• Artifacts were stored and used at tombs or burial sites

An example of Ancient Egyptian Art/Symbols
as well as patterns

Below is some information in regards to the environment and geographical location on Egypt. This allows us to better understand the construction methods and materials used during this time.

Furniture from the Ancient Egyptian Era

Nile River

The Nile River allowed for trade to be more readily available which allowed for easier access to materials that are not locally available. With the river nearby Agriculture was something that was easily doable. The water available was used for crops when it was not necessarily in the rainy season. And finally, along with the trade option the river allowed for communication with others who have access to the river.


Timber


The use of natural materials was obviously the main option of materials available and to be used in construction and the artifacts. However, timber is one of the materials that is always widely used and in Egypt was not necessarily of abundance. For this reason timber was imported from Lebanon. Something that is seen now in a all furniture and carpentry is that of the joinery, which was first seen in the Ancient Egyptian era.


Interior Architecture and Design


The architecture and design during the Ancient Egyptian era was a time where hierarchy of the citizens was denoted by the style and type of home individuals lived in. Plaster was vastly used in the construction of the homes during this time. Hypostyle roof systems are used in the construction where it is column and beam, where these columns are made of sandstone. Sometimes, like the Temple of Karnak, the columns have inscriptions and relief designs.




MODERN: Chrysler building has Art Deco inspired Architecture
inspired by the Ancient Egyptian Design

Overall, in the design community we are able to see an impact from the Ancient Egyptian time in design over time and with current applications. The most significant and obvious impact is from the Art Deco period. The use of Egyptian patterns and color pallets are seen in the Art Deco style.

MODERN: Modern glass shelving unit


Click here to see a video on the engineering of the Egyptian Pyramids (1.5 hours long)

Prehistoric Period: Peer Review

Rachael: I enjoyed the approach Racheal took in explaining this era. The time line type format gave a great understanding to those that do not have knowledge of this topic ahead of time. It really does demonstrate an evolution of how it was to live during this era.

Madelyn: The visuals used in her blog really gave those reading her blog a better understanding of what it was she was discussing.

Prehistoric Periods

This period of time makes me think of the cavemen era, where places of dwelling were determined on what needs needed to be met, mainly determined on what individuals need to survive; food. To determine what type of dwelling one would live in the geographical location was a huge factor. Some examples of this would be an igloo in the more Arctic regions, or in the Sahara desert, the Matmata Underground houses.

During this time period furniture was not widely used, it was something that was not seen to be a necessity. However, their were visible signs of patterns and designs prevalent in the prehistoric period. Weaving was seen in blankets, baskets, rugs, and clothing. Like Wendy mentioned in class, the use of symbolism was instilled in a lot of different aspects during this time, like a current gang would use. The meaning would be in relative to different things such as, colors, patterns, and design-society, all of which were a determinate of where peoples allies played, with society, tribes, and religious views.

The artifacts of this time used what was available to them, that being natural materials. In many cases woods and stones were used to create artifacts that would usually depict humans or animals. Venus of Willendorf is the oldest known artifact/statue found that is from 30,000 B.C. which was found in 1908 and is said to be symbolize the goddess of fertility.

Overall, what I was I took out of this period as far as how living and priorities related to it were, is the basis of needs. It was a need for the individuals to get out of the elements for health, and safety. However, they needed to be able to up and leave when needed, dependent on the prey they were after or the season. Their were not signs of documentation really until 33,000 B.C. which were cave paintings done in charcoal and pigment.

It was not until 17,000 B.C. that it was obvious that their was a use for a dwelling place other than to just stay alive. The spaces were able to evolve during this time into a space with meaning, going from a shelter to more of a home. This was visible in a Paleolithic cave that was found in France, with over 2,000 figurines, that were used as decorations.

With even more of transformation into a home and a place that was more permanent place to live, where their was not as much movement was seen in 2,000-1,500 B.C. in Scotland called the Skara-brae. Here archeologists found a home with furniture, built-ins, hearth, shelves, and a lot of things found in modern day homes.



Stonehenge - Post and Lintel

Finally, mentioned in our lecture was that of the Stonehendge. A very iconic well-known landmark found in England. This is a place for religious practices, burial, and overall a monument. This is thought to be the first use of the post and lintel method, which is a main component in a structures to this day.


Parthenon - Post and Lintel

 Modern Uses

Modern Interior Exposed Beam (Post and Lintel)

Pergola Uses Post and Lintel (Beam)

Click here to see hour long video on the "Secrets of Stonehenge"