OPUS 11

Roots: Similar to source, roots can mean the foundation of a buildings design; not the literal foundation which keeps a building standing, but the other ideas and elements incorperated into its design. The roots of the Trinity Church in Boston, for example, harken back to Romanesque Buildings. The Romanesque style was actually very prevalant in the 19th century because designers were linking to the past. As we didcussed in class, the Romanesque style was Roman revival, and this time was Romanesque revival. Some of the United State's first real designs are linked to Wright and the Greene brothers, as well as many others, who helped to create a post-modern era where any classic elements used were then fiddled with and re-created to be their own.

Concepts: Due to the influx of designers with new, different ideas (those specifically located in or around Chicago, California and New York) different concepts were being used in the design and construction of buildings. For example, there was a race for height. There were also new elements being used; concrete, steel and glass changed the way arches were built, now with a lighter frame. Other concepts, such as the importance of specialized rooms in a house - specialized for comfort of privacy - became more apparent as well.

Materiality: Along with the new materials (steel, glass and concrete) being new concepts for design, they were very important to the revolution. The sense of materiality was imperative because designers were looking for "the new modern" and that is just what these materials gave them. The use of these materials also aided in connecting people with nature and the outside. Full glass walls were used to experience the outside inside, and certain iron work is used in sich a curving way that it mimics actual natural elements.

Congruents: When something is congruent, it is the connecting of two or more angles in a geometric way. We saw this in class with William Jerry's Home Insurance Building in Chicago - he used horizontal spandrels to connect the vertical window lines, making it appear continuously horizontal, though the windows went vertical. Congruants may also be, I suppose, a connection of two or more ideas, desings or even times; connected in a logical way, by materials, designer, or time. At this time in the 19th century, there had been much change which occured quickly, and many felt a need for meaning, which is why designers took time to study and emulate the "romantic past" which people longed for.

Compression and Release: After the classical revival, postmodernism began. I believe the classical revival was the compression - compression of ideas and designs (though new materials were being used, and some designs had new twists, it was still similar) - and postmodernism was the 'out-of-the-box' release that we all sensed was comming. With this wave of new designs, some elements remained the same, but there was a sense of more private space, and, as I have mentioned, new materials, and a connection to the outside. Buildings and rooms were holistically designed, and things were brought into a space to be complements, not complete matches. Texture also played an important role at this time, as well as rooms made for a specific purpose - not with multiple purposes.

This week we discussed more about the 19th century - how the classical, romanesque elements were revived, and how post-modernism changed many peoples outlook on design. There were new elements encorperated, and people were building vertical again, instead of horizontal. There were still roots back to classic designs, but with a modern twist.