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Blog 18

When arriving at Villa Savoye, it appears as any ordinary building. However, upon after taking a closer look, the building is quite fascinating. It’s served as a pioneer for much of the modern architecture we have today. Le Corbusier's architectural manifesto has inspired modernism in architecture with five points. These 5 points can be seen in Villa Savoye. The first point is pilots. This is a replacement of supporting walls with a grid of reinforced concrete. This building has pillars of reinforced concrete as the pilots that bear the structural load.

The 2nd point is the free designing of the ground plan. This is executed by the absence of supporting walls. There are many parts of the house that are large open rooms with few walls or half walls. There was even an open bathroom that lacked a door. That would be very awkward if it was your first stay with a new partner and a stomach ache 😳.

The 3rd point is the the free design of the free design of the facade. This functions to separate the exterior of the building from its structural function. The front is very minimalistic and allows for the use of less materials. The facade is lighter, unrestrained, and more open.

The 4th point is the horizontal or ribbon windows. It runs along the entire length of the facade which allows each room to be equally lit.

The last point is the roof garden that is a flat roof. This serves as a design aspect and a functional aspect. Greenery is good for the environment, mental health, and is ascetically pleasing. It also helps to soak up the water that falls on the concrete roof. 

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Blog 17

Barcelona is quite a beautiful city. If I had to choose my favorite place we have visited thus far, it would hands down be Barcelona. This is because there is so much going on. The city is busy and full of life. There is so much color everywhere. The city is a mixture between modern attractions and historical structures, which I believe draws many people there. We visited many cool structures in Barcelona. My favorite one had to be the La Sagrada Familia. The church is absolutely breath taking from the outside. Every time I looked at it, I noticed a new intricate detail. It was also shocking to me that the church is still not finished and will still take years to complete. While the outside was amazing, the part that absolutely sold me was the inside. We visited the structure in the afternoon. This is important due to the lighting. The stain glass windows were breathtaking. The light shining in lit the church in an a multitude of beautiful colors. One can sit in the church for quite some time just to admire these windows and their colorful effects. I got to experience so much in Barcelona and I feel that I accomplished many of the goals I had set for myself prior to this trip. One goal I set was to experience new cultures. On this trip, we got the opportunity to watch flamenco dancing. I had never heard of it before and had no idea what to expect. I was very impressed with the performance we saw. It is a mixture of singing, instrument playing, and dancing. I did not expect the serious each performer had when it was their turn to dance. It must take intense focus to do their routines. Another goal I had was to improve my sketching. I got the opportunity to do a few sketches in Barcelona and had started to take them more seriously. When I look back on my sketch from the first day in Rome compared to the one at Colonia Güell, I see great improvement. I had also hoped to go out of my comfort zone. I am a person who enjoys making friends and staying with those people. In Barcelona, I went exploring through the city with people I am not very familiar with and had a pleasant time. Overall Barcelona is a wonderful city that I hope to return to one day.

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Blog 14

Throughout our travels in Europe, we have had the opportunity to see and explore many amazing churches. There was much variety between the churches we saw. Three churches that are quite unique are the Sagrada Familia, St. Peter's Basilica and the Church of the Jubilee. The church of Jubilee is more similar to the churches I see at home. It is a big white building that has much clear windows. This allows for much natural light that changes intensity throughout the day. The church was intended to be sparsely decorated but now has more religious design additions. The architect wanted people to be able to come into this plain space and only focus on prayer. However, people are naturally drawn to detail and decor so catholic decorations were added. There is also a community center in the church that was meant to draw a dying community together. St. Peter’s Basilica is drastically different. It is located in Vatican City and is the largest church in the world. Inside, the church is covered in ornate artwork and contains immense symbolism. Many people are in awe and even are brought to tears. In my opinion, this allows people to feel more connected with their faith. The pope has a number of liturgies there which also draws many people in. There is much history of Catholicism with this basilica and even is the burial site of St. Peter (one of Jesus’s disciples). The third church is the Sagrada Familia. This is unique because it is the largest unfinished church in the world. The sagrada familia is extremely ornate and has much detail. The church started construction in 1882 and is still underway. There is a mixture between historical architecture and modern architecture that definitely alters the user experience. In a few years, there will be an elevator that takes people to the top of the now unfinished part of the church. Another unique aspect of this church is the stain glass windows. While many churches have stain glass windows, these windows are arranged in such a way that in the afternoon, the entire church is luminated in colorful dancing lights. These churches are quite breathtaking and are adored by many.

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Blog 13

Italy, France, Spain, oh my! Throughout our trip thus far, we have had the opportunity to travel to some truly amazing places. While I have noticed differences between each city, I have also noticed large differences between countries, specifically Italy and the south of France. The first major cultural difference is the food. In Italy, I had lots of pasta and pizza. I really felt like it was the only food I ate for days. In France, my diet became much for diverse. We ate lots of meat, specifically beef. There was also much more greens. There was also more fast food restaurants. In Italy, there was tons of small restaurants on every street I turned down, which did not seem to be the case in France. Another difference I noticed was via transportation. People in France travel via trains and metros much more than the people in Italy. I felt like there was less cars on the street. The cities in France also seemed less crowded. Lots of the cities in France seemed to be more modern. There was still preserved historical buildings, but there was also much more modern structures. I also found that the people in France do not speak that much English! In Italy, I never ran into a situation where I could not communicate with someone. In France, I encountered many people who did not understand a word I was saying. Lastly, one major difference between Italy and France is that France does not have an Anthony! 😢

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Blog 11

When viewing the Luma from far away, I thought “that looks like a mountain of trash”. I was skeptical of why we would travel all that way for one building. However, when I saw it up close, I immediately changed my mind. The building has such a unique and innovative design. The luma is a creative campus for artists to become inspired and to showcase their work. When I went inside, I was even more impressed. I found it very refreshing to see some modern and new designs after seeing so many historical buildings. The Luma pushes the boundaries of architecture and art. I had a great time seeing what each floor and exhibit had to offer. I was also intrigued by the slide. I think the inner child in us all was immediately drawn to it. Before going to the Luma, we had the chance to travel around Arles. It is a city that is full of history. The Luma sticks out like a sore thumb in a city of many preserved buildings. In class, we learned that a structure can only be great if it is in the right context. For example, putting the coliseum in the middle of New York would take away from its greatness. Overall, I am Ghery no for the Luma due to its location!

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Blog 10

Throughout our travels thus far, water has been a common factor. As someone who lives by the beach, I have always been fascinated by water. There is much cultural identity in water. Places such as Nice and Marseille are known for their views of the water. There is much history that involves water through travel. Much of what they eat comes from the water. Marseille is known for its amazing sea food. People there spend much time by the water. Their culture of spending time by the water also has a social impact. When walking around, I saw people enjoying a nice boat ride on the water. There were lots of food stands and restaurants that many people spent time at. There were also many street performers. Many stopped to hear them perform and to enjoy the view of the water. Finally, there is a transportation aspect of the water. It is an easy way to transport people and to avoid heavy traffic. Goods are also easily shipped by boat. This also helps their economy. Throughout our travels, we have also seen many fountains. Famous sculptors and artists have spent much time creating fountains that are nothing short of masterpieces. All people passing by can admire their beauty. Many people also choose to hang out around fountains. There is definitely an entertainment aspect to water. Over, water has much importance to the cities and the people in those cities.

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Blog 9

As we walked around Nice Meridia district, I started to notice aspects of sustainability in their architecture. One building you can particularly notice this in is the research institute. It was built keeping sustainability and climate resistibility in mind. The building has numerous windows. This allows for less use of lights due to the natural light. The are panels outside of the glass that allows for insulation and regulation of the amount of light. The building has vertical vegetation. This allows for air purification, water management, and positive effects on mental health. It has solar panels and a wind turbine on top for energy. Moreover, it has a smart grid that it pulls energy from (they can use their own and pull from a larger one). Much of the infrastructure is on the outside. This causes them to save energy because they don’t need to heat the stairwells. There is also more usable space. The building is also made mostly of wood. It is actually the tallest wood office building in all of France. This is important because wood is a renewable resource (they can grow more forests). It is also economically sustainable because it’s locally sourced. The building is in a mixed use zone. This means that there are many building that have different uses in that area. There are nursery’s, retirement homes, apartments, grocery stores, etc all in that one area. This helps eliminate the need for a car. Many people choose to have bikes for to ride the subway/train/ bus. There are actually separate street ways for bikes so that they do not need to share the road with cars. This also allows Nice to have more usable space because they don’t need as much parking. There is a lot of financial planning that went in to this to make sure it was affordable and profitable. Near by the building, there was a small plaza of concrete with benches and big round slabs of concrete. The round slabs were created to draw people into that space. The inner child in us all is drawn to them. However, the primary use for that space is a storm water control structure. There are gaps in the concrete that allow water to flow underneath. This space is brilliant because it merges a needed structure with a usable public space. Overall, Nice is becoming increasingly sustainable and shows a promising future.

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Blog 8

As we walked around Nice, I was immediately entranced by the immense beauty that surrounded me. After first arriving to Nice, we were able to start our experience with a waking tour. We walked by many beautiful buildings. Many of the buildings had identical shutters. They looked very familiar. I had seen those shutters many times in Italy. The shutters have three distinct rows. Each row can be controlled separately for maximum regulation of light control. Another feature is a design aspect of many of the buildings. There are thick curved layers of painted concrete on the facades of many buildings. These are often seen in Italy. Much of the architecture is neoclassical style. This is an architectural movement originating in the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century.  It comes after both classicism and Baroque architecture. It consisted of rediscovering clean lines. The facades are normal looking and have tall doors. It has Greco-Roman elements in its constructions, specifically columns and pediments. This is seen on many of the buildings in Nice and Italy.

https://vorbild.co.uk/2019/04/10/neoclassical-architecture-in-nice-france/

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Blog 6

After watching the documentary, “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces”, I have been able to understand the purpose behind spaces. One place that really caught my eye was the piazza della republica. It is one of the main squares in Florence and marks the center of the city. It is relatively large in size. It is often referred to as the heart of the city. The is a large column in the squares called the Colonna della Dovizia (column of abundance). It marks where the Roman forum stood. Today, the column can be see as a landmark. Many people also sit at the bottom of the column. There are restaurants all along the outer sides of the square. This draws people in and they often hang around before and after grabbing a meal. There is also a carousel that draws many people to it. People old and young ride the carousel, as it is a popular tourist attraction. There is lots of benches for people to gather at. Another space that caught my eye was the space outside of palazzo vecchio. This is a heavily crowded area, as many people come to see the statues that many people will stop at. People will also sit on the steps or the bases of the fountains. The plaza is large and open. Many also gather to go inside of the palazzo vecchio as it is a great structure in Florence.

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Blog 4

While Rome and sienna had many similarities as both being a cities in Italy, they also had many differences. When we were first driving in, I noticed we were driving up and down many hills. The city was full of much non leveled ground. We often had to walk up many steep hills. The tour guides often had to remind us that they are much older than use and can do this hike everyday. The people in sienna are very much used to walking up steep inclines. Another thing I noticed there was the air. When we stepped out of the hotel, the air felt much cleaner. A few other students and I compared the air qualities of Rome and sienna. Rome had a very poor air quality while the air quality in sienna read as being much safer. For one thing, there is much more people in Rome. This means there is more people to drive vehicles and create less damage to the air. I also noticed that there was less people using cigarettes in Sienna which also affects the air quality. Another difference is the design of sienna. There is almost no large open areas. It mostly consists of alleys. The streets are also much cleaner. While our class was at lunch, we were able to try the bread. We immediately knew that the bread tasted much different. Some would say more bland. We found out that the bread is not made with salt. Also, they do not give out bread plates. People typically just eat their bread over the tablecloth, which is very crumby.

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Blog 3

The jubilee church in Rome is definitely a captivating structure. It is unique and has many design features that differ from an “traditional” church that have an impact on the user experience. It was built as an attempt to save an undesirable suburb of Rome. When looking from the outside, one can see that the church was designed to look like a ship. There are terraces that also give the church a more modern look. The church is largely white and lacks color, which is not like most churches. One can also see that large amount of clear windows. Traditional churches are normally decorated with stain glass window mosaics that symbolize Catholic teachings. These windows allow for plenty of natural light to come into the church. The atmospheric lighting changes throughout the day with the sun. There is also lots of play with shadow and shading in the church. When coming inside, one can see that the church was intended to be sparsely decorated. The pews are completely made of wood and even have no cushioning on the kneelers. There is only one crucifix which is located above the alter. Although the church was intended to be sparsely decorated, the church actually has many decorations. The architect wanted people to be able to come into this plain space and only focus on prayer. However, people are naturally drawn to detail and decor so catholic decorations were added, such as a wooden nativity scene encased in glass near the alter. There is also a community center in the church. I am catholic and have been in many churches, but I have never seen a community center in one. The purpose of this is most likely to draw more people into the church and to bring the people of the dying suburbs together.

https://archello.com/project/jubilee-church

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Blog 2

The pantheon is an a truly breathtaking structure. One could argue that it should be considered the 8th wonder of the world, and here is why. One will be immediately taken back by the massive piece of concrete. It has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. The dome is a perfect hemisphere. The structure has detailed mathematics and is made largely of circles and squares. The constriction is somewhat of a mystery. It has a hole in the middle, an oculus, that allows rain to come into the middle of the building. The floor is sloped and has drains to catch the rain water. One of the reasons the pantheon is so captivating is because we still don’t know what is was really used for. Many speculate it was used by Romans to worship emperors. Another reason is because of the amount of times it has been rebuilt. The structure was initially built between 25-27 B.C. But would not be recognizable from what it is today. The first structure was made of wood and burnt down. The second time it was rebuilt it was struck by lightening and burnt down. It would later be made of material that would not easily burn. There are people buried inside the pantheon. Vittorio Emmanuelle, a Sardinian King who unified the sub-kingdoms of Italy, is buried inside. Umberto I, the second and last King of Italy and also a Savoia, is buried in the same tomb. The famous painter Raphael is also buried in the pantheon next to his fiancé Maria. Another reason the building is so fascinating is because it has kept its function even though the nature of the religion has changed. It has been used as a church for the past 1400 years. It was converted into a church by pope Boniface IV due to Christians complaining that it was haunted by pagan ghosts. Overall, the pantheon is a truly astonishing structure and definitely a strong candidate to be considered the 8th wonder of the world.

https://theromanguy.com/italy-travel-blog/rome/pantheon/why-is-the-pantheon-so-famous/

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Blog 1

When I came into Rome, I could immediately notice many things that differed from America. The first thing I noticed were the trees. Many were are tall and have leaves only at the very top. They are plentiful around Rome and I have never seen them in America. As we were driving in, we also saw the very high gas prices that were priced in liters. One major difference is the streets of Rome. Many are narrow and cobblestone. They are heavily crowded during the day. Cars drive down almost every street and ally way. There is also very little parking and cars seem to be parked randomly on the side of very busy and small streets. Electric scooters and bikes can be found on almost any streets and you can often see people weaving in between cars on them. Another aspect of the streets that shocked me was the presence of armed soldiers. They have posts around the city. They stand under a small tend and actively observe their surroundings. Food is another major difference in Rome. For starters, they do not eat dinner until after 7:30. Restaurants will not even be open until them. Waiters do not need to be tipped because they make a decent salary. They also eat lots of pizza. It can be eaten for every meal. At breakfast, is is a doughy bread that is sweet. At lunch, people purchase individual slices with toppings. Lastly, at dinner they share a whole pie with no toppings. It is also absurd to add things like chicken as a topping. I also found differences in my own hotel room. The power in the room only works of there is a key plugged into the wall. The toilet never has a handle. There is normally some button that must be pressed. Many of the sinks have a lever on the floor that must be pushed down to get water. Every bathroom seems to be different and it can get quite confusing. Lastly, when you leave the hotel, you must return the large key to the front desk.

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My favorite structure at Elon University

The library is one of my favorite structures on campus because I enjoy spending time there doing work. The library was opened in 2000 and it was created to replace the McEwen library and become the new “heart of campus”. The cost to build it was $14 million. The building, like many buildings on campus is largely made of brick. There is a barrel vault hallway which is also considered a path on campus. The arches along the hallway resemble a Roman arch. The facade is large and faces young commons. There are points along the barrel vault where there are groined vaults (made by an intersection of two barrel vaults crossing in a right angle). In the large arch shaped windows, there are keystones. The railings in front of the windows are trusses. The clock in front of the library is a landmark on campus. The library can be considered a node that many students congregate at. 

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Personal Objectives

I would like to challenge myself to go outside of my comfort zone. Deciding to go on this trip to places I have never been was already my first step, but I would like to push myself even more.

I would like to learn and experience new cultures. I have never been to any of the places that we are traveling to, so I am excited to do this in all these places.

I want to understand architecture on a deeper level. Using the knowledge I have gained in the pre departure course, I would like to be able to have a good understanding and appreciation for these great structures.

I would like to improve on my sketching abilities. When we first did this in class, I did not have a natural talent for it so I would like to improve on my abilities.

Lastly, I would like to grow more independent. I think traveling to new places and exploring them will help me to do this.