Historic Theories/Explanations/Examples/Current Thinking - Coursework Example

Historic Theories/Explanations/Examples/Current Thinking WEEK 2: Adaptive Re-use and Re-inventing Space Collecting Data: 19th Century: Violet le Duc Restoration Built as it was built before Replica 19th Century: John Ruskin Cannot raise the dead Anti-restoration Preservation/Restoration Protection 19th Century: Reigl Categorizing historic buildings Allotting value on the basis of historic significance, age and commemorative value 20th Century: Bolto Respond to individual circumstance Archeological restoration Recognizable Architectural intervention Sustainability Sustainability matters can be referred to as publication of case readings or studies and best practices that address the sustainability of GSA strategies and initiatives at all the stages of a building’s lifecycle. Sustainability matters are the initial complete outline by a federal agency that is related to building issues, maintaining and operating amenities in a sustainable manner. Sustainable design tries to decrease the unconstructive impacts on the surroundings and the health and relief of constructing occupants, thus improving the building operation (Zouche, 1998, p.46). The most crucial objectives of sustainability are to decrease the utilization of non-renewable resources, reduce waste, and produce healthy and prolific environments. In 2006, some federal agencies signed a memo of understanding for federal management in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings known as Guiding Principles. Derived from the name, Guiding Principles, it charged organizations with putting into practice the operational strategies and building designs that offer optimal performance and maximize the value of life cycle asset. In 2008, the Interagency Sustainability Working Group created High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance in order to help the agencies in attaining the sustainable buildings goals and high performance of Executive Order 13423 (Archer, 1999, p.87). Conservation Conservation refers to a description of the process by which the design, material and historical worth and integrity of the built heritage of human beings are prolonged via interventions that are planned in a careful manner. The person who is involved in this pursuit is called or referred to as a conservator (Faleer, 2009, p.38). The decisions regarding how and when to be engaged in an intervention are very important to the eventual conservation of the object that cannot be moved or that is stationary. The decision is eventually based on value, i.e. a combination of informational, contextual and artistic values is usually taken into consideration (Zouche, 1998, p. 47). However, in some instances, we find that a decision of not having to engage an intervention might be the best choice. Restoration Restoration refers to a specific treatment method and philosophy, which means the process or even act of correctly portraying the character, form and features of a property just the way it appeared at a specific or given period of time by way of removal of the features or properties from some other periods in the history of that object and reconstruction of the features that are missing from the period. WEEK 3: Context: Culture, Identity and Place Collecting Date: Local Context: Portsmouth, United Kingdom Cultural Data: The Poet Laureate program The Button Factory The Black Heritage Trail The Portsmouth Public Library The Music Hall The North Church steeple The Fisherman’s Cooperative The Portsmouth’s working port The Portsmouth Athenaeum Material Data Towers Sea Railway Raveling Park Fishing market Monuments Historical: Historical map of Portsmouth Extract from the Island Portsea’s Plan Portsmouth map by Lewis Extract from the map of the City Council of Portsmouth High Explosive Bombs Dropped During the Second World War on Portsmouth. The Ordinance Survey 1:10,000 Raster Map (according to the 2005 data). Sense of Place Portsmouth is the only island city in the United Kingdom, and is located on the Portsea Island, about sixty four miles from London. The serious or acute shortage of sufficient space in the city of Portsmouth is considered as the biggest challenge that faces cultural organizations and artists. The focus group participants are concerned about individual cultural organization and artists’ ability to be in a position of maintaining their places in the city (Owens, 1999, p.56). Most of the facilities that exist operate at or even close to their aptitude, yet additional or extra activity demand is increasing. Nevertheless, high rental and purchase prices of real estate are hampering the development of cultural entities and, in some instances, lead to a mass departure to space that is more affordable outside Portsmouth (Burnham Index to Architectural Literature, 1999, p. 66). However, for the cultural community to maintain or continue being in a position of developing and for the city to be able to maintain the economic strength that is obtained from this part of the economy, it is important to think creatively concerning the available opportunities within the society for the cultural expansion and development. It is imperative to learn from as well as build on the available public-private cooperation that has offered creative space solutions, e.g. the use of the Connie Bean Center by the Children’s Museum, the Player’s Ring and the Ballet New England. The art agency of Portsmouth will form a potentially usable space inventory (Wycherley, 2008). WEEK 4: Object and Embedded Narrative, Introducing Curation and Exhibition. Collecting Data: 12th century: Ankhwa the ship-builder Height: 65.500 cm 2600BC: Aztec (Mexica) 1350BC: Glass Fish Length: 14.500 cm Aztec (Mexica) In the British Museum, stone sculptures such as this Aztec represent the complex religious beliefs of the Mexicas and the large pantheon of the gods that they worshiped. Their complicated ritual calendar depicted the agricultural year’s rhythms and their ceramic sculptures are marked for their visual impact. Decorations were done on the musical instruments such as drums with intricate carvings, perhaps due to their significance of music during their rituals. The Mexicas, during the 12th century, were an obscure and small tribe in search of a new place to call home. They eventually came to settle in the Mexican valley and established their capital in 1345, known as Tenochtitlan. However, at the start of the 16th century, it was one of the world’s largest cities. Warfare was very significant or critical for the people and made them take over most of the present-day southern and central Mexico. They were in control of their huge territory via military might, a network of long-distance trading and compliment that conquered individuals had to pay (Zouche, 1998, p.49). Ankhwa the Ship-Builder The carving of this statue was done by a sculptor from Egypt to go in Anhkwa’s tomb, who was a ship-builder. The sculpture is made in the royal statue style. Ankhwa appears to be holding the adze of a carpenter over his shoulder, which his trade or his occupation. The name of Ankhwa and the titles appear on his kilt in the hieroglyphs. Nevertheless, the statue is made using hard stone called granite (Scranton, 1998, p. 92). The mining of the mineral or stone was only done in Egypt for the king, and this only shows how he was not just any other sculptor but very close to the royal family. This object represents the economic activities that mostly took place in Egypt during the 2600 BC. The Glass Fish Several glass bottles in the shape of fish have been found from the times of ancient Egypt; however, this particular tilapia is specifically attractive. First, a proficient craftsman created a fish shape from clay. There were strands of hot molted glass trailed over it to create the basic body. Colored rods of molted glass were then wrapped around it and later dragged using a tool to form a pattern of fish scales. Then there was smoothing over the body and the addition of eyes together with fins (Archer, 1998, p. 67). The clay inside was finally scrapped out. These kinds of fish hide their young ones in their mouth and then let them out after the danger is over. This object represents the beliefs of the people of Egypt, who believed that this was the same as being born again and thus, the tilapia was significant to them. WEEK 5: Phenomenology, Senses and Design (BM) The house is beautifully made right from the door of the sitting room to the bedroom upstairs. The outside door of the house is made of steel that gives assurance of security. Looking at the floor of the house, it also appears attractive as the contractors used subway tiles, which adds a traditional feel to a place, and their appearance certainly does not look old. The walls are made of blocks that are produced from a mixture of sand and cement. There are also stairs leading to the upper room or upstairs. The stairs are well fixed and are very stable. The design there is also the same as the ground floor, even though it takes the shape of a square. References Archer, J 1999, The literature of British domestic architecture, 1715-1842. Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT Press. Archer, J., 1998. The literature of British domestic architecture, 1715-1842. Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT Press. Burnham index to architectural literature, 1999. 10 vols. New York; London: Garland Publishing. Faleer, R 2009, Church woodwork in the British Isles, 1100-1535: an annotated bibliography. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. Owens, H., 1999. The city in the Greek and Roman world. On urbanism. Scranton, H., 1998. Greek architecture. A short lucid essay. Wycherley, R., 2008. How the Greeks built cities. On secular buildings. Zouche, H., 1998. A bibliography on vernacular architecture. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. Read More