Architecture is All Around Us In the next few slides, you will see examples of architecture advancements dating from the Prehistoric Culture to Present Day. You may be surprised to find that many techniques used today have roots from several centuries past.

Prehistoric – Neolithic Stonehenge

Post & Lintel - A beam is placed horizontally across the top of upright posts. This technique is still used today.

Greek – Parthenon These works followed strict guidelines.

Doric, Ionic, & Corinthian Orders

Colonnade – series of columns

Romans- The post & lintel technique would not support the weight of concrete. Romans developed the Arch out of necessity.

The center stone in an arch is called a keystone.

Arcade – series of arches.

Dome – originating from an arch, a rounded vault forms the roof of a building or structure, typically with a circular base.

Barrel Vault – a series of arches that connect and create a hall or tunnel.

Romanesque Architecture Developments in architecture during the Middle Ages/Gothic times include the following: pointed arches, flying buttresses…

Stained Glass and Spirals/Spires These techniques are seen in the construction of the cathedrals. Gothic Cathedrals were the largest constructions since the Egyptian Pyramids

Balcony - a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.

Castles were built during Medieval times as fortresses for the King and his family. Towers were added to the corners of the castles to provide added areas of protection by providing spots for servants to look-out over the countryside to warn of impending danger. Towers went from the bottom of the castle to the top.

Towers

Turrets were shortened towers that appeared at the top of a building Turrets were shortened towers that appeared at the top of a building. Often they were extensions of single rooms.

Turret

Baroque – Palace of Versailles This style is reflected in irregular shapes and extravagant ornamentation.

Rococo --Archbishop's Palace at Prague Castle This movement utilized white buildings with sweeping curves, scrolls, vines, shell-shapes, and delicate geometric patterns.

Neoclassical – This style was brought to the United States by Thomas Jefferson while he served as ambassador to France. Neoclassical buildings were proportioned according to the classical orders with details from ancient Greece and Rome.

Neoclassical – The White House

Frank Lloyd Wright – designed Falling Water Frank Lloyd Wright – designed Falling Water. He utilized organic architecture which incorporated the work into it’s surroundings in a harmonious way. In this piece he incorporated wood, stone, and metal, in a way that was aesthetically pleasing.

Art Nouveau in the United States- Falling Water (has cantilevered balconies)

Art Nouveau in Spain – The Criterion Collection

Art Nouveau in France – Louvre Pyramid

Art Deco architecture is characterized by zigzag patterns and vertical lines that create dramatic effects. The motifs from this style were inspired by the architecture of ancient Egypt.

Art Deco – Chrysler Building

Art Deco – Empire State Building

Art Deco- Wrought Iron

Arts & Crafts Movement Architectural Styles of the Arts and Crafts Movement Arts and Crafts is the movement that provided the philosophy and the rationale for creating new art and architectural styles. The movement was focused on five simple values: Find joy in work Create well-designed, affordable objects Live simply Stay connected to nature Maintain integrity

Bungalow- traditional Craftsman

Bungalows are modest homes that are made of wood siding and brick or sometimes stone. They have broad, low gabled roofs, usually with one or two large front dormers, and wide eaves with exposed rafters under the eaves. The prominent wide, open porches – sometimes screened-in sunrooms, depending on the area – are supported by heavy masonry or wood piers. The windows are the most distinctive feature, often using four-over-one or six-over-one double hung windows. What this means is that there are four or six panes in the upper sash of the window to one pane in the lower sash. They are now commonly called Craftsman windows.

Prairie Style

If you’ve seen a Frank Lloyd Wright home, then you can recognize Prairie Style. These homes feature two or more stories with strong horizontal lines. Its low, flat exterior mimics the nature surrounding the home – the flatness of the prairie and the Midwest. Prairie Style architects were the most deliberate in creating and building homes that were entirely different from the popular Victorian design. Prairie homes have low, horizontal lines and large open spaces compared to the Victorian’s tall, narrow space with closed-in rooms. Rooms in the Prairie Style home are wide and divided by leaded glass panels or low cabinets, rather than walls, to create a more natural open flow. This style was the only one of the Arts and Crafts movement that was able to survive the post-WWI housing boom. Frank Lloyd Wright was a forward-thinker and he began incorporating many Modernist elements into his homes by the 1930s. By the late ‘40s, the technology had improved to the point that architects could develop and evolve the style into an early Mid-Century Modernist style.

Mission Revival Style

This style of homes was inspired by the adobe structures of the Southwest and is very closely related to the Prairie Style. Like the Prairie, these styles feature low, horizontal lines and large open interior spaces, but their exteriors are quite different. They’re often asymmetrical structures covered in thick stucco with small features made of stone or brick and tile. There are arches above doors and windows, heavy carved wood doors and red clay roof tiles. Mission homes often have interior courtyards as a stand-out feature, along with deep-set porches and extended roofs. Inside, their homes retain some of the same qualities of a Craftsman – built-in cabinetry, large fireplaces – but also add their own Spanish flair with rough plastered walls, tile floors and fireplaces, and curved wall edges and ceiling corners.

Four Square

While Craftsman and Prairie styles have roots based in architectural history like India and Japan, it’s hard to trace the history of Four-Square homes. In 1890, there were maybe a handful of this style of home across the country. However, by the end of 1918, there were thousands. The likely reason for this increase was a response to the sudden baby boom after the end of the war. People were having larger families and required more space. Builders took the efficient and inexpensive Craftsman bungalow style and added a second floor. However, the style failed to have the same architectural influence as the Craftsman. Many designers considered it to be a chunky, unassuming and plain curiosity with little style and no importance. Fortunately the style has endured and today it’s considered one of the pillars of American residential architecture.

Sources: ArtsAndCraftsHomes.com HartStudio.net Houzz.com How to Identify a Craftsman-Style Home: The History, Types and Features