hoa note 1

• History of Architecture

  A record of man's effort to build beautifully. It traces the origin, growth and decline of architectural styles which have prevailed lands and ages.
• Historic Styles of Architecture


  The particular method, the characteristics, manner of design which prevails at a certain place and time.
• Six Influences of Architecture

  • Geographical
  • Geological
  • Climate
  • Religion
  • Social and political
  • Historical
• Prehistoric Architecture Periods


  • Paleolithic Period – creation -10,000 BCE
  • Mesolithic Period - 10,000-8,000 BCE
  • Neolithic Period – 10,000-2,200 BCE
• Humans spread from Africa into Southern Europe, Asia
• Humans could not settle far north due to the cold climate
• Humans spread from Siberia by foot into North America
• Humans spread from Southeast Asia by boat into Australia
• Before 9000 BC, nomadic life of hunting & food gathering
• By 9000 BC, farming and agriculture was practiced
• Fertile soil and plentiful food
• Animal domestication for work, milk, wool
• People wanted to settle down, live in communities
• First villages in the Middle East, South America, Central America, India and China
• Some people needed not farm, so they spent time on other work - pot-making, metal-working, art and… architecture!
• Religion in Prehistoric Architecture

  No organized religion, the dead are treated with respect - burial rituals and monuments
• Architectural Character - Materials

  • Animal skins, wooden frames, animal bones
• Architectural Character - Construction System


  • Existing or excavated caves, Megalithic, most evident in France, England and Ireland
• Architectural Character - Decoration

  • Caves paintings in Africa, France and Spain, Sculpture
• Menhir


  • A single, large upright monolith, Serves a religious purpose, Sometimes arranged in parallel rows, reaching several miles and consisting of thousands of stones
• Dolmen


  • Tomb of standing stones usually capped with a large horizontal slab
• Cromlech


  • Enclosure formed by huge stones planted on the ground in circular form

  
• Stonehenge, England (2800 – 1500 BC)


  • Most spectacular and imposing of monolithic monuments, Outer ring, inner ring, innermost horseshoe-shaped ring with open end facing east, Largest stones weigh 45 to 50 tons, came from Wales 200 km away, Stones transported by sea or river then hauled on land with sledges and rollers by hundreds of people, raised upright into pits, capped with lintels, A solar observatory - designed to mark the sun's path during sunrise on Midsummer Day
• Tumulus or Passage Grave


  • Dominant tomb type, Corridor inside leading to an underground chamber
• Primitive Dwellings


  • Mostly had one room, The development of more complex civilizations led to division of the room into smaller ones for eating, sleeping, socializing, In places where no industrial revolution has occurred to transform building methods and increase population density, houses show little difference from primitive ones
• Wigwam or Tepee


  • conical tent with wooden poles as framework, Covered with rush mats and an animal skin door
• Igloo

  Innuit (Eskimo) house constructed of hard-packed snow blocks built up spirally
• Hogan

  primitive Indian structure of joined logs
• Sumatran house

  for several families, built of timber and palm leaves, the fenced pen underneath is for livestock
• Iraqi mudhif

  covered with split reed mats, built on a reed platform to prevent settlement
• Nigerian hut

  with mud walls and roof of palm leaves
• Trullo

  dry walled rough stone shelter with corbelled roof