Architecture

It is the combination of architect’s art and

engineer’s skill. It needs engineering skills in
translating the creative thought of architect.
• Architecture is essentially just a shelter from
the elements
• BUT, it can be an important record of a
society
Three Key Issues in Architecture

• Function- how a building is used

• Form- how it looks
• Structure- how it stands up
An Art and Science
• As an art, architecture creates indoor
spaces and an exterior that can be
beautiful
• As a science, architecture has to be
able to withstand weather and stress
Three essential components
– Supporting skeleton
– Outer skin
– Operating equipment
Styles, Materials, and Methods
1- Dry Masonry
–Basically piling stones on top of one
another
–If the stones have been cut befores
stacking they are dressed
The Great Zimbabwe
• Built in the 12th century
• Its walls are made up of dressed stone
• The walls are 15 feet thick at the bottom to add
stability
• There are no windows as these could weaken the
structure
Machu Picchu-Dry Masonry
Mesa Verde-Dry Masonry
Mesa Verde National Park’s cliff dwellings are just one
wonder to be found at this national park in Colorado,
which also includes protected wilderness.
2- Post and beam

–Vertical posts support horizontal

beams
–A row of columns connected be
beams is called a colonade
The Colonnade of Amenhotep III
3-Round Arch,Vault, and Dom
The round arch enabled builders to move their
beams further apart
– An arch can be supported by a column or a pier, a
massive column
– A vault is a curving ceiling or roof structure
– A barrel vault is when the arch is extended in depth to
create a tunnel
– Groin vault is an intersection of two barrel vaults
– Keystone is the last stone placed in an arch at the top
– Arches supported by column creates and arcade
Pont Du Gard
4- The Dome
–An arch rotated 180 degrees on it
vertical axis
–They can be rounded or pointed
Hagia Sophia
• Istanbul Turkey
A Byzantine cathedral built
in the sixth century
• The dome rests on
curving triangular sections
called pendentives over a
square base
5-Pointed arch and vault

–Also called the Gothic Arch

–Pointed vaults allowed for wider
aisles and higher ceilings
6- Butresses
–Butresses are built on the outside of an arch to
support the weight
–Flying butresses allowed even taller arches to be
supported
• Flying butresses also allowed for larger windows