Introduction

- I’ll be presenting the second part of our presentation for today which is all about
Architecture
- First, what is architecture?
Architecture creates three-dimensional objects that occupy a given space and
create a visual relationship with the space around them. It is the art of designing
buildings and other structures which will serve a definite function. Structures
would range from the simplest shelter to high rise structures that meet the
demands of modern cities and its growing population
- (insert difference between sculpture and architecture as well as their relationship to each
other)

Construction Principles of Architecture

A. Post and lintel

- A significant advance came with the development of the post and lintel system. The post
and lintel system is the simplest illustration of load and support in construction and is
said to be the oldest construction system involving the use of vertical (post) and
horizontal (lintel) elements
- All structural openings have evolved from this system, which is seen in pure form only in
colonnades (a series of columns set at regular intervals and usually supporting the base
of a roof structure) and in framed structures, because the posts of doors, windows,
ceilings and roofs normally form part of the wall
- With this, a system of posts – either stone or wood – are placed at intervals and spanned
by beams at the tops. The load is distributed down the posts to allow for areas of open
space between them. Its earliest use is seen at Stonehenge (below), a prehistoric
monument in southern England dating to about 3000 BCE.
- This structure was invented by the greeks

B. Arch
- This is a Roman invention that is a two-dimensional curved beam construction for
supporting loads between two points of support over an opening. It is consists of
separate pieces of wedge-shaped blocks called voussoirs that are locked together and
arrange in a semi-circle form
- The most important part of the arch is the keystone which is the stone at the top center
that locks the pieces together into a single curved structure
- The development of the arch gave architecture new alternatives to post and lintel
construction. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick
architecture. They supply strength and stability to walls without massive posts and
beams because their construction minimizes the shear load imposed on them. This
meant walls could go higher without compromising their stability and at the same time
create larger areas of open space between arches. In addition, the arch gave buildings a
more organic, expressive visual element. The Colosseum in Rome (below), built in the
 first century CE, uses repeated arches to define an imposing but decidedly airy structure.
The fact that it's still standing today is testament to the inherent strength of the arch.

From the principle of the arch, there are following structures that can be built:
(1) Barrel vault - it is a continuous arched shape that may approximate a semi-cylinder in
form, resembling the roof of a tunnel, or may be pointed at its apex. It is typically formed
by a series of arches or vaults placed side by side by a continuous shell
- The barrel vault is the most elemental and ancient of the vaulting types,
documented from as far back as 4000 BC; it was used by the
Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Nubians, and Romans. However, apparently
it was not a popular or common struction method
(2) Groin vault - or also called double barrel vault or cross vault, is formed by intersection of
two barrel vaults at right angles. The “groin” is the edge between the intersecting vaults.
This is a more efficient structure that only has to be restrained at its corners. A series of
groin vaults can be built next to one another to create a similar effect to a simple barrel
vault
- For the first time the groin vault was used by king of Pergamon Attalos I
between 241 and 197 BC. Later it was widely used in the architecture of
the ancient Romans. It was also very common in church architecture in
the early middle ages
(3) Dome - is a curved formation or structure with the shape of an inverted cup. Imagine
cutting an orange in half, and placing it cut-side-down on a table. This is the shape of a
dome, although most domes in nature are not perfectly rounded
- It is formed by a series of arched rising from consecutive points on a base
called the drum
- Domes first appeared as solid mounds and in techniques adaptable only
to the smallest buildings, such as round huts and tombs in the ancient
Middle East, India and the Mediterranean

Another construction principle of architecture

C. Truss
- Is a structure that consists of members organized into connected triangles so that the
overall assembly behaves as a single object
- A truss is made up of a web of triangles joined together to enable the even distribution of
weight and the handling of changing tension and compression without bending or
shearing. The triangle is geometrically stable when compared to a four (or more) -sided
shape which required that the corner joints are fixed to prevent shearing
- Trusses are most commonly used in bridges, roofs and towers

D. Cantilever
- A cantilever is a beam supported only at one end, with load carried over the
overhanging. This is in contrast to a simply-supported beam, which is supported at both
ends
 - Cantilevers provide a clear space underneath the beam without any supporting columns
or bracing
- Cantilevers became a popular structural form with the introduction of steel and reinforced
concrete. They are used extensively in building construction, notably in bridges,
balconies, machinery and plant, stadium roofs and furniture

E. Buttress
- A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which
serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient
buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (sideways) forces
arising out of the roof structures that lack adequate bracing
- In most European churches, buttress built to support the dome are flying buttresses

That’s the end of our presentation. Thank you for listening!