DEPARTMENT ARCHITECTURE

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, GWARZO

KANO STATE POLYTECHNIC.
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a- M0dern Architecture was an architectural style based on new and innovative technologies
of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel and reinforced concrete; the idea that
form should fallow function (Functionalism); an embrace of minimalism and rejection of
ornament.

b- The five features of modern architecture are:

i- Form fallow function principle (Functionalism),

ii- Minimalism and rejection of ornamentation,
iii- Open floor plans and flexible spaces,
iv- Emphasis on functionality and practicality and
v- Use of large windows and natural light.

i- Form fallow function principle (Functionalism) modernism call for logic, rational
expression and the application of universal principle, the rule that architecture and
design be driven purely by required functionality bot by artistic expression.

ii- Minimalism and rejection of ornamentation Modernism peruses minimalism with

ideological zeal such that removing things is always a virtue. And modernist rejects all
decoration and ornament with theory that this is wasteful because it causes buildings and
interiors to quickly go out of style.

iii- Open floor plans and flexible spaces- are one of the defining characteristics of modern
architecture. They create a sense of space and transparency not found in older and more
traditional design. It does away with these walls instead of connecting all spaces to
gather. This creates more open, communal feel and allows for greater interaction
between family members and guest. It allows for greater flexibility in how you use the
space.

vi- Emphasis on functionality and practicality- modern architecture emphasis on

functionality and practicality. This approach to design is characterized by the use of
simple, clean lines, and absence of decoration elements and focus on the efficient use of
space. For example modern office buildings are design to maximize the use of space,
with open floor plans and minimal portion walls to allows for flexibility and
collaboration.
 iv- Use of large windows and natural light- Large windows have became a staple feature in
a modern architecture, as they bring in natural light and allow for seamless connection
between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The three Schools of Thoughts that shaped the early modernism are:
i- Walter Gropius,
ii- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and
iii- Le Corbusier.

i- Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer (facade), Fagus shoe last factory, Alfeld ‐an ‐der ‐Leine,
Germany, 1911‐13 Prior to the development of the steel frame, it was impossible for windows to
wrap around a corner in this way, and the architects have used this device to emphasize and
celebrate the structural innovation. Practically, the large amount of glazing provided extensive
natural light. The façade is devoid of ornament, with visual interest being provided instead by the
balance and rhythm of the materials laid out in bands and grid

ii- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Mies van der Rohe, Crown Hall, IIT, Chicago, 1950 ‐56 Mies
often used rich, polished materials, which, with elegance of proportion, provide visual interest
and beauty without ornament. Here, the capabilities of steel frame construction are evident in the
fully glazed exterior walls and the large open space on the main floor.
iii-Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, Poissy, 1929 Le Corbusier identified five points that he believed
were the key features of Modern architecture; all are present in this weekend house near Paris:
The use of pilots, or support columns, to elevate the main building above the ground and allow
the space under it to be used. A flat roof, on which a terrace would reclaim for outdoor use the
same space on which the building sat. A free plan. The use of a steel frame and the elimination
of load‐bearing walls allowed the interior to be arranged without regard to structural needs. A
free façade. The thin curtain wall, with no requirement for bearing a load, could have openings
where convenience and beauty demanded them. Ribbon, or strip windows, which provided
extensive light and ventilation and emphasized the non‐ load‐bearing quality of the wall.

I- Falling Water House, Fallingwater, weekend residence near Mill Run, southwestern
Pennsylvania, that was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the
 Kaufmann family in 1935 and completed in 1937. The house’s daring construction
over a waterfall was instrumental in reviving Wright’s architecture career and became
one of the most famous 20th-century buildings. The residence opened as a museum in
1964.

II- The Einstein Tower (German: Einsteinturm) is an astrophysical observatory in the

Albert Einstein Science Park in Potsdam, Germany built by architect Erich
Mendelsohn. It was built on the summit of the Potsdam Telegraphenberg to house a
solar telescope designed by the astronomer Erwin Finlay-Freundlich. The telescope
supports experiments and observations to validate (or disprove) Albert Einstein's
relativity theory. The building was first conceived around 1917, built from 1919 to
1921 after a fund-raising drive, and became operational in 1924. Although Einstein
never worked there, he supported the construction and operation of the telescope. It is
still a working solar observatory today as part of the Leibniz Institute for
Astrophysics Potsdam. Light from the telescope is directed down through the shaft to
the basement where the instruments and laboratory are located. There were more than
half a dozen telescopes in the laboratory

III- Astrophysical Institute Potsdam Germany. Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, Potsdam

Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (AIP) is a German research institute. It is the
successor of the Berlin Observatory, founded in 1700, and of the Astrophysical
Observatory Potsdam (AOP), founded in 1874. The latter was the world's first
observatory to explicitly emphasize the research area of astrophysics. The AIP was
founded in 1992, as part of a re-structuring following German reunification. The key
topics of the AIP are cosmic magnetic fields (magnetohydrodynamics) on various
scales and extragalactic astrophysics. Astronomical and astrophysical fields studied at
the AIP range from solar and stellar physics to stellar and galactic evolution to
cosmology. The institute also develops research technology in the fields of
spectroscopy and robotic telescopes. The institute is a partner of the Large Binocular
Telescope in Arizona; it has erected robotic telescopes in Tenerife and the Antarctic,
and it develops astronomical instrumentation for large telescopes such as the VLT of
the ESO.

The term “organic architect” was coined by Frank Lloyd Wright. Although his writing style is a
bit cryptic, Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture principles laid the foundation for the
philosophy that is still going strong today. philosophy that is still going strong today. Lloyd’s
book Language of an Organic Architecture, which was written in 1953, further details the
qualities of his philosophy. In his book Cause of Architecture, Wright also outlines six core
propositions of this philosophy.
1. Simplicity. Wright believed in creating fewer distinct rooms and, instead, having
open living spaces.
2. Everything from the windows to the doors and furniture should be part of the
structure as a whole and a reflection of the individual living in the home.
3. Colors should be derived from the surrounding landscape.
4. The building should appear as if it is growing from the site and shaped by nature
itself.
5. Buildings must be true and filled with integrity. The nature of the building’s materials
should be expressed feel

1- Simplicity. Wright believed in creating fewer distinct rooms and, instead, having open
living spaces. Everything from the windows to the doors and furniture should be part of
the structure as a whole and a reflection of the individual living in the home.

2- Colors should be derived from the surrounding landscape.

3- The building should appear as if it is growing from the site and shaped by nature itself.
Buildings must be true and filled with integrity. The nature of the building’s materials
should be expressed freely.

4- According to Llyod’s philosophies, it’s not just the building’s relationships with nature
and its surroundings, it’s also about the design elements. It’s about the way each design
element relates to one another, from the floors to the windows to the chairs that fill the
space.

5- Wright’s work is a fine example of the organic architecture philosophy in action. He

designed buildings and their elements as if they were a unified organism. One stunning
example of organic architecture from Wright is the Fallingwater home located in rural
Pennsylvania. For this project, Wright had many options to place the home on the large
lot. However, he chose to sit the house right on top of the waterfall.

6- The home’s stone masonry and cantilevers blend right in with nature. Wright’s “organic”
philosophy was inspired by his childhood. As a teenager, he worked on his uncle’s farm,
and he became inspired and fascinated by the natural vibrancy of the land, the open
spaces and wooded areas.
a- Form fallow function principle (Functionalism) modernism call for logic, rational
expression and the application of universal principle, the rule that architecture and design
be driven purely by required functionality bot by artistic expression.

b- The Staatliches Bauhaus (German: [ˈʃtaːtlɪçəs ˈbaʊˌhaʊs] i), commonly known as the
Bauhaus (German for 'building house'), was a German art school operational from 1919
to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts. The school became famous for its
approach to design, which attempted to unify individual artistic vision with the principles
of mass production and emphasis on function.
The Bauhaus was founded by architect Walter Gropius in Weimar. It was grounded in the
idea of creating a Gesamtkunstwerk ("comprehensive artwork") in which all the arts
would eventually be brought together. The Bauhaus style later became one of the most
influential currents in modern design, modernist architecture, and architectural education.
The Bauhaus movement had a profound influence on subsequent developments in art,
architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography. Staff at
the Bauhaus included prominent artists such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, and
László Moholy-Nagy at various points.

c- The philosophy of “volume over mass” in Modern and Post Modernism. The
development of the steel frame, which became a crucial aspect of Modern architecture,
had its roots in the iron frames that began to make their appearance in the tall office
buildings of Chicago in the 1880s. Until that time, almost all buildings of any size—
including all masonry buildings—had depended on their walls to hold them up; the
material of the walls both kept the weather out and formed the structure of the buildings.
The taller the building was, the thicker the walls had to be at the base to support the vast
weight above them (unless architectural devices such as domes and vaults were employed
in combination with buttresses, as in ecclesiastical or large public buildings). There is a
limit to how tall such a building can practically be before the lower floors begin to
disappear in the thickness of the walls; the tallest load-bearing masonry office building
ever built was Chicago’s Monadnock building in 1893, at seventeen storeys high and
with walls six feet thick at the base. But with the development of the steel frame, the
walls were no longer required to bear any weight; instead, the building was held up by
the interior frame, while the walls kept the weather out.