unofficial blog for course ARCH043

Lehigh University
Art Architecture and Design
113 Research Drive
Building C
Bethlehem, PA 18015

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LEHIGH UNIVERSITY        |A|A|D|                     ARHITECTURE 043       F 2020

PART ONE

1. Exercise One: photo study…circle, square, and triangle

2. Exercise Two: 9X9 Black and White study using

Column One: Straight lines at right angles or parallel

                        Column Two: Diagonal lines

                        Column Three: Curved lines

Objective:       to make a total composition by slowly building up a visual vocabulary on a black field (white strips of paper on a 4″x4″ black field)

Materials:         two pieces of pure white artist paper 16”x 20”

                        five pieces of foam core (1@15”x15”) (4 @ 8”X8”)

3. Exercise Three: Pick two squares from the 9 and enlarge them to 8×8 squares making white on black and black on white reversals

4. Exercise Four: Using your 8×8 square build a cardboard 3-D form as a translation of composition.  The construction cannot be higher than it is wide. You will begin this investigation by doing several axonometric sketches on 18”X 24” bond paper by hand.

Objective:       to translate and transform your 2D plans into 3D constructions in space.

Materials:         5 sheets of 24”x36” Chipboard, C-glue, number 11 Xacto knife, Mat knife,  

5. Exercise Five: Translate your final sketches into SketchUp and do several iterations of your 3D construction, including renderings.

Rhythm and Growth

6. Exercise Six:  Pick a square from the 9×9 and subject it to 4 symmetrical (reflection, translation, rotation, extension) moves on tracing paper or on SketchUp, resulting in several compositions.

7. Make a cardbrd model of the final composition you feel is the strongest, one that demonstrates the particular symmetrical principle most.  You will also manipulate your chosen tile in Sketch-Up computer program.

Materials:         two sheets of 24”x36” chipboard, C-glue,

8. Invisible Cities:  Using a tile from your 9 Sq. grid trace in axon a series of 3-d interpretations that will eventually form a system of solids and voids.  Derive a narrative from the forms and continue your formal/imaginative city.  Prepare a written text. 

8a. Using a blueprint of your drawing and masking techniques, using spray paint create assorted backgrounds into your drawing to enhance the character of your imaginary city.

Materials: One piece of Mylar or Vellum 24”x36”, 2B and 6B pencils

PART TWO

At this point we have gone through a complete series of exercises that constitute a transformational design process.  We will now re-manifest these ideas into a new kit of parts to begin the process of design that will lead to an architectural construction.

OPTIONAL: Perform all the following exercises on an appropriate computer program.

1.         Take a tile from the nine square grid and extract 3-D elements that form an interwoven solid.  From all sides pull forms as well as 2-D tracings of solid and void.  These will become the constituents of a new formal language of design. 

2.         Make a visual inventory of each element on several sheets of Mylar in plan, elevation and axon. 

3.         Build them out of cardboard.

4.         Assign architectural program