BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS] NAME: KAN JIA WEI ADRIAN ID: 0319384 LECTURER: MR NICHOLAS TUTORIAL TIME: 4PM-6PM SYNOPSIS NO: 1 READER TITLE: LEARNING FROM LAS VEGAS AUTHOR: ROBERT VENTURI, BROWN, IZENOUR One of the most telling and significant issues that the authors chose to point out was how significantly different Las Vegas was in the form of architecture and urban space planning, which was stressed with their multiple points and references to the cities of Europe, most notably Italian architecture, that, for thousands of years, focused its spatial planning and its relevant activities towards the human scale. Las Vegas, by comparison, boasts an urban design fueled by the American dream, a dream of having total freedom of movement stemmed catalytically by automobiles. Having said that, the author proceeds to provide his main point of the literature, to that in which he states that Las Vegas, and the basis of how it portrays itself as well as its allure to a person is able to successfully recreate the successful formula of the historical European cities albeit via a significantly larger scale and proportion. Art, as referenced by the author, is used tellingly in tandem and unison with architecture, right up till before the modernists took over. With the absence of a cohesive blend to art and architecture, a new and “innovative” style of art coupled with the new style of architecture allowed for a definitive movement towards how American planning and urban design is based upon, with Las Vegas as the perfect embodiment of this communication. Tellingly, the points and assumptions that are then made by the authors more or less provide full focus to the entire notion of the human versus automobile scale. As humans are procedurally slower, their range, motion and viewpoints are highly restrictive to that of their own physical limitations. Automobiles however, expand beyond that notion by a significant margin, being exceptionally faster than any human will be and distorting a human’s true viewpoint. The author more or less backs this point with effective diagrams and figures, providing ample evidence on how Las Vegas applies the old human scale formula of centuries old European cities successfully into the automobile scale world that it beds on, via large and progressive mediums that take far less time to read, to get their point across from further away, essentially adapting to the increased range and speed that the automobile brings. However, the points made by the author paint a solemn picture in which the architecture of a building is largely deemed less significant, with automobile oriented design and planning placed ahead with greater importance. This meant less importance and effort placed upon the buildings itself in favor of augmentations that are decided as more important by those who understand the least about the issue the most. However, with all that has been said the points above do paint a similar picture in today’s world, especially locally where the reliance on automobiles are at an all-time high which provide a challenge to designers and students hoping to recreate an existing space that not necessarily will be relevant anymore in the near future. WORD COUNT 491 WORDS Key points (2.5) Appropriateness of Terminologies (2.5) Clarity in Opinions and Reactions (2.5) Logical Progression (2.5) DATE: ASSSESSED BY:
TOTAL MARK & GRADE
SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION Grades Marks Key points (2.5)
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
Clarity in Opinions and Reactions (2.5) 1.8 - Evidence of Appropriate use of Outstanding 2.5 outstanding Terminologies In Clarity in opinions understanding of Key discussing the Issues/ and reactions points through clear Concepts/Theories Supported with explanation strong Logical explanation 1.5 - Evidence of Reasonable use of Reasonable 1.79 understanding of Key Terminologies In clarity in opinions points through discussing the Issues/ and reactions reasonable Concepts/Theories with Supported with explanation Minor unfamiliarity Logical explanation 1.25 - Evidence of Some Acceptable use of Acceptable 1.49 Understanding of Key Terminologies In Clarity in opinions points through discussing the Issues/ and reactions acceptable Concepts/Theories with Supported with explanation Noticeable unfamiliarity satisfactory explanation
Logical Progression (2.5)
D
1 - Evidence of Some 1.24 Understanding of Key points through not quite acceptable explanation
Evidence of Terminologies however poorly communicated in discussing The Issues/ Concepts/Theories With
Weak Clarity in opinions and reactions Supported with Lengthy explanation
Poor Articulation of logical expressions ending with noticeable ambiguous statements
F
0 - Insufficient Evidence 0.99 of Understanding of Key points through weak explanation
Insufficient Evidence of Terminologies in discussing the Issues/ Concepts/Theories With
Improper opinions and reactions. Not Matching the Issues/ Concepts/ Theories Inadequate Reasons
Unable to Articulate / illogical expressions. Poorly written synopsis.
A
B
C
Appropriateness of Terminologies (2.5)
Outstanding Articulation of logical expressions ending with welldeveloped paragraphs Reasonable Articulation of logical expressions ending with welldeveloped paragraphs Acceptable Articulation of logical expressions ending with some ambiguous statements