8 ornament and scale

A STUDY IN THE PAST WITH A MIND ON THE FUTURE

ORNAMENT AND SCALE:

XREF 2014

Why Architectural Ornament?

Craftsmanship Design Intricacy Scale

Ornamentation is the act of decorating something or making it more elaborate.

Craftsmanship is the quality of design and work shown in something made by hand, artistry.

Other than playing with Lego’s and making forts, my first real experience with building started with woodworking. Through woodworking, I developed a love for how materials can be shaped and carved to create patterns and shapes that add to the intricacy of a design. My own projects have shown me the difficulty of such work, which has given me a lot of respect for the skill of craftsmen. As I received training and experience in architectural design, this love for intricacy in design translated into a great appreciation for building ornamentation, and how it weaves into the overall design of buildings.

Intricacy of Design

Plans to Explore LA to Verona

Verona to Turin

For my XREF trip, I propose to explore two facets of ornament in design: 1. How ornamentation may be reintroduced and translated into contemporary design styles using the tools of rapid prototyping 2. How ornament might bring human scale back into architectural design I plan to explore, study, and document both what I see and the conclusions I draw through taking photos, making sketchnotes, and keeping a travel journal.

Design ornamentation creates depth and beauty to objects as it creates adds scales into the design. Design then occurs in everything, from the overall shaping of the object, down into the smaller details and spaces.

This type of design requires a high degree of intentionality and diligence in design ideas.

In architecture, doorways or entryways, have the ability of establishing the scale of buildings, and are one of the first major personal interactions people have with buildings as they transfer from the exterior to interior space.

I therefore plan to study the ornamentation of doorways as the starting point for both facets of my exploration.

Translation of Ornament

The first facet of my study will be to look at historical ornamentation with the perspective of how it could be translated into our contemporary design language. An important part of this translation is how the use of rapid prototyping, (i.e. the using of 3D printers, Laser Cutters, Plasma Cutters, and CNC machines, all which provide craftsman-like control over materials), could be employed by modern day designers to create a contemporary version of ornamentation. In addition to exploring the ornamentation of buildings, part of my trip will be to visit an artisan workshop, and see craftsmen at their work. I will then seek to compare this against a rapid prototyping workshop.

A Loss in Scale

The second facet of ornamentation I plan to explore is its ability to give human scale to buildings. Building design today often loses the scale of the human, making buildings that feel un-relatable to on a level we can easily grasp. The varying scales of design in ornamentation, creates buildings that people are better able to relate to.

Verona, Italy The first stop in the exploration of historical ornamentation is the city of Verona, Italy. Verona provides a prime location for the study of ancient ornamentation. Due to its historical geographical importance, the city has been occupied since 500 BC. As so many of its historical buildings have been preserved, the city has been named a UNESCO (The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization,) World Heritage Site and provides a great opportunity to study Roman and Medieval ornamentation.

Ancient to Medieval Ornament

Turin, Italy The second stop is in the city of Turin, Italy. Turin picks up the study of ornamentation at the end of the Middle Ages with good examples or ornament design through the early 1900’s. It is well know for its Baroque (1600’s), Rococo (1700’s), Neo-Classical (1700’s), and Art Nouveau (late 1800’s to early 1900’s,) architecture styles.

Together, these two cities provide a good sampling of ornament in architecture from Ancient to more modern times.

Medieval to Pre-Modern Ornament

Thank You For Your Consideration