INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE

UNIT 1 – HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

The word “history” defined- a systematic written account of events, particularly those affecting a
nation, institution, science, or art, and usually connected with a philosophical explanation of their causes;
distinguished from annals and chronicles, which simply relate facts and events in strict chronological order.
History the study of past events. These include not just written documents, but also through objects
such as buildings, artifacts and painting. The usually chronological record of events, as of the life or
development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events.
Architecture the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings. The style in which a building
is designed and constructed, especially with regard to a specific period. The style in which a building is
designed and constructed, especially with regard to a specific period, place or culture. The is the art which
seeks to harmonize in a building the requirements of utility and beauty. It is both utilitarian and aesthetics;
both useful and beautiful. The origin of architecture, although lost in the mist of antiquity, must have been
connected intimately with the endeavours of men to provide his physical wants.

At the end of this unit:

1. Identify and describe major architectural styles and movements throughout
history;
2. Compare the use of specific architectural elements (e.g., columns, arches,
materials) across different historical periods

Pre-Test

True or False
Direction: Answer the following question. Write T if the statement is TRUE and write F is
the statement is FALSE. Write your answer on the space provided.

___________ 1 History is the study of past events.

___________ 2. History these include not just written documents, but also through objects such
as buildings, artifacts and painting.
___________ 3. Architecture the art or practice of designing and constructing houses.

___________ 4. The guide in which a building is designed and constructed, especially with
regard to a specific period.

___________ 5. History of architecture is the study of past of events of a building in a specific

period and culture.
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Content

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT?

The setting or condition in which a particular activity is carried on.

Two types of Environment
1. Natural Environment – refers to the integration of natural elements and
ecological considerations into the design and construction of buildings. This
approach seeks to harmonize structures with their surrounding landscapes,
climate, and ecosystems, creating sustainable, energy-efficient, and
environmentally friendly buildings.
2. Man made Environment - refers to anything that is created, manufactured,
or modified by humans, as opposed to being naturally occurring in the
environment. Man-made objects, structures, or phenomena result from
human activity, technology, or intervention.
Traces the changes:

Traces the changes:

 Design of various buildings types and
functions
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 Structure

 Construction methods

 Other architectural elements (Doors,

Windows, Materials, etc)

“Thus, we need to study about our past and to know how change has happened
through time”
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Structural Principles
 Post and lintel- principle of post and lintel is that of resistance to transverse
strain and appears in all construction in which across piece of beam rest on two
vertical supports.
 Arch and Vault- make use of several pieces to span opening between two
supports
 Corbel arch- a block projecting from a wall supporting a weight. The cantilever is
based upon the same principle.
 Cohesive construction- employs materials that are shape while plastic are
allowed to happen into homogenous material.
 Truss framework- compose of several pieces of wood or metal that each shall
exist a particular strain, whether strain or compression.
Influences Affecting the Development of Architectural Style

 Geographical-considers the location which affects the development of

commerce, industry immigration and development.
 Geological-deals with rocks and soil formation of a locality which dictates the
availability of building materials.
 Climatic-show how climate determines characters and thickness of walls,
types of roof, size of windows, etc.
 Religious-the result of the emotional and spiritual concept and devotion of
people.
 Historical-shows how styles are affected by wars, historical upheavals,
invasion and conquest.

Other primitive structures:

1. Lake dwellings – wooden hut built over water

2. Tepee – conical tent with poles for framework
3. Igloo – Eskimo house
4. Wigwam – American-Indian dwelling, round or oval in plan
5. Hogan – Indian primitive structure of joined logs
6. Trullo – dry walled, rough stone shelter
7. Pueblo – Indians of southwest USA’s communal dwelling made of stone

EARLY BEGINNINGS
In Paleolithic people where Nomadic – people moved from one place to another
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They sheltered in caves for protection from bad weather and dangers.

 Caves are the earliest forms of known winter shelters.

 The need to survive the harsh summer climates may have lead to the earliest
form of tents made from large tree leaves, stones and tree branches.

 Later periods are marked by the evolution of such temporary structures into
relatively permanent and more reliable forms like formations of small stones
attached with mud mortar.
EARLY BEGINNINGS (EVOLUTION - THE FIRST SETTLEMENT)
Jericho ( Jordan ) is quoted to be the earliest known town. A small settlement here
evolves in about 8000 BC into a town covering 10 +acres. And the builders of Jericho have a
new technology - bricks, shaped from mud and baked hard in the sun.
Some Successive settlements of Jericho are Mehrgarh , Catal huyuk, and Harappa. All
dated 8000-4000 BC.

MESOPOTAMIA (5000BC)
Ancient Mesopotamia saw the rise of the first civilization in world history. Here, the
earliest cities in world history appeared along the banks of Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
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The materials used to build were the same as those used today: sun-baked brick made
of mud mixed with straw, mud plaster and wooden doors.
The era characterizes monumental architecture like huge palaces and temples called
ziggurats.

The ziggurats were brick-built temple-mounds, taking the form of a layered platform.
They resembled step pyramids with a flat roof, on which a shrine would be built. Access to this
shrine was by a broad staircase or ramp.

These would form the focal point of a town around which the rest of the town was built.
Constructing these great buildings demanded high level design and engineering skills.

EGYPT (3500BC)
This civilization thrived at the banks of river Nile.
The architecture of ancient Egypt includes some of the
most famous structures in the world, including tombs and
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temples. It too is characterized by large stone monumental structures while the domestic
dwellings were made up of mud bricks and wood.
The pyramids are astounding creations but they bear little relation to anything in
subsequent human history. By contrast the temples of ancient Egypt, almost as impressive in
their scale, stand at the start of a lasting tradition in architecture.
Early pyramids (Mastabas) were built of brick while later were built of stone.
Post and lintel system was employed exclusively and produced the earliest stone
columnar buildings.

ARCHITECTURAL SIMILARITIES MESOPOTAMIA & EGYPT

 Both are characterized by monumental constructions.
 Sun-dried mud brick is the building block of man's first monumental buildings – the
ziggurats (or temples) of Mesopotamia and the Mastabas (or early tombs) of Egypt.
ANCIENT GREECE (5th – 7th Century)
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After generations of
experimentations with buildings
of limited variety the Greeks
gave to the simple post and lintel
system the purest, most perfect
expression it was to attain.
Slimming the fat pillars of
Egyptian architecture,
formalizing the decoration,
introducing better balance and
proportion. The pillar, with a
decorated top or 'capital',
supporting a horizontal cross
beam was taken from Egypt.
ORDERS OF GREEK ARCHITECTURE
1. Doric Order - the simplest and oldest Greek order, basically consists of a crepis
(3 exterior steps of Greek buildings), a sturdy column with no base, a simple
capital, an entablature and a triangular pediment. Doric columns have entasis.
This means that the middle part of the column body is wider than the upper part
and it narrows upwards.
2. Ionic Order - is more ornate than Doric. It features columns with a base, a
capital with volutes, an entablature, a crepis and a pediment. The Ionic columns,
which are thinner and more elegant than the Doric columns, are believed to
reflect the beauty of a woman.
3. Corinthian Order - was frequently used in the Hellenistic age, one of the late
Greek periods that developed an aesthetic sense of beauty. The order takes its
name from the city where the order was first seen. Carrying the elegance of the
Ionic order one step further, Corinth features acanthus leaves with volutes on
column capitals. These leaves nicely surround the column capital in a more
natural form and increase the level of its details.
4. Tuscan Order - The Tuscan order is a simplified version of the Doric order, with
ungrooved bodies. There are no triglyphs or reliefs adorn the frieze. Thus,
Roman Tuscan columns give the impression of an idealized simple structure. It
has a column base, echinus and abacus, a simple entablature. Just like the Doric
columns, they have the feature of entasis. Moreover, the height of the pillar base
is half of the width of the Tuscan column.
5. Composite Order - The Composite order architecture had developed as a
mixture of the 2 Greek temple orders, the Ionic and Corinthian styles. Therefore,
when we look at the column capitals and other ornaments, we can see that it has
the most ornate and complex motifs among the five orders of classical
architecture. Composite column capitals are similar to Corinthian capitals since
volutes and acanthus leaves are used together. However, composite capitals
have generally two rows of acanthus leaves and so detailed ornate.
EXAMPLES UNDER ANCIENT GREECE ARCHITECTURE
 PARTHENON-THE TEMPLE (447-438 BC)
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Parthenon is a temple of pre dominantly Doric order with elements of
ionic order being used in the centre of the building. A temple built for the
Goddess Athena the Parthenon was part of the acropolis complex. It comprised
of huge limestone foundations with marble stone columns used for the first time
in history. Parthenon was conceived as theatrical event with the movements of
the viewer in mind as they move around and through.

 THE GREEK THEATRE

An exclusively Greek contribution to
architectural history is the raked auditorium for
watching theatrical performances. It comprised of
a circular stage with tiers of seats separated by
aisles, all built initially in stone.
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ANCIENT ROME (200BC)

It combined the Greek and Asian elements like columns and arches. Invented concrete,
hence the construction of arch, vaults and large domes like the pantheon.
A vault is a deep arch, while dome is a collection of arches all sharing the same centre.
It has far greater capabilities than the lintel, for it can combine many smaller units (of stone or
brick) to make a greater whole. A Roman brick arch can span 50 yards as compared to a Greek
lintel which could span only 7 yards.
FIVE TYPES OF ARCHES
 Pointed Arch - s an arch with a pointed crown meets at an angle at the top of
the arch. Also known as a two-centred arch, its form is derived from the
intersection of two circles.
 Semi Circular Arch - In architecture, a semicircular arch is an arch with an
intrados (inner surface) shaped like a semicircle. This type of arch was adopted
and very widely used by the Romans, thus becoming permanently associated
with Roman architecture.
 Segmental Arch - is a type of arch with a circular arc of less than 180 degrees.
The segmental arch is one of the strongest arches because it is able to resist
thrust. To prevent failure, a segmental arch must have a rise that is equal to at
least one-eighth the width of the span. Segmental arches with a rise that is less
than one-eighth of the span width must have a permanent support or frame
beneath the arch to prevent failure.
 Bucket Arch –
 Corbelled Arch - is an arch-like construction method that uses the architectural
technique of corbeling to span a space or void in a structure, such as an
entranceway in a wall or as the span of a bridge. A corbel vault uses this
technique to support the superstructure of a building's roof.
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