Tectonics In Architecture: From The Physical To The Meta-physical Essay.

Critically analyse and evaluate the concept of tectonics and stereotomics as introduced in Lecture : “Tectonics”. Use your own diagrams and drawings from the “Tectonics” site visit to illustrate your analysis.

Current negative trends in architecture

Tectonics in architecture is characterized as "the science or craft of construction, both in connection to utilize as well as aesthetic plan." It alludes not simply to the "action of making the really imperative development which answers certain necessities, yet rather to the action which raises this development to a fine art." It is worried about the demonstrating of material to bring the material into nearness: from the physical into the meta-physical world. The point is, to some degree, a response to some contemporary patterns in engineering.

Section one talk about two current patterns apparent to be negative: the destruction of history, both in a structural as well as a transient sense; as well as the inclination toward stenographic portrayal. Section two examines the outside references as well as inside references of structures. These references are created in two different ways: a building's between cognizance as well as internal awareness. The previous is worried about the general conditions of a building, (physical, social, political, financial), or in Heidegger's terms, the manner by which it "assembles the fourfold," as well as the last is worried about the characteristic properties of a building.

Figure 1: Stone and timber origin of Doric order

When used utilized in the architectural context, the term tectonics is often used in the description of the form of building as well as the use of the elements by the designer including the floors, walls and roofs in the creation of general design of the structure in question. Upon the use of the word tectonic, it is often with reference to the construction or assemblage of elements. For instance, the tectonics of a Frank Gehry building tends to be much more dissimilar from the tectonics of a building which is more rectilinear. The application of term tectonic in architectural context can best be summarized by Kenneth Frampton, who is professor of architecture at Columbia University:

“When a structural concept has found its implementation through construction the visual result will affect it through certain expressive qualities which clearly have something to do with the play of forces and corresponding arrangement of parts in the building yet cannot be described in terms of construction and structure alone. For these qualities which are expressive of a relation of form to force, the term tectonic should be reserved.”

From this definition, sense can be derived which in as much as tectonics is used when discussing structures, the limitation is not just on how it is made. Rather, it may be used in the description of expressive nature of given structure as well as the role it plays in space making. The deliberate exposition of structural elements as an expression form may also be named Architectonics.

Outside and inside references in building

 Architectonics is a linked word that may share similar interpretation as has been discussed above but may as well elaborate activity of meaningfully exposing electrical as well as mechanical systems in design as a way of expression. In as much as the term appears to be a mixing of architectural vocabulary the two words have been existence separately for numerous decades.

Figure 2: Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, Le Corbusier. 1953-55

It was noted by Frampton in his journal “‘Studies in Tectonic Culture” that tectonic was a specialization that was made in references to individuals in building or makers of cabinet that adopted a specifically functional or dry joint even though this was not inclusive of clay as well as metal working in meaning. The Caribbean hut was used in the illustration of four elements of architecture among them the earth, the lightweight skin membrane, the heart as well as the framework.

Figure 3: Carribean hut exemplifying the “Four Elements of Architecture”

The use of stereotomic base was illustrated by Semper in which mud-brick as well as stone were put on the ground onto which was sitting the lightweight frame structure. The stereotomic base was considered to be load bearing masonry, mud brick as well as weather stone. The importance of lightweight framed structure was noted in which creation of a known as a primary element in allowing tying jointly of various lightweight components was observed. The knot resulted in securing of frame hence was noticed by Semper as sophisticated jointing of construction.  All over world, the techniques may be observed in which a rope is used in the knotting lightweight structures together, stating how locally available material were used in the building of huts. African tribal culture adopted an avalanche of vertical screen walls in which rope knot was employed in holding structure jointly while the mud was constructed about the structure. Compared to such, the Kuba hut noticed in the southeast of Congo was brought up with the use of woven mats still with joints being knotted jointly using a rope

Figure 4: Primitive huts and the origin of architecture. Chambers

Semper outlined the development of knots in a weaving process that thereafter resulted in the generation of building envelope structures among them the Bedouin tribal huts as opposed to such that were constructed using knots. Woven walls were in the form of wattle building that was elaborated by Allen Noble as vertical stakes in which each as driven in a hole or slot in one of horizontal as well as sponge into a groove or an alternative hole in framework member.

Definition of tectonics in an architectural context

Japanese architecture had significant symbolic structures which were mainly tectonics in which locally availed materials among them bamboo pillars as well as grasses were being knotted together. The Japan house of 15^th century was erected using a woven façade. Such structures were erected in post as well beam framed way using woven infilling walls which enabled flexible sliding screens.

Pre 1800 tectonics architects demonstrate that joint or the crafting of building turned out to be the most significant as well as innovative aspect of tectonic architecture in which stuff played a major role in design of building. This may be observed from reed-built buildings of Marsh Arabs which are in Iraq. Such materials were often soured locally and the methods of construction were attempted as well as tested over long time periods as was with a number of vernaculars of era.

Gothic churches as well as cathedrals were observed by Frampton as bearing the concept which with joining vaulted as well as trabeated structural shapes in a new unity of spaces on the other is stretched the art of reinforced masonry building to the technological limits. This resulted to innovation of large non-load bearing facades in gothic architecture.

A famous French architect and theorist Viollet Le Duc mostly known for his interpretive restorations of old structures as well as for his writing advocating which materials ought to be utilized honestly. He started his career with twelve commissions in the restoration of medieval monuments. He recommended use of various stuff with the new methods as well as resources in contrary to work of William Morris as well as his movement of art as well crafts which enhanced conventional crafts. Viollet le Duc pursues lightweight hollow or even reticulated construction  of metal as an agent for changing every conceivable element of tectonic ranging from window shutters all the way to metal roofs.

The last bit of 19^th century as well as witnessed in the development in the structural framing concrete. Engineers Paul Cottancin in 1980invneted his reinforced masonry set-up dubbed as cement arme. The system was found to be intensive in terms of labor as well as turning obsolete 17 years later owing to the patent of Francois Hennebique as well as his reinforced concrete design which was dubbed as beton arme. Such a finding reversed the tectonic principles enabling the transgression of stereotomic material to a tectonic frame.

Concrete started to be used in a new way after the perfection of hydraulic cement by Louis Vicat. Nonetheless, he mentions the way in which Joseph Moniers started building prefabricated pots of flower as well as sewer pipes from reinforced wire as well as cement. Not before Francois started utilizing perfected reinforced concrete in the construction which it gained popularity.

De Baudot was perfecting on St. Jean de Montmarte even as Hennebique was making better his techniques. Frampton noticed that De Baudot was intending to exploit a technique which was able to join light construction and bonded brickwork as he outlined, “The finding was somehow oriental, diagonally ordered vaults system which rise from thin brick walls as well as piers covering narrow pathways of interior spaces”. This could bring the idea of Viollet Le Duc of cast iron vaulting to somewhat a new technique of innovation of brick vaulting.

References

Boncio, Paolo, Francesco Brozzetti, and Giusy Lavecchia. "Architecture and seismotectonics of a regional low?angle normal fault zone in central Italy." Tectonics 19, no. 6 (2000): 1038-1055

Kumar, Niraj, A. P. Singh, S. B. Gupta, and D. C. Mishra. "Gravity signature, crustal architecture and collision tectonics of the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt." Journal of Indian Geophysical Union 8, no. 2 (2004): 1-10

Madeo, F., and M. A. Schnabel. "Integrating the Tectonics in Architecture Design”

Maulden, Robert. "Tectonics in architecture: from the physical to the meta-physical." PhD diss., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986

Oxford University Press, "Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture". Last modified 2012. Accessed November 17th, 2012. https://www.oxfordreference.com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/view/10.1093/acref/9780198606789.001.0001/acref-9780198606789-e-4637?rskey=J2QYBm&result=43121&q=

UK Essays. Relationship Between Tectonic Architecture And Materials Cultural Studies Essay. [online]. Available from: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/relationship-between-tectonic-architecture-and-materials-cultural-studies-essay.php?vref=1 [Accessed 12 December 2018], November 2013