Reading Tectonics

1. The readings refer to tectonics in a variety of settings; tectonic/stereotomic, tectonic/atectonic, topos/typos/tectonic, representation/ontological, rhythm, corporeal metaphor, ethnography, and technology. Briefly define each term and provide an architectural example that embodies the condition.

tectonic/stereotomic

-Stereotonic is the relationship with the earth. An example of this would be the Native anerican hut. Some of the huts were dug out of the ground partially and there walls seemed to be one with the earth as opposed to a piece of architecture that is simply placed on the ground

tectonic/atectonic

tectonic v.s atectonic is the relationship of structure to material. Something that is heavily tectonic has obvious structure and something that is atectonic uses materials in a way that masks structure. St. benedict’s chapel is a good example of both because the exterior hides the structure of the roof while the structure is made extremely evident on the interior.

topos/typos/tectonic

Topos, typos, and tectonic are translated as site, type, and structure.

representation/ontological

Ontology has to do with  the actual physical reality of something and representation has to do with emotions or conceptions attached to these things. The hearth of a home, for example, is ontologically a stack of bricks and mortar  but in a representational sense it is center of the home, a gathering place for the family.  

 rhythm

Rhythm often created by repetition of elements. The repetition creates movement. This is seen in St. Benedicts chapel on the interior and exterior.

 corporeal metaphor

Corporeal metaphor is how the physical body understands space without our mind knowing. An example of this would be …

 ethnography

Ethnography is how culture is integrated into architecture. It is said in the reading that architecture evolves with the time that it is made, making it relative to the culture that created it.

 technology

Technology has had a huge effect on architecture and can be seen as both a curse and a blessing. Having technology allows us to do almost anything without having as many material limitations as in the past. The curse is that it is easy to get swept away by technology and forget what has been left behind us. It makes it easy to create buildings that lie about their structure.

2. Kenneth Frampton writes that this study of tectonics "seeks to mediate and enrich the priority given to space", what is a dominant trend in Western architecture of today and how does tectonics relate to this trend?

Architecture today focuses on the program. Many buildings are built structurally to meet the needs of the user. Tectonics is used to either show or hide the structure of these systems. The Seattle public library, for example, is almost entirely driven by program. The structure is manipulated with new technology to meet the needs of the occupants.

3. "Greek in origin, the term tectonic derives from the work tekton, signifying carpenter or builder". How has the the impact of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and other space-time models altered tectonic etymology?

The idea of relativity introduced an architecture that was free to be what it wanted to be. The theory of relativity created an etymology that allowed the structure of the building to become relative to the context of the building. Structural norm and conventions were allowed to be broken. Tectonic now referred to the structure.

4. Vittorio Gregotti states in 1983, "(t)he worst enemy of modern architecture is the idea of space considered solely in terms of its economic and technical exigencies indifferent to the ideas of the site". If the intention of site is to situate human in the cosmos, how then does site infer from a contemporary landscape that has been graded, conditioned, tamed, treated, sculpted, mapped, engineered, essentially re-created by humans?

There is a difference between altering or re-creating a site and being indifferent to the ideas of the site. One who alters a site merely adds to or subtracts from what is already there. These decisions, in their mind, are probably an enhancement on the site. Just because one is altering a site does not mean that they are not working with the features and elements of the site. I am not denying the fact that the contemporary view has many faults. For example, the chapel the preceded St. Benedict’s Chapel in Switzerland met it’s end because the developers were not working with the site. Instead they chose to weigh their need for a parking lot as more important. Placing a parking lot further up the hill from the chapel created a slick surface for snow from avalanches to funnel right up to the small chapel. After the chapel was taken out by an avalanche the developers worked with the site and planted rows of trees in that are to shield the new chapel from avalanches. In both of these cases, the site was altered. One was for the worse and one for the better.

5. Is architectural tectonics applicable or relevant in a world of global mobilization? State and explain your position.

Tectonics is the way that we look at architecture. I think that it is definitely relevant in a world of global mobilization. The fact that communication is so fast and easy makes the sharing of ideas incredibly efficient. Some of these ideas and points of view are not only adopted in the area they are created but are adopted universally. The world of architecture has always been changing and growing. The world of architecture today is changing and growing faster than ever before.