Early Christian

Once the Christian church was freed from persecution and allowed to be practiced, churches of all forms bean to appear. Some of the most basic churches were based on Roman basilicas. They started with a simple basilica plan making the churches simple and nondescript but moved on to adding transepts making the church represent a cross. They also began to make more elaborate interior layouts and towers.

Another popular form of the early church was centrally formed with a large dome. These were inspired more by the Roman mausoleums and baths as opposed to the the basic basilica meeting halls.

Other Blog Discussions

Today I looked at Ali and Ariana's blogs. They both had very interesting posts that expanded on the time periods and talked about not only what they did but why. Also, they did a great job at relating the characteristics back to modern day and to their own personal lives.

Rome

The Romans have a lot of influence on modern design and architecture but I think that one of the biggest things that we can take away from the time period is the insula. The Romans designed insulas to have shops on the ground floor and to have apartments on the upper floors. These insulas were dangerous, poorly lit, and had no plumbing. There was a large risk due to fires and unhealthy conditions. The insulas have been adapted along with culture and technological advances but the apartment way of living is still a major component in every day life today.

Another huge contribution from the Romans was the invention of concrete. Before this, builders used mud, bricks, and stone to construct their buildings. The discovery of concrete allowed for major advances in the buildings from this time period. Concrete allowed for new styles and designs including arcs, domes, and vaults. Concrete plays a huge role in not only everyday life today but also in architecture just like in ancient Rome. Many modern homes and buildings are designed with an emphasis on their concrete construction.

The Romans, unlike the Greeks, also had a new appreciation for not just temples, but for public areas. The Greeks focused on the temples and places of worship but the Romans created baths, theaters, markets, and warehouses. In order to gain public support, the emperors would fund the building of bathhouses. Public bathhouses were elaborate structures that allowed little privacy for the people there. They became social areas and were a great way for leaders to make the people happy.  

   

Greece

One of the many great things that the Greek civilization contributed to modern architecture includes the Classic orders. There were various types of classic orders the first three include the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The Greeks made huge advances in architecture. They used human perception to make buildings pleasing to the eye by not spacing all of their columns evenly. Although they weren't evenly spaced, they look like they are. The Greeks also used a technique called entasis making the shafts tapered getting narrower at the top which gave the buildings a taller look. The Doric order was very shortest and the heaviest looking. It was very basic and there was no decoration or detail to the capital. The Ionic order was a more delicate and feminine. It included volutes or scroll-like features on the capital. The Corinthian order had bases unlike the other two orders. Like the Ionic order it was highly decorative. It had both the volutes and leaf decoration on the capital.  

Another huge feature that we got from the Greek culture was the motifs. The three main motifs were floral and marine, egg and dart, and the Greek key. Decorations were a huge part of the Greek culture and became important to the architecture. Many of the motifs that were created during this time are still used today in design and architecture. 

Huge advances were also made in furniture. Tables, stools, chairs, and couches were created and the styles are still influential today. The Klismos chair was one of the chairs developed by the Greeks. It was a delicate chair with splayed legs made for woman.

Ancient Egypt

Thinking back, the ancient Egyptian architecture might not seem that important to us but in reality, One of the things that they have contributed to the modern architecture is the post and beam construction. Post and beam construction is still widely used in architecture today. It is used in both building construction and in design features.

Another thing that the ancient Egyptians contributed to the modern architecture is the loggia. The loggia is a room that is open on at least one side. In modern architecture, the loggia is incorporated as sun rooms, screened in porches, and patios. The importance of open space and fresh air was just as important to the Egyptians as it is to our modern day culture.

The ancient Egyptians also contributed to the building of furniture. They developed mortise and tenon, dovetail, and dowel joints. All of these building features have been, and still are, very influential in furniture construction. The Egyptians used these joints to build tables, chairs, beds, and storage chests.