IT E C T U R E

AR C H
 ARCHETICTURE
Is the most functional of all art forms. The need
to build structure may have stemmed from a
physiological need for shelter which by itself is
deeply ingrained in the human psyche.
 EARLY MATERIALS

As soon as people learned to cultivate the land, they realized

that their lifestyle of being hunters and gathers would not be
enough to sustain their family’s basic necessities.

Archaeologists discovered that early humans used as

materials what their immediate environment had to offer.
 Stone Architecture
As civilization advanced, people realized that the structures
they built should not only serve as shelters but should also
be symbols of their identity, prosperity and power.

Stone is a chosen materials particularly for its strength and

permanence. Adobe, limestone, and basalt are some stones
that were used for their availability.
Post And Lintel Construction
The post and lintel construction is the
most basic structure to be developed in
the beginnings of architecture.

THE STONEHENGE
It is a structure that is made of two vertical stones
that serve as support and a third stone positioned
horizontally across them creating an opening
beneath.
 Egypt
 The longest history ever to be documented is that of the Egyptians.
 Egyptians used mud bricks, limestone, sandstone and granite in large
quantities.
 Egyptian architecture is not focused on the small residential homes
artisans built for themselves but on the massive, monumental
structures they built for their belief in their gods and king.
 Egyptians believe in immortality of their “god-kings”.
The Step Pyramid at Saqqara
 the step pyramid was later
improved by the succeeding
Pharaohs. Angels were filled-in
and the sizes were made much
bigger.
 These improved, big pyramids
are known as the Giza
Pyramids.
 Statues Of Ramses II At Abu
Simbel
• The massiveness of Egyptian
structures can be seen in the
temples and mansions they
constructed for their kings.
• Magnificent structures were rock-
cut from the sides of mountains.
The rock cut shrine of Ramses II At
Abu Simbel could still be seen
today.
 Egyptian Pylons And Obelisk
Greece
The Greeks refined Egyptian architecture
and these innovations they made their
own.
They made use of limestone for their
pillars and walls,. Terra cotta tiles for roof
and marble for ornamentations.
The Doric, ionic and Corinthian capitals
became recognizable features of Greek
temples and public buildings.
 The Parthenon
Another great innovation
in architecture invented by the
Greeks is the use of cement
instead of mortar to piece
stone together and hold it in
place. Lime is the secret
component that binds sand,
water and clay together.
 Arch, Vault And Dome
• the engineering ingenuity of the
romans advanced civilization by
leaps and bounds.
ARCH
• Romans made use of varieties of POST AND LINTEL
stones for their structure.
• They used varieties of limestone,
red granite, marble of all colors,
basalt and tufo to a name a few.

BARREL VAULT GROIN VAULT

ARCH – the arch which was a roman invention hand shown
greater capabilities when compared to the lintel. In its construction,
smaller units of wedged stones (Vousoirs) are combined to form
and hold together the whole structure.
THE ROMAN AQUEDUCTS
VAULTS – another of roman engineering is the vault. A
vault is an extended arch. The barrel vault or the tunnel is
constructed by placing arches behind each other until a
desired depth is reached.
GOTHIC ARCH ROMAN ARCH
DOME – the dome is
an extension of the
principle of the arch.
Rounded and THE DOME of ST. PETER’S BASILICA

hemispherical, the dome

is a capable of enclosing
vast areas.

DOME OF THE PANTHEON (INTERIOR)

 Though the dome is an achievement of roman
architecture, other cultures have developed their own
versions of the dome. In Constantinople (now Istanbul,
turkey), the Hagia Sophia stands majestic both in its interior
and exterior qualities. Hagia Sophia is built with one massive
dome (108 feet in diameter) and smaller domes with
towering spires.
THE HAGIA SOPHIA
ST. MARK’S BASILICA
 THE DOME OF THE ROCK

The dome of rock is a dome symbolic of Islamic beliefs. Also

called the wisdom dome, the interior and exterior are polished
marble and glass mosaics against a gold background.
Wood Architecture
Wood is an architectural material that had shown a lot
of promise in the construction of beautiful and practical
structures. The versatility of wood is seen in the use of this
material for both sculpture and architecture.
 Two Types Of Wood:
Hard Woods
angiosperms, produced by trees with covered seeds. Some
examples of hard woods are ash, balsa, beech, chestnut, mahogany,
maple, hickory and oak. Their hardness determined by the difficulty
encountered to take them down.
Soft Woods
are gymnosperms, and have uncovered seeds. Some of the popular
examples are cedar, cypress, fir pine and hemlock.
Post and Beam Construction
the post and beam
construction is similar in
form to the post and lintel
used by the Egyptians and
Greeks. The only
difference are the material
used.
 Trusses
Can be made of wood, steel
or iron in which the lengths are
joined together to form a triangular
shape. Trusses support the material
by holding it together enabling it to
span distances and keep the shape
of the structure intact.
 Balloon Framing
architects during the
Industrials Revolution, in the
desire to cope with the
demands of the increasing
needs of the people for
practical, fast, low cost
housing, came up with a
technology called “balloon
framing”.
 Cast Iron Architecture
Cast iron changed the face of architecture in the 19th
century marking the starts of the Industrial Revolution. As a
new material for architecture, cast iron started to be mass-
produced as early as 18th century in Great Britain.
 This characteristic of
cast iron allows it to be
transported and assembled at
the site like the famous Eiffel
Tower of Paris (1889)

EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS

 STEEL CAGE ARCHITECTURE
after the era of cast iron, modern steel was developed.
Steel is an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon and a
variety of other metals making it harder than iron and more
rust-and-fire resistant. This enhanced characteristics make
steel more expensive compared to other structural materials.
STEEL CAGE STRUCTURE
BURJ KHALIFA
BURJ AL ARAB
ONE WORLD
TRADE CENTER
PETRONAS
TOWERS
 REINFORCED CONCRETE
ARCHITECTURE
Ferroconcrete is also known as reinforced concrete. The
combination of these two materials increases the strength and
complements the weaknesses of the other.

Concrete on the other hand prevents steel from rusting. The steel
rods or steel mesh inserted at stress points in the concrete slabs
(sometimes hallow blocks result in a stronger material that is more
versatile than stone and can be seen as both a sculptural and an
architectural masterpiece.
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
 STEEL CABLE ARCHITECTURE

In the areas where

towns and cities are
separated by mountains and
bodies of water, people
conceived of building
bridges.
 SHELL ARCHITECTURE

the development of modern materials coupled with modern

engineering and architectural design resulted in shell structures. This
kind of architecture makes possible the enclosure of wide spaces
using a combination of reinforced concrete, wood steel, aluminum
and even plastics and paper.
GEODESIC DOMES