[P] Week

Periphery would define a boundary or border on an area, space, or structure for some sort of reason or meaning. A good example of this would be the instilled border between states or countries, its not physically a perimeter or margin but it is an idea that is known to all the countries or states so that they can distinguish where one area ends and another begins, making this a practical periphery. “This desire to stretch human limits and to match building achievements of the ancients was boldly exemplified in the dome Filippo Brunelleschi completed over the crossing of the cathedral in Florence, Santa Maria della Fiore.” [Roth 356] in history the example that most exemplifies periphery is the need for architects and designers of the Renaissance to surpass or press the limitations (Peripheries) to achieve something great and worthy of a notable human accomplishment. In Roth, Brunelleschi had done just that by creating a dome form as a commission for the first time since the ancient architects of the past.



In relating to the work in the major of interior architecture, a portfolio is a physical and/or digital collection of the body of works done in a semester. A portfolio can be rather useful when it comes to showing a designer’s process in something like drafting from one date to another, it also is something that can be presented to other to receive feedback on work or praise even. The use of blogger in studio, drawing, and drafting is a great way for work to be displayed as a digital portfolio for our professors and for others to view our designs to give feedback.



The journey or process of a designer is the stepping-stones to being able to create a successful design, for one does not just come up with a brilliant idea and make it perfect the first time. The continuous quest of creating something truly extraordinary is the main, if not the most important, part of a designer’s product. Even the final can be rivaled in importance to the process made to get there, for process shows how you came to the idea of making something like a place for a leaf. With the translation series of projects this current semester in studio process is very apparent as the class went from creating a wearable artifact out of a fairytale to a full blown outside portal based on the processes of all the projects in between. When all this work is out together, process in successful design should be easy and awe to follow. This method of process is not only important to designers, but that of writers and artists as well. "Italy was the springboard for the Renaissance in architecture and the visual arts, beginning in 15th-century Florence. In other western countries stylistic progression was from Roman to Early Christian . . . However, Italy (except for Venice) had not adopted the Gothic style." [Blakemore 91] Process not only can be made with in the design process now, but it was also a key idea in the past histories when dealing with the progression from one style to another. Ideas and designs from past styles helped to influence newer styles to continue the process of change throughout countries, though the most drastic of the changes would have to be the ones occurring in the Renaissance and beyond. "Since the Gothic style was so thoroughly entrenched in France, the full influence of this new classical vocabulary was slow to emerge. At first, in a transitional period, the new decorative motifs were applied to medieval forms." [Blakemore 113] Process from one style to another in history is not an instant happening, sometimes it takes longer for some styles to be replaced if they have been instilled as the main method of design as seen in France with the Gothic style as the country turns to its own Renaissance.


Perspective is a point of view that can differentiate depending upon who is viewing an idea or design. With the concept of art, perspective can be broken up into three types: one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective. In the picture above I have illustrated the main points in creating one-point perspective with the use of the horizon line and focus point to create perspective to the eye with the boxes. This point of perspective and different views can also be referenced in drafting to give the viewer more information of what is being viewed. “The Italians, especially the Florentines, began to view history in a new way. They perceived human history not as a divinely ordained continuum but as a series of successive periods, some characterized by great human accomplishment.” [Roth 353] In reading the book Understanding Architecture by Roth, the Florentines of Italy had a different perception of history then that of people in France or other’s countries at the time, they believed in the idea of broadened horizons and human success in time rather then something previously ordained to occur.


The highest level of achievement and ambition for anyone in any major or job would have to be the level of professional. Professionals are highly revered and listened to when it comes to the task or trade in which they prove their professionalism. But to archive this practiced standard, it takes more then mere skill the way I see it. Professionalism is also in the way a person presents himself or herself, like for example: critiques in our very own studio hour. Dressing appropriately and cleanly makes gives an air of professionalism to a presentation and makes the audience for which you are talking to feel like they should or could listen to you. If someone came to a critique in something so causal as sweat pants or pajamas even they would less likely have the undivided attention of their audience. In work of Suzanne’s class, our groups for buildings on campus were assigned to create a professional and clean display board for our drawings and diagrams using what she had taught us about griding work and not going over extravagant. Above is an image of our group’s display and the diagram I helped to create. I think our display is very professional because it’s clean and neat when it comes to layout, not too cluttered on the board so the viewer is not distracted and clean cut to make it look sharp. "Francesco di Giorgio (1439-1501 or 1502) was influenced by the works of Vitruvius and the treatise by Alberti. He was, however, more practical in his method. . . Di Giorgio was committed to classism and on his visits to Naples he drew antique artifacts." [Blakemore 92] professionals often influence others as well, from history as the Renaissance took full force in architecture and art we see great designers and artists influencing other, this chain reaction helping to make the Renaissance in Italy to be the greatest movement progression between styles in history.

The words used in bold in this week's Opus shared many similarities other than the fact they all started with the letter "P" as the title states. These words mostly have to do with people and how things are viewed and interpreted. Periphery speaks of limitations, I interpreted this as limitations based on perspective of the people as to weather they would obey these rules or break them for the sake of design and process of change in history starting with the Renaissance. Portfolio and professional go together because they define designers with their work and their own personalities. Once more perspective of others is present and process is shown in the form of the portfolio work. People are the main theme in all these words and these words are still an important part of today as they were in history of changing architecture.

::Sources::
History of Interior Design and Furniture By Blakemore
Understanding Architecture By Roth
Drawings and Photographs By myself