The Most Satisfying Proportion In Todays Design Philosophy Essay

The Most Satisfying Proportion In Todays Design Philosophy Essay What is the most satisfying proportion in today design? The Greeks thought they knew. Their temples were designed according to certain rules relating to the golden section. (Which is what we, layman, know as the Divine Proportion, the Golden Proportion, the Golden Number or even the Golden hat Mean.) In the 13th century, Fibonnaci, an Italian mathematician, put it all down on paper. He said, the golden section or perfect proportion was 0.618034 to 1 (about 5 to 8). The Parthenon (a temple in the Athenian Acropolis that the Greeks built, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena) fits into Fibonnacis Golden rectangle. Incidentally, so do the pyramids at Giza. Does this make the Golden proportion a necessary rule to follow in design? In the 16th century, Leonardo Da Vinci wrote a book on geometric recreations called Divine Proportion. In 1948 Le Cobusier also wrote a book on mathematical proportioning. Others who have benefited this ratio are biologists, artists, psychologists and even mystics have pondered and debated on the basis of ubiquity and appeal. It is fair to say that the Golden Ratio has inspired thinkers of all disciplines like no other numbers in the history of mathematics. Throughout the generations, many architects have also searched for the golden rule of design, thinking that it is that of the Golden Ratio. However, their search is far from over. This is because mathematics alone will not tell you what the most eye-pleasing proportion for a buildings structure is. Proportion must be generically correct and determined by the nature of the material. In other words, it is one thing for stone, another for concrete, and something else for steel. This, we would discuss further in another segment. Present technology has also given architects and engineers unlimited range to compose new forms of design and exciting spaces. My stand is that the Golden Ratio is an important aspect in designing a building but it is not the most crucial. Besides having proportion in a building, functionality is also important. A creative design through the creative intuition of a designer will make the building outstanding. Renaissance Period The Golden Ratio is related to many things in the world today, not only during the times of Renaissance, LeCobusier and Alberti. It exists in architecture, art, music, design and even fashion. Since Renaissance, many artists and architects have proportioned their works to the Golden Ratio, especially in the form of golden rectangle, in which the ratio of the longer side to the shorter in the GR, causing this proportion to be aesthetically pleasing. Mathematicians have studied this because of its unique and interesting properties applying it to geometry. Since then, it has opened up doors for me how I view design and architecture and how it balances harmony to architecture design in this modern world. Others who have benefited this ratio are biologists, artists, psychologists and even mystics have pondered and debated on the basis of ubiquity and appeal. It is fair to say that the Golden Ratio has inspired thinkers of all disciplines like no other numbers in the history of mathematics. Body Presence of Golden Ratio Contribution of the Golden Ratio in architectural designs Le Corbusier is said to have contributed to many modern international style architecture, centering on harmony and proportion. Its faith in the mathematical order was closely bound by the GR and the Fibonacci series. He uses the GR in his modulor system for the scale of architectural proportion. He saw this system as a continuation of the long tradition of Vitruvius, and others who used the proportions of the human body, to improve the appearance and function of architecture. In addition to Golden Ratio, Le Corbusier based the system on human measurements, Fibonacci numbers and the double unit. He took Leonardos suggestion of the Great Ratio in human proportions to an extreme, he sectioned his model human bodys height at the navel with the two sections in the Golden Ratio, then subdivided those sections in Golden Ratio at the knees and throat; he used these Golden Ratio proportions in the Modulor system. The Villa Stein in Garches exemplified the Modular system. The Villas rectangular ground, elevation and inner structure closely approximate golden rectangles. Fractal Dimensions in modern architecture Recently, fractal dimensions have been calculated to be used frequently for Frank Lloyd Wrights and Le Corbusiers buildings. It can be found that both architects use the method of increasingly smaller rectangular grids. Frank Lloyd Wrights buildings display a self-similar characteristic over a wide range of scales (far and spaced versus micro small sizes), so those buildings are intrinsically fractal. However for this specific project, Wright was following the brilliant example of his teacher, Louis Sullivan. By contrast, Le Corbusiers architecture displays a characteristic over only two or three of the largest scales. In more detail, Le Corbusiers architecture is flat and straight, and therefore has no fractal qualities. A fractal dimension between one and two characterizes a design that has an infinite number of self-similar levels of scale, whereas the fractal dimension of Le Corbusiers buildings immediately drops to one. (Bovill, 1996. Salingaros, 1999.) The Golden Ratio as seen in painting Leonardo da Vincis illustrated yet another divine proportion in the infamous painting of Mona Lisa. Other equally well known painting which has made use of the Golden Ratio is The Sacrament of the Last Supper by Salvador Dali. The Golden Ratio as seen in our natural world The Golden Ratio is expressed in the arrangement of branches along the stems of plants and of veins in leaves and even to the skeletons of animals including their veins and nerves, to the proportions of chemical compounds and the geometry of crystals, to the use of proportion in artistic endeavours. From this, the Golden Ratio has become a universal law in strive to create completeness and beauty, with both nature and art, in structure, forms and proportions, organic and inorganic, in the human form. According to Volkmar Weiss and Harold Weiss the Golden Ratio also affects the clock cycle of brain waves, known as psychometric data. Relevance in Present Times Modernising the Traditional Intimate Relationship Between Architecture and Mathematics The traditional intimate relationship between architecture and mathematics has changed in the 20th century. Architecture students no longer need to have a mathematical background according to the article Architecture, Patterns and Mathematics by Nikos Salingaros. It may be promoting an anti-mathematical mindset. Mathematics is a science of patterns, the presence or absence of patterns in our surroundings influences how easily one grasp the concepts that rely on patterns. However, it has been seen that an increase in technological advances, rather especially in the area of environmental factors, has made mathematics almost redundant in architecture. Environmental psychologists know that our surroundings influence the way we think, so if we are raised in an anti-mathematical environment, then we would deem to subscribe more human qualities. This is not an argument about preferences or styles, it concerns more about a trained functionality of the human mind! An example to illustrate the meaning of functionality in the human mind is made by Christopher Alexander where: the need for lights from two sides of a room; a well-defined entrance; interaction of footpaths and car roads; hierarchy of privacy in different rooms of a house and etc. It speaks about specific building types, about building blocks that can be combined in an infinite number of ways. This implies a more mathematical and combinatoric approach to design in general. Alexandrine patterns represent solutions which repeat itself in time and space, thus relating to visual patterns transforming into other dimensions. A new concept: Organic Architecture In recent years, there has been a shift in architecture looking away from GR to other ways in which design can still have a sense of proportion by looking at nature for inspiration; the term given is Organic Architecture. The term organic architecture was coined by the famous modern architect, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), though never well expressed by his cryptic style of writing: So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal and the teaching so much needed if we are to see the whole of life, and to now serve the whole of life, holding no traditions essential to the great TRADITION. Nor cherishing any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future, but instead exalting the simple laws of common sense or of super-sense if you prefer determining form by way of the nature of materials Frank Lloyd Wright, written in 1939. Rules of Organic Architecture Architect and planner David Pearson proposed a list of rules towards the design of organic architecture. These rules are known as the Gaia Charter for organic architecture and design. It reads: Let the Design: be inspired by nature and be sustainable, healthy, conserving, and diverse. unfold, like an organism, from the seed within. exist in the continuous present and begin again and again. follow the flows and be flexible and adaptable. satisfy social, physical, and spiritual needs. grow out of the site and be unique. celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise. express the rhythm of music and the power of dance (Pearson, 2001) While Organic Architecture does describe some form of individuality, it also expresses our need to connect the designs, we create, to Nature. Using Nature as a fundamental for design, from there a building or design must grow, as Nature grows, from the inside out. Many architects design their buildings as that similar to a shell and force their way inside. Nature grows from the idea of a seed and reaches out to its surroundings. A building thus, is akin to an organism and mirrors the beauty and complexity of Nature. Where the Golden Ratio Fits In However, in the research that I have done on this topic, many of the historic scholars who devoted their entire lives to studying the GR has always studied nature for inspiration and they derived the GR from nature itself. Modern architects who claim to move away from the GR as it is too conformist and look towards nature for their inspiration for proportion instead still end up following the GR as it was from studying nature that led to the discovery of GR. Hence the continuing relevance of GR in todays architecture. How the Golden Ratio is evident in our everyday lives The Golden Ratio seen in Music Rhythm is everywhere in nature, at every scale from cosmic phenomena to the oscillations of atoms. Our every cell has its own clock, governing its own repetitive rhythms. Time itself, once measured by the motion of earth, sun and stars, is now defined, less memorably, as 9,192,631,770 oscillations of a single atom of an obscure metal. At the scale of the biosphere, the fidelity of replication in the genetic system is such that no more than about 200 errors are made in copying the 300 million bases strung into the chromosomes that hoard the design of our bodies. Without those errors, however, there could be no change and so no evolution. With this is mind, we shall now look at how rhythm ties in with the GR. Much of the rhythm and movement and design of our bodies and normal everyday life experiences all tie in with the Golden Ratio, how we perceive an object and whether we find it pleasing all goes back to the Golden Ratio. Because it is the one of the universal constants that allow for the interactions between all things on earth, it continues to hold relevance in our lives, regardless of the advancements in technology, which in fact is actually discovering more and more how life and design is so intimately associated with the Golden Ratio. Architectural evidence of the Golden Ratio Take a look at modern architecture and you will soon realize that the last decades have produced an increasing number of buildings with exotic shapes. Of course, also in earlier times the design of buildings has been influenced by mathematical ideas regarding, for instance, symmetry. Both historical and modern developments show that mathematics can play an important role, ranging from appropriate descriptions of designs to guiding the designers intuition. C Case study Case Study One: Republic Poly Technology of Singapore by Fumihiko Maki Fumihiko Maki designed the new campus attempting to preserve the green qualities and the topography of the original site introducing landscape elements that contrast with the natural widerness and strengthen the sense of place based on Golden Ratio. Case Study Two: Palladios Villa Rotunda. The Villa Rotonda is symmetrical on all axes, including diagonals. Any architect will tell you this is hard to do, much less sell to a client; even Palladio only did it once, probably just to see if he could. Palladio based his design on simple progressions in the Fibonacci series leading to the Golden Mean. This is also hard to do. Case Study Three: Taj Mahai In India, the Golden Mean was used in the construction of the Taj Mahal, which was completed in 1648. http://archgeom.blogspot.com/2010/03/golden-section-in-taj-mahal.html Case Study Four: CN Tower in Toronto The CN Tower in Toronto, the tallest tower and freestanding structure in the world, has contains the golden ratio in its design. The ratio of observation deck at 342 meters to the total height of 553.33 is 0.618 or phi, the reciprocal of Phi! Case Study Five: California Polytechnic State University The College of Engineering at the have plans for a new Engineering Plaza based on the Fibonacci numbers. 4.2. What I have perceived until this moment In my analysis, GR forms the basis of understanding of architecture, however it is not the entirety. Because form follow function, function plays an important part of the architectural design because without understanding the functionally of form, it is not possible to develop a building of good use, for example a good architect must be able to understand the utility of function. For example,the architect must know how many rooms a house needs, whether a swimming pool is required or a badminton court needed. After a form is selected and function must go beyond the concerns of biotechnical materialism. The creative architects must go beyond utility technical knowledge to an awareness of experiential associations and symbolic meanings that lies behind the visible form. Beauty in design is not guaranteed when all of the above is satisfied. Some intuition is required by the architect and an outstanding design depends also in skill and intuition with functionality. Therefore, the great architect of age and every culture, the basis of which is mathematical.

Deception in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello Shakespeare Decept

Deception in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One may readily perceive the theme of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† as deception. Deception appears many times in Othello, but in almost every incident the degree of deception is different. Deception is to â€Å"deceive another, illusion, or fraud† (Webster’s New World Pocket Dictionary 69), which is seen as a wrongful act. However, deception may be used to protect someone from getting hurt therefore being used with good intentions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The very first act of deception is done by the character Desdemona. Desdemona hides her relationship with Othello from her father, knowing he will disapprove due to Othello’s race. Brabantio says, â€Å"O, she deceives me/Past thought!† (1.1.163-164). Desdemona’s reasoning for deceiving her father was to protect him. â€Å"Desdemona’s devotion to her husband is almost superhuman, as is her courage in marrying him over the objections of her father, the Venetian senator Brabantio.â€Å" (Andrews 132). She knew her father would eventually find out the truth, but she felt that by hiding her relationship with Othello, she would be delaying the inevitable pain which her father was going to feel. Since Desdemona loved her father, her deception was done with only good hearted intentions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Desdemona again deceives another, but this time it is her husband, Othello. Othello asks Desdemona for a handkerchief which he gave to her, for he had suspicions she was cheating on him. When asked about the whereabouts of the handkerchief, ...

Low birth weight and preterm babies Essay

Low birth weight and preterm babies in United States is increasing. Low birth weight babies are babies who are born with the birth weight of less than 5 lbs. either due to preterm delivery or due to restriction of growth inside the uterus. These low birth weight babies are at increased risk for early death and long-term health and developmental issues than infants born later in pregnancy or at higher birth weights. Not all preterm infants are low birth weight, and vice versa. Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities: Disparities in racial and culture exist with preterm and low birth weight infants. According to child health USA 2010 report, low birth weight infants who were born to non-Hispanic black women were more than the infants born to other racial and ethnic group. The infants born to non- Hispanic black women was 3.0 percent whereas the infants born to non- Hispanic white women was only 1.2 percent. The American Indian was 1.3 percent and the all other races were 1.5 percent with low birth weight infants. Causes for preterm and low birth weight babies: Previous delivery of low birth weight babies or preterm deliveries. Teen of age less than 20 years or advanced maternal age of greater than 35 years. Any maternal health problems such as hypertension, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s). Use of substance abuse during pregnancy such as alcohol, cigarette smoking and cocaine use. Low socio-economic status with no medical insurance, Lack of nutrition at the time of pregnancy. Physical and mental stress during pregnancy. Violence, abuse or exposures to secondhand smoke are some of the causes for preterm and low birth weight infants (Morrin, 2008, p.8). Impact on family and society: Preterm and low birth weight infants possess greater risk not only for the infants, but also for the families and the society as well. The impact of very low-birth-weight infants on the family is long lasting. Preterm  infants born at less than 34 weeks are at high risk for poor outcomes, including chronic health conditions, long-term disability, and death. The loss of a baby can be a devastating experience for a family. Many preterm and low birth weight infants that survive the perinatal period are vulnerable to a host of childhood morbidities such as cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adolescents born prior to 35 weeks of completed gestation have been shown to have a higher degree of abnormal brain development and cognitive and behavioral problems than adolescents born full-term. These poorer birth outcomes have also been associated with serious health conditions in adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and hypertension. The financial costs associated with treating preterm labor and delivery is quite high. The parents of low birth weight infants have higher scores for financial burden, familial/social impact, personal strain, and mastery. And they experience more impact when children had a functional handicap or low adaptive developmental quotient (â€Å"APHA: Policy Statement Database†, August 11, 2006). In the society they cause more medical costs due to the length of stay in neonatal intensive care unit. Usually women with poor socio economic conditions, homeless are greatest risk for low birth weight infants and they have no medical insurances. This possesses greater impact on the society because their costs have to be picked up by Medicaid or the hospital system. Regarding community resources, I feel there are enough resources available in the community for preterm infants and their families, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently promoting preconception and post conception care as critical to improve the health of the nation. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to improve outcomes for the mother and her family. New Jersey has lots of support services for pregnant women and women with low birth weight infants, they are, Nutrition programs, food banks, and food stamps Financial assistance for medical care, utilities, and unemployment benefits Organizations for children with special developmental or medical needs Head Start and other educational programs Medical care and insurance resources Counseling services and more (Preemie care, n.d). References: APHA: Policy Statement Database. (August 11, 2006). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1326 Morrin, J. (2008, September). Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Low Birth weight for Connecticut. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/family_health/health_disparities_in_lbw_final_report_10_1_08.pdf Preemie Care -RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) Awareness & Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.preemiecare.org/supportgroups.htm#NJ Very Low Birth Weight – Child Health USA 2010. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa10/hstat/hsi/pages/203vlbw.html.

The Killer Angels Essay examples - 1035 Words

The Killer Angels Mine eyes have seen the glory . . . The spy was the first to see the Union army march through the valley. He noted that the army was moving fast and marching in extreme heat. His intentions now were to return and report this information to the General Robert E. Lee. Lieutenant General James Longstreet received him back at camp, and the spy let him know of the information, which he had obtained. Longstreet found it useful information to pass on to Lee. Both Lee and Longstreet were skeptical of this information, but if the spy was right they would be in extreme danger. After viewing the map, Lee decided to go ahead and move his army towards Gettysburg, which would be the direction in which the Union army would†¦show more content†¦All he needed to do was hold the hill till morning when reinforcements would arrive. Wednesday, July 1st, 1863 . . . of the coming of the Lord On this morning Lee spoke with Longstreet, about how he would like for him to stay behind in the battle so that he would not lose him. Longstreet agreed but also brought notice to Lee about the Union cavalry was already in Gettysburg. Lee was caught by surprise; being told earlier that only militia was seen there. Lee reported that it was John Buford, and that infantry was soon to come if the cavalry was already there. Longstreet thought of taking the defensive end and waiting for Buford to attack. Lee on the other hand disagreed with the defensive tactic and wanted to attack Buford. Of course Lee was above Longstreet and would get his way. Buford woke in the morning only to smile and smirk as he heard General Heths men trying to put up a fight and take his hill. He was not worried of Heth, but worried of what was to arrive behind Heth. Buford knew that if Lee were to arrive and attack, then he would lose the battle and also the hill on which he stood. Major General Reynolds arrived shortly after the battles that were going on that morning. Buford was very glad to see him and his infantry. Later that day in another short battle, Buford caught a glimpse of Reynolds as he rode into battle, only to later turn and see Reynolds dead on the ground. The battle stillShow MoreRelatedEssay On Killer Angels1776 Words   |  8 PagesKiller Angels is a 1974 historical novel by Michael Shaara. The book tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. The novel is told through the voices of both Union army and Confederate Army of Northern Virginia leaders who were in battle there. The novel is laid out in days and each new chapter for the day gives a number and the name of the man who is the focus of the chapter. 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