Archive for May, 2007

Baroque Architecture

A very early style of architecture, but a very beautiful style is Baroque architecture, which began in the early 17th century in Italy.

Taking the renaissance architecture and modifying it to a new theatrical, sculptural fashion, Baroque architecture became a very fanciful, extravagant style of structural design.

While the Renaissance style was designed for the well to do of society, the Baroque architecture initially played into the wealth and power of the Roman Catholic Church.

The concerns were for light, shade and color intensity and Baroque found its secular expression in grand palaces first in France, then throughout Europe.

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Art Deco Architecture

architecture_k021.jpgBetween 1920 and 1939, Art Deco Architecture was all the rage. Not only did the Art Deco movement affect Architecture, but also interior design, industrial design and visual arts like fashion, painting, graphic arts and film.

The movement was a mixture of many different styles, incorporating cubism, modernism, Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, and Futurism, and its popularity peaked in the roaring twenties.

While many earlier architectural styles had political or philosophical roots, Art Deco Architecture was simply decorative.

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Architecture

Architecture is the science and art of designing buildings and other structures. It can also be expanded to the designing of surrounding environments, towns and landscapes.

Someone who specializes in architecture is called an architect. Architecture has played a key part of our entire worlds history. For wherever there have been buildings or structures that were safe for inhabiting, there has been some sort of architecture.

Architecture combines functionality with aesthetics to create the buildings we live in, work in and play in. From the smallest 1 bedroom home to the grandest palace or biggest cathedral, every structure is based on some form of architecture.

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American Colonial Architecture

A trip through the U.S. will grant you sights of beautiful architecture, from coast to coast. During the 1780’s though the most popular style of architecture was the American Colonial.

Built mostly by wealthy Anglo Americans, the houses afforded several distinct styles depending on local. Also known as Colonial Georgian, these homes were the earliest style to grace the U.S. colonies.

A prime example of early American Colonial architecture is called a Saltbox. What the Saltbox basically is is a wooden frame house with a high-pitched roof that slopes down to the back.

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Adobe Architecture

burkina-fasocj003711.jpgSome of the earliest structures were Adobe architecture. Adobe is a material made from sand, clay and straw, dung or other fibrous materials.

The adobe is then formed into bricks using frames and dried in the sun. Similar to cob or mud bricks, the structures become extremely durable. They are used mainly in hot, arid climates because they remain cool in the summer and release heat very slowly in the winter.

The same mixture, without the straw is used for mortar in placing the dried adobe bricks together to form a structure. Some cultures even figured out they could utilize lime-based cement for plaster to protect against the wet months.

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