FOUNDATIONS UNIT SUMMARY

The Foundations unit of my History and Theory of Design class covered the basic principles of design and how it relates to the earlier human civilizations such as the early Mesopotamian societies, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Each civilization received a different impact from the influence of the changes in the design cycle, altering it and expounding on it to make it unique. Though the different locations and people influenced the changes in the designs, they all revolved around the central themes of commodity, firmness, and delight.

Commodity, Firmness, and Delight are three different terms defining a different aspect of design, but all relate to each other and are dependant of the other to create a well-designed space. This is first shown through the Mesopotamian and Egyptian societies, where their designs served a certain purpose, whether it be the city of El Kahun and its unique use of space, (commodity) or the distinct firmness and magnificent beauty of the Pyramids of Giza. The commodity, or use, is highly evident in each structure and design, as well as the firmness and ability to withstand pressure and natural elements. The delight, many times, takes care of itself, but as designers, we must consider all three of these aspects as a whole to create a well thought out and a respectable design.

The Foundations unit continues as we reach the theory of the three part “porch, court, hearth.” During this lecture, we learned that every building from the early Greeks to the present contains a porch, a court, and a hearth, in some shape or form. These three portions of a building unify it, making it, again, a well-designed space. Blakemore defines this theory well by saying that the structure or sections of a home is a “tripartite arrangement [that] begins with the reception spaces and is followed by the great hall and a private section.” (Blakemore 6) Blakemore confirms the theory that every building or city has a porch, a court, and a hearth. This is a prototype that is continued, improved, and enhanced as time passes.

From the porch, court, hearth theory, the foundations unit moved on to recognizing archetypes, prototypes, and hybrids as changes throughout the design world. The archetype, or the ideal, represents perfection. The prototype, in contrast, is every step that a designer takes to get to the archetype. Every piece of art and architecture throughout history and time in general is a prototype. It sets the standards for the designs to come, and influences each in a way, leaving its mark on history and introduces new ideas and concepts for new designers to develop in their own work. The roman coliseum is a prime example of how each prototype is combined together to create the hybrid, or the result. “As in the Theater of Marcellus, the stone arcades incorporated engaged columns – unfluted Doric on the ground floor, then Ionic, Corinthian, and finally Corinthian pilasters on the uppermost, fourth story.” (Roth 267) The different column orders are used simultaneously with each other in the coliseum, demonstrating how each prototype influences the other to create a hybrid.

The foundations unit covered some important principles of design that are still being used today, and are essential to each designer’s growth. From the Egyptians to the present, commodity, firmness, and delight is utilized and considered greatly in design to create a well-designed space. From there, the theory that every space, city, and building has a porch, court, and hearth, is introduced and continued throughout time as well. This was another important movement in the design cycle, one that still influences the designs we have today. Not only did the unit cover the main principles of the commodity, firmness, delight, and the order of a building, it also expounded greatly on the movement throughout history in relevance to archetypes, prototypes, and hybrids. It showed how each idea (archetype) gives way to greater conceptual designs (prototypes), and how each influences the next to create a finished or new product that is well designed (hybrid).