Classical Civilization: Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece attributed many different design motifs, applications, and materials. Homes from Greece incorporated the use of mud brick, stone foundations, and wooden frameworks. They also incorporated terracotta roof tiles and introduced the use of a compluvium; an opening in the roof.  The floors were made up of plaster and then painted. Mosaic motifs were also created on the floor using pebbles, glass, and stone. Other motifs that were frequently used in ancient Greece include: Floral, Marine, Egg & Dart, and the Greek Key. these motifs were used in the interior design, architecture, and furniture design. The Klismos chair is a very graceful chair that came from this time period. The chair was designed for women, created out of wood, and used splayed legs.

example of mosaic tile floor design

current application of the mosaic tile floor design

   

example of ancient Greece floral and Greek-key design Motifs

current application of the Greek-key design motif

Ancient Greece Klismo Chair

current application of the Klismo chair design

Ancient Civilization Responses

I reviewed both Dana's and Ariana's Blog . Dana's blog gave great examples of the stone flooring and plaster at that time as well as a current application of both aspects. She also posted the following video which can be very helpful if looking to design an Egyptian inspired room with more modern materials. Ariana focused on the different design motifs used during that time. She gave great examples of how the Egyptians incorporated Nature into their paintings as well as interior designs. She also discusses the use of woods in the furniture, clearing up any misrepresentation of the furniture designs at that time. Both blogs gave great examples of the materials and furniture used during the ancient civilization period.



This is the link to Dana's Blog:
http://www.fcs338dthomas.blogspot.com/p/ancient-civilization-egypt.html

As well as the Link to Ariana's Blog:
http://www.history1ah.blogspot.com/

Ancient Civilization: Egypt

Egypt, centered around the Nile river, was a huge factor in ancient civilization. They used the Nile river as a source of trade, transportation, communication, as well as agriculture. The climate also played a role in the design of the buildings. The climate in Egypt had little variation in temperature, a lot of sunlight, and small amounts of rainfall. The Egyptians incorporated flat roofs, outdoor spaces, and roof ventilation because of their climate. Religion was also a huge influence in their design. Many buildings represented monuments and was dedicated to certain gods. They also incorporated religion into their furniture designs, decorative arts, and paintings. both religion and climate helped preserve many artifacts from this time period. Many of the materials used in their architecture included mud walls and bricks, stone, plaster, and fresco. 

The picture above represents the use of fresco in mural paintings during the Egyptian Ancient Civilization period. It also portrays the incorporation of religion into their designs. 

This is a picture of the Great Temple of Karnak; the largest and most significant religious building. 

The Karnak is a perfect example of how the Egyptians incorporated religion, outdoor spaces, and the open roof concept into their architecture. It also uses a technique called hypostyle. Hypostyle incorporates the use of columns to help hold and support the roof. The below picture displays the use of Hypostyle in the Karnak:

The next picture is a great example of a current, more contemporary application of a hypostyle structure. 

The Following are links that I found useful when gathering information on Ancient Egypt and Hypostyle:

http://www.discoveringegypt.com/karnak1.htm

http://www.evolo.us/architecture/contemporary-hypostyle-hall-based-on-flamenco-dancing/

http://www.memphis.edu/hypostyle/meaningandfunction1.htm