Hosted by the Southeast Chapter | 6 AIA CES Learning Units | HSW
The course provides an overview of the concept of proportion as a design tool in traditional architecture; presented in the form of lectures and demonstrations. The content includes an explanation of the idea of symbolic or qualitative number; an introduction to Pythagorean and Platonic numerical philosophy; the nature of beauty, its relation to number, and its relation to the good; the derivation of the ancient musical octave and its use as a guide to harmony; a discussion of the Golden Section, its mathematics, geometry, relation to philosophy, and particularly its role as a geometrical logos; and the connection of all these ideas to the numerical-geometrical canons of classical architecture. These ideas are applied to the historical archetype of the four column portico, through demonstrations using arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic ratio methods of application in pursuit of the beautiful. The course may be taken as an introduction to these ideas or as a review for those who have some background with the subject.
6 AIA HSW Continuing Education Credits available for the workshop only. Click here for more on the lecture.
This event is hosted by an ICAA Chapter. Please check the Chapter website, or contact the Chapter directly, for the most up-to-date details including dates, times, and pricing.
1. Appreciate the nature of beauty and the role it plays in the pursuit of the good.
2. Understand number in a symbolic rather than mathematical sense and how this connects aesthetics to aspects of ancient philosophy.
3. Understand the nature of rational ratios, composed of whole numbers, and transcendental ratios such as the Golden Section which are not composed of whole numbers, as an approach to achieving the beautiful in architectural composition.
4. Use geometric, arithmetic and harmonic methods of application of proportion for analysis of historical designs and to create new designs that achieve a balanced and harmonious state.