Benjamin RemingtonArchitecture 20 / Mid-term

Learning Portfolio

Architecture 20 has been an

interesting experience for me thus far. I’ve

entered into the class with a bit more experience

as an architecture student than many of my

classmates. However, the majority of the

material I too am encountering for the first time.

Ideas I had previously encountered in other

classes are now becoming concrete for me. These

ideas have found their way into my daily view of

life as well as influencing the pursuit of

knowledge in my other architectural classes. For

instance, concepts of proportion and perspective

now influence the way I visualize designs and

plans. My ability to express my own designs has

also been positively impacted by the ability to

represent two-dimensionally what previously had

only existed in my head. I’m now able to

augment the iterative process of my designs with

plans and sketches where previously I would

have had to rely on photographs or three-

dimensional representations. It’s a skill set that is

bound to create significant savings of time, effort,

and money for me in the future as well as

enriching my ability to think and make

effectively.

Body Drawing

At the outset of the body drawing

exercise I was a bit dubious of the

connection between the

assignment and the subject matter

of a class I assumed to be primarily

about manual drafting techniques.

However, knowing the instructor, I

should have seen it coming. As I

began considering the way the

relationship we all share with the

world is based on its scale relative

to our own bodies more

connections began to form. As a

gateway to the study of

architecture the idea seemed

perfectly natural. I was reminded

of an old book in my collection

that referenced Man’s unique

position in the scale of the

universe. The book stated that

with our bodies comfortably

centered somewhere near the

mid-point between stars and

atoms in size, we were given equal

perspective on both. I’m not sure

if more recent research into the

infinitesimally small or the

unimaginably gargantuan has

skewed the scale one direction or

another, but the idea has stayed

with me.

So too, it would seem is architecture experienced in that

same familiar human scale. Phrases which refer to the size and

capacity of our bodies like “Arm’s length”, “Eye level” or “A stone’s

throw” now seem more relevant to me than “3 feet” or “10 yards”

when describing a

place. The numbers

ultimately become

meaningless without

the physical experience

they represent. In

architecture, as in

quantum physics, it’s

all relative.

In less abstract terms,

the multiple iterations

of the body drawing

taught me various

valuable skills

pertaining to line

quality and hierarchy,

use of the architect’s

scale, and

dimensioning.

By the third iteration of the scaled body drawing (and several

iterations of the border) ideas about line weight and quality had begun

to become clearer and my technique improved considerably.

Additionally, the amount of time required to finish a border that I was

happy with had been noticeably cut down. My lettering, though far

from perfect, was also clearly improved by applying what I learned in

an in-class demonstration on using the t-square and triangle for the

vertical strokes.

Perspective Drawing

During the portions of the class dealing with the various

forms of perspective, a number of concepts I was already

familiar with began to solidify in a usable way in my

mind. The ideas of vanishing points and foreshortening

weren’t new concepts. However, I had only applied

them to planar rectilinear shapes of a limited range.

What was striking as I engaged further with the

techniques was the inevitable precision with which all of

the involved angles converged and the surety with which

the angles of surfaces always met their respective

vanishing points. The renderings of perspective that had

once seemed to me an impenetrable art, attained only

through extensive practice, were now revealed as being

reached through a tool of mathematical certainty. As

such, the tool was available to me to employ. Not only

was the discovery of another layer of order in human

perception satisfying on a purely intellectual level but it

also provided me with a higher level of confidence in my

ability to express myself visually.

2 Point perspective views and orthographic

projections - 3rd iteration - February 28

2 Point perspective views and orthographic

projections - 3rd iteration - February 28

The portion of the class dealing with orthographic projections provided an

opportunity to reinforce the connections

between three-dimensional objects and their two-dimensional representations. I

found myself forced to clearly visualize an object of my own design from multiple

perspectives; a skill which has been lacking in the past and often led to

unpleasant surprises. Furthermore, the

ability to clearly communicate the form of my creation was greatly enhanced by this

portion of the class.

One point perspective – 2nd iteration – 3/5

Freehand one point perspective with

multiple vanishing points – 1st iteration –

3/6 (with instructor alterations)

TitleInterior 1 point perspective with

geometric objects – 3rd iteration – 3/08

As the class evolved, ideas of multiple vanishing points, circular shapes in perspective, and the

construction of geometric solids began to

crystallize. Drawings that once would have required a great deal of trial and error to create a

level of accuracy necessary for believability were now easily constructed. This allowed me the

freedom from time constraints to experiment with multiple arrangements and iterations.

Reflecting on the past half of the semester I am

excited for what lies ahead. I feel that a lot of

concepts have been clarified for me that had

been a source of frustration and reluctance in

the past. As each segment of the class is

unveiled it’s as if a new mystery has been

explained. My perspective as a more

experienced architecture student at City College

allows me to fully recognize the value of what

I’m being taught. The skills are often ones that I

use on a daily basis in my other studio classes.

Many additionally can be applied in the future,

regardless of the field I choose to pursue

because they are universal in nature. Because

of the heuristic instruction in the class, it’s good

to know that years from now, even if I forget

the rules of two point perspective, I can always

take a dry-erase marker to my living room

window and it’ll all come back to me.

Conclusion