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The work of Jean-Jacques Lequeu (1757-1826) is often used by architectural historians to demonstrate the erosion of the principles of classical architecture at the end of the eighteenth century. The Nouvelle Methode appliquee aux Principes elementaires du dessin completed by Lequeu in 1792, a drawing method showing the correct proportions of the face obtained through geometry, reveal another Lequeu, one sympathetic to the architectural theories of his time. The similarities between the Nouvelle Methode and the Dissertation sur les especes naturelles by the Dutch naturalist Petrus Camper (1722-1789) show the importance of the notion of caractere in the structure of knowledge of the classical age as portrayed by Michel Foucault. Simultaneously a theory of physionomy and a theory of architecture, the Nouvelle Methode demonstrates that the theory of caractere in both disciplines, far from announcing the birth of the modern age, is central to the pursuit of order which sustained architecture in the classical age.

The content of this thesis is two-fold. The first part takes the form of an essay while the second part presents a theoretical project for an architectural installation. Using these two modes as different ways to address similar issues, the present work proposes to question the instrumentalisation of geometry in today's architectural practice. The work of Lewis Carroll (Charles L. Dodgson) and, more specifically, his masterpiece, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, will be approached and interpreted in order to observe the participation of geometry---of Euclidean geometry---in our understanding of the notions of space and time, and to reveal their paradoxical aspect. The aim is to explore how geometry, language and nonsense bear intimate connections to our perception of space and time. Once revealed, these connections will enable us to address the following question: can architecture be comprehended and experienced as an event?

Published in 1780, Nicolas Le Camus de Mezieres' The Genius of Architecture; or, The Analogy of Tkat Art with Our Sensations is firmly ensconced in the traditions of western architectural theories, dating back to Vitruvius' The Ten Books on Architecture . Continuing the traditional relationship to the theatre as well as to the harmonic proportions of the orders although recast in terms of the century in which he wrote, Le Camus uses the paradigm of the theatre as the space of reception for his architecture. / Definitively establishing the conventions and taste of the theatre in eighteenth century France, Denis Diderot's The Paradox of Acting established the role of the poetic genius in relation to his or her audience. The relationship to the audience as enabled by the conventions of good taste allows for an understanding of Le Camus' unique analogy of architecture and the sensations, giving to his architecture the ability to provide a cathartic morality as put forth by Diderot.

the intention of this creative project, is to explore the concept of the idea of temporary permanence in architecture. the project is an attempt to put into architectural perspective an understanding, meaning and context of the relative permanence of architecture as a parallel physical and conceptual idea over time. the relationship of the various forces that shape, mold and influence the architectural environment is a major part of the natural evolution of the continuing adaptation to change within our environment. from an architectural and general outlook this means being able to understand the phenomenon of change and respecting its existence. without change the idea of temporary permanence would not exist.the paper is presented in two parts. the first part, consists of the creative project of the paper, presenting the second phase research development and the architectural exploration of the theoretical disposition, temporary permanence. the second part, found in Appendix 1, is the research paper documenting "raw data", personal observation and experience, and examples of site context as a supportive basis for the reasoning of such a disposition. / Department of Architecture

This proposal is a catalogue of considerable contextual issues that inform the architect about values, environmental qualities, and principles, found within existing building structures of an American downtown. It is the intention of this collection to help the architect considering a broader range of ideas in a new single building to be designed, with the intent of improving foremost the public quality of a future building in the downtown.The main architectural questions embrace the definition of the contextual influences, dimensional and non-dimensional, and the clarification what type of influences remain under the control of the architect.It is my overall premise that buildings in downtown are indeed of "higher quality" when they reflect the surrounding rules, i.e., when the architects, clients and any other powerful participants of the building enterprise know about the additional ideas that have been established around the proposed site. The downtown is often the oldest part of a city where first housing, first trade, growth, and the idea of neighborhood had its roots, where it all began. I specify downtown still as the traditional center of a community, a center, not defined so much geographically or architecturally as it is socially.How can a future best building become a piece of the existing downtown environment as an ideal. Is there such an ideal answer? Or is the downtown itself a conglomerate of random individual and uncompromising Inventions?What is the basic language, the common traits that all buildings in downtown shareMarkus Vogel, May 1997•What parts of a building are of importance in becoming a part of downtown and what reasons can we identify for attaching importance to those parts?What generates form, use and expression in downtown buildings which we consider as being a successful part of the place.Out of these questions, a catalog of influences will be presented, a reference framework of 21 issues, notions, and contextual influences, divided into dimensional and non-dimensional influences. Each of the influences analyses a single aspect out of the pool of qualities of downtown buildings. The consideration of non-dimensional contextual influences without any obvious visual dimensions such as contextual symbolism, questions of aesthetics, and behavioral aspects is of special importance. In defining the references the following set of questions serve as a guideline:A) Why are the notions important and where are they coming from?B) How can we look at them in downtown Indianapolis?C) What are the related suggestions and implications for a design study?The research includes visual, graphical and oral analysis whereby downtown Indianapolis serves as an example and as a resource city. The target groups includes senior students of architecture, architects and the community, or any other public client involved in design decisions or design reviews which supervise new developments in downtown.It is the position of this paper that only a consideration of all contextual influences together in one building may create what utopists could consider an ideal building. Aware of this heavily difficult ideal, an overview on those constraints that are not sufficiently under the control of the architect will be given in order to clarify the dualism between the ideal outcome and realistic possibilities. This proposal is therefore the creation of a methodology which defines questions and issues rather than providing the answers, describing final design implications.In conclusion, I assume that the belief and the application of such a contextual framework is characteristic of those people interested in particular and individualistic design responses rather than those individuals preferring universal and broad rules honoring all kinds of manifestoes that can be found in the pluralistic mishmash of present day's architectural theories. / Department of Architecture

Bio-membranes: A Biological Approach to Architecture The desire to introduce an area of study which can potentially inform the field of architecture on a theoretical as well as on a practical level, is the primary aim of this creative project. More specifically, the interest of this work is focused on the identification of useful processes deriving from the world of biology and their utilization in the world of architecture. The designation of an alternative path for perceiving and understanding processing and principles that may be of use in the reconfiguration of various architectural design applications is in quest. In search of a biological model that can potentially inform the field of architecture and provide enough feedback concerning the understanding of "processing" and "principles", biomembrane systems have been designated as the appropriate subject of study. The study and analysis of the structural and functional aspects of the bio-membranes as well as the extraction of useful principles that are derived from this study consist the first part of this work. The second part describes the implementation of these principles into various architectural applications while it challenges existing paradigms and introduces new ways of looking into the realm of architectural theory. / Department of Architecture

The symbolism of the heavenly, represented in the Temple of Jerusalem, has inspired diverse interpretations of both mystical and archaeological type. The reconstruction by the Jesuit, Juan Bautista Villalpando (1552--1608), which took place amidst hermetic teachings, vitruvian norms, and in a religious Spain, merges all these aspects into a harmonious order that spawns a model of perfect architecture as well as the consummate religious edifice. In this vision of the Temple, deciphered from the prophet Ezechiel's abstract and messianic description, the ideal order of divine creation is drawn. Villalpando's drawings and explanations aim to reconcile the sublime in geometry with matter, therefore imitating divine creation while not ceasing to be an imaginative, worldly interpretation. According to Villalpando, in Ezechiel's vision, the spiritual aspect of the Temple of Salomon, God revealed the future Church. After the incarnation of Christ, this Church can be a reality. Villalpando's conception, which was embodied in the palace and monastery of El Escorial, represents the built ideal.