Reading Comprehension 222

Reading Comprehension

Part 1

IAR 222

Natalie Neill

1. The building of my choice that I feel fits the definitions of commodity, firmness, and delight is Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. To me it has defines commodity because it is useful in many ways. One room that particularly comes to mind is the room directed near the front of the house which was used for a classroom for his children. There was a library making your way to the back of the house and slaves quarters that overlooked the areas they worked. As for firmness the house had many different themes, but it was all influenced by places Jefferson had traveled. Even though there were many influences it all seemed to flow together to create a calming home to live in. Lastly, the delight, to me, is in the beautiful gardens and courtyard that is in the back of the house. The side wrap around porch is beautiful and is very useful for entertaining.

2. The first textile fabric has many influences from the eastern part of the world such as the natural colors that are used, the repetitive pattern used to unify the print as one. Nothing in the textile, I feel, is random, all of the shapes fit together cohesively and have a specific spot. Many eastern motifs include symbols and certain number of things that have a background meaning. Animals are common in motifs, and so are flowers.

3. Different cultures have different special needs and wants or attitudes, mainly because every culture’s way of life is different. The cultural, economic, and ethnic differences all play a part in why we have separate views of personal space. U.S. citizens generally want big spaces to interact in because our “personal space bubble” is typically bigger. In the 222 Classroom we are located in, the classroom is completely oversized for the amount of it that we are actually using. You would expect that we would all sit with one seat in between everyone. Since I am a U.S. citizen the amount of space between people, personally, is not enough and a little too close for my liking, but I feel as though it will feel normal as the semester goes on.

4. I feel as though there is architecture of happiness. Objects that are designed aren’t always JUST all about functions. There is always pleasure that comes from an object, which I think would be the main goal when designing anything. You want to enjoy something and gain an experience from it no matter what. “We seem divided between an urge to override our senses and numb ourselves to our settings and a contradictory impulse to acknowledge the extent to which our identities are indelibly connected to, and will shift along with, our locations.” This quote basically explains that we, as people, are constantly trying to find the next biggest and best thing without actually thinking about form following function, or things that will enhance our way of living in a happy way. This is a shelving system I found a picture of that really inspires me and is interesting to look at, but at the same time has a purpose and is made of a sustainable material.