The natural world is not a random clutter: an accident. To the discerning eye, all things appear as inventions and variations from a finite number of basic patterns. The beautiful spiral nebulae, the eddies in a stream, and the nautilus shell share a common theme. So too do meanders, radiations, branchings, as well as linear and circular systems. But why do these archetypal patterns occur? This course investigates the interactions of matter and energies in three-dimensional space as the underlying origins for these primary natural forms. If then, our material culture — what we make and what we build — are also compositions of materials and energies in space, perhaps these archetypal patterns also form the foundations for what we call harmony and beauty in man-made form as it does in nature. The course is taught in a lecture format with interludes of class discussion on Zoom. New material and lectures have been added this year.
Instructor Arnold J. Aho, A.I.A. has taught architecture and basic design for more than 40 years at North Carolina State U., Mississippi State U., and Norwich U., where he started the new Architecture Program and served as its first Director. He was educated at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied under Louis I. Kahn. He has many publications on materials and energies in design, vernacular (folk) architecture, and the relationships between natural and built environments. In addition to numerous design awards, he has received distinguished teaching recognition, including the Burlington Northern Outstanding Teacher Award (MSU) and the Dana Distinguished Professor (Norwich).
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