My book treats on the works of Vincent Scamozzi and the principles he believe should be adopted in a “universal architecture”.
In my work with Alice I chose to investigate the idea of “universal architecture” and the Vitruvian five orders which play an important role in the book.
My first choice of a brain was that of Homer’s Friends (topic: architecture; question: universal architecture).
The work I found is Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations — a philosophical treaties. In the passage Alice found Cicero observes that humans yearn for a “perfect” architecture which can be, and at times is, attained. This he links with universal nature. Cicero recognises an instinctive need for something that is complete in different areas of life. This bears similarity to my book’s approach, which starts with a holistic overview of architecture in a universal context; it takes into account various factors — like for example the winds.
While these two works come from different contexts and fields they both explore the architecture as a concept that is “universal” and which has moments — respectively is systematised into something — approaching perfection.
Before finding Cicero I tried various other words such as “commission”, “building” or “society”. I found myself browsing passages from works such as The Republic about architecture in society and systems it ought to follow. While perhaps not focusing on the same aspects as the works of Scamozzi the recurring presence of architecture as a universal concept, attempts at defining it, and creating universal systems are clearly present throughout time and often based on similar ideas (and in part from a similar, republican, background).
Another work I found — An Abridgement of the Architecture of Vitruvius, 1693, by Perrault— relates to the five orders which play an important role in my book (brain: Alberti and Vitruvius, topic: column question: five orders). I found the word “abridgement” interesting in this context. Vitruvius presents the orders very concisely, so it would be difficult to abridge the original concepts. In fact the author is creating rather a summary of the “evolution” of the orders through his own lease as he is the author. Here I find it interesting that Scamozzi uses the orders as a base for his own architecture while Perrault tries to present an “abridgement” bur due to normal human bias needs must present his own view to some extent. This forms a link in perspective and interest between the two, almost contemporary, men.