The lookout of an architects by Vitruvius


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The lookout of an architect by Vitruvius.


Vitruvius wrote in his book:

'The architect should be equipped with knowledge of many branches of study and varied kinds of learning, for it is by his judgement that all work done by the other arts is put to test. Else an architect may not call himselve an architect.

It follows, therefore, that architects who aimed at acquiring manual skills without scholarship have never been able to rach a position of authority to correspond to their pains, while those who relied only upon theories and scholarship were obviously hunting the shadow, not the substance. But those who have a thorough knoweledge of both, have sooner attained their object and carried authority with them.

Architects must be educated, skilful with the pencil, instructed in geometry, know much history, have followed the philosophers with attention, understand music, have some knoweledge of medicine, know the opions of the jurist, and be acquainted with astronomy and the theory of the heavens. The reason for all this are as follows.

An architect ought to be an educated man so as to leave a more lasting remembrance in his treatises.

Secondly, he must have a knoweledge of drawing so that he cab readily make sketches to show the appearance of the work which he proproses.

Geometry, also, is of much assistance in architecture, and in particular it teaches us the use of the rule and compasses, by which especially we acquire readiness in making plans for buildings in their grounds, and rightly apply the square, the level, and the plummet. By means of optics, again, the light in buildings can be drawn from fixed quartters of the sky. Is it true that it is by arithmetic that the total cost of buildings is calculated and measurements are computed, but difficult questions involving symmetry are solved by means of geometrical theories and methods.

A wide knoweledge of history is requisite because, among the ornamental parts of an architect's design for a work, there are many the underlying idea of whose employment he should be able to explain to inquirers.

As for philosophy, it makes an architect high-minded and not self-assuming, but rather renders him courteous, just, and honest without avariciousness. This is very important, for no work can be rightly done without honestly and incorruptibility. Let him not be grasping nor have his mind preoccupied with the idea of receiving perquisites, but let him with dignity keep up his position by cherishing a good reputation. These are among the precepts of philosophy. Furthermore philosophy treats of physics where a more careful knoweledge is required because the problems which come under this head are numerous and of very different kinds.

Music, also, the architect ought to understand so that he may have knoweledge of the canonical and mathermatical theory, and besides be able to tune ballistae, catapultae, and scorpiones to the proper key. Example:
-You (the architect) designed a theatre and you built it, but you can't hear the speaker very well. This means that you have not the knoweledge of music. If you had, you had built bronzen vessels which you placed in niches under the seats. These vessels will intensive the sound, because these vessels will ring up.

The architect should also have a knoweledge of study of medicine on account of the questions of climates, air, the healthiness and unhealthiness of sites, and the healthiness of a dwelling cannot be assured. And as for principles of law, he should know those which are necessary in the case of buildings having party walls, with regard to water dripping from the eaves, and also the laws about drains, windows, and water supply. If there is no attention for this case, there can't be build a healthy city.

From astronomy we fund the east, west, south, and north, as well as th theoryof the heavens, the equinox, solstice, and courses of the stars. If one has no knowledge of these matters, he will not be able to have any comprehension of the theory of sundails.

Consequently, since this study is so vast in extent, embellished and enriched as it is with many different kinds of learning, I think that men have no right to profess themselves architects hastily, without having climbing from boyhood the steps of these studies and thus, nursed by the knowledge of many arts and sciences, having reached the heights of the holy ground of architecture.




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