Mock, Blog Post 4 (Actually #3), IAR 221

MHRA

The steps leading up to the MHRA have several levels, they are almost steep, which makes it feel like the building holds a status on campus. The design of this building has a high commodity, firmness, and delight rating.

Ceiling of the MHRA.

Commodity is function and this building has two functions: to hold offices and to hold classrooms. The axis sections off to separate the two spaces. The circular glass entrances mimics the office space's glass entrance. On the other side of the axis, the classrooms lead off into a long hallway made with the walls made out of stone. The lowered ceiling mimics the tile on the floor. The two different functional areas are very distinct with their different materials. 

The building has a high sense of firmness because of the materials. The stone and metal give off a feeling of stability in the building. The columns in the front entrance also give the appearance of holding up the grand spherical room. The modern look of the building looks crisp and clean, which I think helps with the firmness rating as well as the delight rating.

The modern design plays a big role in the delight of this space. The glass entrance brings in a lot of light into this space. The entrance also has a lot of repetition and separation. The glass panels are repeated, but each row is a different size to help break up the repetition. The light color of the tile also reflects the light being let in through the windows. The tiles also seem to have a ripple effect as they move out from the axis, leading you through the hallway of the building. Because the classrooms do not have many windows, light colors are used throughout the building to help with this planning problem.

The grandeur of the building gives it it's sense of value, a circle usually marks a sacred place, but in this example, in a university setting, it marks importance. This building is a place of working and learning, which is most important to a university. The circular front, with high stairs leading up to its entrance marks it's significance. Its columns lead the viewers eyes up to the ceiling and the brick on the side lead the viewers eyes along the axis to show how big the building really is. Its significance is also shown by being built on the main road of the university. It is on the axis of the university and it's dome is supposed to mimic the dome of the EUC. It's checker pattern at the entrance is supposed to mimic the Foust Building.