KARYA ILMIAH THE CULTURAL MEANING OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE oleh : RUMONDANG MIRANDA MARSAULINA, SP., MSi FAKULTAS KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN UNIVERSITAS HKBP NOMMENSEN MEDAN 2010 Page 1 of 49 PREFACE This article depicts the ways American ideal values has influenced in developing the art of American architecture manifested by Americans‘ attitudes to always tend to bring the passion of ideal architecture styles into reality, yet at the same time emphasize pragmatism through making the building structure serve their daily needs. Written based on the description qualitative research using the library research designed to survey the written materials from some related references, this article discusses the stages where Americans have undergone to find their own cultural identities mirrored in the development of architectural design styles. The material written in this text can be exploited as the content of a different method in teaching English-speaking countries‘ culture, like America to the English learners. The description of the integrated elements of architecture, technology, and art to unfold American culture through its history of building styles can increase their awareness and appreciation of the culture from the countries of target language, associating it with their own cultural heritage and becoming more confident in acquiring the language they intend to master. The writer recognizes that the writing needs continuous reviews. Hence, critiques from the readers of this article are always warmly welcomed. Medan, August 2010 The writer, Rumondang Miranda Marsaulina, SP. MSi Page 2 of 49 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE i TABLE OF CONTENTS ii I. INTRODUCTION 4 I.1. Background 4 I.2. The Purpose of Writing 6 I.3. The Focus of Writing 6 I.4. Approach 7 II. HOW AMERICAN VALUES AFFECTS ITS ARCHITECTURE SPIRIT 8 II.1. A Brief History of American Architecture Styles 8 II.2. American‘s Manifest Destiny In Exterior Design 10 II.3. Timeline of The American‘s Building Style 11 III. AMERICAN VALUE PERSPECTIVE IN THE EARLY AMERICAN 20 BUILDING III.1. Early American Colonial House Styles 21 III.2. American Pragmatic Values In Early Construction 22 III.3. American‘s Tolerance Spirit-Mirrored Color Schemes 23 III.4. The Seeds of American‘s Cultural Diversity In European 24 Influenced Style III.5. American‘s High Culture-Found Design 26 III.6. The Colonial Revival Style 26 IV. THE AMERICAN’S INDUSTRIAL AND URBAN CULTURE 29 IMPACT IV.1. Urban Modern American Estates 30 IV.2. What Post Modernist Architecture Era Reveals 33 V. AMERICAN VALUES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS 35 V. 1. American‘s New Perspective of Ecology In Building Designs 36 V.1.1. The Sustainability Era 36 V.1. 2.Sustainable Architecture In a Pluralist Universe 38 V.1.3. The New American Perspective‘s Language For Educating American‘s Zeitgeist Building Styles VI. CONCLUSION 43 REFERENCES 45 Page 3 of 49 I. INTRODUCTION I.1. Background The art of American architecture always develops based on the pragmatism tradition combined with the spirit of tolerating new things and pluralism together with the passion to produce uniquely creative designs. The history began when the first colonists were arriving in North America. The early settlers coming from the well-educated middle class ranks in England were always thirsty of the memories of their traditional architecture; nonetheless, they also found that they should be pragmatic and efficient due to the capital and skilled labors shortage as well as the problem of the wilderness they ought to face on frontiers. To illustrate, the early pilgrims recognized as the Puritan people in Guilford, Connecticut, built a three-feet thick stone wall house for their priest in 1639. Another example was ―the Old Ship Meeting House‖ constructed by the Separatist in 1681. Despite its English traditional designs imitation, it was adapted to meet their needs of a church, a hall, and a shelter. Almost all of the buildings were simply furnished and utilized, reflecting the Puritans‘ strong awareness of the urgency to design their places in the new world as practically and efficiently as possible. That was why not only should their houses be comfortably living home, but it had also to serve them as a fortress against Indians attack and animals threat. Meanwhile, immigrants in South were people who had turned from the rags in their countries of origins to the rich and honored men encouraging them to build the dreaming houses they once not be able to afford in their old land. Once they felt they had been prosperous enough, they had concentrated on constructing castles designed as identical as the residence of the monarch in homeland. For example, the ―Bacon Castle‖ established similarly to the English castle style around 1655 can be regarded as the representation of Page 4 of 49 South style buildings. It is a brick castle built by putting the snail‘s shell roof an imitation of ―Flemishan style‖ on it. This style will remind every person seeing it of the decoration inside the Montacute House built 70 years earlier in Somerset, England. As the end of the 17th century approached, the Northern people had the tendency to emulate ―the new classical English style‖ very popular in England at the time. The new styled buildings were constructed by emphasizing comfort, convenience, and privacy for people living in it. The houses were painted white or yellow or red. They were built with separate rooms for sleeping, cooking, dining, and so on. Fireplaces in living quarters became smaller and more efficient, for they were only used for heating. To the Northern people, ―the new classical English style‖ was adapted to their surroundings and climate as well as puritan influence resulting in less ornamentation and smaller scale. Though the society had gradually turned from pure pragmatic and functional-minded people to those illuminated by sophisticated things of the era, they continued to be efficient and pragmatic since they had still faced source shortages like the lack of skilled craftsmen. For the reason, they constructed simple and multifunctional houses to fit themselves to the condition they had to face, yet in expressing their sentiments they still made some efforts to preserve the original structures of buildings in the homeland. In matter of building material use, for instance, they continued to use old parts considered useful of their buildings. For instance, an owner of a 17th century-exquisitely- decorated edifice in the suburban of Boston, Massachusetts, preferred renovating upstairs and outer part of the building to destroying the whole structures in order to replicate the new style. The concept which emphasizes efficiency and pragmatism despite the passion of realizing ideal models becomes the root of the art of American architecture. Page 5 of 49 This descriptive-qualitative writing based on library research depicts how some of American ideal values has influenced in developing the art of American architecture manifested by Americans‘ attitudes to always tend to bring the passion of ideal architecture styles into reality, yet at the same time emphasize pragmatism through making the building structure serve their daily needs. I.2. THE PURPOSE OF WRITING This article was written to reveal out if there was a connection between American values as well as traditions and the evolution of the country's building and home style designs. The scientific writing contains the American‘s process of values and tradition establishment reflected through the transformation of American architecture from the times the early settlers landed their foot on the new land to the nation-wide green movement striving for more environmentally conscious structures which has spawned the era of pluralism-friendly sustainable architecture. Finally, it aims to dilate people‘s mind to have a better vision of the presence of multiethnic culture which is lasting influence on the American life style. I.3. THE FOCUS OF WRITING The writing focuses on examining if the American cultural values have been proven to have directed the development of American‘s building styles. It also concentrates on elaborating the American‘s cultural values or virtues and tradition that has contributed to the development of American domestic architecture by surveying the detailed historical recorded on the timeline of American‘s art of architecture in numerous literary works. Page 6 of 49 I.4. APPROACH The article is a descriptive-qualitative writing based on library research design. The research conducted is by a survey type. The data collected was from the written materials giving findings on how several American ideal values and traditions have influenced in the development of American architectural styles. The data taken was also from the sources which helped the writer to examine whether the Americans‘ attitudes and virtues always tended to bring the passion of ideal architecture styles into reality, yet at the same time emphasized pragmatism through making the building structure serving their daily needs. Page 7 of 49 II. HOW AMERICAN VALUES AFFECT ITS ARCHITECTURE SPIRIT II.1. A BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE STYLES The architecture of American buildings began during the 17th century, when their forefathers came to North America. The settlers brought with them varied building techniques from their homeland. Being creative and adapting to the climate, skills and available building materials, they set out building-quality construction which varied among the different settlements. In the South the mansions depicted