Heights or Hill: De Architectura—Does An Ancient Roman Ethos Live in Prospect Heights?

"Firmitas, utilitas, venustas." —De Architectura, the Roman book of architecture, written in Latin, a most-quoted declaration taken from the book, which defines the principle and the meaning of the word “architecture."

Architecture, History and Culture

Around 15 B.C., De Architectura, a treatise written by the Roman architect Vitruvius, defined architecture, in qualitatively terms, as “sustainable (firmitas), functional (utilitas), and beautiful (venustas).” An elementary assertion, sounds simplistic and purposefully uncomplicated, but Rome, on many counts, perhaps none greater than her architectural achievements, imaginably was nothing short of a phenomenon throughout 12 centuries of world dominance. 

And in this moment, the latin word “architectura” originated, although, similar processes may have been developed beforehand in other cultures, Rome is credited for documenting architectura as such. And with each passing generation, as centuries fold, the word is interpreted, translated into varied languages, where altered by only one vowel in it’s spelling, yet stripped of substance and meaning, through an infinite number of light years—to now—where we have “architecture.”

Over 2,000 years old, De Architectura is the only contemporary source on classical architecture to have survived in its entirety.

“Vitruvius sought to address the ethos of architecture, declaring that quality depends on the social relevance of the artist's work, not on the form or workmanship of the work itself.” —Wikipedia

As a 10-volume anthology, De Architectura covers virtually all aspects of Roman architecture, big and small building projects, ranging from town planning in Book#1 to sourcing building materials in Book #2 to laying concrete pavement and decorative plasterwork in Book #7.  Each book covering new ground. For example, Book #8 reviews water supplies and the building and surveying of aqueducts, while Book #3 reviews the building of temples, Book #10 looks at the engineering of tools and machinery while Book #9 applies the theory of astronomy, Socrates, Plato and human behaviors to architecture. 

Thus, it may be suggested that De Architectura holds the key to some of Rome’s great architectural achievements such as  aqueducts of Rome, the Ara Pacis, the Baths of Diocletian and the Baths of Caracalla, the basilicas and Colosseum, all built during the 1st Century (CE).

Today, De Architectura is considered by modern day architects and critics as generally being overwrought with Vitruvius‘ irrelevant practices and over-effusive philosophies. 

“Vitruvius covers a wide variety of subjects that he saw as touching on architecture. This included many aspects that may seem irrelevant to modern eyes, ranging from mathematics to astronomy, meteorology, and medicine. In the Roman conception, architecture needed to take into account everything touching on the physical and intellectual life of man and his surroundings,” says Wikipedia.

Architecture is generally defined as design and planning of a building. “They don’t make ‘em like they used to”, as they say, but why? Are Brooklyn brownstones designed with a different set of ideals than a domestic building in Ancient Roman times? Are Vitruvius’ principles of architecture at work in the row-houses of Prospect Heights?

While I am not an architectural critic, as such, I don’t have to be, to wonder if Vitruvius’ Principles of Architecture, “sustainability, function and beauty” are present and fundamentally sound—even today. Therefore, in my own assessment based on a study of architecture, but mostly common sense and interpretive genes, I decided to apply Vitruvius' Principles of Architecture to the exteriors of two buildings in Prospect Heights.  

Vitruvius’ Principles of Architecture: A Checklist 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Select 2 buildings.

CHECKLIST: are “sustainability”, “function” and “beauty” present or not in each building.

1. Sustainability

2. Functional or Useful
   

3. Beauty or Aesthetic Appeal
   

   
   

Vitruvius’ De Architectura is notably credited for “prompting the rise of the Neoclassical style,” after greatly influencing many architects like “Niccoli, Brunelleschi and Leon Battista Alberti” during the Italian Renaissance. As we know, the architectural styles of New York row-houses built in the 19th Century are European inspired interpretations like the Renaissance Revival architectural style, Queen Anne or the Romanesque Revival architectural style. While we may never know if the architects of our community, specifically studied De Architectura, it appears that sustainability, function and beauty are present in Prospect Heights. 

Next Post: Landmark Architecture and Simeon Bankoff, Exec Dierector of the Historic Districs Council. (This week, the schedule of posts was changed.)