The word tectonic is usually used today in regards to the
science of geological processes as opposed to architecture. As an
oversimplification, the movement of tectonic plates are responsible for the
formation of mountains and volcanoes, as well as the cause of major earthquakes
and erosion. It is very rare that we used the word tectonics to describe the
built environment unless you are a member of the profession. However, the word tectonics actually comes
from the Greek word tektonikos, meaning
“pertaining to building” which is derived from tekton meaning carpenter
or builder. Tekton is derived from the Sanscrit word, taksan, which refers
to carpentry or the use of an axe. Taksan comes from the proto-indo-european root tek, which simply means to make. Tekton went on to be used to describe all sorts of craftsmen,
literal and figurative. A person could be a tektones sofoὶ, meaning a craftsman
of wisdom, which was usually used to described poets and philosophers. It is by this means that we reach
the word architect, which comes from combining tekton with the prefix, archi.
When used in the
architectural sense, the word tectonics is usually used to describe the form of
a building, and the designer’s use of elements such as walls, roofs, and floors
to create the general design of the structure. When the word tectonics is used,
it is usually referring to how these elements are assembled or constructed. For
example, the tectonics of a Frank Gehry building are much different than the
tectonics of a more rectilinear building. The use of the word tectonic in
architectural discourse is best summed up by Kenneth Frampton, a professor of
architecture at Columbia University:
“When a structural concept has found its implementation through construction
the visual result will affect it through certain expressive qualities which
clearly have something to do with the play of forces and corresponding
arrangement of parts in the building yet cannot be described in terms of construction
and structure alone. For these qualities which are expressive of a relation of
form to force, the term tectonic should be reserved.”
From this excerpt we get the sense that
although tectonics is used to discuss structure, it is not limited to the
question of how it’s made. Instead, it can be used to describe the expressive
nature of the structure, and it’s role in space making. The intentional
exposition of structural elements as a form of expression can also be called
Architectonics. Architectonics is a related term, which can share the same
meaning as mentioned above, but can also describe the act of purposefully
exposing mechanical, and electrical systems in a design as a means of
expression, as seen at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Although the latter term
seems to be a formulation of architectural jargon, the two terms have existed
separately for centuries. Architectonic shares the same greek root, but the
prefix, archi is defined as the presence of a master builder, someone who
transcends the mere need for shelter to develop an artful craft of
construction.
Citations
Online Etymology Dictionary, "Tectonic". Last Modified 2012. Accessed November 18th, 2012. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tectonic
Oxford University Press, "Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture". Last modified 2012. Accessed November 17th, 2012. http://www.oxfordreference.com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca/view/10.1093/acref/9780198606789.001.0001/acref-9780198606789-e-4637?rskey=J2QYBm&result=43121&q=
Columbia University, Course Description, "Studies in Tectonic Culture", Fall 2001. Accessed November 19th, 2012. http://www.probelog.com/texts/Frampton_tectonic.pdf
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