HOMEWORK 2 : Reply to this discussion in short .
(( The building I chose to discuss is actually a complete complex of buildings, Angkor Wat. I have always been fascinated by this complex because of its remoteness and the amazing shapes and architecture the builders included. The complex is thought to have been built starting in the 800’s and is a marvel that it is mostly still standing today. One of the remarkable differences between this construction and that of earlier times is the fact that several “Gods” are represented in the carvings and statuary. In the earlier times monuments or temples were erected to honor a specific God or person, in the case of Angkor Wat each of the Khmer Kings involved in the construction installed statuary and great carvings to honor their own specific God. This created a site with many monuments to many different deities. One major difference between this complex and other more ancient buildings is that Angkor Wat is made of sandstone and not granite or marble. An amazing fact on the construction is that the stones used to make this complex were actually quarried from 25 or more miles away. The stones were thought to have been transported via canals that were built for just this purpose. Another construction technique unique to this site is that the stones are not “mortared” in place but are cut so precisely that they are just wedged together and in most cases it is very difficult to find the joint lines. My wife and I are making plans to visit Angkor Wat in 2 years and we cannot wait!! ))

HOMEWORK3 : reply to this discussion in short.
((The chapters in this unit were very interesting in how they showed the evolution of construction and the various materials now being used in the designs. The chapters show cased the various religious beliefs and how they came about. Also how the different cultures “borrowed” and used parts from other belief systems and incorporated these into their own. It was really interesting to see the changes in architecture and construction methods and materials used by the various cultures and how they “made the styles their own”. Some of the important changes were the absence of things like the ornate columns and shapes used in the Egyptian and Greek monuments and buildings. None of these were present in the Asian designs and construction. The sculptures remained but the styles and stories they told were very different here as well. ))