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Chapter 15 – Architecture
Multiple Choice Questions
1. It is thought that the sloping sides of the pyramids in Egypt were intended to mimic:
a) the sands of the Sahara.
b) the rays of the sun.
c) the orb of Isis.
d) the eyes of Akhenhaten.
2. The Pont du Gard, in Nîmes, France, is an excellent example of a(n) _______ method
of construction.
a) load-bearing
b) skeleton-and-skin
c) balloon frame
d) arch
3. Notre Dame Cathedral, in Paris, is an example of _______ architecture.
a) Gothic
b) Romanesque
c) basilica
d) post-and-lintel
4. Robie House is a typical work by the architect:
a) Mies van der Rohe.
b) William Morris.
c) Frank Lloyd Wright.
d) Eero Saarinen.
5. The Seagram Building, designed Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, is an example
of the International Style, a type of architecture marked by:
a) rigid lines.
b) integration with topography.
c) austere geometric simplicity.
d) mass and volume.
6. Johnson and Burgee’s University of Houston, College of Architecture is said to be a
postmodern building because it:
a) employs Louis Sullivan’s “form follows function” maxim.
b) follows the modernist mantra, “form over function.”
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c) borrows from many different styles and time periods to create a kind of “history of
Western architecture.”
d) uses post-and-lintel architecture.
7. Thomas Coram’s View of Mulberry House and Street displays architecture that is a
good example of:
a) postmodern architecture.
b) architecture conforming to its local environment and available technology.
c) neo-Classical architecture.
d) architecture that defies its local environment and available technology.
8. St. Sernin and Amiens Cathedral drew their inspiration from architecture that had been
built some 1000 years prior. They are called ____________cathedrals.
a) Gothic
b) Roman
c) Romanesque
d) Byzantine
9. Which of these previous architectural styles does Emilio Ambasz’s ACROS building
most resemble?
a) Gothic cathedrals
b) Mesopotamian ziggurats
c) Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie House
d) Egyptian pyramids
10. This building, designed by Tom Wills-Wright, was recently built in ___________,
which is one of the world’s present hot-spots for extravagant and monumental
architecture.
a) New York City
b) London
c) Hong Kong
d) Dubai
11. Louis Sullivan utilized this type of construction in the late 19th century in Chicago to
build increasingly tall buildings.
a) load bearing
b) cast iron
c) steel and glass curtain
d) steel and reinforced concrete
12. The Seagram Building, designed by Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe is a
perfect example of ___________ in architecture.
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a) the International Style
b) the Prairie Style
c) Bauhaus style
d) postmodernism
13. The Anasazi cliffside caves at Mesa Verde (p. 350) show the roofs of two _______,
which are the underground space for ceremonial life.
a) ziggurats
b) kivas
c) sipapu
d) architraves
14. What building method was used for the construction of the Egyptian pyramids (p.
348)?
a) load bearing
b) truss
c) post and lintel
d) skeleton and skin
15. The “look” of our buildings and communities (p. 348) depends on two different
factors and their interrelation. What are those factors?
a) tastes and materials
b) design and construction
c) topography and technology
d) architects and designers
16. The Romans created larger interior spaces in architecture than the Greeks (p. 354)
because:
a) they were able to use stronger stone for the post-and-lintel constructions.
b) they combined the use of the arch with the use of concrete.
c) they understood the limits of tensile strength.
d) they used skeleton and steel construction.
17. In the Gothic period, when Notre Dame de Paris was built (p. 358), architects
preferred to use:
a) pointed arches.
b) barrel vaults.
c) solid wall construction.
d) domes.
18. How did Gothic architects compensate for the lateral thrust (p. 358) of the cathedrals?
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a) by staggering systems of lintels
b) with flying buttresses
c) by filling in walls and windows
d) with concrete
19. The Romans perfected which architectural innovation (p. 354) by the end of the first
century BCE?
a) post and lintel
b) the amphitheater
c) the arch
d) the geodesic dome
20. Which work was the centerpiece for the 1889 Paris Exposition (p. 359)?
a) the Crystal Palace
b) the Parthenon
c) the Eiffel Tower
d) the Pantheon
21. Frederick Olmsted conceived of a residential community outside the city, but within
commuting distance (p. 376), that became an integral part of American life. What was it?
a) the beltway
b) the city park
c) the suburb
d) the apartment complex
22. Frank Lloyd Wright designed several houses (p. 366) that were based on the
“vastness of the western landscape” and were “of the land, not just on the land.” What did
he call this style of house?
a) the Landscape House
b) the Craftsman-style House
c) the machine for living
d) the Prairie House
23. Which of these best describes Frank Gehry’s design process?
a) it is very controlled, almost rigid
b) he borrows heavily from previous architectural styles
c) it is fluid and experimental
d) all of the above
24. Which of these is not a basic principle of “green architecture”?
a) use of recycled, reusable, and sustainable materials
b) integration and compatibility with the natural environment
c) smaller buildings
d) buildings that make maximum use of energy supplies like coal and nuclear power
25. Historically, architectural styles and building techniques have been dependent upon:
a) the whims of academically-trained aesthetes.
b) the ability of local artisans to transport massive building materials over great
distances.
c) environment (the lay of the land and climate) and technology (available materials
and the ability to manipulate them).
d) theoretical fluctuations between “form follows function” and “form over function.”
26. When and why were the Pyramids at Giza built?
a) roughly 4000 years ago as economic, administrative, and religious centers in
Sumerian cities
b) roughly 3000 years ago to be used as residences
c) roughly 3000 years ago to be used as fortresses
d) roughly 4500 years ago to be used as tombs and monuments for deceased pharaohs
27. When and where was the use of the arch in Western architecture perfected?
a) in Greece around 500 B.C.E.
b) in Egypt around 1000 B.C.E.
c) in Rome around the 1st century B.C.E.
d) in Rome around 410 C.E.
28. The characteristic that allows a material to span a horizontal distance without sagging
29. What are the two basic structural systems of walls utilized by buildings?
30. Name the three Greek architectural orders.
31. Define colonnade.
Essay Questions
32. Explain how architecture can be both an art and a science.
33. Discuss the Roman contribution to architecture.
34. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the post-and-lintel method of
construction and the skeleton and skin method of construction?
35. Discuss the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright. What were his contributions to
residential architecture?
36. How do the Egyptian pyramids relate to the topography of their site?