Blog Post 4 : Commodity, firmness, and delight

To me, the Elliot University Center best represents the ideas of commodity, firmness, and delight within a structure on the UNCG campus. When viewing the outside of the building from the west side porch, one sees the massive concrete columns and a large glass cylindrical form on the top. In the contemporary lines of the EUC it is easy to see the evolution from Greek and Roman architecture.

Commodity refers to the function of a space or building. The EUC building has many different functions but its main function is a gathering space;people interacting with others. Most of the casual gathering spaces on the east/west axis revolve around food. The addition of food to the gathering place begins to take the ritual of socializing and eating into consideration. Just inside the west entrance is a large cylindrical atrium that extends beyond the roofline of the building. This space functions as an entrance to the building and as a way to direct traffic through the entrance and to and from the food court and bookstore.



Firmness is performance stability and safety of a structure. The west exterior of the EUC appears very strong and stable. The proportion and scale are important elements that add to the impression of the building's safety and stability. The interior hall echoes the strength of the columns, although they are cylindrical whereas the exterior columns are rectangular prisms.

Delight is the ability to create a sense of space and visual appeal. The west porch of the EUC is visually pleasing in that it is a familiar form that has been streamlined and updated to create a contemporary form. The atrium/entry is a large space with a very high ceiling and windows all the way around the top (sort of like the oculus of the Pantheon). Light floods into the windows and shines on the, mostly, light-colored wooden panels. The wooden panels that line the wall vary in size and color for each course. The panels under the windows are stained a dark color to create visual contrast. Above the entry hall is a large panel with an image of Minerva leading the way to wisdom...or at least the rest of the building and Starbucks!

There are several examples on the UNCG campus of architectural commodity, firmness, and delight in some combination. I chose the EUC because I felt it was the most cohesive example of all three attributes.