Geometry is an essential element of home construction and architectural design. Take a moment to write down a few ways in which geometry affects architectural planning.
Discussion Questions
- What data is necessary to collect in order to understand the role of geometry in architecture?
- What spatial perspectives and/or mathematical planes are relevant?
The cover of The Geometry of Home Construction, to the right above, features a house.
Discussion Questions
- What angles can be measured on the diagram?
- Is any essential information missing from the picture? What is necessary in order to measure that information?
The cover of The Geometry of Architecture, to the right below, features a commercial building.
Discussion Questions
- What angles can be measured on the diagram?
- Is any essential information missing from the picture? What is necessary in order to measure that information?
Geometry diagrams featuring home construction and architecture are available in the following book from Schottenbauer Publishing:
Geometry Workbooks
- The Geometry of Home Construction
- The Geometry of Architecture
Additional Information
Everyone knows that heat rises, and cool air sinks. But it is obvious only in very extreme weather that these well-known facts affect dwellings with more than one floor. Frigid basements and hot second floors are inefficient, resulting in high electric bills. Consider the following graph, excerpted from The Science of Home Construction from Schottenbauer Publishing.
Discussion Questions
- What is the temperature at the basement floor?
- What is the temperature at the first floor ceiling?
- What is the difference in temperature between basement floor and first floor ceiling?
- Why is the graph not a continuous curve?
- Is is possible for the information provided to identify temperature at any other vertical height?
- Redraw the graph, plotting all known points as vertical height (x-axis) versus temperature (y-axis).
- If the thermometer is on the first floor, approximately at shoulder height, what might the temperature measurement be? If necessary, include a range such as 20±2. (Note: The basement has a ceiling height of 10' and the first floor has a ceiling height of 8'.)
Additional graphs such as the one above can be found in the book series The Science of Home Construction from Schottenbauer Publishing.
Schottenbauer Publishing offers over 8,000 graphs on real-life topics for student learning, collected into topic areas including sports, transportation, construction, environment, music, entertainment/toys, and general physics.
Additional Information
In the United States, local building inspectors ensure that construction follows state regulations set forth in the building code. Site visits and approval processes at specific stages of construction ensure that buildings are safe for the public.
The specific guidelines contained in the building code are based on materials tests, conducted decades ago by engineers on standard building supplies. A sample materials test demonstrated on hobby supplies is shown in the following graph, excerpted from The Science of Home Construction from Schottenbauer Publishing.
Discussion Questions
- What is the maximum force leading to breakage?
- Over what time is the force applied?
Discussion Questions
- What is the force required to lift the plywood?
- Why is the force line jagged?
- Why is the initial force not 0?
Over 8,000 graphs from Schottenbauer Publishing provide additional real-life topics for student learning, including sports, transportation, construction, environment, music, entertainment/toys, and general physics.
Additional Information
