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 From 1140-1500 was considered the Gothic time period, where many historically significant buildings were constructed as well as events. Gothic style architecture had several distinct factors from previous styles, letting it stand apart from other styles. Pointed arches, which developed from Romanesque arches, were a highlighted feature in cathedrals. Additionally, groin vaults evolved into a more complex styles known as the rib vault. The rib vault offered more height and a more dramatic look and feeling to the space.  0 To add extra emphasis to the interior of these cathedrals, stained glass windows were used to create an ethereal experience. Sometimes these windows depicted a religious figure or scene but, others were just patterns. Stained glass was often used is rose windows which were a prominent attribute of Gothic churches. Not only did Gothic churches have a set of architectural features they also had a similar floor plan. the Latin Cross floor plan was seen as the ge...

 During the Islamic time period, the design for mosques was being developed and became a precedent for future designs. Mosques are used in the Islamic culture as a place for prayer, worship, and gathering. Some of the key factors seen within these structures are perimeter walls, covered hall of columns, and courtyards. The Great Mosque of Kairouan showcases these details, as it has classic capitols with the Islamic arch to span between the columns.  These arches highlight the height of this building and draws your eyes upwards. Even the mosaics on the floor reflect the arch shape to keep a connected design throughout the space.  Islamic design had a wide footprint as it stretched from India to Spain and places in-between. Turning toward Spain, the Great Mosque of Cordoba is the highlight of Islamic design in Spain. The prayer hall of this mosque features several types of arches as it has a blend of Islamic and European design styles. Horseshoe and ogival arches are very p...

Churches did not always look like the churches we see today. Church houses were the typical style of churches seen in ancient times.  These were private homes that were offered to the cause of the church to hold worship and teachings. The homes used often had a central courtyard surrounded by interior rooms.  This allowed roughly 50 people to fit into these churches at a single time. Due to the limitations of square footage, many of these homes were within the community to support the entirety of the church population. Within the rooms of these church homes, they served to be versatile hosting a range of ceremonial, educational, and celebratory manners.  With churches being such a pinnacle part of individual's lives, many churches accommodated followers who had passed. Catacombs were subterranean networks located below churches that were used to bury the dead. These were tunnels that were typically 3'-4' wide and had small openings to place bodies. These networks ran furt...

 The Greek's and Roman's were similar to the civilization of Mesopotamia, in the sense that they were both incredibly inventive and challenged the architectural and design norms. When looking at the Greek architectural styles we can see several different styles present, especially with the columns.  As seen in the image to the left, there were several orders that had different characteristics. These columns had several components that made up the construction; the base, shaft, capital, entablature. The development of these orders of columns came with trial and error, as bowing in the center, columns caving inward, and the realization of needing sturdier corners were all discovered. When looking at the Doric Order, are wider overall but, do begin to taper off towards the top. This style was simple, no extravagant carving at the abacus. While all columns were used for structural support, the Greeks began to make these columns a focal point and used to elevate the design of the f...