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 The French Renaissance saw a transition in the types of buildings being constructed. The need for religious buildings lessened, as so many had already been built. Instead the focus shifted towards palaces and chateaux structures. With these structures, the exteriors were crucial to the overall look and feel to the space, as the sense of luxury was often presented in the facades. The climate of France helped to play a role in some of the exterior components, such as having steeped roofs, several chimneys, and large picturesque windows. The roof structures often needed to have two slopes to endure the climate of the region but, this led to an iconic exterior style. As seen below, the roof style had a way of giving the structures a regal feeling while being practical.  While the exteriors were not overly ornate, this was not reflected on the interiors of the structures. In Francois style buildings, the interior often featured plenty of carved details that were quite impressive i...

 With much influence from the Moorish, Early Christian, and Italian Renaissance the Spanish Renaissance was a culmination of beautiful design and culture. One of the most well know examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture and interior design is the Alhambra located in Granada, Spain. This building was constructed in 1354 and was the last Spanish palace prior to an elimination of the Moors. This building created quite a shock as the plain exterior does not give way to the beautifully decorated interior of the space. Moorish design was seen overtaking the interior as much as it did the exterior architecture. Elements of nature helped to connect this building with its environment, featuring courtyards, gardens, and water features. The lush gardens surrounding bring out the interior design, as a multitude of colors are seen decorating the interior. Inside there are many different mosaic tiles used, creating varying and unique patterns that offer a different feeling as you make your...

 We often see that what is happening within history and society is often reflected within architecture and interior design. During the Italian Renaissance an emphasis began being placed upon literature, architecture, and design especially in a secular way. Paintings and sculptures began to be heavily used, as is seen within the Villa Rotonda. The exterior of this building has a unique look as each side has a temple front that is accompanied with grand stairs, columns, and entablatures. This created an elegant feeling and several points of entry. A Roman portico was a highlighted feature as well, and the inside remained symmetrically centered around the dome.  The interior featured a central dome, that had sculptures and dramatic paintings. The ceiling of the dome features murals that follow the circular shape of the dome itself. The floor plan is based around the dome and is symmetrical, which became a key characteristic during this time period.  The interiors of this tim...

 In the Americas, they had no knowledge of Europe and the advanced civilizations they contained. In the areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and the United States there were vastly different civilizations and architecture and interior design differences. One of the most commonly known architectural structures from this time period, Machu Picchu, was designed and built by the Incan civilization. Located in Peru, this group of people had many different building types as they had a mountainous land and a variation of climates.  As shown in the structure of Machu Picchu, the Inca were very crafty in stone cutting and had three types of and often preferred unique stone that were often used. Yucay limestone, green Sacsayhuaman, and black andesite were often seen in their structures. These stones often weighed several tons and without modern equipment it was a challenge to move these stones into place. Ropes, logs, poles, levers, and ramps were used to help aid this process. What is int...