Architecture, like all other forms of art, is defined by its composition of relationships.  A ratio, such as the Golden Mean, is a comparison of numbers. Architects have used the Golden Mean as the basis for buildings’ compositions throughout the centuries. Using the World Wide Web and your knowledge of the Golden Mean, you are to find an image of a building, and determine if its proportions fall within the Golden Mean. 

Step 1 - Using search engines, locate an appropriate image of a building from the Web. An appropriate image for this exercise would be a façade, or front view of the building; a whole image of a building, rather than a partial view; and an image that is bigger, rather than smaller. If you ar having difficulty locating a useable building, try the sites below. 

http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/List.html 
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/  
http://www.greatbuildings.com/gbc/buildings.html 

Step 2 -   Print out the image in black and white, and measure the length and the width of the building. Calculate both the length/width and the width/length ratios. Does either one fall into the Golden Mean? If the building itself does not, measure and calculate the ratio of an obvious section of the building (such as the entrance). Does this portion fall into the Golden Mean? 

Step 3 - On the print, write the URL where you found your building, along with a sentence or two explaining your findings on your found building. 
 

Larry Cohan 
Christine McAllister 
Richard Murray 
 

WWW for Teachers Summer Seminar
University of Chicago