well that make one think. thanks for posting

thanks!

This is the type of work that needs to spread in our Lodges. The search for Light needs to be the focus of Masonry again. Less politics more knowledge. Good job my Brothers.

Cool, thanks!

I love how peoples thoughts were simple logical and relevant.

Don't worry, there are still some of us studying these things, and incorporating them into our designs...

In college I studied the Fibonacci & Sectio Divina with great interest... They have been used in religious & natural designs for millennia.

I was interested in learning more about these ancient geometrical studies and their symbolism, and it's one of the reasons why I decided I wanted to become a Mason - to learn more about Geometry and the symbolism therein. In the meantime, I only had access to some things online, and a couple books.

In 2006, I was hired to design a couple things for one of my cemetery clients (A mausoleum, and an Ossuary / Cremation Garden of Remembrance). The main issue with these designs is that they had to fit in with the historical & aesthetic context of the site. All of the previous buildings were designed by a Famous historical American Architect, who was also purportedly a Freemason - though like me - he had to keep his membership largely a secret. There aren't many log books with my name signed in them either - for fear that my status as a Mason will be discovered by certain Religious organizations - that happen to by my best clients...

This Architect was Cass Gilbert. He designed the Wolworth Building, and the US Supreme Court building in DC. He, as a Freemason was a big fan of the looks of the old Stone Masonry work. Stone masons were largely becoming obsolete due to changing building materials, methods, and the obscenely high costs involved in a true cut-stone building at the turn of the previous century. As such, Cass Gilbert invented the first Steel Suspension System for Stone Masonry. It was pioneered in his design of the MN State Capitol building. Which is largely a steel frame, with thinner, but still rather large blocks of cut-stone masonry suspended on the exterior of the frame, and the joints mortared / sealed. This made buildings that LOOK like large cut-stone masonry more financially viable...

Anyway, this old cemetery, a flagship in the twin cities area - has limestone walls, columns, chapels, offices, and other buildings that were all designed by this famous Architect, who was also locally purported to be a Mason - though there is only mention of him being a Mason in the caption of one old picture of his works.

In carrying on that tradition, studying the existing buildings, their proportions and roof-lines, etc... It's clear that he used the Sectio Divina and Fibonacci in the design ratio of the existing buildings.

I set out to do the same in 2006, on my new projects.

In the Ossuary design, I designed a mathematically perfect ionic volute which uses the Sectio Divina and Fibonacci 'spiral' you see in the video.



His Limestone buildings at the cemetery pre-date his invention of the cut stone steel suspension system, and it's financially almost impossible for people to afford a building that is completely built of cut limestone masonry. The costs are astronomical! So we designed the Mausoleum to use a combination of steel reinforced concrete, some concrete masonry unit blocks, a limestone facia, and designed the building using the Sectio Divina & Fibonacci ratios... The results amazed a lot of people.



Now that I've had access to the extensive libraries at the Scottish Rite, I'm eagerly awaiting another new project where I can incorporate some of these ancient geometric studies into them as well...

ETA: They were also incorporated into the grave stone I designed for our babies when we miscarried our twins last fall. It has been a rough past year.

That's what I was going to post.