{"id":848,"date":"2021-12-22T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oconnorsofdrumleck.ie\/?p=848"},"modified":"2022-03-22T15:54:27","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T15:54:27","slug":"the-problem-solving-genius-of-geometry-in-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oconnorsofdrumleck.ie\/inspirations\/the-problem-solving-genius-of-geometry-in-design\/","title":{"rendered":"The problem-solving genius of geometry in design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the sweltering summer of 2018, two Irish heritage enthusiasts were flying a drone over the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Br\u00fa na B\u00f3inne in Co. Meath when they spotted something that halted them in their tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the astonishment of the drone pilots, Anthony Murphy and Ken Williams, the near-drought conditions at the scorched River Boyne floodplain revealed previously hidden archaeological remains that had not been seen by humans for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. \u201cThe find of the century,\u201d was how Murphy later described it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discovery made headlines<\/a> around the world. Among the ancient remains was a brand new \u2018henge\u2019 \u2013 the name given to large, circular enclosures like Stonehenge \u2013 made up of concentric inner, outer and middle rings. From above, the cropmarks show an amazing pattern of closely-set, rectangular \u2018equals\u2019 symbols \u2013 a feat of architectural geometry that lent its name to the new monument: the Geometric Henge<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main structures at Br\u00fa na B\u00f3inne date back to the Neolithic period, around 5,000 years ago. The site thus predates Stonehenge and even the Great Pyramids of Giza but has much in common with those two monuments, not least the incredible sophistication and scientific precision with which they were built. (The passage tomb of Newgrange is one of the true wonders of the world.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like the ancient Egyptians, the people who built Br\u00fa na B\u00f3inne used geometric principles to calculate and develop their build in terms of shape, size, proportion and the relative position of figures and structures. (The word \u2018geometry\u2019 comes from the Ancient Greek words for \u201cearth\u201d and \u201cmeasurement\u201d, incidentally.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the oldest branches of mathematics, geometry has always been central to the design and construction of buildings. Architects use geometry to plan and allocate space. Builders and engineers use geometry to create structures that are safe. And designers use geometry to make the interior of those structures aesthetically pleasing. Same as it ever was!<\/p>\n\n\n\n