Cambridge is home to one the most commonly duplicated quadrangle architectural designs.
A quadrangle is a shape, or polygon, that consists of four angles. The term is often used interchangeably with quadrilateral or tetragon, especially in geometry.
Geometry
A quadrangle in geometry can be represented by a square, rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus, kite or trapezium. Quadrangles can be either convex or concave, simple or complex, right, isosceles or many combinations of these. A cyclical quadrangle is a quadrangle inscribed in a circle, where the points of the quadrangle lie on the circle. In projective geometry, a complete quadrangle consists of six lines that intersect so that they form four points, each with three lines running through them.
Western Architecture
A courtyard surrounded on all sides by a building is known as a quadrangle. This design is often used on college and university campuses, where it is referred to as a quad. Monasteries initially designed quads as places for contemplation. Universities, which evolved from monasteries, incorporated quads into their designs to provide students a place for study, relaxation or civic use. Two of the most well-known quadrangles can be found at Oxford and Cambridge in Great Britain. Their designs have been imitated in universities throughout the Western world.
Siheyuan
In Chinese architecture, the quadrangle is surrounded by several different buildings enclosing the courtyard. These quadrangles, called Siheyuan, were originally palaces or the dwelling place for a single extended family. The four sides of the quadrangle formed by these buildings face each of the cardinal directions. The largest building was constructed on the southern side to take advantage of the sun in the winter and to provide shade under the eaves in the summer. Living and community rooms comprised the bulk of this primary building. Married children of the main family lived in the smaller buildings surrounding the quadrangle. Siheyuan can still be found in Beijing, though the ones that are not preserved as historical relics are typically multiple-family complexes.
Geography
There is a glacial cirque in Antarctica known as the Quadrangle. The U.S. Geological Survey teamed up with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration to provide satellite imagery of this area to the Directorate of Overseas Surveys, who mapped out the region. It is enclosed by ridges, but only on three of its sides; the south face is open. The antarctic Quadrangle lies between the Venus Glacier and Mount Umbriel on Alexander Island.
Mapping
The United States Geological Survey creates maps that span 7.5 minutes of latitude and longitude. These maps are known as quadrangles, although they are not composed of straight lines. This is because the area they comprise is outlined by the curved latitude and longitude lines that map the surface of a planet. Quadrangle maps, or quad maps, are named after a prominent geographical feature of an area. There are currently quad maps of Earth, the moon, Tethys (one of the moons of Saturn), Mars, Venus and Mercury.
Tags: Geological Survey, latitude longitude, lines that, often used, quad maps
