This detail is from the Hatcher Graduate Library on Central Campus. This is a major library for the University of Michigan Students. There are a 10 different emblems that represent the different academic disciplines within the University: medicine, drama, earth sciences, fine arts, history, law, mathematics, poetry and music, religion and philosophy, and physical sciences. The scale of the emblem is a material joint.  It is also a component detail, or a "smallest bit" of the building. It is also an articulated detail, or one whose purpose within the building is very clear. 

These details are a small part of the whole library, but they have a huge significance to the University and to the purpose of the library. A library is designed as a place for books and studying to occur, so it is only fitting that there are details displaying the academics of the University. The emblem reads  "Medicine", which represents the larger Medical School's dedication to health and academic excellence. This is an important detail to the building, because without it the library would not represent the medical school. Within the emblem itself, there is important symbolism that describes the medical profession. The two snake wrapped around the staff is called a caduceus and it is a traditional symbol representing Hermes. In America, this symbol is associated with the medical profession and not with the Greek God of Hermes. This is an interesting nuance within the detail. This detail not only tells the importance of the Medical School at Michigan, but it also tells the story of this symbol in American medicine. It embodies the notion of a detail acting as a "part" within a "whole".