Principles Flashcards
should acknowledge the hierarchy inherent in the functions they accommodate, the users they serve, the purposes or meaning they convey, and the scope or context they address.
The forms and spaces of any building
It is in recognition of this natural diversity, complexity, and hierarchy in the programming,
designing, and making of buildings
ORDERING PRINCIPLES
Order without diversity can result in
monotony or boredom
diversity without order can
produce chaos
What is ideal in ordering principles?
A sense of unity with variety is the ideal.
seen as visual devices that allow the varied and diverse forms and spaces of a building to coexist perceptually and conceptually within an ordered, unified, and harmonious whole.
Ordering principles
A line established by two points in space, about which forms and spaces can be
arranged in a symmetrical or balanced manner
Axis –
The balanced distribution and arrangement of equivalent forms and spaces on
opposite sides of a dividing line or plane, or about a center or axis.
Symmetry
The articulation of the importance or significance of a form or space by its size,
shape, or placement relative to the other forms and spaces of the organization.
Hierarchy
A unifying movement characterized by a patterned repetition or alternation of
formal elements or motifs in the same or a modified form.
Rhythm –
– A line, plane, or volume that, by its continuity and regularity, serves to gather,
measure, and organize a pattern of forms and spaces
Datum
The principle that an architectural concept, structure, or organization can be altered through a series of discrete manipulations and permutations in response to a specific context or set of conditions without a loss of identity or concept.
Transformation
the most elementary means of organizing forms and spaces in
architecture.
The axis
It is a line established by two points in space, about which forms and spaces can be arranged
in a regular or irregular manner.
The axis
will determine whether the visual force of
an axial organization is subtle or overpowering, loosely structured or formal, picturesque or
monotonous.
The specific disposition of elements about an axis
Since an axis is essentially a linear condition, it has qualities of
length and direction, and
induces movement and promotes views along its path.
a symmetrical condition cannot exist without
implying the existence of an axis or
center about which it is structured.
two fundamental types of symmetry
Bilateral symmetry, Radial symmetry
refers to the balanced arrangement of similar or equivalent elements on opposite sides of a median axis so that only one plane can divide the whole into essentially identical halves.
Bilateral symmetry
refers to the balanced
arrangement of similar, radiating elements
such that the composition can be divided into
similar halves by passing a plane at any angle
around a centerpoint or along a central axis.
Radial symmetry
can occur in only a portion of the building and organize an irregular
pattern of forms and spaces about itself
A symmetrical condition
allows a building to respond to exceptional conditions of its
site or program.
The latter case of local symmetry
can be reserved for significant or important spaces within
the organization.
The symmetrical condition
can add complexity and
hierarchy to a composition as well
as accommodate programmatic
and contextual requirements.
Multiple symmetries, both major
and minor
implies that in most if not all
architectural compositions, real differences exist among
their forms and spaces.
The principle of hierarchy
These differences reflect … of
these forms and spaces, as well as the functional, formal,
and symbolic roles they play in the organization.
the degree of importance
For a form or space to be articulated as being
important or significant to an organization, it
must be made uniquely visible. This visual
emphasis can be achieved by endowing a form
or shape with:
- exceptional size
- a unique shape
- a strategic location
When everything is
emphasized, what happens?
nothing is emphasized
A form or space may dominate an architectural composition by
being significantly different in
size from all the other elements in the composition.
A form or space can be made visually dominant and thus important by
clearly differentiating
its shape
Hierarchically important locations for a form or space
include:
the termination of a linear sequence or axial organization
* the centerpiece of a symmetrical organization
* the focus of a centralized or radial organization
* being offset above, below, or in the foreground of a composition
refers to a line, plane, or volume of reference to which other elements in a
composition can relate.
A datum
It organizes a random pattern of elements through its regularity, continuity, and constant
presence
- A datum
need not be a straight line. It can also be planar or volumetric in form.
Datum
can cut through or form a common edge for the pattern, while a grid of lines can form a neutral, unifying field for the pattern.
Line
gather the pattern of elements beneath it or serve as an encompassing background for the elements and frame them in its field.
Plane
can collect the pattern of elements within its boundaries or organize them along its perimeter.
Volume
any movement characterized by a patterned recurrence of elements or motifs at regular or irregular intervals.
RHYTHM
The movement may be of our eyes as we follow recurring elements in a composition, or of our bodies as we advance through a sequence of spaces.
Rhythm
incorporates the fundamental notion of repetition as a device to organize forms and spaces in architecture.
Rhythm
Spaces often recur to accommodate similar or repetitive functional requirements in the building program. This section discusses the patterns of repetition that can be utilized to organize a series of recurring elements, and the resultant visual rhythms these patterns create.
Rhythm
is a linear pattern of redundant elements. Elements need not be perfectly identical, however, to be grouped in a repetitive fashion. They may merely share a common trait or a common denominator, allowing each element to be individually unique, yet belong to the same family.
Repetition
As in music, a rhythmic pattern may be legato, continuous, and flowing, or staccato and abrupt in its pace or cadence.
Repetition
Rhythmic patterns provide continuity and lead us to anticipate what comes next. Any break in the pattern announces and emphasizes the importance of the interrupting element or interval.
Repetition
More complex rhythmic patterns can be created by introducing points of emphasis or exceptional intervals into a sequence. These accents or beats help differentiate between the major and minor themes in a composition.
Repetition
The radial segments of a nautilus shell spiral outward in a reverberating manner from its center and maintain the shell’s organic unity through this pattern of additive growth.
Repetition
to select a prototypical architectural model whose formal structure and ordering of elements might be appropriate and reasonable, and to transform it through a series of discrete manipulations in order to respond to the specific conditions and context of the design task at hand.
Transformation
Design is a generative process of analysis and synthesis, of trial and error, of trying out
possibilities and seizing opportunities.
Transformation
