Theory of Architecture

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Theory Philosophical Analysis
Study of the Fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and exis-
Philosophy
tence
Fact Reality
Architekton Greek word origin of Arcitecture
Archi Great or Chief
Tekton Builder or creator
Greek word
Archi
First or original
Greek word
Tect
The ability to put things together
Sanskrit Root
Arts
Everything in its right place
Theory Hypothetical set of facts, principles or circumstances
Theory Set of Facts put together
Descriptive
Prescriptive 3 forms or types of theory
Critical
Descriptive Explain Phenomenon or events
Descriptive Neutral and do not lean towards any ideology
Prescriptive PRESCRIBES bases or guidelines
Critical CHALANGES relationships between architecture and society
Essence and Composition Collection of Thoughts, view and ideas
Essence and Composition Organized by theme or topic
Essence and Composition Evolution of Thoughts
There is not a grand theory of unified theory or architecture:
Essence and Composition
combination of various thoughts, speculations, concepts
Form Conceptual, needs to be translated, concepts to reality
Form To be discussed, tested and developed
Architecture is the process that we instinctively recognize as the
Growth and Creation
genius of?
Spatial
Structural
Enclosure 5 Architectural Systems
Circulation
Context
space
structure organizational pattern, relationships, hierarchy
enclosure
space
structure Qualities of shape, color, texture , scale, proportion
enclosure
space
structure Qualities of surfaces, edges and openings
enclosure
Movement in Space Time Approach and entry
Movement in Space Time

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dimensions of emerging patterns of consciousness rather than as
separate concepts of the theory.
Movement in Space Time Path configuration and access
Movement in Space Time sequence of spaces
Movement in Space Time light, view, touch, hearing and smell
Technology Structure and Enclosure
Technology Environmental protection and comfort
Program User requirements, needs, aspirations
Program Socio cultural factors
Program economic factors
Program Legal restraints
Program Historical tradition and precedents
Context Site and development
Context Climate: Sun, topography, vegetation and water
Context Sensor and cultural characteristics of the place
Physical
perceptual 3 types of Architectural Orders
conceptual
Architectural Order
Physical
Solids and Voids
Interior and Exterior
Architectural Order
Physical
Space, Structure, Enclosure, Machines
Architectural Order
Perceptual
Sensory perception and recognition of the physical elements by
experiencing them sequentially in time
Architectural Order
Perceptual
Approach and Departure
Architectural Order
Perceptual
Entry and Egress
Architectural Order
Perceptual
Movement thought the order of spaces
Architectural Order
Perceptual
Functioning of activities within spaces
Architectural Order
Perceptual
Qualities of light, color, texture, view and sound
Elements of Design
Points
Two ends of a line
Elements of Design
Points
Intersection of two lines
Points

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Elements of Design

The meeting of lines at the corner plane or volume

Elements of Design
Points
Center of a Field
Elements of Design

A point extended becomes this with the properties of

Line
length
direction
position
vertical
horizontal
4 types of lines
diagonal
curve
Vertical Lines Represents dignity, formality, stability and strength
Horizontal Lines Represents calm, peace and relaxation
Diagonal Lines Represents actions, activity, excitement and movement
Represents freedom, the natural, having the appearance of soft-
Curves Lines
ness and creates a soothing feeling or mood
Elements of Design

A line becomes this with properties of

Plane Length and width

Shape
Surface
Orientation
Position
Primary identifying characters of a plane. Determined by the con-
Shape
tour line forming the edges of a plane.
Type of shape
Geometric
Known shape
Square, Triangle and more
Type of Shape

Organic Free form shapes

Can emulate any outline found in nature
Depicting Silhouettes of people, animals, plants and objects
Elements of Design

Length, width and depth

Volume
surface
orientation
position
Elements of Design
Volume
can be either a solid-space displaced by mass- or a void-space
contained or enclosed by planes
Elements of Design
Space
Includes the background, foreground and middle ground
Positive Space Refers to the space of a shape representing the subject matter

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Negative space Refers to the space around and between the subject matter
Elements of Design
Texture
Way an object fell o the touch
Elements of Design
Texture
Tactile quality of the surface, pr the illusion of that quality
Elements of Design
Texture
Can be rough or smooth to the touch, imitating a particular feel or
sensation
Elements of Design
Texture
Can be achieved using line and shading
Elements of Design
Color
Visual perception seen by the human eye
Elements of Design
Color
Created when light is reflected into the viewer's eye
Elements of Design
Color
Pertains to the use of hue in artwork and design
Elements of Design

Value refers to how adding black or white to color changes the shade of
the
original color
Elements of Design
Value
how light or dark the colour is
Elements of Design
Value
refers to the degree of perceivable lightness of tones within an
image
is the point of
contact between mass and space

• Shape
• Size
Architectural Form
• Color
• Texture
• Position
• Orientation
• Visual Inertia
a form can be transformed by altering
Dimensional Transformation one or more of its dimensions and still retain its identity as a
member of a family of forms.
Subtractive Transformation a form can be transformed by subtracting a portion of its volume
Additive a form can be transformed by the addition of elements to its
Transformation volume.
Spatial Relationships Space within a Space
Spatial Relationships Interlocking Spaces
Spatial Relationships Adjacent Spaces
Spatial Relationships Spaces linked by a Common Space

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Spatial Organization
Centralized Organization
a number of secondary forms clustered about
a dominant, central parent form
Spatial Organization
Linear Organization
a series of forms arranged
sequentially in a row
Spatial Organization
Radial Organization
a composition of linear forms extending outward from a central
form in a radial manner
Spatial Organization
Clustered Organization
a collection of forms grouped together by
proximity or the sharing of a common visual trait.
Spatial Organization
Grid Organization
a set of modular forms related and regulated by a
three-dimensional grid
Elements of Circulation
Approach
the distant view; the first phase of the circulation system during
which we are prepared to see, experience and use the building
from outside to inside;
Entrance may be flushed,
projected or recessed
the sequence of spaces
Configuration of Path
can be linear, radial, spiral, grid, network or composite
Spatial Theories

Anthropocentrism the human being is the most important entity in the universe. The
world is perceived according to the values and experiences of the
human being.
Spatial Theories
Anthropometrics
study of measurements of the human body
Spatial Theories
Anthropomorphism
Human qualities are associated with non-human entities or
events. Qualities such as form, values and emotions
Spatial Theories

an applied science concerned with the of characteristics of people

Ergonomics
that need to be considered in the design of devices and systems
in order that people and
things will interact effectively and safely.
Spatial Theories

The study of the symbolic and communicative role of the spatial

Proxemics
separation individuals maintain in various social and
interpersonal situations, and how the nature and degree of this
spatial arrangement relate to environmental and cultural factors
Composition putting together
the organization of the elements of design according to the prin-
Composition
ciples of design
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Equality

Balance Equal distribution of weight

Concerned with the distribution of visual interest

Axis Demands balance
Axis Means of organizing forms and spaces in architecture
Axis Imaginary and not visible
Qualities of length, width and induces movement along its
Axis
path.
Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, Radial 3 types of balance
Symmetrical Central Axis, Axial Symmetry, Formal Symmetry
Central Axis Easiest and simplest kind of balance
Elements are arranged in
Central Axis
precisely the same manner on either side of a central axis or line.
Formal Symmetry Approaches absolute symmetry
The general mass and grouping may appear similar, but there are
Formal Symmetry
dissimilarities in the plan, the elevations, or the details.
Asymmetrical Balance Also known as Occult balance
Asymmetrical Balance Is more subtle and elusive and is more difficult to attain
informal grouping of shapes in an attempt to satisfy the eye's
Asymmetrical Balance instinctive need to observe balance without making an effort to
place equal masses at similar distances.
Characterized by an arrangement where all the parts radiate on a
Radial Balance center
like the spokes in a wheel.
rhythm A strong, regular repeated pattern of movement
means the recurrence of elements such as lines, shapes, forms,
rhythm
or colors resulting in organized movement in space and time.
rhythm The use of recurring elements to direct the eye through the image.
The principle of design is the one that unifies all other principles
Unity within a piece of work, allowing each individual element to coexist
with one another to form an aesthetically pleasing design.
gives a design the appearance of cohesiveness despite its internal
Unity
components differing in scale, contrast, or style.
Hierarchy system which organizes the space
Hierarchy Creating consistent composition of theme then breaking it.
A regular arrangement of alternated or repeated elements
Pattern
(shapes, lines, colors, or motifs).
juxtaposition of different elements of design in order to highlight
Contrast
their differences and/or create visual interest, or a focal point.
Referred to as the ratio of the size of the object to the actual size
Scale
of the object.
Scale It gives the actual size or dimension of an object or building.
referred to as the instrument used to measure the various objects
Scale
or forms.
Scale plays a vital role in the design process and execution.
It is defined as the scale with reference to the human dimensions
Le Modulor
and all the sizes of the objects are set accordingly.

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Madurodam Miniature Park best example of miniature scale
When the size of the object or a building gets increased that the
MONUMENTAL SCALE
actual size then it is term as monumental scale.
It is the visual effect of the relationships of the various objects and
Proportion
spaces that make up a structure to one another and to the whole.
Proportion Harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.
Fibonacci sequence Named after its Italian founder, Leonardo Fibonacci.
In the sequence, each number is simply the sum of the two
Fibonacci sequence
preceding numbers (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.).
Quotient of the adjacent number that possess an amazing pro-
Fibonacci sequence
portion, roughly 1.618, or its inverse 0.618
A.k.a the golden ratio, the golden mean, PHI, and the divine
Fibonacci sequence
proportion, etc.
The Renaissance architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, or Vig-
VIGNOLA'S PROPORTION nola, in his book, Canon of the Five Orders of Architecture puts the
proper proportion of pedestal to column to entablature at 4:12:3
In classical architecture, proportions were set by the radii of
VIGNOLA'S PROPORTION
columns.
A system of proportions which took the golden ratio and a man
Le Modulor
with a raised arm as the scalable modules of proportion.
The anthropometric scale of proportions devised by the
Le Modulor
Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965)
The arrangement of elements to
give the viewer the feeling that all
Harmony
parts of the piece form a coherent
whole.
Variety Using different elements in a composition to create visual interest
Functional Concepts The traditional definition of good architecture: Vitruvius's
Utilitas
Firmitas 3 Vitruvius Architectural concepts
Venustas
modifying element of space
Light and Color
can be manipulated by design to identify places and to give places
particular character
Environmental Concepts Light, Color, Temperature, ventilation, sound, smell, texture
Environmental Concepts Using and modifying things that are already there
Environmental Concepts Stratification and climate responsiveness
Environmental Concepts Passive Cooling
"Architecture is the masterly, correct, and magnificent play of
masses brought together in light. Our eyes are made to see forms
Le Corbusier in light. Thus, cubes, cones, spheres, cylinders or pyramids are
the great primary forms which light reveals to advantage; they are
not only beautiful forms but the most beautiful forms."
multiplication of real effects of parallax, which is the apparent
Rococo displacement of objects caused by an actual change in the point
of observation. Ex. Use of mirrors
Arches, Vaults, Buttress, Frames, Tube Construction, Mushroom
Structural Concepts Construction, Suspended Systems, Prefabrication, Stretched
Membrane, Stratification
Architecture can create nature creates
Evolutionary Architecture

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A building can be seen as a living organism with functional
processes
The overriding objective is to reach the ultimate evolution of a
Evolutionary Architecture design so that it is a perfected culmination of function, form and
purpose within limits of budget, materials, and so forth
Habitual disposition to judge foreign peoples or groups by the
ETHNOCENTRISM
standards and practices of one's own culture or ethnic groups
CRITICAL REGIONALISM Factoring in cultural variations and contextual realities.
the plan of an edifice was not something resulting from its func-
Ledoux tion but was deliberately designed to express its function by the
association of ideas.
Aim was to unite art and technology under a purified aesthetic that
Bauhaus removed all ornament and articulation from form and stressed the
beauty of expressed function.
was considered a bourgeois decadence, if not an actual crime-
Ornament
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer and Josef Albers
Mies Van der Rohe Less is More
Robert Venturi Less is Bore
Adolf Loos Ornament is a crime
the art and science of shaping, ornamenting, or assembling ma-
Tectonics
terials in building construction.
designing without considering that any matter of principle was
Eclecticism/Indiferrentism
involved
The new tendency to plan buildings geometrically or symbolically
Eclecticism/Indiferrentism
without close reference to functional requirements
Historicism
Notion of evolution and chronology Passion for Archaeology
Exoticism
multiplicity, relatively modest dimensions, unrestricted sites,
villa concept
asymmetry, irregularity of plan, fenestration and silhouette
defined as the disposition of objects which, by a partial and
Intricacy
uncertain concealment, excites and nourishes curiosity
the fashion which each generation can promptly recognize as its
REVIVALISM own; what ties together the aesthetic achievements of the creative
individuals of one age;
the expression of a prevailing, dominant or authentically con-
temporary view of the world by those artists who have most
REVIVALISM successfully intuited the quality of human experience peculiar to
their day, and who are able to phrase this experience in forms
deeply congenial to the thought or matter expressed
PRIMITIVISM
Issues of birth, growth and decay were tackled
PROGRESS
The value of historical study was that it showed by what gradual
PRIMITIVISM steps the transition had been made from the first simple efforts of
PROGRESS uncultivated nature to a state of things which was 'so wonderfully
artificial and cultivated'
A composite system of thought made up of views selected from
ECLECTICISM
various other systems.
claim that no one should accept blindly from the past the legacy
of a single philosophical system to the exclusion of all others, but
each should decide rationally and independently what philosoph-
Eclectics
ical facts used in the past were appropriate to the present and
then recognize and respect them in whatever context they might
appear.

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ROMAN REVIVAL Influences of the Roman monumental compositional forms
ROMAN REVIVAL The new tendency to fit public buildings into antique temples
The tendency to incorporate the compositional forms of Antique
ROMAN REVIVAL
temples into public buildings
ROMAN REVIVAL Importance of ruins and archaeological studies
Acknowledgement of the idea of the Parthenon as the most per-
GREEK REVIVAL fect building ever constructed; its qualities have been interpreted
to justify every change in architectural fashion
from the servile duplication of its composition and details to the
GREEK REVIVAL
most individualistic creations in reinforced concrete and steel.
GREEK REVIVAL Traditional use of plumb lines, squares and levels
Regard for public buildings as objects in space rather than objects
GREEK REVIVAL
enclosing space.
Making pediments correspond to the structural reality of the
GREEK REVIVAL
pitched roof
the renaissance revival allowed an architect to select and even
RENAISSANCE REVIVAL to invent for himself such compositional and decorative forms as
might be considered suitable for the occasion.
RENAISSANCE REVIVAL Introduced common sense into architectural design.
Picturesque and lacked order and symmetry of classical architec-
RENAISSANCE REVIVAL
ture.
Buildings with pseudo-mediaeval details Ideals with which to jus-
GOTHIC NATIONALISM tify Gothic revival were immensely varied and often diametrically
opposed.
Neglect of practical comforts and functional planning; spaces were
GOTHIC NATIONALISM planned more with an eye to their scenic effect than to their
workability
Introduction of variegations into the exterior design of facades.
POLYCHROMY
Exteriors should display colors of various hues.
Structural Coloration:
architectural form was necessarily structural form, and hence,
POLYCHROMY
effects of color should result from the structural materials by which
an edifice was actually built.
BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY Architecture based on anatomy
BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY Concept of Organic Architecture
BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY Parts of a whole
BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY Morphology
BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY Form follows function
BIOLOGICAL ANALOGY influence of the environment
Morphology science of form
Mechanical Analogy Scientific evolution and artistic evolution follow the same laws
Mechanical Analogy Movement and function
Collaboration in the progressive accumulation of technical knowl-
Mechanical Analogy
edge
Mechanical Analogy Precise destination and expression of potentialities
Demands the combination of materials of strength, ideal se-
GASTRONOMIC ANALOGY
quence or plan, analysis and testing of efficacies
Goes beyond scientific analysis; requires intuition, imagination,
GASTRONOMIC ANALOGY
enthusiasm, immense amount of organizational skill

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Eloquence and expression Emotions and experiencing emotions
LINGUISTIC ANALOGY
Vocabulary and composition
characterized by multi-valence or by the presence of multi-valued
Modernism
levels of meaning
Metaphysical School of Architecture the quasi-mystical spirit of 'what the building wants to be'
experimented with Portland concrete and subsequent mass pro-
duction of prefabricated houses made of concrete. Then came the
Thomas Ava Edison
technology of casting with the use of scaffolding that allowed for
variation and alteration.
A diverse and unstable concept that started in the United States
Post Modernism
after 1965 then spread to the rest of the industrialized world.
focused on the differences and brought to fore that which had
Post modernists been marginalized by dominant cultures. In other fields, the move-
ment is characterized by a rejection of a unitary world view
Post Modernism Architecture came with cartoon-like trivialization and packaging
Urban planning under this era are celebrated heterogeneity in
Post Modernism
place of central, grand statues
Jacques Derrida the founding father of Deconstruction
Structuralism study of relationships between say, words in a language, etc
was concerned with questions of meaning and how individuals
order the world. In architecture.
Post structuralism
PS focused on meaning rather than process.
refers to the state-regulated system of mass production and mass
consumption which, undergirded by welfare and security, domi-
Fordism
nated advanced capitalist societies in the west, roughly from the
Depression to the crisis of the 1970s.
• flexible communication
• niche market consumption
• flexible machinery equipment that can be adapted to different
tasks relatively quickly
• flexible accumulation of goods in order to respond quickly to
Post Fordism
demand
• more temporary and part-time labor
• geographical clustering of information,
transnational cultural and population flows
• information superhighways
This is the measurement of the temperature of the air and as far
Dry-bulb Temperature
as possible excludes any radiant temperature
The range of conditions under which most people feel comfort-
able;
COMFORT ZONE
It is a function of many variables, among which is the annual mean
temperature
the activity of generating proposals that change something that
Design
already exists into something that is better.
Initial
Transformation 3 Phases in Designing
Imagined Future State
Initiation Problem identification
Preparation Collection and analysis of information
Proposal making synthesis, bringing together a variety of considerations
Evaluation Based on goals
Iteration Cycles, Feedback
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The process of managing information so that the right kind of
information is available at the right stage of the design process
Architectural Programming
and the best possible decisions can be made in shaping the
outcome of the building designs.
The process that creates the structure for fulfilling the dreams,
Architectural Programming
hopes, wishes and desires of the building's future inhabitants.
Architectural Programming definition of the architectural problem
Architectural Programming problem-seeking phase
gathering, organizing, analyzing, interpreting and presenting of
Architectural Programming
the information
Issue
Fact
Values
PARTS OF AN ISSUE-BASED PROGRAM
Goals
Performance Requirement
Concept
any matter, concern, question, topic, proportion or situation that
Issue demands a design in order for a building project to be successful
for its clients and users.
are objective, specific and verifiable by some measurement or
Fact
observation.
Their existence is not subject to judgment, but their use and
Fact
interpretation is based on values
different building types require different design responses for the
VALUES same issues based upon the values of different users and the
needs of different activities
a statement of intention; an end that one strives to attain or that
Goal
toward which effort or play is directed; an action statement
goals that relate only to the outcome of the project; these are
Project Goal based upon the underlying values of the designer, clients and
users.
the overall purpose; a statement that concisely explains the need
Mission Statements
to undertake a project in the first place.
a statement about the MEASURABLE LEVEL OF FUNCTION that
Performance Requirement a designed object, building, or place must provide for a good to be
met; performance specification standard or criterion
This statement is MORE SPECIFIC THAN A GOAL SINCE IT
RELATES TO FUNCTION( a doing) instead of a quality (a being);
Performance Requirement
must be general enough to allow for multiple, alternative physical
solutions or concepts
a statement of an IDEAL SET OF RELATIONSHIPS among sev-
eral of the elements under an architect's control such as form
Concepts
(dimension and direction) material, texture, color (value, intensity)
and adjacency
Concepts is made up of a SINGLE DIAGRAM and a few words.
Checklist of Issues

Audibility the acoustic properties of an environment that contribute to one's

ability to hear what needs to be heard and to mask unwanted
sounds
Checklist of Issues
Behavioral Settings
the units for describing the interdependencies of activity and
physical settings

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Circulation
Comfort
Convenience
Durability
Design Philosophy
Overall Design Concept
Overall Design Concept
Overall Design Concept
Overall Design Concept
Overall Design Concept
Overall Design Concept
Concept Breakdown
Concept Breakdown
Concept Breakdown
Translation Guidelines
Translation Guidelines
Translation Guidelines
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Checklist of Issues
movement or flow of people, objects, information or substances
providing ease and enjoyment
ease of access to places, materials and information
ability to endure the designed use over time
a statement of the beliefs, values or viewpoints from which the
development of design solutions take off. They are often formed
out of universally held principles, and thus become bases for
socially desirable design objectives
An initial generalized idea
A germination that is to be expanded and developed later in some
detail
A perception about form or relationships among variables result-
ing from an analysis of the problem
A mental image deriving from the project situation
Rudimentary set of tactics for proceeding with design
First ideas about building morphology
consists of sub-concepts that correspond to particular areas of
architectural concerns.
An overall concept can be broken down into sub-concepts falling
under one or more categories.
The mix varies depending on the research problem.
These are specific design guidelines formulated out of the
sub-concepts.
They may be the refined versions of the chosen sub-concept or
could also be the product of the consolidation of two or more sub
concepts.
The guidelines prescribe performance and quality standards that
are based on the design parameters derived out of the perfor-
mance requirements