How Architetcure Works: A Humanist’s Toolkit

Kashish. R. Bhardwaj

3- A

A/3497/2020

SITE
Ignoring the setting whilst designing a building might be possible, but ignoring the site is
impossible. The exterior of the Disney Hall responds to it’s surroundings, while the actual
hall is axially symmetrical and calm. Architects today, are trained to evaluate a site to design
a building that takes advantage of the site’s natural features. Landscaping and site planning
is the design element that ties these elements together and makes use of the spaces
surrounding the building. Whatever the scale and purpose of the building might be,
landscaping ties it to it’s surroundings and helps create outdoor spaces that invite people to
stop and spend time or pass through to define a building entrance.

LOOK AT ME
In architecture, one of the building’s most important exterior elements is the façade. It sets
expectations and defines the overall feel of the structure. The goal of blending in with the
surroundings or standing out from the crowd can also be achieved using the façade.

ENTRANCE
First impressions are powerful. From the moment we meet new people, we begin to form
judgements about them in our minds and these thoughts affect the way we perceive any
information about them in the future. Similarly, first impressions play a crucial role in
building design as well. When you think about buildings making good first impressions, the
first thing that comes to mind are details or monumental features, some sort of an artwork
or a visual piece.
Building entrances, however, in my opinion, can play a critical role in creating good first
impressions too. An entrance is a focal point and an object of immediate importance. They
have the ability to play a role in shaping the occupant’s experience and ability to take in that
focal point.
Entrances are a part of every space and deserve to be recognised. One shouldn’t neglect the
importance of the threshold. A building entrance contributes to the overall identity of the
building.
Well designed entrances can invite and orient visitors, restrict intruders, prevent accidents,
save energy, enhance daylight, represent owner’s value, offer a viewpoint, and present an
artistic taste. A bad entrance can destroy many other aspects of the building. Many criteria
such as relative scale of people, number of people using the entrance, and the scale of he
building are all important scale considerations of an entrance. The relationships of scale to a
building can make an entrance more or less important and visible. If an entrance is not
immediately visible it my detract from the usefulness and impression of the building. Many
kinds of functions and materials announce the accessibility if the buildings, such as plazas,
stairs, bridges, etc. The relative importance of these elements vary depending on the
building types.

VIEW
It is extremely important for any structure to co exist with it’s landscape, without
superseding it. For this, understanding the site becomes very important. By understanding
the physical location and the views that are being offered, it is possible for one to design a
structure that accentuates and highlights the views instead of obscuring it. The aim should
be to use architecture to frame a view that already exists in a way that enhances it’s beauty
instead of creating new views.

TOPOGRAPHY
The ground provides basic support for the building, and the land that a building inhabits is
an integral part of the design of the building. In addition to defining how we move in space,
topography also determines how we orient ourselves in it.

THE SUN
Sunlight is probably the most important/ powerful design element in architecture. The
shifting between light and shade gives a building richness. Solid form is accentuated and
added to by the shadow it casts while hollowed out form becomes significant in sunlight.