Blake Thompson

Lowing

Craft, Profession, Vocation

12 October, 2022

AIA Framework, Principles, and the Saltbox House

The AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence represents the principles of good design for

modern architects. According to the American Institute of Architects, “The Framework for

Design Excellence challenges architects with a vision of what the profession strives to achieve,

the toolkit provides practical resources to help all architects achieve the vision” (1). The

framework also relates heavily to the Vitruvian principle of firmitas, utilitas, and venustas,

otherwise known as firmness, commodity, and delight. For example, one principle in the AIA’s

framework is designing for integration. According to the AIA, “Good design elevates any

project, no matter how small, with a thoughtful process that delivers both beauty and function in

balance” (2). This relates directly to Vitruvius’s idea of good architecture including both

function, or commodity, and beauty, or delight. With most of the principles, the idea of firmness

is implied, because all structures must stand in order to function. However, an example of the

framework relating to firmness comes in the principle of designing for resources. According to

the AIA, “Good design depends on informed material selection, balancing priorities to achieve

durable, safe, and healthy projects with an equitable, sustainable supply chain to minimize

possible negative impacts to the planet” (4). The prioritization of durable materials and a

safe/firm structure shows the prominence of designing with firmness and commodity in mind.

Most of the principles included in the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence relate mostly to

the idea of commodity. Design for water, energy, ecosystems, etc. all relate to designing with
commodity in mind. It is safe to say that the creators of the framework took influence from the

principles of Vitruvius.

The AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence outlines what successful modern

architecture might look like today, but how does it relate to an older vernacular design?

The saltbox house design originated in colonial New England in the mid-17th Century. It

features a two-story layout with a large angled roof that extends to the first story in the rear. The

saltbox house, with its enhanced square-footage compared to other designs, was designed to be a

simple structure so that it could be built easily. Because the design was more spacious than

previous ones, it was more difficult for heat to travel through the structure. To amend this, the

fireplace was fastened in the middle of the home, and every room was closer to the heat source

as a result. This aspect of the design of the saltbox house could be categorized as a design for

well-being, one of the principles in the AIA’s Framework. This could also be categorized as a

design for energy, as it takes less wood burning to completely heat the entire home with the

fireplace and chimney placed in the center.

The triad of equity, economy, and ecology is classified today as the purpose of design.

Every great architect incorporates all of these aspects into his or her designs. However, a

hierarchy of these three aspects is apparent when examining the saltbox house design. The

saltbox house design was created with one of these aspects in mind above the others: economy.

The saltbox house was specifically created to serve as a cheap and simple design of a larger

dwelling for bigger families. It was bigger than previous designs, but it was simple and effective.

When looking at the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, it is clear the creators had all three

aspects of the triad in mind when crafting it. Every principle in the framework fits into designing
for equity, economy, or ecology, or multiple. The framework, Vitruvius’s principles, and the triad

are all imperative to good architecture both over history and in modern architecture.