THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING

DESIGN PROCESS

DESIGN (ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT)

 Activity of generating proposals that change something that already exists into
something that is better
 Design Stages:
o Initiation: Problem identification
o Preparation: Collection of analysis of information
o Proposal-making: Synthesis, consideration
o Evaluation: Based on goals
o Cycles, feedback, iteration
 Also,
o Initiation: identifying a problem and its context
o Preparation: collection, analysis of data; establish goals and criteria
o Synthesis: SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis
o Hypothesis: preliminary draft
o Alternative: schematics – develop, modify, refine, inflect transformation
o Evaluate: simulate, test, and modify
o Action: final drawings – selection and implementation
o Reevaluation: assessment
o Again, if necessary

[NOTE: TAPP A01V02 video explains expected exam format for Day 2 with tips.]

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

 Aesthetics: forms and composition

 Natural Environment: natural site considerations
 Man-made Environment: ingress/egress, traffic, landscaping
 Spatial: function and zoning, accessibility, proxemics
 Human Determinants: psychology, anthropometrics and ergonomics, culture, religious
beliefs
 Building Technology: structural, electrical, sanitary, mechanical, special building systems
 Local Regulations: land use, codes, law, ordinances

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THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING
DESIGN PROCESS

ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM

 Problem-seeking phase
 Process that creates structure
 Process of managing information
 Gathering, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting
 Orderly definition of the architectural problem and the articulation of project requirements

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

 Statement of beliefs, values, or viewpoints

o Basis of design solutions
 Often formed out of universally held principles
o Bases for socially desirable design objectives

DESIGN CONCEPT

 Overall concept consists of:

o Initial generalized idea
o Germination; to be expanded and developed later in some detail
o Perception about form or relationships
 From an analysis of the problem
o Mental image deriving from the project situation
o First ideas about building morphology
 Architectural Concepts:
o Thematic or Symbolic:
 Analogies: literal relating form with other objects or process
 Metaphors: abstract relationships
 Essences: meaning, issues, symbols, going beyond programmatic
requirements
 Programmatic: stated requirements
 Ideals: universal values, highest aspirations

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THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING
DESIGN PROCESS

o EXAMPLES:
 Analogies: Binoculars Building – Frank Gehry
- Looks like literal binoculars
 Metaphoric: Jewish Museum – Daniel Libeskind
- Exhibits the social, political and cultural history of the Jews in
Germany from the fourth century to the present, explicitly
presenting and integrating, for the first time in postwar Germany,
the repercussions of the Holocaust
- Windows symbolizes whippings of Jews from the Nazis during the
Holocaust
 Essence: Lotus Temple – Fariborz Sahba (Iranian architect)
- Lotus is often associated with purity, sacredness, spirituality, and
knowledge
 Programmatic: CCTV Headquarters – Rem Koolhaas & Ole Scheeren of
OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture)
- Considered circulation, used loop circulation; continuous; tired of
vertical circulation
- 3 buildings that were joined to become one and a half buildings
 Ideals: Seagram Building – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe w/ Philip Johnson
- Architectural breakthrough
- First office building in the world to use extruded bronze on a
façade
- First NY skyscraper with full-height plate glass windows, curtain
glass wall facade

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