Perception -1060 Artbook

Perception An examination of 26 Architectural Principles

by Cullen Whelan

Glance

View

Contents Gaze

Pg.10 Pg.12 Pg.14 Pg.16 Pg.18 Pg.20 Pg.22

Movement Light+Shadow Void Datum Mass Color Planes

Pg.28 Pg.30 Pg.32 Pg.34 Pg.36 Pg.38 Pg.40 Pg.42 Pg.44 Pg.46

Texture Materials Balance+Symmetry Grid Composition Rhythm Geometry Hierarchy Order Structure

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Dialogue Defamiliarization Analysis Part-to-Whole Context Abstraction Fabrication Allusion Transformation

Glance Elements of architecture that are perceived after only a short moment of notice or observation

Movement Light+Shadow Void Datum Mass Color Planes

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Motion in composition can be observed through multiple design or construction choices. Straight line, quadrilaterals, variosu polygons, may be interpreted as more stationary and staccato, while curves, circles, and rounded shapes insinuate continous flow and current.

Triangles can often be used a tool to more directly indicate, well, a direction.

Vitra Design Museum, Frank Gehry, 1989, Weil an Rhein, Germany

Movement Movement in architectual compositions can represent varies ideas of motion and flucuation. In a literal sense, the composition has moving parts; in other terms, it can refer to impact it has on the motion of nature and its context, or the compositions inferred motion that it communicates to the viewer and how the veiwer follows with their eyes.

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Light Lighting is utilized for aesthetic purposes as well for functionality.

Lighting is as fundamental to the structure as a unit is, for that unit could not even be acknowledged without the allowance of light.

Light guides the eye to the detail that it illuminates but equally it pulls the eye away from the details that it does not grace. The presence of light gives clarification to the mind, but its absence leaves the mind to wonder on its own. The employment of light is a switch, which when flipped on enables the viewer to think interpretively, while when flipped off it urges the viewer to be more

As a collaborative, light and shadow work to give a structure influence beyond the boundaries of the materials. The contrast between light and shadow is the deliver of the aesthetic to the eye.

Shadow

Shadow is an intangible, dynamic, and boundless piece of mass on a structure. It can be used for obscurity as well as enticement, shrouding details from the mind. It is both an indicator symbol of mass and space that is able to be projected from a distance to minimize and maximize the dimensions of a structure to the viewer

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The idea of an absence of or nothingness is a concept that is easier said than understood, but in many ways architecture is about how one chooses to define void. It is the space that can be occupied that is so intriguing in structures. What is floor, wall, or ceiling that define this void? What could occupy this void?

What is the use or reason for this open space?

Void Often focus is drawn to mass and solid objects when creating, in architecture however, void is the aspect that serves to be vital when defining a place.

Void is what can be occupied, and to occupy a void is to interact with the structures that define it.

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Datums anchor projects and help to develop the projects to be distinguishable and recognizable to viewers. Datums are defined by their absolute rule over the visuals of a project. The foam and rocks are organized and formed around an explicit vertical axis that is discerned first.

Datum Datum is a obvious and palpable boundary, directional indicator, object, void, or grid within a project, like a ground line.

The elements of a composition revolves around and builds off of the datum.

Salk Institue For Biological Studies, Louis I. Kahn, San Diego, California, 1960, www.salk.edu

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Mass Mass is the visual or perceived bulk and shape of a structure.

Mass can be the physical dimensions of a project itself or it can be closer to the dimensions that are being inferred, such as if a building has a large overhang. Mass can also change due to ones perspective as the visible shape changes with distances and angles.

Mass is an encompassing term that fiddles with the ideas of volume shape and silhouette. Mass is one for the front runners when it come to ones perception or attention, the general shape of a structure and its vertex and edges, visuals that distinguish boundary.

Iron Maiden House, CplusC, Sydney, Australia, 2018, Massing Diagram

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Color Color in architecture fills a role similar to a the hook in a piece of literature. Color provides contrast that grabs a viewer’s attention as oppose to other elements in architecture that push or pull the eye to it. Color also invokes emotion, different colors are associate with different emotions that can add more complexity to a space when utilized. Green in a space meant for leisure can help the area better invoke nature and nurture

Luis Barragan, Casa Gilardi, Mexico City, Mexico, 1977

Since the world is not a dull monochromatic place, it is important that architects keep color and palette in mind as they design. Depending on the palette a designer uses, elements can fade and blend together, like in a more analogous palette, to bring focus to the whole; where as in palettes with more variation, such as a triadic palette, structures get pulled out from the whole.

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Planes elevate a volume by establishing void in space throughout an object. Planes also give projects the ability of interaction; floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, platforms, these all point of interaction due to the planes acting as some sort of obstruction or boundary

Planes Planes help to navigate, divide, and define the space of a volume. Planes bolster the structure of a three dimensional object by exemplifying a sense of place that is unique from the rest of structure

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View Elements that are perceived when a piece of Architecture becomes an object of focus

Texture Materials Balance+Symmetry Grid Composition Rhythm Geometry Hierarchy Order Structure

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Texture Texture serves to be a feast for the eyes in stills, varying as distances differ.

Certain texture invoke different emotion, reactions, and connections. Texture is a visual and physical allusion that reference a person’s personal experience. A porous material can symbolize netting, plant pods, or the presence of insects which could instill fear in a viewer. A smooth, slightly rough, mix uniformity material can remind a person of the hard concrete, a material that is not forgiving to the delicate human body or of the earth’s sediment which can similarly be harsh but also nurturing.

Blockhaus, Thomas Shutte, 2018, Weil an Rhein, Germany

The texture of these objects upon inspection hint at the process of their creation, rather by man or nature, further more one can observe the contrast in the processes that even when man tries to replicate or embrace a more natural construction or look, the stark differences between the two originators. Eyes are the windows to the soul some proclaim, and windows are the windows to architecture, but in many cases textures can be equally revealing.

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Architecture spans across an infinite amount of modes and mediums as it centers on communications.

When trying to convey a concept, design, or idea, consider the strengths and weakness of a material or medium and how playing to either could best communicate or if another material better compliments the message and the role. The linear nature of the square dowels forms a more cohesive dialogue when building a rectangular project then a round dowels.

Materials Materials are the mode for which architecture is delivered. Materials are the very composition of a design, it impact all aspects a configurations.

Material is the unit of the unit, it needs to be heavily considered and thoroughly thought of from beginning to end of a projected for materials set limitation while simultaneously exemplifying the project.

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Balance and Symmetry are a partner ship that guides people physically or visually to a center point.

These tools are used either to distinguish what is an intentional origin or to purposely discourage the rise of a central point and axis. In the Il Renedentore, Balance and Symmetry lead the congregation to the altar making a metaphor a reality.

Balance Similar to standing on a tightrope, a poorly establish center of balance in a structure can cause the concept, or even more negligently the structure itself, to topple over. Properly utilizing balance in a project is to distribute the mass and elements so it guides the human eye.

Symmetry Il Renedetore, Andrea Palladio, Venice, Italy, 1592

A cause and effect relationship, symmetry is the resultant of balance, an equal distribution of mass that easily reveals itself to the eye. A dedication to ideals of symmetry can be repetitive or a unifying factor in a structure, while an avoidance can demonstrate dynamism or inconsistency

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Architecture, as an art form, is the creation of a world and in order to comprehend a world one has to be acquainted with the constraints that dictate those actions. Grid stands to be a foundation for creation that supports the establishment of a design as well as helps communicate a concept. The grid derived from the Lovell Beach House indicates the both the inspiration and the steps taken to construct the model.

Grid Grid is what establishes a framework within a project or structure. Commonly it comes off as a component of repetition or pattern, but more accurately it stands to be the establish that the architect is either strictly or loosely applying too.

Lovell Beach House, Rudolph Schindler, Orange County, CA, 1926

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Order and arrangement have a strong effect over architecture which is observable from similar points of inspirations deriving millions of buildings. Churches, temples, and Mosques all serve similar purposes and hold similar restraints yet they serve to be some of the most unique and recognizable structures on the planet

Composition Composition is a principle that focuses on the formulation or order of all the pieces in a project. In music, there is only so many notes, yet there are millions of distinct song despite them sharing the same notes. The orientation and order of the attributes in a project matter.

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Rhythm Rhythm is the repetition of movement and the elements that make up movement in a project.

Rhythm imbues in the mind with a beat that in a metaphorical sense makes the viewer’s eyes dance as the follow the repetition of the structure turning a visual experience into something that is nearly physical.

Rhythm helps to create an ambiance that surrounds a project and adds complexity to the visual perception, different objects and arrangements force the eye to move in various ways and directions that can invoke various emotions and draw people in as the visual experience changes to something more active

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Geometry is math with pizzazz.

Geometry enables architects to bring there ideas into reality by converting concepts into angles and shapes that give numbers or can be measure so it can actually be constructed.

Geometry also helps to comprehend how something was constructed or the thought process behind its concept by breaking down into simple and comprehensible shapes.

Geometry Geometry is concerned with the apparent shapes that form a project as oppose to the over all silhouette that falls under mass. Geometry is used to divide and study void and solid in a methodical and recognizable way.

Artisan House, Morphogenisis, New Delhi, India, 2015, Elevation

Artisan House, Morphogenisis, New Delhi, India, 2015

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Hierarchy Hierarchy is the establishment of importance in structure. It is emphasizing certain part of a structure above others and where each attribute is place based on the importance and why. Hierarchy is distinguish through a multitude of avenues, but commonly it is observed in differentiations of height, shape, and size.

Agha Bozorg Mosque, Haj Sa’ban-ali, Kashan, Iran, 18th c. Erik Albers

Piazza Del Campo, Jacopo della Quercia, Sienna, Italy, www.discovertuscany.com

Temple of Heaven, Ming emperor Shizong, Forbidden City, Bejing, China, 1406 ,www.chinadiscovery.com

Architects utilize hierarchy to further draw attention to a singular object while diminishing others as to not draw as much attention. Often what the architect or designer wants focus drawn to will be physically elevated and sized as to take up more space and thus more our a person’s vision.

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Order like Datum grounds a project in reality and is carried out by Grid and emphasized and utilized by principles like Symmetry and Balance and Rhythm. Order provides familiar limitations and boundaries, but also liberties to a design. Without a definition of the extremes, a project is just nothingness.

Order Order is the rule set that dictates a design and the process. Order is one of the most important aspects when it comes to communicating a design, if one can understand stand the order of a project one can understand how and why the project was created.

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Structure Structure grounds design and concept into reality and turns architecture into a practical art form as nothing matter about a concept or design if it can not stand in hold physically. Structure while most importantly is about the ability of a project to hold, it also is about how stability is achieved through methods, material, and construction decisions.

Structure is the means from which architect’s work is taking from a flat 2-D drawings and transformed into a 3-D object that can be interacted with and occupied. Structure is the also the element of architecture that make it artificial and human as it opposes the natural forces and formations that exists and thus architects have to consider help will help the project sustain those oppositions

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Gaze Elements that are perceived when cognitive thought is applied to the object of focus, and examination of architecture

Dialogue Defamiliarization Analysis Part-to-Whole Context Abstraction Fabrication Allusion Transformation

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Dialogue Conversations, relationships, reactions, weather positive or negative, all invoke a feeling within a person. Dialogue is about the interaction and interplay of the elements of a structure and what they invoke in an observer. In a project, architects have to think of what certain elements, when paired together, make viewers feel and if that is the feeling they want to invoke or if that is the feeling that goes most appropriately with structure and it’s context.

Dialogue is refined and achieved through constantly asking question; “What does this do?” “How does this make one feel?”

“Does this make a cohesive narrative?”

“Does this make sense?” Dialogue is strongest when upon dissection questions like these are answered without frustration creating an inner monologue, or if you will an inner dialogue.

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Directly influencing how long an individual thinks about a project is employing defamiliarization.

Choosing to distort or go more conceptual with a project can extend cognitive thought, however such complexity can also be a deterrent.

Different camera angles show demonstrate the ocular inspiration for the project more directly or contribute to the defamiliazation.

Defamiliarization Defamiliarization is the presentation of something familiar in a unfamiliar or different way. Defamiliarization can be employed to extend a viewers thought as their mind dissects the visuals presented to discover why a foreign object feels familiar. By forcing perspectives, adding dramatic colors, or creating depth, one can extend the length it takes one to recognize something.

The Defamiliarization of domestic Typographies, Louiza Chilian, Rendering

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Analysis Analysis is the first step into active and deep architectural thought.

Evaluating every element of a project and its site to discover the thoughts and reasons behind it and what makes the site tick together like clock work. Analyzing architecture goes beyond looking at a building and being familiar with its shape, silhouette, and layout, its about the investigation and discovery of aspects both visible and invisible, the pursuit of understanding rather than understanding itself.

Artisan House, Morphogenisis, New Delhi, India, 2015, Floor plan

Analysis is to think architecturally and this means thinking about communication.

Analysis is getting into the mind set of a creator, client, or those who will be frequenting the structure and how it answers the constraints and context of the site then efficiently communicating those discoveries to the appropriate audiences.

Artisan House, Morphogenisis, New Delhi, India, 2015, Section

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Part-to-Whole Part-to-Whole is the relationship of individual units and components to larger defined space or structure. How each piece plays the a roll in creating the final project similar to how various types of cells make up an organism and the vital roles the units fill together in mass quantities.

Every detail plays a part to the greater project in architecture so it is important to construct and design with thought to best communicate, one bad part can lead to more poor elements or in less conceptual ideals the collapse of a structure. Parts build on one another to achieve a goal or destination. The pieces of foam and rock create a sound structure together and communicate concepts.

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Architecture is an art form that centers around problem solving and response, every part of a design should serve to answer an aspect of the context, commentary, environmental impact, cultural symbolism, and societal functionality can all answer context. The fish on the temple is a reference to the state of trademarked characters being equivalent to idols of the past.

When a block hits a designers there is always a question proposed by context that inspiration can be found.

Temple of Kukulcan, ChichĂŠn ItzĂĄ, Mexico,800c.e.,www.atlasobscura.com

Context

Dolphin and Swan Hotels, Michael Graves, Orlando, Florida, 1990 www.dezeen.com

Context are the questions and problems that a project aims to answer. Architecture is a response or reaction to context, the surrounding environment and the needs of the inhabitants and clients. Contexts often can provide constraints or visible inquires but also provides less visible like how a project will affect current culture and infrastructure.

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Abstraction Abstraction is the intersection of art and analysis, boiling a concept down to core elements or ideals.

It is a communication tool that simplifies the ideals to nature to communicate its complex interconnection. Abstraction, in many ways, is an analysis of the perceivable world around us that is then communicated and manifested through art and therefore architecture.

As art in analysis, abstraction is taking the key element that one wishes to convey and highlighting only that to keep in simplest terms. Abstraction is often the starting point or a concept, it displays core ideas or certain endpoints and goals that is then connected and achieved the design process

Group assignment with Anthony Iacobucci and Ailina Mamazhanova

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Fabrication Fabrication is the process of making a concept of reality.

Fabrication encompass all thought process, all experiments, all drawings, plans, diagrams, and models. Fabrication is the though process of achieving the end results including all the direction changes and dead-ends

Fabrication is the hands on process of architecture, that physical and hands on problem solving is what distinguishes architecture from other art forms and academic disciplines. The designing an end product is only a small part of architecture, the majority of architecture lays within fabrication and good architects learn to use fabrication to work through problems to find the strongest solution and concept.

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It has been declared on numerous occasion by numerous individuals that originality is dead and that everything that can be done has already been done, this being true or not does not really matter, however architecture and art as a whole is full of allusions to other work and predecessors.

Alluding to an eye in architectural work is quite common due to its visual emphasis though it is more on the nose. An eye feels logical when the project is a theatre or a study of color.

Allusion Allusion is a reference to another piece or idea, architecture is pact full of references to other work often as inspiration or through a certain style or building technique. Allusion help to create a more interconnect world in architecture and lineage that shows the progress of architectural culture.

L’Hemisfèric, Santiago Calatrava, Valencinia Spain, 1998

L’Hemisfèric, Santiago Calatrava, Valencinia Spain, 1998, Watercolor, Concept Art

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Transformation Transformation refers to dynamism, how many ways something can be utilized, changed, or adapted.

Transformation is a tool that enables architects to derive multiple formations from a single starting point. With transformation there is no end point, designers can continuously add and reshape to the hearts content, but know when to stop is often harder than transformation. Transformation keeps architecture from being a stagnant practice, always allowing change.

Anything can be transformed and therefore inspiration can be taken from anything a person perceives. A consistent addition of a repetitious element added to a single point can result in complex creations like cells in a person or crystalline structures. A single white cube can be transformed into infinite forms.

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Thank You