26 Principles of Architecture for Beginners

26 PRINCIPLES OF ARCHITECTURE FOR BEGINNERS By:Juvenal A Garnica

TABLE OF CONTENTS FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT ANALYSIS DIALOGUE COMPOSITION PRESENTATION LIGHT&SHADOW COLOR ORGANIZATIONAL ORDER SYMMETRY DATUM GRID GEOMETRIC GEOMETRY PLANES LINES

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33

STRUCTURAL STRUCTURE FACADE MASS SPACE VOID MATERIALS SCALE SURFACE TRANSFORMATION ENVIRONEMENTAL CONREXT PERSPECTIVE MOVEMENT

35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61

FUNDAMENTAL

COLOR

CONCEPT

In the architectural world, concepts serve as the backbone for the development of architectural designs. They can be defined as ideas or methods of design that help to form a design project. The incorporation of concepts into the design of a building helps to convey ideas, methodology, and language through the construction and arrangement of the characteristics of a structure.

MASS

VOID

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SCALE

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ANALYSIS

Analysis, in the world of architecture, is the observation of an architectural piece in order to understand the design processes incorporated into a building. By analyzing or conducting a “close reading� of a building, many of the core architectural principles involved in the design and construction can be understood. From this, three things can be learned: what the purpose of a building is, how the aspects of a buiding work together to create a cohesive unit, and how an understanding of a building can lead to the creation of new building that hold a different language and significance.

As mentioned many times throughout this book, the overarching language of a building is a very significant observation that can be observed within a building. Every building has some sort of message, story, or significance that is portrayed through the built environment of the sight. This language is completely observed through the analyzation of how different architectural principles behave individually as well as how they interact with each other.

From an understanding of a piece of architecture, through analyzation, design properties can inspire the incorporation of similar properties into other buildings. It can be safely assumed that very rarely are new ideas or concepts created in the world of architecture. With architecture having been present for thousands of years, very little can be done that is completely original. What can be original, hoever, is the language a building possesses.

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DIALOGUE Buildings, in a general sense, exist in a physical, volumetric form. They occupy space and provide shelter from the elements. There is an architectural concept called dialogue, that helps a building transcend its material existence and engage in an interaction with its environment and the experience of users.

The interaction a building has with an invironment and the users can be seperated into two seperate types. One type of interaction involves a consistent dialogue (story) where the experience of a user remains the same with every visit to the piece of architecture. The other interaction involves a diversified dialogue that enhances and changes with the user after the piece’s construction.

Dialogue is typically displayed through the incorporation of other architectural concepts. Aspects of a building that either compliment or contradict each other inevitably can help drive the narrative of a building. These types of observations are where dialogues between concepts can be found.

They arent always as obvious however. Some relationships may be hidden or more difficult to realize, but nontheless, dialogue exists within interactions, both evident and hidden.

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COMPOSITION In Architecture, composition is a concept that serves as a tool for the organization of drawings, diagrams, sketches or ideas. They help to organize and build connectons between different fascets of an idea and ultimatley help drive a narrative that an architect or clent is trying to convey.

Compositions can be comprised of multiple drawing types (section, detail, measured drawings, figure-ground, elevations, landscape, topographic, etc.), diagrams, research, site data, model photos, or site photos. All of these, while they may be individual observations of a designed structure, can be organized to drive a single narrative that spans a variety of different viewpoints and aspects. Compositions, in turn, serves as a canvas for compiling data in order to compliment and enhance the language of a design.

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PRESENTATION

Presentation is an architectural concept that is directly related to the composition of architectural ideas. Presentation can be defined as the way architectural compositions are organized and conveyed to the viewer. Whether through the structure itself or through drawings, presentation is a key factor in how the language of a building is conveyed to an audience. The types of diagrams or ideas incorporated into the presentation of an architectural structure is very important. The presentation of ideas is the method in which the language of a building is conveyed to a viewer, so the information that is presented can drastically enhance the understanding of a structure.

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LIGHT & SHADOW When considering light and shadow in the world of architecture, it is important to keep in mind the ability of light’s intensity and position to change the mood and meaning of a space. If a large amount of light is allowed into a space, the space could be seen as an area intended for public use, while a closed off space that requires artificial lighting may be intended for a more private use.

As seen in the diagram on the right of this page, the East Architecture building on Ga Tech Campus was constructed with a large array of windows arranged along the span of the walls adjacent to the courtyard. These windws allow for a large amount of light to enter the building throughout the day, which helps to convey the intended use of the building. This purpose is to allow for an open area for architecture students to collaborate, create, and display their work. In general, the most natural light can be found in areas where the most interation and ciculation among students usually occurs, such as the studio spaces, hallways, and the gallery. individual classrooms or offices generally dont have as much accecibility to natural light, which helps to show how the rooms are intended for a more private purpose.

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COLOR

Color, in architecture is an important tool that allows an architect to both convey different moods as well as show organization. Generally, cooler colors, such as blues, greens, purples, and violets are all intended to convey a calm mood while other colors such as reds, yellows, and oranges help show more intense moods. as seen in the photos on the right of this page, the incorpation of blue colors helps show a sense of normality and calmness. Additionally, right below that, the inversion of colors changes the perspective of the image to an intense mood that is almost scary.

Another us of color in architecture is to group different objects as seen in the images at the bottom of the page. The use of shades of blue and green are used to both represent shadows created by the light cast on the objects as wel as differentiating between the different forms found in the composition of the image to the left of the color diagram. Understanding the use of clor is a key component of developing skills important in the life of an architect.

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ORGANIZATIONAL

ORDER Order is another architectural concept that is closely tied with several other concepts. The order of a building encompasses and enhances such concepts as geometry, movement, datum, and hierarchy. With a relation between these other concepts, different types of order can be created within the main components of a building.

Linear, diagonal, circular, condensed, random, and scale are all certain ways that the components of a building can be used to create different types of order. Each create a different type of language through a change of circulation, hierarchy, and relationship between objects. Order also very much depends on the intentions of a building and how a viewer is meant to move through a building.

Whether a building is designed in a simple, structured manner or in a random, complex manner, a certain order can always be found within a piece of architecture. It is when this order is found and examined, no matter how complex a building, that a deeper understanding of a building is understood and its meaning is made clear.

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SYMMETRY

Symmetry is an architectural concept that deals entirely on the organization of a building. Within a design of a building, geometry, form, space, or structure are just a few of the aspects of a building that can be organized in a symmetrical way. Designing buildings in a symmetrical manner helps to create a sense of organized structure as well as balance within an architectural structure.

Symmetry can often make the circulation and readability of a building simple to understand an maneuver through. This allows for a clear experience and understanding of the building as a whole by the viewer.

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DATUM

Datum is a concept of architecture that encompasses various other concepts such as grid, lines and axis, space, mass, surface, etc. It is the organizing tool that allows for different components of a building to be understood as a cohesive whole. 4 walls with a ceiling (5 planes) seperately would not make sense, but arranging them to have a certiain arrangement creates a datum for an enclosure. Datum can exist in pretty much any aspect of a building where organization is needed to create a larger culmination of components.

The datum of floors and walls can be explored using a grid in order to explore the relationships and arrangments that the floors have with the walls as well as how the walls interact with each other. Datum is used as a tool to organize an assortment of small parts into a rhythmic unit that serves to convey continuity and organization. This organization of theaspects of buildings serves as a tool for people to understand the building on a deeper level.

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Elevation Grid

Figure Ground Grid

Kit of Parts

Floor Geometry ROOF

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1ST

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GRID

A grid, which is usually understood to be a mathematical term, is actually very much used by architects and those pertaining to the world of architecture. When analyzing the basic layout of a structure, a grid can be found based on the alignment of floors, walls, windows, roofs, or any other components.

Grids can help to show the overall organization of a structure. When the organization of a building is analyzed using a grid, a hierarchy of importance can be found among the composition of a structure. Outer walls of a building may be represented with thicker lines while relationships between the alignment of windows, inner walls, or entryways can be represented with thinner lines. Distinguishing between the importanceof the aspects of a structure can help with the understanding of the intended use of different spaces.

As seen in the grids located on the nextpage, areas where the grid is more condensed shows that the space is meant for a larger seperation of people, thus the area is most likely more private than the ares where the grid is not as dense. Areas where the grid is not as dense can be seen as more open and public areas.

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Elevation Grid

Figure Ground Grid

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GEOMETRIC

GEOMETRY

Geometry, in architecture, pertains to the basic geometric shapes a building is comprised of. It is one of the fundemental aspects of a building that Elevation Grid exists in every single aspect of design. Any shape or form incorporated within a building would be considered geometric. These geometric components, Figure Ground Grid specifically the major geometric components, are combined to create a language of formal relationship. These relationship ultimately help to drive the story or narrative of a building that an architect wants to tell.

Geometry, in many ways, can also be ob- Floor Geometry Kit of Parts served in a less literal way. With the arrangemnent ROOF of certain geomertic shapes, certain relationships that may not be so evident, can arise. Such arrang- 2ND ments of shapes can involve relationship such as mirrored, arrayed, circular, scalar, etc.

1ST

Another use for geometry in architecture is to convey use and functionality. The arrangement and spacing of walls, pillars, or floors can have a big im- GROUND pact on the use of a space as well as the way people move througout a building. The visual components of geometry can also impact how people see the building from the outside. certain geometric details may block other aspects when the point of view of a person changes. This in turn changes the meaning of the building as certain geometric details are hidden behind others.

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PLANES Planes are yet another simple and fundemental concept of architecture that pertians to spatial organization. Similar to lines, planes can help define aspects of a building.

Primarily, planes serve as a boundary where different elements are bound too. A floor plane bounds things to the floor, a horizontal plane bounds things with a horizontal orientation, and so on with many other different types of planes. These relationships can be found within the different types of architectural drawings an architect makes everyday.

Elements in a section or elevation drawing are bound by a vertical plane that cannot accurately convey elements present on a horizontal plane.

Similarly, elements in a figure-ground drawing are bound to a horizontal plane that can’t accurately portray elements found on vertical planes. Drawings such as isonometric or axonometric are a combination of planes that help give a 3 dimensional view of a building with limitations.

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LINES Lines are a very basic concept of architecture that help to represent a lot of different things in architectural drawings and diagrams. One aspect of lines that is important in architectural drawings is line weight.

Line weights can be used to show a large variety of things. The varying thickness of a line can help distinguish a sense of hierarchy in a drawing.

Outer walls of a building are primarily thicker than those inside of the building in order to distinguish a divide between the inside environment of the building and the outside environment of a building.

They can also help show a difference in materiality. thicker lines may represent a concrete or brick wall, while a thinner line may represent a window. These distinctions are important in order to improve the readability of a drawing.

Lines are also used to emphasize relationships between different different aspects of a building.

Straight, curved, spiral, or parallel lines can help to emphasize mathematical relationships between corners, walls, floors, or open space of a building in ways that arent so apparent. Shwoing these relationships are usually constructed with very thin, light lines.

Overall, even though lines seem simple to many, they are used by architects in complex ways in order to convey a large variety of different components within a drawing or diagram that contribute to the building’s languag and purpose.

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e Ground Grid

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STRUCTURAL

STRUCTURE

Structure, in terms of architecture, is one of the fundemental concepts that ties architectural drawings and ideas to the real world. The structural integrity of a building is effected mainly by the force of gravity exerted on all parts of a structure’s components. if the force pushing back against gravity is not greater than the force of gravity relative to the weight of a component, the integrity of the building will give way eventually, which could cause a catostrophic failure.

While one aspect of structure is focused on the physical strength of a material to withstand varying amounts of pressure, structure also is focused on organization. When observing the structure of a building, whether an apartment complex, a home, a library, or any other building, the structure of the building will begin to seem organized in a repetitive manner. This repetitiveness, which exists mainly for an equal distribution of forces, can create a language that helps to compliment many other aspects of a building, such as its the intended purpose of the building. This makes structure an important concept to consider in the design process, as it will make or break a project.

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FACADE Facade is an architectural concept that refers to the fron face of a building. It is usually comprised of windows and an entrance. In architecture, the facae of a building is very important because its mostly the first part of a building that a viewer interacts with in terms of sight. The facade can be used in many ways to show different aspects and relationships of a building, and serve as a source of communication between the viewer and the building as to what the building’s use, intentions, and dialogue is meant to be. How other concepts such as light, symmetry, structure, etc exist within a building can be displayed from the outside of a building through the design of a building’s facade.

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MASS

Mass is yet another fundemental concept of architecture that lies at the root of understanding in the architectural world. Mass is very much related to geometry in that it focuses on the large forms that a building is comprised of. What makes mass different from geometry however is the focus on the arrangment of individual units of materials to create a monolithic form.

With mass, there is a focus on the volumes of materials coming together to create a much greater volume that transcends the form of the individual units. Within this understanding of mass, the volume created by the individual untis can create additive or subtractive masses.

With additive masses, a clear volumetric form can be observed and measured. Such additive forms can include a brick wall, stairs, or an enclosed space.

The opposite of this would be a subtractive mass.

This type focuses more on the volumatric spaces that remain empty or subtractive from a greater volume. While the exterior of a building would be an additive mass, the emptiness created from designing a lobby, a lounging area, or any large open area within a building would be considered subtractive masses. While they may not be so evident and are rather sometimes implied, they exist in practically any building. These types of masses play much into the meaning and language of a building.

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SPACE

Space is a concept that many are very familiar with. It is one concept that exists practically everywhere, but often times it is overlooked by many in terms of how it can be used to tell a story or to convey some sort of ideology.

In architecture, space plays a major role in how a building is designed. Depending on the purpose of the building, space may be adjusted in order to compliment the intended use of a building. Long narrow spaces such as hallways serve as the route people take to enter, exit, and move throughout a building. The size of this space very much effects the circulation of a building. The size of spaces in a building also helps to convey a sense of change from one are to another. Going from a small space to a large space could imply that there has been a change in the meaning of the area someone is in. A large open space may convey that the area is meant to be more public while a smaller space may be intended to be more private or serve a purpose where not as many people are meant to gather.

Space can also be used to show organization within a building. The way people enter spaces and throughout a building impacts how they perceive the building as a whole. A circular organization of space would be experienced very differently from a building where the spaces are arranged linearly or diagonly.

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VOID Void is an architectural concept that goes hand in hand with the concept of mass. Where mass focuses on how forms are effected by the addition or subtraction of volume, void focuses on how space is effected by the addition or subtraction of volume.

Typically, void refers to the empty, open spaces of a building that are created from adding or subtracting volume.

Voids can be very helpful in defining certain aspects of a building in terms of use, readability, or language. Creating a void can allow certain aspects, such as structure, organization, or detail to be exposed to the viewer in order for them to greater understand a building. This observation is what makes voids important in architecture if used correctly.

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MATERIALS

Materials is an architectural concept that many know to be what something is made of. While this is mostly right, there is more to the definition in terms of the importance of materials that many do not consider.

The materials in which something is made out of has a big impact on how a viewer interprets a building’s design. In the eye of a viewer, wooden structures can be seen as layed back and homey, while concrete structures may be seen as cold and bland, unless great effort is taken to make them ellaborate. Depending on the design of different structures and their intended uses, the materialty of the structure may be different. the materiality of housing is primarily different than the materiality of industrial buildings. The size of a structure may also impact the material that a building is built with.

Larger buildings, which would require a higher level of structural integrity, are usually made of stronger materials, such as concrete or steel. Smaller buildings, such as homes are usually made of material that isn’t so strong, since theyre relative size wouldnt call for the strongest materials, which are often more expensive. Ultimately, it is important to consider types of materials in regards to scale and to the purpose of a building. Different materials can often drastically change how viewers view a building.

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SCALE

Scale is a concept that has to deal alot with the size of an object, in this case a building. The scale of something, however cannot stand alone. in oder to the scale of something to be understood, there has to be something to reference. The surroundings of a building can often times be a good indicator of scale.

The size of the surrounding buildings can easily effect the way a building’s size compliments the meaning of the structure. If one purpose of a structure is to attract, a large scale design will be better suited as it will be easily viewed from farther distances.

The scale of a structure is dependent on the intended use of a building. Such places as libraries, for example, are meant to serve a larger amount of people than an average home would, so typically libraries are larger in scale than the average house.

Buildings that are constructed for fast food restuarant’s are much smaller than a football stadium mostly because the number of expected users of the building is way less than the number intended for a football stadium. This shows that the purpose of buildings play a big role in influencing the scale at which a building is built, and ultimately, scale is used as a way to reflect the importance, use, and visibility of a building.

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SURFACE

The concept of surface in architecture pertains to the physical materiality and form of a building. A surface, in architecture, serves mainly as a barrier between different spaces: interior and exterior, private and public.

From the outside, space is very much open.

Movement can go in any direction at any time.

When viewing a building from the outside, the surfaces surrounding and embodying the exterior of a building act like, as mentioned before, a barrier that can obstruct vision and movement. This creates an interesting relationship between it and a viewer where the surfaces of a building can either hide or display information.

A surface may also be used as a way to shelter or provide an amenity to a user. Depending on the use of a building and the intentions behind the environment both inside and outide of a building’s surfaces, the amenities that surfaces provide will vary greatly. For the most part, exterior surfaces can provide shelter from the weather, block sunlight or allow sunlight to enter into a building, encourage or discourage people from approaching a building, or divide public and private space.

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TR ANSFORMATION Transformation is an architectural concept that can impact the dialogue, language, circulation, and form of a building. In a general sense, transformation of a building involves a change in both form and meaning of a building.

When physical changes are made to a building, either after construction or during the design process, the language of the building and how the building is viewed changes as well. Adding or removing certain aspects of a building to allow a change in circulaion, vision, light intensity, or over all form, all impact the dialogue and use of a space.

In addition to the idea that physical transformations change the language of a building, changes that aren’t physically based can also change the way a building is seen. Such changes could include a change in overall use of the building. Certain aspects that carried a specific purpose in he previous use of a space can then carry a different significance when the purpose of a building is changed.

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ENVIRONMENTAL

CONTEXT

Context, although it is sometimes overlooked by many, is an important aspect of architectural design. Context involves the relationship between the building and its surrounding environment. If the design of a building and the area in which its built are not complimenting each other, many times, the building will feel out of place. For example, if a building that is primarily designed for the environment of the Midwestern United States is built on the coast, the building will not only stand out architecturally, but also in its functionality. On some ocassions, coastal areas can be prone to flooding, so a building that isnt designed with that in mind will contradict the surrounding context.

Context can also be used to fulfill a sort of narrative present in a building. Places such as museums can be built on historical areas in order to reflect the importance of its surroundings within the building itself. This narrative would not only be constrained to historical importance however. Contextual narratives can also help to convey the story that a user or designer of the building believes works in tandem with the design of the building. In the end, context is an important aspect of architecture because if the context of a building doesnt match with its design or its narrative, the significance of the build will be lost.

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PERSPECTIVE Perspective is an architectural concept that involves the visibility of a building as well as direction in which a viewer sees a building. The type of perspective that a viewer has of astructure changes how the language of a building is conveyed. What can be seen from one persective is not always the same as what is seen from another perspective. This can often make the experience of a building change dramatically and influence the overall meaning and significance a building holds in the minds of the viewers. Changes in perspective can often cause a sense of unfamiliarity within a building and create a new relationship between the architectural aspects encompassing structural forms.

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MOVEMENT

Movement is an architectural concept that relates to space and form. With the arrangement of different forms in the design of a building, a different kind of movement throughout a building can be created with each placement of a wall, room, hallway, stairway, or balcony. With this encompassing of geometric and spacial focus, movement and circulation can be used to influence the experience of a viewer within and around a building in several ways.

For the most part, movement can be used to tell the story of a building. By allowing individuals to move throughout a building a certain way, the narrative of a building, individual, or concept can be observed by the user. Places such as churches or cathedrals serve as a good example of creating a sort of movement that leads a viewer to a single focal point at the end of their large naves.

Movement can also be used to express other architectural concepts to a viewer as they move throughout a building. A change from continuous movement to inturrupted movement can serve as a way to enhance a viewers experience. The relationships created by the arrangement of different spaces within a building helps to push a cohesive movement and circulation that compliments other existing aspects of the building. From this, a greater understanding of the building can be read just by moving from one space to another.

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