4 minute read
EDGES AND BOUNDARIES
Sai A. Pradhan l L. S. Raheja School of Architecture Traversing Through Architecture
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(Nagel, 1998)
FIGURE 31: PERMEABILITY OF SPACES (IMAGE SOURCEARCHDAILY)
Sai A. Pradhan l L. S. Raheja School of Architecture Traversing Through Architecture
The built form often separates the exteriors from the interiors, the public and the private spaces and thereby offers a sense of boundaries from place to place. (Graves) These separations, also called as boundaries or edges, help us understand our individual realms and regulate the flow of people and their movement to and from a space. They are linear elements that help separate two domains or entities. (Desai, 2018) The building edge or the plot boundary are some of the examples that aid in the segregation of spaces.
One of the classifications of edges is based on the type of domains. A legal edge separates the public and the private domain by a plot boundary whereas the social edge ascertains the area up to which the public can access the space. The built edge segregates the different domains and therefore demarcates the extent of the building. (Desai, 2018)
However, in order to establish a relationship between the users and the various spaces, the spaces should respond to each other and create a sense of place. Permeability is thus one of the most crucial factors while designing a structure. When various spaces interact with each other and form a cohesive design, it enables the user to relate better with the built form. Therefore, along with the built boundaries, the porosity of the building edge is equally important.
Permeability is an embedded quality of architecture and uses accessibility (physical permeability) and visibility (visual permeability) as two crucial elements to measure the porosity of a space. Accessibility of a space can be measured by noting the ease of accessibility into a space. An empty space is considered as one of the most permeable spaces. However, as we try to define a space further, the level of permeability keeps diminishing. Visibility is the amount of visual access into a space from another space or the access into a space through visual contact. It allows the perception of different locations simultaneously. (Ephes, 2005-2006)
Sai A. Pradhan l L. S. Raheja School of Architecture Traversing Through Architecture
The amount of permeability depends on the activities and use of the spaces. The privacy, safety, amount of participation is some of the factors that determine the porosity of the edges. With accessibility and visibility as the key factors, edges can be further classified into:
FIGURE 32: (GONZÁLEZ, 2018)
Transparent Edges: These edges allow visual permeability but are physically impermeable. The window fronts for shops in the mixed-use developments, passages, etc. are transparent edges. They create a sense of curiosity and surprise for the users by framing or giving a glimpse of the spaces but restricting the access from the same façade. This increases the visual interaction between the users and the built form while still maintaining the physical impermeability. Opaque Edges: They lack the presence of voids which restrict the visual and physical permeability into the space. They help to maintain the privacy and security of the spaces. However, if these edges are not implemented appropriately, they can create redundant spaces often getting used as parking spaces. Various museums have such opaque building edges to maintain the spatial quality of the interior spaces. Virasat-e-khalsa, Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind, etc are a few examples of opaque edges.
FIGURE 33: INCREASED VISUAL TRANSPARENCY BETWEEN SPACES (IMAGE SOURCE- PINTEREST)
Sai A. Pradhan l L. S. Raheja School of Architecture Traversing Through Architecture
FIGURE 34: PERMEABLE EDGES (IMAGE SOURCEAUTHOR) Permeable Edges: These edges possess accessibility and visibility while still being able to maintain the identity of the individual spaces. Bazaars, plazas, lobby areas, street shops, etc. are permeable edges that keep the user engaged with the surrounding spaces.
The context of the edge plays an important role in evaluating the edge quality. It should enhance the spatial quality of the spaces and produce positive results. When the edge stops responding to the context, it hampers the interaction between the spaces and their boundaries and loses its role of a binder.
One of the most permeable layers is a void which can be used to separate spaces while still maintaining the spatial quality of the surrounding spaces. It is widely used in contemporary architecture as a spatial definition as it allows vertical and physical permeability as well. However, a balance needs to be maintained between the edges and voids and the porosity of the edges. An interaction between the edges is necessary but not at the cost of the spatial quality of the individual spaces.
