UNIT 2: FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCHITECTURE

Lesson 2.1 AR 110

Fundamentals of
Architecture AR. KATRINA A. BENITO
AR. JULIANNE DE LA PAZ
UNIT 2
FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCHITECTURE

Interpret Form, Space, Order into a

design.

Recognize the use of the different design

elements and principles, and effectively
apply these as a design solution to an
architectural space.
Why are Form, Space, and Order
important in Architecture?
UNIT 2: FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCHITECTURE: FORM, SPACE, ORDER
(Source: Ching, F., Architecture: Form, Space and Order, Ching, F., Introduction to Architecture,)
 SPACE, FORM, ORDER
Compositionally, architecture can be understood as a mass/void relationship. In
thinking of architecture in this way, the void is area that can be inhabited—
space. The mass is occupied by the physical
presence of the building—form.
 Form
Form refers to the physical
character of architecture. It
defines the limits of space and
determines ways it might
be inhabited

Oxygen Park by AECOM, Doha, Qatar

 FORM
mass occupied by the physical presence
defines the limits of space and determines ways it might be inhabited.
 Characteristics of Form
form suggests reference to both internal structure and external outline and the
principle that gives unity to the whole.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FORM
Shape

Size

Color

Texture

Position

Orientation

Visual Inertia
CURVED SURFACES
Cylindrical surfaces
Translational surfaces
Ruled surfaces
Rotational surfaces
Paraboloids
Hyperbolic paraboloids
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los
Angeles, California, (1987–
2003, Frank O. Gehry & Partners) is
an example of a building with
asymmetric curved surfaces. The
surfaces can be more vigorous and
expressive in nature. Their shapes
change dramatically as we view
them from different perspectives.
TRANSFORMATION
Additive Transformation

Subtractive Transformation

Dimensional Transformation
Il Redentore, Venice, 1577–1592, Andrea Palladio; Gwathmey Residence, Amagansett, New York, 1967, Charles Gwathmey/Gwathmey Siegel;Unité
d’Habitation, Firminy-Vert, France, 1963–1968, Le Corbusier

Transformation
Additive transformation of a parent form by the attachment of subordinate parts; Subtractive
transformation creating volumes of space; Dimensional transformation of a cube into a vertical
slab.
 Space
In architecture space is also
carefully configured to house
various functions—it provides
purpose to a building. This
describes the program of
architecture, and it is the
responsibility of the architect to
configure spaces to
accommodate the functions of a
building.

Oxygen Park by AECOM, Doha, Qatar

 SPACE
is the void between forms.
THE FUNCTION OF A SPACE IS FACILITATED BY VARIABLES
THAT CAN BE MANIPULATED BY THE ARCHITECT:

The size and proportion of a space determine the functions it can and cannot house.

Its organization relative to other spaces in a building determines the degree of

access and relationships to other functions in the building.

Materials, proportion, light, and temperature determine the way the space is
perceived and can be used to encourage an occupant to behave in one way or
another.
SPACE IS DEFINED AND
CONTAINED BY FORM
Architecture is an environment that is
experienced by its inhabitants. The
architect manufactures this experience.
It is a direct result of design.
 FORM
is manipulated to determine its characteristics:

organizational

programmatic

experiential
Space & Form
Space is an inherently formless vapor. Its visual form, its dimensions and scale, the quality of its
light—all of these qualities depend on our perception of the spatial boundaries defined by
elements of form.
Unity of Opposites
Figures and their background are more than opposing elements. Together, they form an
inseparable reality—a unity of opposites—just as the elements of form and space together
form the reality of architecture.
Architectural Form
Architectural form occurs at the juncture between mass and space. In executing and reading
design drawings, we should be concerned with both the form of the mass containing a volume
of space and the form of the spatial volume itself.
Relationship of the Forms of mass and space
we should be concerned not only with the form of a building but also with its impact on the
space around it.
Relationship of the Forms of mass and space
we should be concerned not only with the form of a building but also with its impact on the
space around it.
 Form-Defining Space
Any three dimensional form naturally articulates the volume of space
surrounding it and generates a field of influence or territory, which it claims as its
own.
HORIZONTAL ELEMENTS
Fatehpur Sikri, palace complex of
Akbar the Great, Mogul emperor of
India, 1569–1574.

A special place is established by a

platform in an artificial lake
surrounded by the emperor’s living
and sleeping quarters.
Valhalla, near Regensburg,
Germany, (Leon von Klenze, 1830–
1842) illustrates how elevation of
buildings on a plane are used to
venerate sacred and honorific
buildings.
VERTICAL ELEMENTS
Vertical linear elements define the
perpendicular edges of a volume of
space.
Cloister and Salle des Chevaliers,
Mont S. Michel, France, 1203–
1228
PARALLEL VERTICAL PLANES
A pair of parallel vertical planes defines a
field of space between them.
OPENINGS
No spatial or visual continuity is possible
with adjacent spaces without openings in
the enclosing planes of a spatial field.
OPENINGS WITHIN PLANES
An opening can be located wholly within a wall or ceiling plane and be surrounded on
all sides by the surface of the plane
Chapel space, Notre Dame Du Haut, Ronchamp,
France, 1950–1955, Le Corbusier
OPENINGS AT CORNERS
Openings that are located at corners
give a space and the planes in which
they are located a diagonal orientation.
OPENINGS BETWEEN PLANES
An opening can extend vertically between
the floor and ceiling planes or horizontally
between two wall planes.
Living room, Samuel Freeman House, Los Angeles,
California, 1924, Frank Lloyd Wright
 Qualities of Architectural Space
The spatial qualities of form, proportion, scale, texture, light, and sound
ultimately depend on the properties of the enclosure of a space. Our perception
of these qualities is often a response to the combined effects of the properties
encountered and is conditioned by culture, prior experiences, and personal
interest or inclination.
Bedroom in the Brick House, New
Canaan, Connecticut, 1949, Philip
Johnson
DEGREE OF ENCLOSURE
The degree of enclosure of a space, as determined by the configuration of its defining
elements and the pattern of its openings, has a significant impact on our perception
of its form and orientation.
LIGHT
The location of an opening affects
the manner in which natural light
enters a room and illuminates its
forms and surfaces.
VIEW
Another quality of space that must be
considered in establishing openings in the
enclosure of a room is its focus and orientation.
 Order
The various spaces and
functions of a building are
related to one another
through principles of
organization and ordering.

These fundamental
considerations for order of
architectural design produce
buildings that make sense—a
building that is understood
intuitively as one enters it.

National Assembly Building, Capitol Complex at Dacca, Bangladesh,

begun 1962, Louis Kahn
 Organization of Form & Space
Few buildings consist of a solitary space. They are normally
composed of a number of spaces which are related to one another by
function, proximity, or a path of movement. Two spaces may be related to each
other in several fundamental ways.
The British Museum,
London, an example
of a space within a
space.
Plan for St. Peter (Second
Version), Rome, 1506–1520,
Donato Bramante & Baldassare
Peruzzi; Pilgrimage Church,
Vierzehnheiligen, Germany,
1744–1772, Balthasar
Neumann; Villa at Carthage,
Tunisia, 1928, Le Corbusier
show interlocking spaces
Caplin House, Venice,
California, 1979, Frederick
Fisher; Palazzo Piccolomini,
Pienza, Italy, c. 1460,
Bernardo Rosselino; One-half
house (Project), 1966, John
Hejduk show spaces linked by a
common space.
 Spatial Organizations
The manner in which spaces are arranged can clarify their relative importance
and functional or symbolic role in the organization of a building.
SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR A TYPICAL BUILDING PROGRAM
Have specific functions or require specific forms
Are flexible in use and can be freely manipulated
Are singular and unique in their function or significance to the building organization
Have similar functions and can be grouped into a functional cluster or repeated in a linear
sequence
Require exterior exposure for light, ventilation, outlook, or access to outdoor spaces
Must be segregated for privacy
Must be easily accessible
EXAMPLES OF THESE SPACE SHOULD BE STUDIED IN TERMS OF:
What kinds of spaces are accommodated and where? How are they defined?
What kinds of relationships are established among the spaces, one to another, and to the
exterior environment?
Where can the organization be entered, and what configuration does the path of
circulation have?
What is the exterior form of the organization, and how might it respond to its context?
CENTRALIZED ORGANIZATION
A centralized organization is a stable, concentrated composition that
consists of a number of secondary spaces grouped around a large, dominant, central
space.
LINEAR ORGANIZATION
A linear organization consists essentially of a series of spaces. These
spaces can either be directly related to one another or be linked through
a separate and distinct linear space.
Moabit Prison, Berlin, 1869–
1879, August Busse and
Heinrich Herrmann is an
example of Radial Planning
CLUSTERED ORGANIZATION
Because its pattern does not originate from
a rigid geometrical concept, the form of a
clustered organization is flexible and
can accept growth and change readily
without affecting its character.
Eric Boissonas House I, New
Canaan, Connecticut,
1956, Philip Johnson, shows a
plan on a grid of columns.
 Circulation Governed by
Organization
The manner in which movement is directed by the organization of spaces.
 Ordering Principles
“Order” refers not simply to geometric regularity, but rather to a condition in
which each part of a whole is properly disposed with reference to other parts and
to its purpose so as to produce a harmonious arrangement.
 Coursework 2
Consultation/Queries

Up Next
Coursework 3
UNIT 2: ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES
OF DESIGN Check Google Classroom

1. Lesson 2.2: Elements of Design

2. Lesson 2.3: Principles of Design Other Matters

Groupings/Teams, Class Picture