Paul Vincent C.

Garcenila
Arch_1m_arc13
Create Pointers and reviewers for the reference book: Precedence of Architecture
From the analysis of the 104 buildings in the first section, patterns in the design
consideration of various architects were identified. Similarities in design approaches appeared
among many of the architects' works, independent of time, style, location, function, or type of
building. The similarities can be grouped into dominant themes or formative ideas which were
conceivably used in the generation of the building designs.
A formative idea is understood to be a concept that a designer can use to influence or
give form to a design. The ideas offer ways to organize decisions, provide order, and
consciously generate form. By engaging one formative idea instead of another, a designer
begins to determine the formal result and how it will differ from other con-figurations. The use of
different ordering ideas may generate different results.
Presented in this section of the book is a series of connections among architects'
designs organized by the formative idea. Each concept is defined and explored through the
presentation of generic manifestations of the idea. The written description is followed by a set of
diagrams that exemplify some, but not all, of the generic alternatives. The inventory is not
exhaustive: every idea is not explored, nor is every example included. Generally, diagrams
developed in the analysis section are supplemented with other examples to illuminate a
formative idea. Diagrams were selected that best illustrate the idea, show a variety of
manifestations, and represent the widest range of building types from the broadest time frame.
Analysis
The buildings are the designs of 31 architects. Each building is recorded on two adjacent
pages; the left-hand page documents the building with its name, date, and location as well as
drawings of the site plan, floor plans, elevations, and sections; illustrated on the right-hand page
is a series of eleven analysis diagrams and the parts diagram which culminates and
summarizes the analysis for the building. A major concern of the analysis is to investigate the
formal and spatial characteristics of each work in such a way that the building part can be
understood. From the analysis and the resulting parti for each building, similarities and
differences among the designs can be identified. The issues selected for the analysis are
structure; natural light; massing; and the relationships of a plan to section, circulation to use-
space, unit to the whole, and repetitive to unique.
Massing
As a design issue, massing constitutes the perceptually dominant or most commonly
encountered three-dimensional configuration of a building. Massing is more than the silhouette
or elevation of a building. It is the perceptual image of the building as a totality. Viewed as a
design idea, massing may be considered relative to concepts of context, collections, and
patterns of units, single and multiple masses, and primary and secondary elements. Massing
has the potential to define and articulate exterior spaces, accommodate sites, identify
entrances, express circulation, and emphasize the importance of architecture.
Circulation to use-space
Use-space is the primary focus of architectural decision-making relative to function, and
circulation is how to design effort is engaged. Since circulation determines how a person
experiences a building, it can be the vehicle for understanding issues like structure, natural light,
unit definition, repetitive and unique elements, geometry, balance, and hierarchy. The
relationship between circulation and use-space can also indicate the conditions of privacy and
connection.
Structure
Columns, walls, and beams can be thought of in terms of the concepts of frequency,
pattern, simplicity, regularity, randomness, and complexity. As such, the structure can be used
to define space, create units, articulate circulation, suggest movement, or develop composition
and modulations. This analysis has the potential to reinforce the issues of natural light, unit to
whole relationships, and geometry can also strengthen the relationship of circulation to use-
space.
Plan to section or elevation
The relationship of the plan, section, and elevation to vertical information may result from
decisions made about other issues. The plan can be the device to organize activities and can,
therefore, be viewed as the generator of form. It is possible for the plan to relate to the section
or elevation at several scales: a room, apart, or the whole building.
Symmetry and balance
The concepts of symmetry and balance have been in use since the beginning of
architecture. As a fundamental issue of composition, balance in architecture occurs through the
use of spatial or formal components. Balance is the state of perceptual or conceptual
equilibrium. Symmetry is a special reform of balance. The equivalency is determined by the
perception of identifiable attributes within the parts. Whereas balance is developed through
differences in attributes, symmetry exists when the same unit occurs on both sides of the
balance line. Both symmetry and balance can exist at the building, component, or room level.
As scales change, a distinction is made between overall and local symmetry or balance.
Consideration of size, orientation, location, articulation, configuration, and value is involved in its
use as a formative idea. Balance and symmetry may have an impact on all of the other analysis
issues.
Geometry
In this issue, grids are identified as being developed from the repetition of the basic
geometries through multiplication, combination, subdivision, and manipulation. As a focus of this
analysis, it centers on the concepts of size, location, shape, form, and proportion. It also
concentrates on the consistent changes in geometry and form languages that result from the
manipulation of basic geometric configurations
Repetitive to unique
The relationship of repetitive to unique elements entails the exploration of spatial and
formal components for attributes that render these components as multiple or singular entities.
This distinction is made through the common reference frame of the class or kind. In this
context, components are determined to be repetitive or unique through the absence or presence
of attributes such as size, orientation, location, shape, configuration, color, material, and texture.
Natural light
Natural light focuses on how, and the locations where daylight enters a building. Light is
a vehicle for the rendering of form and space, and the quantity, quality, and color of light affect
the perceptions of mass and volume. Natural light may be the consequence of design decisions
made about the elevation and section of a building. Daylight can be considered in terms of
qualitative differences which result from filtering, screening, and reflecting. The light which
enters a space from the side, after modification by a screen, is different from the light which
enters directly overhead.
Additive and subtractive
Both additive and subtractive are considerations of the processes of adding,
aggregating, and subtracting built form to create architecture. Additive, when used to generate
built form, renders the parts of the building as dominant. Subtractive, when utilized in designing,
results in a building in which the whole is dominant. Richness can occur when both ideas are
employed simultaneously to develop a built form.