THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE

Alwin S. Calig | Midterm Reviewer

➔ Vertical linear elements are used to

Topic Outline: commemorate significant points – i.e.
● Primary Elements columns, obelisks, towers
● Form
● Form & Space PLANE
● Organizations
- line extended in a direction other than its
● Circulation
● Proportion & Scale intrinsic direction
- Shape is the primary identifying
characteristic of a plane which is
PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF FORM
determined by the contour of the edges
- the true shape of a plane can only be
● Each element is first considered as a
viewed frontally.
conceptual element, then becomes a visual
- It serves to define the limits or boundaries of
element in architectural design.
a volume
Prime generators of forms are:
➔ Supplementary properties of a plane:
● Point - indicates a position in space
surface color, pattern, and texture (which
● Line - with length, direction and
affects the visual weight and stability)
position
➔ the three generic types of planes in
● Plane - with length, width, shape,
architecture: overhead plane, wall plane,
surface, orientation, and position
and base plane
● Volume - with length, width and
depth, form and space, surface,
VOLUME
orientation, position
- plane extended in direction other than its
intrinsic direction
POINT
- consisting of points or vertices, lines or
- can be stable (centered) or aggressive (off-
edges, and planes or surfaces
center) which creates visual tension
- can be solid that has a mass or a void
LINE
- described by two points connected ➔ NOTE: Form is the primary identifying
- can be considered as a segment of a longer characteristic of a volume
path ➔ Plan and section - spaces defined by wall,
- can suggest an axis floor, and ceiling or roof planes
- can describe direction, movement or growth ➔ Elevation - space displayed by the mass of
- can have different qualities a building
- The configuration of linear elements can
FORM
define planes which can also define a
space.
● the formal structure of a work (in art and
design)
➔ NOTE: an axis is an ordering device to
● the manner of arranging and coordinating
organize building forms and spaces
the elements and parts of a composition so
as to produce a coherent image

ZANDY JUNIO | 1
 ● it suggests reference to both internal also determines the reflectance or
structure and external outline and the absorption of light
principle that gives unity to the whole
The relational properties of form (which govern the
The visual properties of form include: pattern and composition of elements)
● Shape - the characteristic outline or ● Position - location of form relative to
surface configuration of a particular environment or the visual field
form, a principal aspect in identifying ● Orientation - direction of form
and categorizing forms relative to the ground plane,
- perception of shape depends compass points, other forms or the
on the visual contrast of the person viewing it
figure ground and ● Visual Inertia - degree of
background concentration and stability of a form
- we attribute shapes to which depends on its geometry and
different architectural orientation
elements such as floors,
walls, ceilings, window SURFACES
openings, silhouettes, and - Any figure with two dimensions and can
building forms also refer curved two-dimensional surfaces
○ The primary shapes are that defines the boundary of a 3D solid (i.e.
circle, triangle, and square curved surface of a cylinder)
■ Circle - centralized, - Curved surfaces have fluid quality, can be
introverted figure, symmetrical or asymmetrical
normally stable and
self-centering Curve surfaces include:
■ Trangle - signifies ● Cylindrical surfaces - generated by
stability; stable on its sliding a straight line along a plane
side, dynamic on its curve or vice versa
corners - also regarded a
■ Square - represents translational or ruled
pure and the rational , surface.
bilaterally ○ Translational surfaces -
symmetrical figure generated by sliding a plane
with two equal and curve along a straight line or
perpendicular axes over another plane curve
● Size - determined by the physical ○ Ruled surfaces - generated
dimensions which also determinine by the motion of a straight
the proportion line; easier to construct
● Scale - determined by size relative ○ Rotational surfaces -
to other forms in its context generated by rotating a plane
● Color - phenomenon of light and curve about an axis (i.e.
visual perception, most clearly sphere)
distinguishes the form from its ● Paraboloid surfaces - contains
background and also affect the planar intersections that are either
visual weight parabolas and ellipses or parabolas
● Texture - visual and tactile quality and hyperbolas
due to the surface configuration,

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○ Parabolas - plane curves
generated by a moving point
that remains equidistant from
a fixed line and a fixed point
not on the line
○ Hyperbolas - plane curves
formed by the intersection of
a right circular cone with a
plane that cuts both halves of
the cone
○ Hyperbolic paraboloid
surfaces - generated by
sliding a parabola with
downward curvature along a
parabola with upward
curvature or by sliding a
straight line segment with its
ends on two skew lines
- also considered as
both translational and
ruled surface
○ Saddle surfaces - with
upward curvature in one
direction and downward on
perpendicular direction;
basically a double curved
surface
○ Shell structure - a structural
system that uses double
curved surfaces and usually
made of thin, plates of
reinforced concrete. It
transmits forces by
compressive, tensile and
shear stresses acting in the
plane of the curved surfaces
○ Gridshell structure -
pioneered by Russian
engineer Vladimir Shukhov
which also rely on double
curved geometry but made of
grid or lattice. It also relies on
computer modelling
programs for irregular curved
surfaces
SURFACES