PROPORTION AND SCALE

THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1
PROPORTION

Proportion 
 is the relationship of two or more elements in a design and how
they compare with one another. 
 Proportion is said to be harmonious when a correct relationship
exists between the elements with respect to size or quantity.
 Good proportion adds harmony, symmetry, or balance among the
parts of a design.
 PROPORTIONING SYSTEM

Theories of Proportion:
 Golden Section
 Classical Orders
 Modulor
 Ken
 Anthropometry
 Scale
Golden Section

 Mathematical systems of proportion originate from the Pythagorean concept

of “all is number” and the belief that certain numerical relationships manifest
the harmonic structure of the universe.
 One of these relationships that has been in use ever since the days of antiquity is
the proportion known as the Golden Section
Golden Section

Another progression that closely approximates the Golden Section in whole

numbers is the Fibonacci Series: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13….

Each term again is the sum of the two preceding ones, and the ratio
between two consecutive terms tends to approximate the Golden
Section as the series progresses to infinity.
Golden Section
Golden Section
Classical Orders

To the Greeks and Romans of classical antiquity, the Orders represented in their proportioning
of elements the perfect expression of beauty and harmony. The basic unit of dimension was
the diameter of the column. From this module were derived the dimensions of the shaft, the
capital, as well as the pedestal below and the entablature above, down to the smallest detail.

Intercolumniation—the system of spacing between columns—was also based on the

diameter of the column.
Classical Orders

The 5 Classical Orders:

Tuscan

Doric

Ionic

Corinthian

Composite
 1¾D
Classical Orders
½D

Tuscan

6D

½D
 2D
Classical Orders
½D

Doric

7D

½D
Classical Orders 2 1/4 D

½D

Ionic

8 1/3 D

½D
 2 1/2 D
Classical Orders
7/6 D

Corinthian

8 1/3 D

½D
 2 1/2 D
Classical Orders
7/6 D

Composite

8 1/3 D

½D
 Classical Orders

INTERCOLUMNATION

Pycnostyle = 1.5 D
 Classical Orders

INTERCOLUMNATION

Systyle = 2 D
Classical Orders

INTERCOLUMNATION

Eustyle = 2.25 D
 Classical Orders

INTERCOLUMNATION

Diastyle = 3 D
 Classical Orders

INTERCOLUMNATION

Araeostyle = 4 D
Modulor

 Le Corbusier developed his proportioning system, the Modulor, to order “the

dimensions of that which contains and that which is contained.”
 He therefore based his measuring tool, the Modulor, on both mathematics (the
aesthetic dimensions of the Golden Section and the Fibonacci Series), and the
proportions of the human body (functional
dimensions).
Modulor

Le Corbusier began his study in 1942, and published The Modulor: A

Harmonious Measure to the Human Scale Universally Applicable to Architecture
and Mechanics in 1948. A second volume, Modulor II, was published in 1954
 Modulor
226
43
183
140
70 70
226 113

113 113
86

The basic grid consists of three measures, 113, 70, and 43

centimeters, proportioned according to the Golden Section
Modulor
Modulor 226

183
16+27
140
113 27
86 27 86
70
16
43 27
27 16

113, 183, and 226 define the space occupied by the human figure. From 113 and 226, Le Corbusier
developed the Red and Blue series, diminishing scales of dimensions that were related to the stature
of the human figure
Modulor

The principal work of Le Corbusier that

exemplified the use of the Modulor was his
Unité d’Habitation at Marseilles. It uses 15
measures of the Modulor to bring human scale
to a building that is 140 meters long, 24
meters wide, and 70 meters high
Ken

The traditional Japanese unit of measure, the shaku, was originally imported
from China. It is almost equivalent to the English foot and divisible into decimal
units.
 Ken

The ken, however, was not only a

measurement for the construction of buildings. It
evolved into an aesthetic
module that ordered the structure, materials, and
space of Japanese architecture.
 Ken Tokonoma
Shelves
Elevation
The tokonoma is a shallow, slightly raised
alcove for the display of a kakemono or flower
arrangement. As the spiritual center of a 1 ken
traditional Japanese house, the
tokonoma is located in its most formal room

.5 ken
Tokonoma Shelves

Study area

1 ken
Reception

Partial Plan
Ken

Tokonoma
 3-mat Room

4-mat Room
Ken
4.5-mat Room

Two methods of designing with the ken modular grid

developed that affected its dimension.
6-mat Room
 Inakama method, the ken grid of 6 shaku
determined the center-to-center spacing of columns.
Therefore, the standard tatami floor mat (3 x 6 shaku
or 0.5 x 1 ken) varied slightly to allow for the
8-mat Room
thickness of the columns.

10-mat Room
 3-mat Room

4-mat Room
Ken
4.5-mat Room
Two methods of designing with the ken modular grid
developed that affected its dimension.
 Kyo-ma method, the floor mat remained constant 6-mat Room
(3.15 x 6.30 shaku) and the column spacing (ken
module) varied according to the size of the room and
ranged from 6.4 to 6.7 shaku
8-mat Room

10-mat Room
 Ken

Because of their 1:2 modularity, the

floor mats can be arranged in a number of
ways for any given room
size.
And for each room size, a different
ceiling height is established according to
number of mats x 0.3
SCALE

Urban scale when we refer to the size of a project in the context of a city

Neighborhood scale when we judge a building appropriate to its locale within a city

Street scale when we note the relative sizes of elements fronting a roadway
 SCALE

At the scale of a building, all elements, no matter how plain or unimportant they may be, have a certain size. Its
dimensions may be predetermined by the manufacturer, or they may be selected by the designer from a range of
choices. Nevertheless, we perceive the size of each element in relation to other parts
or to the whole of a composition
SCALE

MECHANICAL SCALE: the size or proportion of something relative

to an accepted standard of measurement

VISUAL SCALE: the size or proportion an element appears to

have relative to other elements of known or assumed size
 2 TYPES OF SCALE IN ARCHITECTURE

1. GENERIC SCALE -the size of a

building element relative to other forms
in its context.

(three windows indicate three stories, the small

window indicate a small room inside).
 2 TYPES OF SCALE IN ARCHITECTURE

2. HUMAN SCALE-the size of a building

element or space relative to the dimensions
and proportions) of the human body
LABORATORY WORK PL-FN 01

EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING PROPORTIONING SYSTEMS:

 GOLDEN SECTION (ARCHITECTURE)
 CLASSICAL ORDERS
 KEN

Due: February 28,2020 5:30 pm

Use: ½ cartolina