Principles of design

Principles of design with a detailed idea on proportion

1. Principles of Design
Ar.Swetha.K
Associate Professor
Nehru college Of Architecture, Palakkad

2. Principles of design
Exploration of the basic principles of design such as
–Proportion
–Scale
–Balance
–Rhythm
–Symmetry
–Hierarchy
–Axis

3. Proportion
Refers to proper or harmonious
relation of one part to another or to
the whole.
--Material
--Structural
--Manufactured
–Material
–havedistinctpropertiesofelasticity,hardness&durability-
havestrengthwhichtheycannotextendthemselveswithout
fracturing,breakingorcollapsing.
–Eg:4”thick&8’longstoneslabsupportsitselfandactsas
bridgeb/w2supports.Ifitssizeisscaledto4timesit
collapsesunderitsownweight.
–Materialshaverationalproportionsdictatedbytheirinherent
strenghts&weakness.
–Steel–strong-compression&tension-columns,beams&
planarsheetmaterials.
–Wood–flexiblefairlyelastic-linearposts&beams,planar
boards,volumetricelementinlogcabinconstruction.
Ashtabula bridge disaster
Possible fatigue failure of cast iron element
TarrSteps in Exmoor, a 3,000-year-
old iconic clapper bridge

5. –Structural
–Structuralelements-spanspaces&transmittheir
loadsthroughverticalsupportstofoundation
systems.
–Size&proportiondirectlyrelatedtothestructural
tasks.
–Beams-transmitloadshorizontallyacrossspace
totheirverticalsupports.Spanorloadincreases
beamcollapses,depthincreasedstrengthwill
increase4times.
–Columns-thickerastheirloads&unsupported
heightincrease.
Proportion
Refers to proper or harmonious relation
of one part to another or to the whole.
--Material
--Structural
--Manufactured
steel crown hall, Illinois Institute of
Technology, Chicago MiesVan der rohe
Schwartz
house, two
rivers,
Wisconsin,
F.L. Wright

6. –Manufactured
–Architecturalelementsaresized&
proportionednotonlyaccordingto
structuralproperties&functionbutby
processthroughwhichtheyare
manufactured.
–Massproducedinfactories-have
standardsizes&proportionsimposed
byindividualmanufacturersor
industrystandards.
–Eg:concreteblock&modularbrick,
steelsections,standarddoor&
windowunitsareproducedas
Proportion
Refers to proper or harmonious
relation of one part to another or to
the whole.
--Material
--Structural
--Manufactured

7. –Theoriesofproportion
–Goldensection
–Classicalorders
–Renaissancetheories
–Modulor
–Ken
–Anthropometry
–Scale
Proportioningsystems
gobeyondthefunctional&
technicaldeterminantsof
architecturalform&spaceto
provideanaestheticrationale
fortheirdimensions.

8. –Typesofproportion
–Arithmetic-c-b/b-a=c/c(
1,2,3)
–Geometric-c-b/b-a=c/b
(1,2,4)
–Harmonic-c-b/b-a=c/a
(2,3,6)
Proportioningsystems
gobeyondthefunctional&
technicaldeterminantsof
architecturalform&spaceto
provideanaestheticrationale
fortheirdimensions.
a b c
a
b
c

9. Goldensection
Definedastheratiobetween2sectionsofaline,or
the2dimensionsofaplanefigure,inwhichthe
lesserofthetwoistothegreaterasthegreateras
thegreateristhesumofboth.Itcanbeexpressed
algebraicallybytheequationof2ratios.
a/b=b/a+b

10. Goldensection
Definedastheratiobetween2sectionsofaline,or
the2dimensionsofaplanefigure,inwhichthe
lesserofthetwoistothegreaterasthegreateras
thegreateristhesumofboth.Itcanbeexpressed
algebraicallybytheequationof2ratios.
a/b=b/a+b

11. Goldensection
Definedastheratiobetween2sectionsofaline,orthe2dimensionsofaplanefigure,in
whichthelesserofthetwoistothegreaterasthegreaterasthegreateristhesumofboth.
Itcanbeexpressedalgebraicallybytheequationof2ratios.

13. -Classical orders
•toGreeks&Romansofclassicalantiquity,theordersrepresentedtheir
proportioningofelementstheperfectexpressionofbeauty&harmony.
•Thebasicunitofdimensionwasthediameterofthecolumn,fromthismodulewere
derivedthedimensionsoftheshaft,thecapital,aswellasthepedestalbelow&the
entablatureabove,downtothesmallestdetail.

14. –Classicalorders

15. –Classical
orders

16. –Classicalorders

17. –TherenaissancearchitectsappliedPythagorastheoremtogetseriesofratiosmanifested
indimensionsofroomorafaçade&insequenceofspaces&anaentireplan.
–7idealplanshapesforrooms:AndreaPalladioinhis“thefourbooksonArchitecture
proposedthe7mostbeautiful&proportionablemannersofrooms-circle,square,1:√2,
3:4,2:3,3:5&1:2.
–DeterminingtheHeightsofroom:Palladioproposedseveralmethodsfordetermining
theheightofaroom.Theheightofroomswithflatceilingswouldbeequaltotheirwidth.
Heightofsquareroomswithvaultedceilingswouldbe1/3
rd
greaterthanthewidth.For
otherroomsPalladiousedPythagorastheoryofmeantodeterminetheirheights
Renaissancetheories
Thearchitectsofrenaissance,believingthattheir
buildingshadtobelongtohigherorder,returnedto
theGreekmathematicalsystemofproportions.
a
b
c
Arithmetic-c-b/b-a=c/c(eg..1,2,3)
Geometric-c-b/b-a=c/b(eg..1,2,4)
Harmonic-c-b/b-a=c/a(eg..2,3,6)
Ineachcase,theheightofaroomisequaltothemean(b)betweentheextremesofthewidth(a)&
length(c)oftheroom

18. Modulor
–LeCorbusierdevelopedhisproportioning
system,Themodular,Toorder”the
dimensionsofthatwhichcontains&that
whichiscontained”
–Hebasedhismeasuringtool,themodular,on
bothmathematics&theproportionsofthe
humanbody.
–Red&blueseries,diminishingscalesof
dimensionswererelatedtothestatureofthe
humanfigure.

19. ThebasicGridconsistsof3
measures113,70&43
centimeters,proportioned
accordingtothegolden
section.
43+70=113
113+70=183
113+70+43=226(2X113)
113,183&226definethe
spaceoccupiedbythehuman
figure.

20. –Ken-isatraditionalJapaneseunitoflength,
equaltosixJapanesefeet(shaku).Theexact
valuehasvariedovertimeandlocationbut
hasgenerallybeenalittleshorterthan2
meters(6ft7in).Itisnowstandardizedas1
9/11meter.
–usedasaproportionfortheintervals
betweenthepillarsoftraditional-style
buildings
–Thelengthalsoappearsinothercontexts,
suchasthestandardlengthofthebōstaffin
Japanesemartialartsandthestandard
dimensionsofthetatamimats.
–Astheseareusedtocoverthefloorsofmost
Japanesehouses,floorsurfacesarestill
Proportioning systems
gobeyondthefunctional&technicaldeterminants
ofarchitecturalform&spacetoprovidean
aestheticrationalefortheirdimensions.
-Ken

21. Anthropometry
–Referstothemeasurementofthe
size&proportionsofthehuman
body.
–mereguidelineswhichshouldbe
modifiedtosatisfyspecificuser
needs,whichchangesbasedon
gender,age&racialgroups,even
fromoneindividualtothenext.
–Thedimensions&proportionsofthe
humanbodyaffecttheproportions
ofthingswhichwehandle,the
height&distantofthingswetryto
reach,&thedimensionsofthe
furnishingsweuseforsitting,
working,eating&sleeping.

22. scale
–Referstosizeofsomethingrelativetosome
knownstandardorrecognizedconstant.
–Mechanicalscale:calculationofobjects
physicalsizeaccordingtostandard
systemofmeasurement
–Visual/humanscale:referstodifference
foundwhenoneobjectscomparedto
othersvisually
–Monumentalscale:feelingofsmallness
whenwecompareourselvestoaexterior
orinteriorspace

23. balance
–Stabilityofanarrangement
–Arrangementappearssecureandstable
–Balancemustbebothvisualandactual
–visualbalancereferstothewayanarrangementappearstotheeye.
–Symmetricalbalance:arrangementofidenticalelementscorresponding
insize,shape&relativepositionaboutacommonaxis.Alsocalledas
axialorbilateralsymmetry
–Asymmetricalbalance:lackofcorrespondenceinsize,shapeor
relativepositionamongtheelementofacomposition.
–Radialbalance:resultsfromarrangementofelementsaboutacenter.

24. What kind of balanceis illustrated in this painting Oriental Poppies, by
Georgia O’Keefe?

25. symmetrical balance
If you could visually divide the paper in half. There would be a
poppy on both sides. No one side dominates the pictures. Neither poppy
appears to be more important than the other.

26. What type of balanceis shown in this painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the
Painter's Mother (commonly known as Whistler’s Mother), by James Whistler?
Whistler?

27. Asymmetrical balance
The large form of the woman is "visually equal" to the black curtain and white
painting on the wall. This makes the painting appear balanced.

28. What type of balanceis shown in this stained glass artwork, Rose Window?

29. Radial Balance:Look at the spiral or spinning effect of the pattern. The axis is the center point
and the design or pattern appears to "radiate" from that point.

30. rhythm
–Repetition of elements in space & time.
–Repetition not only creates visual unity but
also includes a rhythmic continuity of
movement
–Graded in size, color, value to give direction
to sequence.

31. axis
A line established by 2 points in space, about
which forms & spaces can be arranged in a
symmetrical or balanced manner.
–Axis has qualities of length &
direction, and induces movement &
promotes views along its path.
–For tis definition axis must be
terminated at both of its ends by a
significant form or space.
–Notion of axis can be reinforced by
defining edges along its length.
–Axis can also be established by
symmetrical arrangements of forms
& spaces.

32. axis
The Uffizi Gallery is a prominent art
museum located adjacent to the Piazza
dellaSignoriain central Florence, region of
Tuscany, Italy
The auditorium of the First Unitarian Church
and School, Rochester (New York and Salk
Institute for Biological Studies La Jolla
(California) 1959-1965
Tajmahal, India

33. symmetry
The balanced distribution and arrangement of equivalent
forms & spaces on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane,
or about a center or axis.
–There are 2 fundamental types of symmetry
–Bilateral symmetry-refers to the balanced
arrangement of similar or equivalent elements on
opposite sides of a median axis so that only one
plane can divide the whole into essentially identical
halves.
–Radial symmetry refers to the balanced
arrangement of similar , radiating elements such
that the composition can be divided into similar
halves by passing a plane at any angle around a
center point or along a central axis.

34. symmetry
Petronastower,Kuala Lumpur.

35. hierarchy
The articulation of the importance or significance of form or space
by its size, shape orplacement relative to the other forms &
spaces of the organization.
1.Hierarchy by size-dominate an architectural
composition by being significantly different in size
from all other elements in the composition.
2.Hierarchy by shape-visually dominant by
differentiating its shape from that of the other
elements in the composition.
3.Hierarchy by placement-strategically placed to
call attention to itself as being the most important
element in composition. Includes termination of
linear sequence, centerpiece of symmetrical
organization, focus of centralized or radial
organization, being offset above, below or in
foreground of a composition.

36. The lagoons
Dubai.
PutrajayaWaterfront Kuala Lumpur .
hierarchy

37. reference
–Francis DK.Ching,Architecture-Form, Space & Order