TOA1 Planes

Pointers for Review Shape – primary indicator of a plane

Overhead plane
Definition of architecture Vertical plane / Wall plane – most visible
o Vertical linear elements
Architecture – (R.A. 9266) art, science or profession of o Single vertical plane
planning, designing and constructing buildings in their o L-shaped plane
totality taking into account their environment, in o Parallel planes
accordance with the principles of utility, strength and o U-shaped plane
beauty o Four planes: closure
R.A. 9266 – An Act to regulate the practice of Base plane
architecture in the Philippines o Elevated base plane
Engineering – more technical and structural aspects of o Depressed base plane
building; utility, strength, and economy
Interior Design – the art or process of designing the Form
interior decoration of a room or building Form – is the primary identifying characteristic of a
Vitruvius – Architecture is utilitas, firmitas, venustas; volume
wrote Ten Books of Architecture Volumes consist of:
Design – the act of putting together elements of a o Points or vertices
structure or system into a coherent and functional o Lines or edges
whole in consideration of given constraints or o Planes or surfaces
limitations Volumes can be both solids and voids

Historical Appreciation of architecture Properties of Form

o Architecture as Response Size – The physical dimensions; L x W x D
o Architecture as Defense Color – a phenomenon of light and visual perception
o Architecture as an Ideal that may be described in terms of hue, saturation, and
o Architecture as a Fine Art tonal value
Architecture as Art Texture – the tactile quality of a surface
o A basic response; subjective Position – the location of the form relative to its
o A way of seeing and communicating environment
o Imparts universal truths Orientation – the direction of a form relative to the
o Deals with emotions and optimism ground plane
Architecture as Science Visual Inertia – The degree of concentration and
o Processing of information; objective stability of a form; depends on geometry and
o Detection of patterns of order orientation
o Development of laws
o Deals with facts, realism Primary shapes
Theory – a system of ideas used to explain something Circle – centralized, introverted figure; normally stable
Architectural Theory - Architectural theory is the act of and self-centering; plane curve every point of which is
thinking, discussing, and writing about architecture equidistant from a fixed point within the curve; signifies
Basic needs of Man completeness or wholeness
o Physical Square – a plane figure having four equal sides and
o Emotional four right angles; represents the pure and the rational;
o Intellectual static and neutral; does not indicate any preferred
Influences direction
o Influences of Nature Triangle – a figure bounded by three sides and having
o Climate three angles; signifies stability, except when on one of
o Topography its vertices
o Materials
o Influences of Man Primary Forms
o Social conditions Sphere – generated by the revolution of a semicircle
o Culture and personality about its diameter; self-centering and stable
o Interests Cylinder – generated; stable when resting on its face,
unstable when on its side; can be extended along the
Basic forms axis that runs from the center of its two faces
Primary elements Cone – generated by the revolution of a right triangle
Point – indicates a position in space about one of its sides; highly stable if on its face
Line – an extended point; has length, direction, and Pyramid – polyhedron having a polygonal base with
position triangular faces meeting at a common vertex
Plane – an extended line; has length, width, shape, Cube – a prismatic solid bounded by six equal square
surface, orientation, position sides; the angle between any two adjacent faces is
Volume – an extended plane; LxWxD, form and space, always a right angle
surface, orientation, position
Transformation of Forms predicated on the size, location, and
Dimensional transformation – alteration of one or more orientation of fenestrations
of its dimensions; still retains its identity in the family of o Artificial light
forms
Subtractive transformation – subtraction of a portion of Organization of Form
its volume Centralized – smaller secondary forms are arranged
Additive transformation – addition of elements to its around a dominant central form
volume Core – symbolic or functional center of the
organization
Relationships of Additive Forms Linear – a series of forms are arranged sequentially
Spatial Tension – close proximity of the forms, or their into rows
sharing of a common visual trait such as shape, color , Radial – a composition of linear forms extending
or material outward from a central form in a radial manner
Edge to edge contact – the forms share a common Clustered – a collection of forms grouped together by
edge and can pivot about that edge proximity or the sharing of a common visual trait
Face to face contact – two forms have corresponding o can be attached as appendages to a
planar surfaces, which are parallel to each other larger parent form
Interlocking volumes – forms interpenetrate each o can be related by proximity alone to
other’s space; the forms need not share any visual articulate and express their volumes
traits as individual entities
o they can interlock their volumes and
Form and space merge into a single form with a variety
Floor Plan - a drawing to scale, showing a view from of faces
above, of the relationships between rooms, spaces, Grid – a set of modular forms related and regulated by
traffic, etc; most fundamental architectural diagram a 3-dimensional grid
Elevation - an elevation drawing is a first angle o Most common grid is based on the
projection that shows all parts of the building; 2D geometry of the square
representation of façade o A square grid is basically non-
Cross Section - represents a vertical plane cut through hierarchical
the object; everything cut by the section plane is
shown as a bold line, often with a solid fill to show Articulation of shape and form
objects that are cut through, and anything seen Articulation – the manner in which the surfaces come
beyond generally shown in a thinner line together to define shape and form
Detail drawings - show a small part of the construction A form can be articulated by:
at a larger scale, to show how the component parts fit o Change in material, color, texture
together o Developing corners as distinct linear
Perspective drawings – pictorial representations of the elements independent of the abutting
proposed building planes
Bubble diagram – represents areas of the building and o Removing corners to physically
their relationships / connectivity through a series of separate neighboring planes
bubbles o Lighting the form to create sharp
Principles of composition contrasts in tonal value along edges
Openings / Fenestrations – doors and windows; and corners
provide continuity with adjacent spaces depending on
size, number, location Corners – define the meeting of two planes; the
o Within Planes – an opening can be presence of the corner depends on the visual
located wholly within a wall or ceiling treatment of the adjoining surfaces
plane; it is surrounded on all sides by Nodes – hubs or intersections
the surface of the plane Surface properties – affected by color, shape, texture,
o At corners – An opening can be visual context, and (size of) patterns
located along one edge or at a corner Rhythm – a unifying movement characterized by a
of a wall or ceiling plane. In either patterned repetition or alteration of formal elements or
case, the opening will be at a corner of motifs
a space Repetition – regular recurrence of visual elements
o Between planes – an opening can Pattern – a sequence of visual elements in repetition
extend vertically between the floor and Transformation – the principle that an architectural
ceiling planes, or horizontally between concept, structure, or organization can be altered
two wall planes through a series of discrete manipulations and
Degree of enclosure – determined by the configuration permutations in response to a specific context or set of
of its defining elements and the pattern of its openings; conditions without the loss of identity or concept
has significant impact on perception of form and
orientation
Light – illumination of forms and spaces in architecture
o Daylight – since the intensity and direction of
sunlight is predictable, its visual impact on the
surfaces, forms, and space of a room can be
 Spatial Relationships o Ionic
Space within a space – a large space can contain a o Corinthian
smaller space within its volume o Tuscan
Interlocking spaces – results from the overlapping of o Composite
two spatial fields and the emergence of a zone of Renaissance Theories
shared space o Andrea Palladio – “most beautiful and
Adjacent spaces – most common type of spatial proportional manners of rooms”
relationship; depends on how space is divided o Vitruvian Man – Leonardo Da Vinci from the
Spaces linked by a common space – two spaces writings of Vitruvius
separated by a distance can be linked by a third o Albrecht Durer – Four Books on Human
intermediate space Anatomy
Spatial Organization: Modulor
o Centralized o developed by Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard
o Linear Jeanneret)
o Radial o also based on the Golden Section and the
o Clustered Fibonacci sequence and the proportions of the
o Grid human body
o Basic grid is 113, 70, and 43 cm
Anthropometric Basis of Architectural Design
Ken
Anthropometrics - comparative study of the o Japanese system of measurement
measurements and capabilities of the human body o evolved from shaku; used not only for
4 Constraints of Anthropometrics measurement of buildings, but also as an
o Clearance – adequate access and circulation aesthetic module
space o Rooms measured by tatami mat
o Reach – determine the maximum allowable o 1:2 modularity
dimensions of an object o Inaka-ma method
o Posture – relationship between body o Kyo-ma method
dimensions and workstations
o Strength – application of force in the operation Scale and Proportion
of controls Scale – size of something when compared to a
Ergonomics – the study of work; the study of people's reference standard or to the size of something else
efficiency in their working environment o Human
Space Planning - planning, layout, design and o Visual
furnishing of spaces with a proposed and furnishing o Material
spaces within a proposed or existing building
Considerations: furniture, users, circulation space, Proportion – proper or harmonious relation of one part
space factor to another or to the whole
Computation for approximate area = area occupied by o Material proportions – depends on the ultimate
furniture + individual space (number of users x space strength of materials; rational dimensions that
factor) + circulation space (30% of individual space) materials cannot go beyond; all materials have
Space Factor: rational proportions dictated by their inherent
o Pivotal : 2.25 strengths and weaknesses
o Manual : 0.48 o Structural proportion – the proportions of
o Pedal : 0.96 structural elements give us visual clues as to
User-centered design - objective is to achieve the best their role in the structural system, as well as
possible match between the product and its users. the nature of their material
Criteria for user-friendly design o Manufactured proportion – mass produced
o Functional efficiency materials and fixtures have standard sizes and
o Ease of use proportions; industry standards
o Comfort
o Health and safety SBS - sick building syndrome; occurs when spaces are
o Quality of working life poorly designed and have no natural light and
ventilation
Proportioning systems:
Regulating lines Circulation
o an assurance against capriciousness Circulation – paths of movement; Time x Space x
o common alignment of similar elements Sequence
Golden Section
o based on Fibonacci sequence Elements of Circulation
o Also called golden mean or golden rectangle Approach – first phase of circulation system; we are
o Numerical relationships manifest the harmonic prepared to see, experience and use the spaces within
structure of the universe a building
o 1.618 o Frontal – direct and straight
Classical orders o Oblique – path can be reconfigured to
o Doric delay the approach
 o Spiral – prolongs the system of
approach and emphasizes the 3D
form of a building as we move along
its perimeter
Entrance – entering a building or a room within a
building; involves the act of penetrating a vertical plane
that distinguishes one space from another
o Flush
o Projected – porches or porticos
o Recessed
Configuration of the Path
- Paths of movement are linear in nature
- All paths have a starting point
Intersections (Nodes) – decision-making places (where
to go?)

Types of Path Configurations:

o Linear – straight path; can branch out
into other paths
o Radial – linear parts extending from a
common point
o Spiral – single, continuous path that
originates from a central point and
revolves around it
o Grid – 2 sets of parallel paths that
intersect at regular intervals
o Network – paths that connect at
established points in space
o Composite – a combination of any of
the abovementioned paths

Path-Space Relationships
o Pass-by Spaces – integrity of each
space is maintained; path
configuration is flexible
o Pass-through Spaces – path can pass
through a space axially, obliquely, or
along its side; in cutting through a
space, the path creates patterns of
rest and movement around it
o Terminate in a Space – location of the
space establishes the path; used to
approach and enter functionally or
symbolically significant important
spaces

Form of the Circulation Space

Varies in how:
- its boundaries are defined
- how its form relates to the form of the spaces it
links
- qualities of scale, proportion, light, and view
- entrances abutting it
- changes of level
Types:
o Enclosed
o Open on one side
o Open on both sides
Stairs – provide for vertical movement
Straight-run
o L-shaped
o U-shaped
o Circular stair
o Spiral stair
Landings – interrupt the run of a stair and enable it to
change direction