ARCH141: Introduction to architecture

ABDENNOUR BELAIDI 200504551

 Content:
I. Introduction
II. What is architecture?
III. Solid & void in architecture
IV. Scale & proportion in architecture
V. Rhythm in architecture
VI. What’s texture in architecture
VII.Lights in architecture
VIII.Colours and architecture
IX. Architecture Senses
X. Conclusion
Introduction :
This booklet is made for the purpose of the grave for knowlege & reaserchs, made by a
student and an upcoming architect in his first year hoping to spread some of what he
found on his way to discover more about his passion.
The booklet consists many parts that might interest you, even if you were not into
architectural art, with simplicity and easiness to provide the enjoyment of education in
general with some explainatory examples or images.
For a long time, I’ve been seeing archirtecture as a way of expressing: my own view,
feelings and objective as a drawing to a real life structure, but getting deeper in the
subject, made me realise that there is more.
Architects used there ability of making to satisfy either them selfs or clients, however
with time it got to many other ways till some of us called it Fine Arts.
More or less, this booklet is for any upcoming architecture student, that really wanna
discover the feild as I hope to satisfie the questionnings in there head.
While writing and searching by myself, I found myself learning too, thanks to our
professers that are making it simplier for us to understand more and more for that to
gather some informations to share and adapt.
You my find answers for your questions about what is architecture in its basis,
moreover than the depth of the word « Architecture ».
 What is architecture?
• When you search the term “what is architecture?” you are inundated with definitions
and abstract quotes about architecture being a language, a political statement, a
collaborative process, an art form, a science, a reflection of culture. It can leave you
confused.
• At a basic level, architecture is commonly defined as the process of planning,
designing and constructing buildings or structures.
• By definition, a building is merely a structure with a floor, roof and walls. True
architecture goes well beyond a mere building. Every architect seems to have a
different definition of what architecture means to them.
• It is important as a student and practitioner of architecture to start to develop your
understanding and philosophies about what architecture is for you, both as a designer
and an inhabitant of architecture.
• So what is it that makes architecture, architecture?
“Without people, architecture would not exist”
Architecture is not a natural phenomenon. It is a man-made phenomenon that stems
from the thoughts and ideas of the human mind. Without the human mind, thoughts of
the possibilities of what architecture could be would not exist.
These thoughts and ideas would not be brought into reality without humans becoming
excited and passionate about those ideas and taking action to turn them into something
real, beyond an idea on paper or a vision in the mind.
“Architecture is ultimately created by humans, for humans.”
Without humans to create and experience architecture it does not exist.
An architectural designer is designing and creating for the people who are going to use
and experience the structures and spaces and places they create.
The key consideration at the core of every design must be the internal experience that
the final architectural design and structure will create for the people inhabiting it.
Whether a designer is conscious of this or not, every design primarily affects the
experience of people.
If you believe architecture is art, it will create an internal response in people, through
the combinations of colours, materials, compositions and design elements and
principles. Some people may love the result, some may not.
Solid & void in architecture:
Solid is a matter of presence, and Void is absence of it. A solid marks its presence by
obscuring some other elements, or at least supporting a myth, if anything is behind
it. Voids mean nothingness, like a featureless terrain. Voids exist due to the lack of
clarity of detail, deficient perception, peculiar framing or reduced background-
foreground contrast. Solids depend on the form or shape of things, and how these are
perceived. Solids are realized by the bounce back, while voids are for diffusion of
energy.
Solids are sensed closer and voids rearward. For visual aberration, the solids, however,
may be placed at a distance, and voids closer. The solid element forms a frame or
reference, submerging the scene, theme or field. And yet solid and void, are not
coincidental elements in the time or space. Both could be distanced in space, or
occurring as a remembrance in time. A sharper dividing edge enhances the separation
between the two.
Voids occur as interim zones of no
occupation between solids. And a void can
also be the ‘negative’ space inside a solid.
Such voids are formed by the enveloping
surface or an enclosure by a wire-frame.

Voids are scooped out on removal of solid or

mass such as in processes like chasing,
carving, engraving, denting, etc. Voids are
perceived, like a black-hole, in absence of
any definitive cognition from a location.
Voids are volume seen through transparent
bounding. Voids are, any space entraining,
partly or thoroughly, a solid form.
Scale & proportion in architecture:
Two of the most important compositional skills of an architect are a command of proportion
and a sense of scale. While they are related, they have distinctly different meanings.
Proportion:
Proportion is the dimensional relationship of one part to another or to the whole, described
in terms of a ratio. In nature, each species has normal proportional relationships between
the parts; thus a human head is about 1/8 of a person’s height and the distance across
outstretched arms is equal to the height of the body. In the human-designed world of
architecture, the “right” proportions are those that ancient scholars thought created visual
harmony among the parts, based on mathematical ratios found throughout nature, as well
as basic geometric shapes such as squares, circles, and triangles. Classical Greek and
Roman architecture was obsessed with getting all the parts into prescribed proportions, in
the belief that using these naturally occurring ratios would harmonize the design with
universal, divine Truths.
Scale:
Scale is the relative size of individual elements compared to each other and to a
reference measurement. We develop a sense of scale as we experience the world,
learning the relative size of people, trees, bugs, dogs, football fields, and everything else
we regularly encounter. In buildings, we use the human body as the main reference,
measuring the individual parts of a room, doors, windows, ceiling height, and details
against our own size and relative to each other. Descriptions such as “intimate scale,”
“grand scale,” and of course “human scale” are all based on how we visually understand
a building relative to ourselves.

Modular Man | Le
Corbusier
• Both proportion and scale are important aspects of good architectural design. It takes
intentional effort, and skill, to massage the horizontal and vertical dimensions of
building parts to fit into a unifying proportional system and create an overall visual
harmony. Getting the scale right during the design phase is arguably more difficult,
and takes keen experience, because it requires projecting oneself into the imagined
building to know how big it is going to feel once it is built. But when managed with
mastery, balanced proportions and consistent scale can create an enduringly beautiful
building.

Proportion Study
at Villa Stein | Le
Corbusier
 Rhythm in architecture:
“I call architecture frozen music…” said
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. And rhythm
is an innate element of music.

Rhythm in architecture is defined as “A

unifying movement characterised by a
patterned repetition or alteration of formal
elements or motifs in the same or a modified
form.” Hence, rhythm in architecture can be
expressed as a repetition of elements such as
lines, shapes, forms or colours resulting on
organized movement in space and time.
Rhythm is a regular and repeated pattern. When you think rhythm, music is probably
the first thing that comes to mind. But how can rhythm be defined visually in design?
As a design principle, rhythm can be defined in architecture as a patterned repetition of
elements in space. We place elements and experience the intervals between them.
When our eyes move from one element to the next, we create a rhythm and through this
rhythm in space we can enjoy a sense of organised movement as a musical beat. It can
be seen in the image below of a cultural center designed by Ar. Zaha Hadid with all the
swooping curves and flowing spaces in it. In this architectural composition, we can say
that if the surface is the music, then the joints between the panels are the rhythm.

Repetition in architecture, i.e. by using

similar modules on façade of building are
very common and visually well defined in
the figure given above.
Rhythm in architecture is characterised by patterns, elements or motifs at irregular or
regular intervals. The movement may be of our eyes as we follow elements in a
composition or of our bodies as we move through a sequence of spaces. Rhythm is the
organization of the repetitive forms, elements and space in architecture.

Artribune
Azerbaigian contemporaneo, ecco le immagini del nuovo
centro culturale progettato da Zaha Hadid.
What’s texture in architecture:
Texture in architecture is aimed to enhance both optical and tactile elements to
buildings and surroundings. The optical texture of a building refers to its visual
characteristics from afar, such as windows, sweeping curves, corners and voids. The
tactile texture refers to the closer materials that can be physically touched, such as
stone or glass building materials, metal façades and timber handrails.

The different varieties of modern materials and processes allows for an almost endless
catalogue of pattern and shape, giving architects a much freer conceptual approach to
texture. From bespoke laser-cut and water-jet patterns to pre-formed perforated sheets,
it’s not only the choice of material that is now at the foreground of design.
The development of technology and machinery has been instrumental in providing
architects with new and inventive inspiration in an ever-developing world. This has been
echoed throughout external and internal applications, seeing the use of patterns, materials
and objects within laminated glass, giving even the coldest-smoothest materials a new form
of life.

Throughout the ages, new methods and pioneering visions have been instrumental in
expanding the way we think about how a building should look and feel. The ability to
push boundaries has never been easier for daring architects, allowing for some fantastic
new concepts being brought to reality.
 Lights in architecture:
Architectural lighting presupposes that
there’s architecture. Architectural lighting
works to serve and enhance the architecture,
not merely as an accessory, to create a
cohesive spatial experience.
So, architectural lighting is an intersection of
art (architecture) and technology (lighting).
The architecture being illuminated or lighted
may be commercial or residential. Other
fields of endeavor, such as design, also come
into play. Of course, so do physics,
engineering and the psychological and
physiological effects of light.
Strictly speaking, architectural lighting is illumination for building design and
function.
The term encompasses three main factors. The first is the building’s aesthetic, which
is important for residential and commercial applications. The second consideration is
ergonomic or functional any aspect which improves one’s ability to live, work, function,
relax or play to make the space easier to use. The third aspect involves the efficiency of
energy, ensuring that light is properly, which is to say economically or optimally, used
and distributed.
This is where architectural lighting design is relevant.
 Colours and architecture :
Colors are responsible for a diversity of psychic boosts,
most of them unconscious. Color actively influence the
experience of those who perceive it and this is not
different in the architecture field. The architecture colors
can affect us in a positive or negative way and they fulfill
a function, which is as important as the constructive
elements that constitute an architectural work.

Deciding the final color of a project is a huge

responsibility. Whether for a private home, a commercial
place, educational, social or a recreational center; color is
a very important part of the building finishings, not only
for the aesthetic appearance but also for the building
itself.
How do colors influence us in architecture?

It is the people who will finally react to the final

result. A construction can evoke many emotions and
sensations, not only for its architectural element but
also for the color that tint it.
When it comes to selecting lighting and color in
architecture, it is important to take into consideration
the sensation that it will cause in the people who will
inhabit it. We unconsciously (and consciously) tend to
attribute different colors to different places, such as
white to clean hospitals, or warm colors to
restaurants.
In the opposite case, we can speak of
numerous examples of working-class
neighborhoods with gray buildings.
When we think that we are going to get
tired of a violet house and not a gray
house, we can’t be more wrong. The
colors that we use to cover the buildings
of our environment definitely have a
direct impact on our lives.
Contemplating the colorful houses
around us daily, going to a school
painted in sky blue or a lime-colored
center of children's activities will
provide us with positive sensations for
our nervous system.
 Architecture Senses :
Humans have five main senses in which are used to understand
themselves and the world around them. The visual sense has
dominated over the other senses, especially in architecture. If only one
sense is being used, how much is each human experiencing? Humans
learn about their environment and about themselves through their
senses. If one sense is predominantly used, that experience is limited.

How did we come to know what we know? We come to know the truth through our senses.
Our senses are our learning tools. As children, we innocently touch or even bite everything
that comes our way in order to gain an understanding of our environment. There is so
much to learn about the world and about one’s self. A complete multi-sensory experience
can help people learn more about themselves, their environment and other people as well.
With a clearer perception of ourselves, others and the environment, our inner experiences
are deepened and people tend to develop a sense of appreciation, which adds value to life.
How can architecture be experienced using all of the possible senses? The qualities of a
space are what offer the full experience. Such qualities are temperature, textures,
materiality, volume and acoustics. Simple features in design can be implemented to aid
in perceiving with the whole being. A person can feel the sense of the space with the
temperature of the space and the airflow. Also, the way sound travels through a space
can give a person an idea of what the space is like. By offering materials that can be
touched and adding plants that give off scents, we can simply enhance a space. It is the
small things that make a difference.
Just as Juhani Pallasmaa said, meaningful buildings always guide our consciousness
back to the world and to our sense of self...noteworthy architecture makes us experience
ourselves as whole embodied and spiritual beings, incorporated in the flesh of the world
(Diaconu 53). Pallasmaa’s architecture: the way spaces feel, the sound and smell of
these places, has equal weight to the way things look. It is very difficult to photograph
acoustics, scents or tactility, but it is hard to forget the distinctive things we hear, smell
and touch. The senses give us something to remember.
“Good and thoughtful design can not only awaken our senses, but reconnect us to place
and to ourselves.” -David Darling
 Conclusion:

From the Great Pyramids at Giza to the Parthenon in Greece, it’s developed and
evolved vastly throughout the years. Referring to its development, architecture is no
longer restricted expressively and can now be explored extensively on newer technology,
such as on CAD, or Computer-aided design, programs, to aid in more unique structures,
with multiple twists and curves in its design. However, despite how expressive and free
architecture may seem nowadays, it actually is rather dependent on society’s desires.
Architecture is arguably the different values and standards of living for every
community that utilizes the structures for their everyday life. It is the physical form of
these values, and it represents the growth and evolution of the world and the societies
that are encompassed within it.
As we saw the world of architecture is huge with his many elements that we learnd
about previously, it can begin with an idea turned into an amazing master work by
respecting its values and enviremental abilities matched with an infinite inspirations.
 Refrences:

• archimash.com/articles
• interiordesignassist.wordpress.com
• donnallyarchitects.com
• gharpedia.com
• powdertechcorby.co.uk
• alconlighting.com
• mchmaster.com
• vmarch.net
• idunn.no
INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE
BOOKLET
ARCH141_2122F_F_ABDENNOUR_BELAIDI