Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Fundamentals Architecture Characteristics

Transparency, to blur, caps,
tension, to perforate,
solid and void, gravity,

nature, wrapping, suspend,
illumination, repetition,
and knot.

So far the most important and influential characteristics a preliminary design should combine.

These are keywords for architecture, in these and few others architecture as an art and sculpture can be summarized. To understand the architectural meaning of these words sometimes we have to be very intuitive because some are based on the physiques of each person, but we can always describe them generally...



Transparency

Most of time has relation with the exterior, but it also has to be with all parts of the building as one. Transparency is letting a little bit of the inside... out. It is the cover up of the building might be the texture it has or the light filter system.
Structure as the soul of the building, when it is reached by transparency reaches the maximum degree of development.




Blurring/ To Blur.


Unconsciously it brings to our minds the blur building by diller and scofidio. Though might be excellent to get an idea, blurring a building is elegant makes elegant the building, it is almost like a very well thinked hide of parts or spaces which makes the building more interesting.
Blurring also gives cont
inuity to the form, it is a transition from one form to another much more dispare, more like a blur.
Transition is important when it comes to blurring as an architectural issue, it shows the process and it is capable to have a deep meaning.



Caps.

The most interesting architectural characteristic, if
it´s known how to be used can create interesting displays of solutions to potentially any problem. It´s hard to used but when it is controlled, the caps can be combined with everyone of the above essential architectural characteristics.

Irregularity, movement, harmony, marking the above and under of the project, different views, unsuspected, are things that caps can make. Caps can often be made of a one massive whole form instead of making them as a one single elements on the others one single elements. Caps can be taken of a whole form just by making some long voids and repeating as much as needed. It does not take away continuity but it adds some attention to it and takes away monotony.


Tension.


It could be a force that fights in the form to bring something out or that it is already out and fighting with the other form. To make this effect the forms have to be of the same nature to not be looked at like two different ones rather then that it has to be very funded one in another.

Tension is one
of the most useful ways to make an architectural project a sculpture.


To perforate

Essentially voids. To do an architectural perforation is to have the intuition where to put them, but also has to be functional.
As perforation goes on the form it often also gives texture or makes caps. Perforation gives a more artistic treatment to the form.


Solid and Voids


Related directly to the first fase of the preliminary project, solid and voids make the art is to sculpture the form, solid and voids come with the first idea of the project. The more solid and voids, the more interesting the project is.
Exercise with mental forms making solids and voids will make very interesting and differents projects in the future.



Gravity

Related to the materials used and the way there are put together. Gravity in architecture isn´t the weight of something instead i
s the way the forms, parts and materials are bonded to make the form.


Nature

Artificially in urban places and natural in the country. Organic forms are a way to bring nature into the building but nature in a building means more about spaces and functionality.



Wrapping

Has nothing to be with the functionality. It is about the form, organic forms. Wrapping brings continuity to the whole form, usually when a form is being wrapped the final result is a heavy form and massive.



Suspend

It is the opposite of gravity. Materials used are very important. When architectural suspension is used the result can be interesting irr
egularity in the design. Suspension can be also a result of voids and intersections which makes more interesting design.
Suspension to be applied need to think out of boundaries. It is the opposite of gravity so it is not usual that by suspension needs to be thinked in a different way.



Illumination

This just has to be with spaces, interior and a little bit of textures. Illumination is what makes a project have a good or evil nature. Textures are used to filter light that the way they are related, light and spaces are almost the same thing. Light can hide and seek for spaces. The most important thing about light like an architectural tool is that can drive attention.




Repetition

Often it is misunderstood as a group of the same parts. The interesting thing about repetition is to have elements of the same nature that are bonded to create interesting moving effects. Repetition is very functional also because it can be a element of design for useful things that need to be a lot of time in a project due to the functionality of this element, like a light post.




Knot

It is the final result the first idea should reach. The knot applied well is an abstract sculpture itself. The knot is where the forms begin and then they are displayed.