Architecture: Visual Studies

VISUAL STUDIES (1)

Architecture
Form , Space and Order

1
- Primary Elements

- Form
- Form & Space
- Organization
- Circulation
- Proportion & Scale

- Principles
2
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
- Point and Point Elements
- Line and Linear Elements
- Plane and Planer Elements
- Volume and Volumetric Elements
3
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
“AllPictorial form begins with the point that sets itself

in motion … The point moves … and the line comes
into being—the first dimension.
If the line shifts to form a plane, we obtain a two-
dimensional element.
In the movement from plane to spaces, the clash of
planes gives rise to body (three-dimensional) … A
summary of the kinetic energies which move the point
into a line, the line into a plane, and the plane into a
spatial dimension”.
Paul Klee
4
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
Point indicates a position
A point extended becomes a
Line with properties of:

- length
- direction
- position
A line extended becomes a
Plane with properties of:

- length and width - shape
- surface - orientation
- position
A plane extended becomes a
Volume with properties of:

- length, width and depth
- form and space - surface
5 - orientation - position
POINT
A point marks a position in space. Conceptually, it

has no length, width or depth, and is therefore
static, centralized, directionless.
As the prime element in the vocabulary of form, a point

can serve to mark:
- the two ends of a line
- the intersection of two lines
- the meeting of lines at the corner of a plane or volume
- the center of a field
Although a point theoretically has neither shape nor

form, it begins to make its presence felt when placed
within a visual field. At the center of its environment, a
point is stable and at rest, organizing surrounding
elements about itself and dominating its field.
When the point is moved off-center, however, its field

becomes more aggressive and begins to compete for
visual supremacy.
Visual tension is created between the point and its field.
6
POINT ELEMENTS
A point has no dimension. To visibly mark a position in

space or on the ground plane, a point must be projected
vertically into a linear form, as a column, obelisk, or
tower. Any such columnar element is seen in plan as a
point and therefore retains the visual characteristics of a
point. Other point-generated forms that share these
same visual attributes are the:
Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome, C. 1544,

Michelangelo.
The equestrian status of Marcus Aurelius
marks the center of this urban space.
7
8
LINE
A Line is a critical element in the

formation of any visual construction.
It can serve to:
- join, link, support, surround, or

intersect other visual elements.
- describe the edges of and give shape to

planes.
- articulate the surface of planes.
9
LINE
Although a line theoretically has only one dimension, it
must have some degree of thickness to become visible.
It is seen as a line simply because its length dominates
its width. The character of a line, whether taut or limp,
bold or tentative, graceful or ragged, is determined by
our perception of its length- width ratio, its contour, and
its degree of continuity.
Even the simple repetition of like or similar elements, if

continuous enough, can be regarded as a line. This type
of line has significant textural qualities.
The orientation of a line affects its role in a visual

construction. While a vertical line can express a state of
equilibrium with the force of gravity, symbolize the
human condition, or mark a position in space, a
horizontal line can represent stability, the ground plane,
the horizon, or a body at rest.
An oblique line is a deviation from the vertical or

horizontal. It may be seen as a vertical line falling or a
horizontal line rising. In either case, whether it is falling
toward a point on the ground plane or rising to a place in
the sky, it is dynamic and visually active in its
unbalanced state.
10
LINEAR ELEMENTS
House 10. 1966, John Hejduk

Although architectural space exists in three dimensions, it can be linear in form to
accommodate the path of movement through a building and link its spaces to one another.
Cornell University Undergraduate

Housing. Ithaca, New York, 1974, Richard
Meier.
Buildings also can be linear in form,
particularly when they consist of repetitive
spaces organized along a circulation path.
As illustrated here, linear building forms
have the ability enclose exterior spaces as
well as adapt to the environmental
conditions of a site.
11
LINEAR ELEMENTS
Crown Hall. School of Architecture and Urban

Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, 1956,
Mies van der Rohe.
At a smaller scale, lines articulate the edges and

surfaces of planes and volumes. The lines can be
expressed by joints within or between building
materials, by frames around window or door openings,
or by a structural grid of columns and beams. How these
linear elements affect the texture of a surface will
depend on their visual weight, spacing, and direction . Seagram Building. New York City, 1956-58,
Mies van der Rohe and philip Johnson.
12
PLANE
A line extended in a direction other than its intrinsic
direction becomes a plane.
Conceptually, a plane has length and width, but no depth.
Shape is the primary identifying characteristic of a plane.

It is determined by the contour of the line forming the
edges of a plane. Because our perception of shape can be
distorted by perspective foreshortening, we see the true
shape of a plane only when view it frontally.
The supplementary properties of a plane—its surface

color, pattern, and texture—affect its visual weight and
stability.
In the composition of a visual construction, a plane

serves to define the limits or boundaries of a volume. If
architecture as a visual art deals specifically with the
formation of three-dimensional volumes of mass and
space, then the plane should be regarded as a key
element in the vocabulary of architectural design.
13
PLANE
Planes in architecture define three-dimensional volumes
of mass and space. The properties of each plane—size,
shape, color, texture—as well as their spatial relationship
to one another ultimately determine the visual attributes
of the form they define and the qualities of space they
enclose.
In Architectural design, we manipulate three generic types

of planes:
Overhead Plane
The overhead plane can be either the roof plane that
shelters the interior spaces of a building from the climatic
elements, or the ceiling plane that forms the upper
enclosing surface of a room.
Wall Plane
The wall plane, because of its vertical orientation, is
active in our normal field of vision and vital to the shaping
and enclosure of architectural space.
Base Plane
The base plane can be either the ground plane that serves
as the physical foundation and visual base for building
forms, or the floor plane that forms the lower enclosing
surface of a room upon which we walk.
14
PLANAR ELEMENTS
While we walk on a floor and

have physical contact with walls,
the ceiling plane is usually out
of our reach and is almost
always a purely visual event in a
space. It may be the underside
of an overhead floor or roof
plane and express the form of its
structure as it spans the space
between its supports, or it may
be suspended as the upper
enclosing surface of a room or
hall.
Hangar, Design I, 1935, Pier Luigi Nervi.

The lamella structure expresses the way forces are resolved
and channeled down to the roof supports.
15
PLANAR ELEMENTS
A roof plane can extend outward

to form overhangs that shield
door and widow openings from
sun or rain, or continue
downward further still to relate
itself more closely to the ground
plane. In warm climates, it can
be elevated to allow cooling
breezes to flow across and
through the interior spaces of
building.
Robie House, Chicago, 1909, Frank Lloyd Wright.

The low sloping roof planes and broad overhangs are
characteristic of the Prairie School of Architecture.
16
PLANAR ELEMENTS
Kaufmann House (Falling Water), Connellsville,

Pennsylvania, 1936-37, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Reinforced concrete slabs express the horizontality of the floor or
17
roof planes as they cantilever outward from a central core.
PLANAR ELEMENTS
Schroder House, Utrecht, 1924-25, Gerrit Thomas Rietveld.

Asymmetrical compositions of simple rectangular forms and
primary colors characterized the de Stijl school of art and
18
architecture.
VOLUME
A plane extended in a direction other than its intrinsic
direction becomes a volume. Conceptually, a volume has
three dimensions: length, width and depth.
All volumes can be analyzed and understood to consist of:

- points or vertices where several planes come together
- lines or edges where two planes meet
- planes or surfaces which define the limits or boundaries of a volume.
Form is the primary identifying characteristic of a volume.

It established by the shapes and interrelationships of the
planes that describe the boundaries of the volume.
As the three-dimensional element in the vocabulary of

architectural design, a volume can be either a solid—
space displaced by mass—or a void—space contained or
enclosed by planes.
19
VOLUME
In architecture, a volume can be seen to
be either a portion of space contained
and defined by wall, floor, and ceiling or
roof planes, or a quantity of space
displaced by the mass of building. It is
important to perceive this duality,
especially when reading orthographic
plans, elevations and sections.
Plan and Section

Space defined by wall, floor, and ceiling or roof planes.
Elevation
Space displaced by the mass of a building.
20
Notre Dame Du Haut, Ronchamp, France,
1950-55, Le Corbusier.
VOLUMETRIC ELEMENTS
Villa Savoye, Poissy, France, 1928-31, Le Corbusier.
Building forms that stand as an object in the landscape can

be read as occupying volume in space.
21
VOLUMETRIC ELEMENTS
Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome, C. 1544, Michelangelo.

A series of buildings enclose an urban square.
Building forms that serve as containers can be read as

masses that define volumes of space.
22

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VISUAL STUDIES (1)

- Form & Space

- Proportion & Scale

“AllPictorial form begins with the point that sets itself

Point indicates a position

A point extended becomes a

Line with properties of:

A line extended becomes a

Plane with properties of:

A plane extended becomes a

Volume with properties of:

A point marks a position in space. Conceptually, it

As the prime element in the vocabulary of form, a point

Although a point theoretically has neither shape nor

When the point is moved off-center, however, its field

A point has no dimension. To visibly mark a position in

Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome, C. 1544,

A Line is a critical element in the

It can serve to:

- join, link, support, surround, or

- describe the edges of and give shape to

- articulate the surface of planes.

Even the simple repetition of like or similar elements, if

The orientation of a line affects its role in a visual

An oblique line is a deviation from the vertical or

House 10. 1966, John Hejduk

Cornell University Undergraduate

Crown Hall. School of Architecture and Urban

At a smaller scale, lines articulate the edges and

Shape is the primary identifying characteristic of a plane.

The supplementary properties of a plane—its surface

In the composition of a visual construction, a plane

In Architectural design, we manipulate three generic types

While we walk on a floor and

Hangar, Design I, 1935, Pier Luigi Nervi.

A roof plane can extend outward

Robie House, Chicago, 1909, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Kaufmann House (Falling Water), Connellsville,

Schroder House, Utrecht, 1924-25, Gerrit Thomas Rietveld.

All volumes can be analyzed and understood to consist of:

Form is the primary identifying characteristic of a volume.

As the three-dimensional element in the vocabulary of

Plan and Section

Villa Savoye, Poissy, France, 1928-31, Le Corbusier.

Building forms that stand as an object in the landscape can

Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome, C. 1544, Michelangelo.

Building forms that serve as containers can be read as

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