AS101

Introduction to
Architecture

S1 B. Arch. 2020-21
College of Engineering Trivandrum
Etymology of
‘Architecture’
Etymology
• Origin of a word and the historical
development of its meaning
 ‘ARCHITECT’
• Derives from the Greek word “arkhitekton”
• Meaning: “construction master”
• arkhitekton "master builder, director of works,"
• Arkhi - "chief" + tekton - "builder, carpenter,“

• Architect (by 1560s): "person skilled in the art of building,

one who plans and designs buildings and supervises
their construction"
 Etymology
Greek arkhitekton


Latin architectus architectura




Middle French architecte


(by 1560s)
English ‘Architect’ English ‘Architecture’
Origin of Architecture
 Origin of architecture
• ’Building’ first evolved out of the dynamics
between
• needs (shelter, security, worship, etc.)
• means
• Available building materials e.g. branches and leaves,
clay, stone, ice
• Construction skills
 Origin of architecture
• Initial ‘building’ – Shelters, primitive efforts to provide
protection against
• Inclement weather (cold, heat, wind, rain, etc.)
• Wild animals
• Human enemies
Primitive shelters
Materials available – type of shelters

• Rock caves, the earliest form of human dwellings

• Trees and grasses – huts
• Skins of animals – initially covered humans
themselves with skins, later raised on posts to form
tents

Caves, huts, and tents - the three seeds of later architectural

developments
Nature to architecture
Evolved from the three natural prototypes

• Caves with their rough openings and walls and roofs of rock,
inevitably suggested the raising of stone walls to carry slabs
of rock for roofs

• Natural arbours suggested huts with tree trunks for walls

and closely laid branches, covered with turf, for roofs

• Tents of animal skins still in use among Bedouin Arabs and

other nomadic tribes as they can have been in prehistoric
times
Primitive shelters
• Huts and tents
• Taking any form (conical, hemispherical,
cylindrical etc.)
• Made by binding together wooden beams stuck
into the ground and covering them with leaves,
grass, animal skins, clay
 Natural form
and
Man-made form

Source: Similarities between “structures in nature” and “man-made

structures”: biomimesis in architecture , by S. Arslan & A. G. Sorguc, 2004
9 Dec 2020
Natural vs man-made forms
• Animals produce their nests or shells as a
result of their genetic coding
• Man builds consciously to
• meet certain requirements
• to give expression to values e.g. cultural values
 Biomimesis in Architecture
• Bios, meaning life and mimesis meaning to imitate

• The scales, functions and processes in nature are

different, but ‘design constraints’ and ‘objectives’ are
same as man-made creations:
• Functionality
• Optimization: minimizing material and energy consumption
 Biomimesis in Architecture

• Provides clues and answers to what men need by

observing nature and analyzing their
• aesthetic attributes
• engineering and design qualities
• efficiencies
Structures in nature – Categorisation
based on visual characteristics
• Tree-like structures
• Skeleton-like structures
• Shell-like structures
• Web-like structures
• Pneumatic structures
 Tree-like structures
• Branched support tree-like
structure
• e.g. Ribs of Gothic style

Bath Abbey
 Tree-like structures
• Gaudí Crypt near
Barcelona, UNESCO
World Heritage Site
since 2005
Tree-like structures

Stuttgart Airport Passenger Terminal, 1996

 Skeleton-like structures
• Lightweight and rigid
structures
• Inspiration for Eiffel tower –
femur
• lightest and strongest bone of
human body
• with self-ventilation property
due to porosity of bone
material
This is for your
information.
 Shell-like structures
• Most common and
most efficient
structural elements in
nature and technology
because of their high
resistance, minimum
material, large spans
and sheltering
characteristics
• In nature: eggs,
seashells, turtles,
skulls, nuts, nests of Sydney Opera House – John Utzon

some birds and insects

Shell-like structures

Lotus Temple, Delhi

Fariborz Sahba
Commercial skyscraper, London
Norman Foster – Lattice shell structure
• Exhibit membrane Web-like structures
characteristic in their load
bearing features
• Load carrying capacity is
extremely high yet structure
itself is lightweight e.g. tents
• Frei Otto (German Engineer and
architect) known for use of
lightweight structures, in
particular tensile and
membrane structures
• He revived traditional tents as
a leading prototype for
lightweight adaptable
buildings
German Pavilion, Expo '67
Frei Otto and Rolf Gutbrod
 Pneumatic structures
• Occur both in inanimate and animate nature
• Support systems consisting of a membrane that is supported
by air pressure
• Principle of “Pneu” which is a system in which a tension-
resistant, flexible envelope surrounds a filling
• Envelope and the filling together form a load-bearing
structure
• Can span huge distances without the use of columns due to
their light weight and unique method of resisting loads
• Ideal for roofing large playing fields and courts
Pneumatic structure

Syracuse Carrier Dome by Frei Otto

Pneumatic structure

Inflatable Teahouse by architect Kengo Kuma – Museum display, Frankfurt

Built environment

It is the space created when men and women tame

the natural environment to make it more livable.
Design scale changes
• From the macro level of how it integrates with its surrounding
context like town planning, urban design, and landscape
architecture
• To the micro level of architectural or construction details and,
sometimes, furniture and hardware
Built environment
The built environment
encompasses all buildings, spaces
and products, that are created or
modified by people for there use.

• Buildings like houses, schools, etc

• Walkways
• Street signs
• Parks
• Parking lots
• Football fields
• Cultivated farm land
Built environment

It includes indoor and

outdoor physical
environments as well as
social environments and
subsequently health and
quality of life
Importance of built environment

• Average person in the developed world spends up

to 85% of their life inside a building or an enclosed
form of transport travelling from one building to
another

Source:
archive.oxha.org/knowledge/publications/ireland_builtenvironment.pdf
Fundamentals in
Architecture

14 Dec 2020
 Fundamentals in Architecture
A structure must exhibit the three qualities of
• firmitas,
• utilitas,
• venustas [Durability, utility, beauty]
(Vitruvius in De architectura - now known
as The Ten Books on Architecture)
 Fundamentals in Architecture
• Firmitas (Durability) – It should stand up robustly and
remain in good condition.
• Utilitas (Utility) – It should be useful and function well
for the people using it.
• Venustas (Beauty) – It should delight people and
raise their spirits.
 Fundamentals in Architecture
• “Architectural space is first of all utilitarian.
Architectural art begins physical and ends
psychological.” (O'Gorman, 1998)

• Architectural triad of
• Need – Function; Utility
• Means – Structural solution; Firmness, durability
• Art – Aesthetics; delight, beauty
has since antiquity formed the fundamentals of
architecture
Architecture as language
Architecture is expressed
through elements of design
based on principles of composition
Elements of Design

Point
Line
Shape (Plane, Volume)
Texture
Colour

(Leland, 1990 & others)

Point
Point
• The most basic element of design
• A point marks where people will look and
concentrate at as it directs attention
• Points are used to amplify perception
• A point in architecture can mean a centre or a
concentration of forms or objects near or close
together
Points
Line
points
Line and Meaning
• Horizontal
• Vertical
• Diagonal
• Combinations
Line and Meaning
• Horizontal lines normally reflect peacefulness, and
serenity. In buildings means humbleness and closeness to the surroundings
• Vertical lines are lines that are straight up, these lines
shows strength, and stability. In buildings – a statement, a strong
bold element that contrasts its surroundings, merging with nature and the
surroundings
• Diagonal lines reflect instability at one end of the
spectrum and dynamism at the other
• A combination of straight, rough, and fine lines that are
arrange in vertical, horizontal and twisted will create a
image that is energetic, strong and accurate
LINE

• A line is a continuous
mark
• Lines can be thick or
thin, straight or curved,
jagged or smooth, light
or heavy
• Modern buildings often
use bold lines created by
structural steel cross
bracing
 LINE
• Lines are often
suggested by the
structural materials
designers choose for
their buildings such as
the random lines of
natural stone or the
sleek lines created by
beams of steel or walls
of glass
LINE
• Lines can also be
suggested by the shape
and massing of a
building
• Eg. a building can look
horizontal or vertical
LINE
Shape and Form
SHAPE

• A shape is made when a line is closed and space is enclosed

• Two dimensional shape is one that is drawn on a flat surface
• Three-dimensional shape is one that takes up real space
Form/Shape

Geometric Organic
Texture
 TEXTURE

• Texture is the apparent look or feel of the surface of an art

object
• Texture is a tactile property and requires touching to be
appreciated
• Once we know how a material feels, however, we can interpret
a texture with our eyes and can tell visually how it might feel
TEXTURE

• An architect creates texture in

building by certain choices of
materials
• Heavy, jagged stone may be
used in a building to give it a
rough texture, whereas delicate,
carved woods can give a
structure a light and airy look
TEXTURE

• Texture can also be suggested by the rich layering of shapes

and forms on a building
• Visual interest added to buildings by
• Using decorative building materials such as siding, stone
and wood carvings, or
• Varying the pattern of concrete forms
Colour
Source: https://www.britannica.com/science/Munsell-color-system
 Three
properties
of colour

• Hue: the actual colour

• Lightness: refers to how much white (tint), or black
(tone) is mixed in the colour
• Saturation: vivid and dull colours
Primary colours
Secondary colours
Tertiary colours
Colour temperatures

Cool colours

Warm colours
Harmonious combinations
Invigorating combinations
Colour action

Positive colour action

Negative colour action
Depth through colours

Receding effect

Advancing effect
COLOUR
• Colour is an element of our
visual perception that is
related to how our eyes
perceive light.
• We differentiate these
perceptions and name them
red, blue, yellow, etc.
COLOUR

• Architects use colour in the

choice of materials used to
construct a building

• These colour choices can be

quite subtle, such as using
yellowish brick instead of the
traditional red
 COLOUR
An architect must
consider the colour
effect of every element
of a building's
construction, from the
earthy colours of
primary construction
materials like wood,
stone, brick and marble,
to the expansive variety
of colours available for
paint, doors, windows,
glass, etc
• Position: The location of a form
relative to its environment or the
visual field within which it is seen
• Orientation: The direction of a
form relative to the ground plane,
the compass points, other forms,
or to the person viewing the form
• Visual Inertia: The degree of
concentration and stability of a
form. The visual inertia of a form
depends on its geometry as well
as its orientation relative to the
ground plane, the pull of gravity,
and line of sight.
Francis DK Ching

Properties of form
In addition to shape, size, colour, texture
Elements of Design
• Point • Colour
• Line • Movement
• Shape (Plane, Volume) • Size
• Texture • Pattern

Sensory Elements
Elements that appeal directly to our senses
In addition to above,
• Light/dark
 SENSORY ELEMENTS

Elements that appeal directly to our senses

In addition to above,
Light/dark
LIGHT / DARK

Light and dark are relative perceptions of light

 LIGHT / DARK

• Architects use the concept of

light and dark as they create
visual interest on a building by
choosing shapes that create a
sensation of depth
• When some shapes stick out,
they leave others in shadow
 LIGHT / DARK
• Narrow openings often appear dark, as in a tunnel, and broad,
flat spaces look light
 LIGHT / DARK
• A band of tinted windows gives the illusion of a dark
space wrapping around a building.
 LIGHT / DARK
• Materials can be used to vary the light quality of a
building
 Principles of
Composition/Design
 Relation between basic elements of
design and principles of composition

• The principles of composition combine the basic

elements of design to create a composition
• They are the guidelines/concepts used to arrange the
basic elements.
 Principles of Composition
• Rhythm
• Contrast
• Proportion
• Scale
• Balance
• Harmony/Unity

Dominance/Emphasis, Variety, Rhythm & Movement,

Pattern, Hierarchy, Repetition, Gradation, Focus,
Direction, etc.
 Repetition
• Lines and shapes when are
repeated create a pattern
• Patterns can be regular or
irregular
• Patterns can be found in the
way bricks are laid, in
repeated shapes of windows,
and in decorative wood or
stone trim
Proportion/Scale
Rhythm
• Rhythm: repetition with variation
• Rhythmic patterns give a dynamic quality to a building,
making it seem to be very lively
• Rhythm is very apparent in rows of columns or repeated
arches
 Rhythm
• Rhythmic patterns give a
dynamic quality to a
building, making it seem to
be very lively
• Rhythm is very apparent in
rows of columns or repeated
arches
• Such patterns carry the eye
across the façade of the
structure and add visual
excitement to a large form.
Contrast
• Contrast: variety, dissimilarity between the
elements brand on some criteria (form, line,
texture, solids and voids, etc. (i.e. any basic or
modifying elements can be used to create contrast)
• Occurs when two related elements are different
• Can be used to create dominance, emphasis, focus,
interest, etc.
 Contrast
• Contrast exists when two
adjacent parts are very
different from one
another
• In architecture, we speak
about such things as
materials that have
contrasting colours and
textures
Contrast
• We may also mean the
relationship of highlights and
shadows
• When contrasting materials
are placed together, one
seems to move to the front
of your line of vision
• Architects use contrast to
add visual variety to their
designs
Proportion
• Proportion: relationship, relative ratio among
elements
• Comparison which the eye makes between the size,
shape, and tone of various objects or parts of
composition
• The proportion of a space can greatly affect the way a
person feels
• Example - Divine Proportion is also known as the Golden
Ratio and Golden Section - 1: 1.618
Scale
• Scale: size magnitude
• How size of the building element or space is perceived
relative to other forms
• Types
• Human scale
• Intimate scale
• Monumental scale
• Shock scale
 Scale - Types
• Human scale: Buildings scaled to human physical capabilities
have steps, doorways, railings, work surfaces, seating, shelves,
fixtures, walking distances, and other features that fit well to the
average person
• Intimate scale: Achieved by reducing the size of familiar
components to induce a relaxed, informal atmosphere of cosy
domesticity e.g. in old age homes, or reducing height of window
sills, furniture and fittings in primary schools
• Monumental scale: Large and impressive. E.g. certain public
buildings. Often a statement of hierarchy and power
• Shock scale: Shock scale can be either smaller or larger, but it
is so out of the ordinary that it shocks. E.g. used in exhibition
designs
Balance
• Balance: sensed equilibrium among elements
based on some criteria (in plan, elevation, form)
• Balance is the characteristic of equal (visual) weights
opposing one another
• A composition is balanced if the shapes on one side of a
center line appear to have the same weight as those on
opposite sides
Balance - Types
• Symmetrical
• Asymmetrical - creates a feeling of equal weight on both
sides, even though the sides do not look the same e.g. City
Hall, Norman Foster
• Radial – symmetrical around a centre point

Buildings can be balanced whether they are symmetrical or

asymmetrical as long as they maintain a sense of equal,
visual weight on either side of a center line drawn through
the façade e.g. Falling Water
 Symmetry/Asymmetry
• When there is
correspondence in size or
shape of parts on either side
of a bisected whole we say it
is symmetrical
• Buildings can be
asymmetrical as well when
different shapes are placed
on either side of a bisecting
line.
 Balance

• Balance is the characteristic

of equal (visual) weights
opposing one another
• A composition is balanced if
the shapes on one side of a
center line appear to have
the same weight as those
on opposite sides
Balance
• Buildings can be
balanced whether they
are symmetrical or
asymmetrical as long as
they maintain a sense
of equal, visual weight
on either side of a
center line drawn
through the façade
Radial Balance
 Harmony/Unity
• Harmony/Unity: similarity based on some
criteria/complimentarity among all elements
• One of the goals of composition
• It allows the viewer to see an integrated whole, rather than
unrelated parts
Helpful reference:
id2012.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/2/4/5124834/princi
ple_of_design.pptx
Proportion/Scale
• Architects design a space so
that people feel comfortable
moving about in it e.g. a
bedroom may have a much lower
ceiling than an auditorium where
many people will mingle
• Sometimes a building is
designed so a space is
purposely out of proportion
to human scale e.g. the
towering spaces inside cathedrals
that make people feel quite
insignificant in comparison to the
awesome power of God.
Scale

• Architects also deliberately

design spaces with changing
scale by varying heights of
ceilings and sizes of rooms
• This makes the occupants
movement through the
space more dynamic.
SPACE
• Space is the relative position of one three-dimensional
object to another
• Space is one of the most important considerations an
architect must think about while designing a building
• The sizes of rooms and hallways, the height of ceilings and
the ease of entering and exiting each living area must
carefully match the function of the building
• A building can be made more interesting by experimenting
with aesthetic qualities of space by varying the width and
height of rooms through which people will move