arc 2131 . S23 . d1
intro to arch design + graphics
“Order is
Design is form-making in order
Form emerges out of a system of construction
Growth is a construction
In order is creative force
In design is the means where,
with what, when, with how much
The nature of space reflects what it wants to be.”
-Louis I. Kahn
“Order is”, 1955
D.1 Kit of Elements
Sequence of Construction
Narrative:
This famous quote from Louis I. Kahn gives tribute to the presence of order and questions the creative
roots from which order springs. The intent of this exercise is to focus your attention on this question—
what is “the nature of order”? The poetry of Kahn’s writing on creation shows us that all great art has an
idea or concept that drives the artist in the expression of their work. Whether it be the brutalities of war
metaphorically expressed in Picasso’s painting Gurnica, the uplifting spiritual spires of a gothic cathedral
or the capitalist expression of wealth, and power symbolized in the Empire State Building all have a
higher sense of purpose than just their material nature. Their presence was not only formed by
composition and materials (whether it be paint on a canvas or blocks on a facade) but by concepts that
helped guide the artists in the decisions that they made. The synthesis of conceptual analysis forms the
foundation of any creative form of art. In architectural terms, the conceptual framework that is developed
at the beginning of the process must drive all aspects of the design regardless of the scale or complexity
of the project.
You are to utilize a set of vocabulary that begins to express and explore different ideas of form and
space:
Form: extrude . project . extend . penetrate . proportion . module .
measure . rhythm . grid . additive . subtractive
Space: seam . joint . threshold . overlap . penetrate . interlock .
intersect . mass / void . implicit / explicit
Ordering Principles:
Axis
Symmetry
Hierarchy
Rhythm
Datum
Transformation
Spatial Relationships:
Space within a Space
Interlocking Spaces
Adjacent Spaces
Space liked by a
Common Space
Fundamental Relationships:
Negative and Positive Space
Figure and Ground
Solid and Void
Boundary and Edge
Implicit and Explicit
Type and Size
Centralized Organization
Linear Organization
Radial Organization
Clustered Organization
Grid Organization
Concepts of manipulating planar elements:
Enveloping . Weaving . Intersecting . Overlapping . Folding
(These terms should not be interpreted literally, but should help guide your
decisions relating to the organization and relationship of the spaces and
volumes that you create. How can spaces fold?…etc…)
Try to apply the following concepts in your design:
Gestalt: Closure . Continuity . Similarity . Proximity . Alignment
Transitions
Sequence/Order of Spaces
Harmony
Repetition
Proportion
Part One:
The Kit of Elements: A sequence of constructions and drawings that explore the geometric and
organizational possibilities of space making.
A “kit” of standard parts - comprised of simple planes, masses and volumes - will be uniquely assembled
and acted upon by each student. The resultant spatial construct will serve as a rich three-dimensional
universe in which dynamic spatial relationships, as well as fundamental design vocabularies, are studied.
A basic narrative of simple spatial principles in dialogue with one another will emerge. Constructs will be
limited to 90-degree angles and will be studied and developed in a series of models aiming toward
greater complexity and refinement. Drawings (sketches, sections and axonometrics) will be used to both
develop and explain the construct.
The kit is made up of L-shaped masses, cube, planes, and a set of slices/cuts and linear elements
(sticks) are introduced and the planes may be folded. As the model undergoes transformative
development, four overarching strategies should be employed:
1. Movement in the Mass
2. Fluidity of the Folds
3. Connectivity of the Cuts
4. Tension of the Sticks
Part Two:
Nesting: Constructing New Scalar Relationships
In the second part of this project, the spatial ideas operating in the kit will meet another set of
comparative artifacts with their own complex spatial structures, and your cubic construct will undergo a
process of transformation. We will zoom in and out of the construct to study particular spaces as
compositional details. These scaled moments will then condition themselves in nested scalar
relationships towards the goal of a cohesive whole consisting of at least 3 distinct scales separated
roughly by about a factor of 10. (Reference: Powers of Ten video and book by Charles and Ray
Eames) All kits are half sized. Measurements will be given in class.
Refine your own narrative for this project.
Reading:
•
•
“Order is” by Louis I. Kahn
Form Space Order book – Ordering Principles and Spatial Relationships