Theory of Architecture 2

Ar./EnP. Dianne A. Naval

Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture as a
Profession, Career and as an academic field
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 01 Architecture, defined

WHAT IS THEORY IN
ARCHITECTURE?
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 01 Architecture, defined

If History “deals with buildings and the various styles of architecture

which have arisen throughout time”

IS HISTORY THEORY?
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 01 Architecture, defined

HISTORY v. THEORY
Description of architectural facts | Explanation for those facts
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 01 Architecture, defined

WHAT IS THEORY IN
ARCHITECTURE?
Why a building look a certain way
Why an architect designed a building as such
Why architectural styles change over time
What influences led architects to make these changes
Where do architectural ideas come from?
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 01 Architecture, defined

• D.K. Ching
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 01 Architecture, defined

• The Vitruvian Triad or the fundamental principles according to Vitruvius

Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 02 History of the profession
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 02 History of the profession

• Architecture is the art, science or profession of planning, designing and constructing buildings in their
totality taking into account their environment in accordance with the principles of utility, strength and
beauty

- Sec 3, Art I, RA 9266

Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 03 Architecture education
Module 2: Overview of the field Architecture| 03 Architecture education

• “Architect” means:
• a person professionally and academically qualified;
• registered and licensed;
• holder of a PRC ID issued by PRBoA;
• responsible for advocating the fair and sustainable development, welfare and cultural expression of
society’s habitat in terms of space, forms, and historical context

- Sec 3, Art I, RA 9266

Theory of Architecture 2
Ar./EnP. Dianne A. Naval
Module 3 Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | Creative thinking, defined.

What is creative thinking?

• intentionally gaining new insights and different ideas through existing

information

• involves tapping into different styles of thinking and examining

information from different viewpoints to see new patterns

• includes lateral thinking or the ability to perceive unclear patterns in

something, and creative people have the ability to devise new ways to
solve problems and face challenges
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | Creativity in architecture

•Visual Literacy
Visual thinking – The human being does not fully perceive visual information until a
concept is given to the brain to allow it to interpret what the eye receives.

The role of concept is to allow the brain to interpret what the eye receives.
Without concept we do not see.

The aesthetic attack on our built environment Is based on the fact that architecture
as a visual art deals with the sight.
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | Creativity in architecture

•Spatial Literacy
ability to use the properties of space to communicate, reason, and solve problem

cognition about space and involves thinking about the ways in which the "world"
works
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

The Practice and Theory of Architecture

• Practice is the continuous and regular exercise of employment where manual

work is done with any necessary material according to the design of the
drawing.
• Theory is the ability to demonstrate and explain the production of dexterity
on the principles of proportions
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

The Stages in the Design Process

• Design analysis
• Tentative solution
• Design criticism
• Operational process
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

The Stages in the Design Process

• Design analysis
• Analyze the situation
• Write a brief
• Research the problem
• Write a specification
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

The Stages in the Design Process

• Tentative solutions
• Work out possible solutions
• Select a preferred solution
• Prepare schematic drawings and plan ahead
• Construct a prototype
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

The Stages in the Design Process

• Design criticism
• Test
• Evaluate
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

The Stages in the Design Process

• Operational process
• Carry out the practical work
• Write a report
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Architectural Design Process

• Design in the context of architecture which involves the activity of

generating proposals that change something that already exists into
something that is better

• Initial state – Transformation – Imagined future state

Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Stages in the Architectural Design Process

• Initiation: Problem identification

• Preparation: Collection and analysis of information
• Proposal-making: Synthesis, bringing together a variety of
considerations
• Evaluation: based on goals
• Iteration: Cycles, feedback
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Architectural Programming

• The process of managing information so that the right kind of

information is available at the right stage of the design process and the
best possible decisions can be made in shaping the outcome of the
building design

• The process that creates the structure for fulfilling the dreams, hopes,
wishes and desires of the building’s future users

• The orderly definition of the architectural problem and the articulation

of the project requirements in a manner that promotes the creation of
a responsible solution for the design of the building
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Architectural Programming

• The problem-seeking phase of the design process

• The gathering, organizing, analyzing, interpreting and presenting of the

information relevant to a design project

• Two main areas of concern:

• Analysis of the existing state
• Projection of what the future state should be
Architectural • Existing state • Future State
Programming: • The setting • Mission
• Cultural, social, • Goals
2 main areas of political, historical, • Performance
concern economic, physical requirements
context of the site • Concepts
• Client or user profile
• Legal, financial,
technical, market
constraints
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Issue
• Fact
• Values
• Goals
• Performance Requirement
• Concept
Issue-based
Architectural
Programming

Module 3: Getting Your

Brain Ready for Creativity |
The Design Process
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Issue
• Any matter, concern, question, topic, proportion or situation that demands
a design in order for a building project to be successful for its clients and
users
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Issue
• Audibility - the acoustic properties of an environment that contribute to
one’s ability to hear what needs to be heard and to mask unwanted sounds
• Behavioral Settings - the units for describing the interdependencies of
activity and physical settings
• Circulation - movement or flow of people, objects, information or
substances
• Comfort - providing ease and enjoyment
• Convenience - ease of access to places, materials and information
• Durability - ability to endure the designed use over time
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Facts
• Objective, specific and verifiable by some measurement or observation
• Existence is not subject to judgement but their use and interpretation is
based on value
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Facts
• Context - Cultural, Demographic, Economic, Ethical, Political, Social
• Site - Climate, Air Quality, Geography, Hydrology, Geology, Topography,
Vegetation, Facilities, Utilities, Access, Visual Resources, Codes
• Users - Activities, Age Group, Anthropometrics, Organizations, Disabilities,
Perceptual Abilities, Personalities, Roles, Values, Rules
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Values
• different building types require different design responses for the same
issues based upon the values of different users and the needs of different
activities
• Design issues, when processed through the filter of values of the client, user
and designer yield goal statements about qualities the design must have.
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Goal
• a statement of intention; an end that one strives to attain or that toward
which effort or play is directed; an action statement
• Project Goal - goals that relate only to the outcome of the project; these are
based upon the underlying values of the designer, clients and users.
• Mission Statements - the overall purpose; a statement that concisely
explains the need to undertake a project in the first place.
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Performance Requirement
• a statement about the measurable level of function that a designed object,
building, or place must provide for a good to be met; performance
specification standard or criterion
• This statement is more specific than a goal since it relates to function ( a
doing) instead of a quality (a being); must be general enough to allow for
multiple, alternative physical solutions or concepts
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Concept
• a statement of an ideal set of relationships among several of the elements
under an architect’s control such as form (dimension and direction)
material, texture, color (value, intensity) and adjacency
• Concept statement is made up of a single diagram and a few words.
Module 3: Getting Your Brain Ready for Creativity | The Design Process

Issue-based Architectural Programming

• Design Philosophy
• a statement of the beliefs, values or viewpoints from which the
development of design solutions take off. They are often formed out of
universally held principles, and thus become bases for socially desirable
design objectives.
Theory of Architecture 2
Ar./EnP. Dianne A. Naval
Module 4 How Do You Design?
01 Architectural
Concepts
Module 4: How Do You Design
Module 4: How Do You Design | Architectural Concepts

• Concepts may be process or product oriented, take place at any stage in

the design process, occur at any scale, generated from several sources,
have a hierarchical nature, possess intrinsic problems and plural in
number and concern within any single building.
Module 4: How Do You Design | Architectural Concepts

• Project situations
• emanate from programmers or clients
• outlined needs of a project
• can be divided into a manageable number of parts, dealt
individually, and then synthesized into one whole building
simultaneously
Module 4: How Do You Design | Architectural Concepts

• General Categories of Project situations

• Functional zoning
• Architectural space
• Circulation and building form
• Response to context
• Building enveope
Module 4: How Do You Design | Architectural Concepts

Essentials to development of creative skills

• Ideation
• Refers to the mental process itself
• To ideate means to think and to train one’s self to think in new and unique ways
Module 4: How Do You Design | Architectural Concepts

Essentials to development of creative skills

• Idea quantity
• Means that the person who is capable of producing the largest number of ideas per unit
of time has the greatest chance of producing the truly significant one
• The odds of your coming up with a creative idea are best if you have a lot of ideas from
which to select
Module 4: How Do You Design | Architectural Concepts

Essentials to development of creative skills

• Imagineering
• Letting your imagination soar and then engineering it back to reality
02 Design Methods
and Tools
Module 4: How Do You Design
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

I. Pre-statement

• Statement of the problem that needs to be resolved

• May take form of the designer’s initial contact with the client, in which the designer learns
what the client thinks should be done
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

I. Pre-statement
Example:
Client: We don’t have enough room for all of
our students so all we need is a regular room
that can fit 30 desks, chairs, and a blackboard.
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

II. Information

• Stage at which the designer uncovers all the details that relate to your problem
• Point at which the designer conducts the research
• May come from literature, interviews, surveys, observations, and other data gathering
methods
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

II. Information
Information Gathered
Small group discussions as well as lectures will
occur in the space
Distractions such as noise are undesirable
26 students will be accommodated
Color psychology suggests that strong contrast
of colors will enliven the space
Carpeting will help cut down on noise
Special teaching aids are necessary to attain
students interest
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

III. Problem Statement

• Statement of the actual problem after gathering sufficient information

Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

III. Problem Statement

Example:
The school needs a space in which low-
achieving students will feel motivated to learn
and investigate. It should be away from
unnecessary environmental distractions but
near the other classrooms and students. The
are should support a variety of classroom
activities, including lectures, group discussions,
and physical activity. Flexibility is highly
desirable.
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

IV. Analysis

• “Think” stage
• Stage at which the situation and information should be thought about methodically to come
up with “partial solutions”
• Partial solution – solution to one part of the “project situation”
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools
IV. Analysis
Partial Solutions
Carpeting should be placed where lectures
occur so that the space will be quieter
String color contracts should be used where
discussions will occur
Audiovisual aids should be placed where the
entire class can benefit from them
Audiovisual aids that can be operated
individually be each student should be
provided
Combined Solutions
Two classroom sections will be created: the
one for small group discussions will utilize
contrasting color schemes; the lecture space
will be painted a pastel color. For acoustic
purposed, the entire space will be carpeted.
Audiovisual aids and other teaching aids will be
available throughout the space for individual
and group use.
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

V. Synthesis

• Conceptualization of a project’s solution in a graphic manner

• Point at which the designer actually layout spaces, select furnishings, finishing and
construction materials
Module 4: How Do You Design | Design Methods and Tools

VI. Evaluation

• May take place at different times

• Consists of a series of questions based on performance-based parameters specific to each
project
03 Response to
Context
Module 4: How Do You Design
Module 4: How Do You Design | Response to Context
Site inventory
• Simply a list of all existing conditions of the
site
• Simple process of walking around the site
and recording everything you perceive
Site analysis
• A judgment about the conditions plus the
action items to take place to achieve the
desired design
• Primary goal is to determine actions to be
taken to resolve problems and identify
design opportunities for locating new
features
Theory of Architecture 2
Ar./EnP. Dianne A. Naval
Module 5 Theories through Time
01 Introduction
Module 5: Theories through Time
Module 5: Theories through Time | Introduction

Present day life is the result of the production and exchange of

• Tangibles
• MATERIALS such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation
• Architecture provides shelter for man

• Intangibles
• INFORMATION such as culture, traditions, knowledge of the law, medicine, design, etc.
• Architecture houses the activities of man
• Architecture thus comes to be a record of the progress of man
Module 5: Theories through Time | Introduction

Main sources of influence affecting architecture

• Influence of Nature
• Climate, topography, resources upon people and architecture

• Influence of Man
• Man’s personality
• Man’s interest
02 The Influence
of Nature
Module 5: Theories through Time
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Nature

Influences of nature

• Climate
• Topography
• Materials
02 The Influence
of Man
Module 5: Theories through Time
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man

The Influence of Man

• Social Structure
• Man’s Personality
• Man’s Interest
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Social Structure
• Classical

The Acropolis
Athens, Greece
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Social Structure
• Romanesque

San Ambrogio Basilica

Milan, Italy
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Social Structure
• Gothic

Notre Dame Cathedral

Paris, France
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Social Structure
• Renaissance

St. Peter’s Basilica

Rome, Italy
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Social Structure
• Colonial

Westover Plantation
Virginia, USA
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Social Structure
• 19th & 20th Century

Crystal Palace
London, England
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Man’s Personality
• Greek
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Man’s Personality
• French Renaissance

Louvre Palace
Paris, France
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Man’s Personality
• Contemporary
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
Man’s Interests
• Three most typical structure of the present age:
• Shelter
• Factory
• Church
Module 5: Theories through Time | The Influence of Man
20th Century Architecture
• Transportation
• Commerce
• Education
• Rehabilitation