THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE

7 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION TO SPACE ENCLOSING ELEMENTS

CONTRAST
 Variety of shapes and textures.

PROPORTION
 Relationships the eye makes with, between the size, shape and tone of various objects or
parts of a composition.

SCALE
 Size, magnitude, relationship of the human body with architectural motifs such as doors,
windows, steps.

BALANCE
 Equilibrium, Equality, Adjustments of tones, Values.

RHYTHM
 Repetition, regular recurrence of lines, shapes, forms and colors.

UNITY AND HEIRARCHY

 Harmony, unrelated parts are brought into proper relationship.

CHARACTER
 Is expressiveness. The exterior of a building expresses the internal function.

8 CATEGORIES OF CONCERN WITHIN THE PROJECT THAT THE DESIGNER WILL USE AS A
CHECKLIST TO PROBLEM SOLVING.

FUNCTION
 Activity Grouping and Zoning

SPACE
 Volume required by activities

GEOMETRY
 Circulation, forms and images

CONTEXT
 Site and climate

ENCLOSURE
 Structure, Enclosing planes, openings

SYSTEM
 Sanitation, electrical, structural, lighting, HVAC, Acoustics, water

ECONOMIC
 First costs, Maintenance costs.

HUMAN FACTORS
 Perception and Behavior.
 CONTRAST

Contrast of CHARACTER
 An ecclesiastical with Domestic building

Contrast of FORM
 A building of mixed shapes angles.

Contrast of SIZE
 Using the same shape but of different dimensions.

Contrast of TREATMENT
 Using different Materials, glass, marbles, steel.

Contrast of TONE
 Having light and dark colored materials

Contrast of LINE
 Thin and thick, horizontal and vertical direction of beams and columns.

PROPORTION, SCALE, BALANCE

RELATIVE PROPORTION
 This deal between the parts of an object and the whole object, ex. Windowpanes and the
whole jamb.

ABSOLUTE PROPORTION
 Deals with the relationship between an object and the whole structure. The window to the wall

ANTHROPORMOPHIC
 A system bases on the dimension and proportion of the human body in relation to the forms,
furniture, and heights.

METHODOLOGY
 A systematic method of problem solving.

GENERIC SCALE
 The size of the building relative to other forms in its context whose size is known. Ex. A door,
a stair.

HUMAN SCALE
 The size of the building relative to the dimensions and proportion to the human body.

AXIS
 An elementary means of organizing forms and spaces in architecture. It is a line established
in two points.

ORGANIC
 All part must fit together in such a way that the composition will be disturbed if one elements
is removed.

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE
 A monument effect, has a central axis, can be formal or with a radial effect.

UNSYMMETRICAL BALANCE
  Has an informal effect.

GRAVITATIONAL
 Has a picturesqueness of surroundings.

ERGONOMITRICS
 The measurement of man implemented to accommodate him to machines.

RHYTHM, UNITY, CHARACTER

UNACCENTED RHYTHM
 This occurs if equally spaced windows are introduced on the unbroken wall, then regular
repetition is present.

ACCENTED RHYTHM
 If the openings or details are arranged in such a manner that some are more important than
the other.

REPETITION
 Deals with motifs of more than one member, or same size and same energy.

ACCENT
 To give an emphasis or interest in unity.

ALTERNATION
 In Unity, shape, sizes of elements are shown one after the other.

UNIQUE BUILDING
 This reflects the degree of importance, the functional and symbolic roles they play in the
organized design.

EXCEPTIONAL SIZE
 Significantly different in dimension than all other elements in the composition. ( The biggest,
or the smallest to be noticed)

UNIQUE IN SHAPE
 To be unique, forms and shape are visually dominant, and different from that of the other
elements in the composition.

STRATEGIC LOCATION
 Forms and spaces especially place to call attention to themselves as being the important
elements in composition.

FUNCTION
 Use of building like for a shop a bank or a church.

ASSOCIATION
 Influence of traditional types (spires, classical orders, Gothic)

PERSONALITY
 Human quality or emotional appeal (dignified, dynamic, strong, forbidding, light)
 COLORS

STYLE
 A character expressive of definite conceptions, like grandeur, gaiety or solemnity like a beer
garden using indigenous and ubiquitous materials.

ECLECTIC BUILDINGS
 An adjective used to describe an artist who selects forms and ideas of different periods and
combines them to produce a harmonious whole.

WARM COLORS
 The reds and yellows lead to advance toward the observer usually used for wide rooms to
make smaller (fire, sunlight)

COOL COLORS
 The blues, greens, violet, tend to recede from the observer. It suggests distance and is
usually used for small rooms to make it seem wider. ( sky, mountain, seas)

ANALOGOUS COLORS
 Color near each other in the color wheel.

COMPLIMENTARY COLORS
 Colors opposite each other in the color wheel.

PRIMARY COLORS
 Triangular tips of red and yellow and blue in the color wheel.

SECONDARY COLORS
 Triangular tips in between red and yellow, yellow and blue, blue and red or orange, green and
violet.

FUNCTION

FUNCTIONAL DESIGN
 Deals with the development of a plan arrangement to serve in a purely mechanical way the
functions of the building ( size of rooms, HVAC )

NEED FOR ADJACENCY

 Kitchen near to dining room, Master’s Bedroom to toilet.

SIMILARITY OF GENERAL RULE

 In sports, tennis, golf, swimming pods. In malls, fast foods, clothing, food.

RELATEDNESS TO DEPARTMENTS, GOALS, SYSTEM

 In hospital ex: delivery room to recovery room to post partum.

SEQUENCE OF TIME
 Ina parking garage for ex: toll-in, park, toll-out.

REQUIRED ENVIRONMENTS
 Furniture types, need for view, ceiling height, access to roof, need for vents exhaust, security,
acoustics.

TYPES OF EFFECT PRODUCED

  Radiation, chemical, smoke, fumes, heat, noise from gymnasiums, mechanical rooms,
vibration from machinery wet-dry toilets, labs.

RELATIVE PROXIMITY TO BUILDINGS

 Incoming passengers, parking and services, outgoing passengers loading and unloading taxi,
runways.

RELATEDNESS TO CORE ACTIVITIES

 (primary) proportion, labor, delivery, nursery, (secondary) waiting, clean and sterile utility,
doctor’s and nurses lockers, (tertiary) house keeping, janitor’s closet.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE
 Newly married, mixed singles, elderly, married with kids.

VOLUME OF PEOPLE INVOLVED

 Single house, duplex, condominium and apartments.

EXTENT OF MAN OR MACHINE INVOLVEMENT

 Delivery, unloading, storage, preparation, craft, sales.

SPACE

USE OF SPACE
 Services to occupants (utility, function ) how high would be the kitchen storage, reach, how
big the furnishings will be to learn the size of the enclosure space.

COLLABORATION AND USE OF MATERIALS

 Strength or permanence and security.

CONTRIBUTION OF AESTHETICS
 Beauty, using the principle of design, architecture as distinguished from the mere building or
engineering structure.

CENTRALIZED FORMS
 Consists of a number of secondary forms clustered about dominant central parent forms,
centrality, can embody sacred places.

LINEAR FORMS
 Consist of forms arranged segmentally in a row of repetitive space ( wall path )

RADIAL FORMS
 Compositions of linear forms that extends outward from central space or forms in a wheel
manner.

CLUSTERED FORMS
 Uses proximity to relate its spaces to one another. It often consists of repetitive cellular
spaces that have similar functions and share a common visual trait, orientation.

GRID FORMS
 Consist of forms and spaces whose position in space and relationship with one another and
regulated by a three-dimensional pattern or field. Such as skeletal structure system of
columns and beams.

 CIRCULATION
THE BUILDING APPROACH
 This may vary in duration, from new paces through a compressed space to lengthy and
circuitous route.

FRONTAL
 Leads directly to the entrance.

OBLIQUE
 This enhances the perspective.

CIRCUITOUS
 This prolongs the sequence of the approach.

THE BUILDING ENTRANCE

 Passing through an implied plane, or a change in level, working the passage from one place
to another for visual and spatial continuity between two spaces.

FLUSH ENTRANCE
 Entrances maintain the continuity of a wall’s surface.

PROJECTED ENTRANCE
 Entrances announce their function to the approach and provide shelter overhead.

RECESSED ENTRANCE
 Entrances also provide shelter and receive a portion of exterior space into a realm of the
building.

FORM OF CIRCULATION SPACE

 Enclosed or open on one or two sides, corridors, balconies, must accommodate the
movement of people as they promenade, pause, rest or take a view.

CONFIGURATION OF THE PATH

 Paths of movements are linear in nature. Pedestrian meeting each other should have wider
volume of space, wheeled vehicles can have a tightly tailored path.

PATH-SPACE RELATIONSHIP
 The edges, nodes and termination of the path. Pass by axially terminate in a space, or pass
obliquely or along the edges.

MASSING
FORMS
 Deals with shape, and when the figure is 3-dimentional. It become mass or volume we should
proceed to design from the general (massing) to the Particular (detailing)

SURFACE
 Areas of materials which enclose a building and secondary importance to the masses which
they create.

TEXTURE
 These refer to the quality of surface treatment, whether the materials are rough or smooth.

TONE
 A variety in the use of gradation from black to gray to white and from dark to light.
COLOR
 Results from the hues of spectrum.

ANALOGICAL DESIGN
 The drawing of similarities ( usually visual) into the solution of one’s design problems with
buildings, with forms from nature, from painting and so on (a laboratory building from a
microscope, chapel roof from a CRAB)

CONTEXT
 Refer to site and climate

INHERENT COLOR
 Natural colors of materials like stone marble or wood.

APPLIED COLOR
 As in the case of surfaces, which are painted or decorated by man.

ACTIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 Uses a system that required expensive and energy consumption equipment to operate
electric water heater and air conditioners. (Technically designed Solar Bldg.)

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 So called because it employed no sophisticated collector and no expensive technology to
harness the sun’s energy.

SITE CONTROL
SOLAR SHADING IN SUMMER
 This employ shading by a structural elements but affects the facades of buildings. Powered
louvers are used to diminish heat gain.

WHITE ROOFS AND DESSERT COOLING

 In reflecting heat away instead of absorbing it, which increases the temperature of room
below, white roofs are effective. Evaporative cooling uses one electric motor. As water is
evaporated to vapor heat is drawn from the air reducing its temperature.

PASSIVE SOLAR PLANNING

 This is achieved by orientation by carefully considering the location of the building. How it will
relate to the sun and breezes. Use windbreaks consisting of either a fence or a row of trees
which reduce air infiltration through windows by diminishing the wild pressure. Orient solid
walls to the west to offset sunset.

NATURAL HEATING AND DAYLIGHTING

 Hot air s effectively vented out with the use of strategically located clerestories, or windows
located on the side of the roof for ventilation purposes. To absorb heat, pain the wall black.
Natural daylight is used in the northside.

WINDOWLESS BUILDING
 Opaque walls enclose large section of buildings. During daylight hours they are densely
occupied and well lighted. The space gains of people-load and lighting load are usually
sufficient to heat the building by day the cold months.

UTILIZATION OF NATURAL GROWTH

 Tress reduce window heat gain not only by blocking direct sunlight penetration but also
lowering the ground surface temperature; using deciduous ivy vine can also shade a building
 facades in summer (hot) and when it dies in the cold months, it allows the sun to shine
through.

THERMOSIPHONING
 In some cases, it is possible to move the fluids (liquid or air) without mechanical aid; by
natural convection. As the fluid is heated, it tends to rise and cooler fluid flows in to take its
place.

BUILDING CONFIGURATION
 The overall shape of the building affects the amount of energy it will consume. In general,
configurations that resist unwanted heat transmission for a given enclosed volume. A
spherical or round building has less surface and thus less heat gain or loss.

GROUND SURFACE
 Paved and planted, this option involves the use of light-colored ground surfaces to reflect
sunlight unto a building, dark colored surface to absorb sunlight and lower outside
temperature.

UNDERGROUND STRUCTURE
 Placed between the building and the outsides elements, earth slows the heat transfer from
one to the other, reduces the temperature difference between exterior and interior, protect the
building from cold winds and the direct rays of the sun.

ENCLOSURE, AND SYSTEM

DEGREE OF ENCLOSURE
 The forms of its space is determined by the configuration of its defining elements and the
pattern of its opening (door, windows) whether at the edges of an enclosing plane, which
visually weakens the corner boundaries of space. But promotes its visual continuity with
adjacent spaces.

LIGHT
 The illumination of its surfaces and forms. Entering a room through windows in the wall plane
or through skylights in the room plane overhead, the sun’s light falls on surfaces within the
room enlivens their colors, and articulates their texture.

VIEW
 Is the internal focus and outward orientation. Fireplace has an internal focus. Outward
orientations will determine the nature of the view. A small window opening tends to frame a
view and is seen as a painting. A high window or skylight shows the treetops and the sky.

PEOPLE FUNCTION
 Follow the flow of occupants from one space to another from stairs to elevators services
equipment’s pathways, flow of occupant to enter and exit the building as required by CODE,
flow of trash to leave the building. Materials to enter the building.

STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONS
 Follow flow of gravity loads from roof down to column. Through floors, to foundations and
soils. Follow flow of lateral loads. Earthquake from ground to foundations to columns, walls,
floors to roof. Wind from side walls to roof and floor, through columns, footings and earth.

WATER, MOISTURE AND DRAINAGE

 Follow rainwater from highest point on roof to drain, through the piping system to outfall
(storm-sewer) of site from highest points off site, around building to outfall off site. Follow
rains or moisture at exterior walls and windows down building sides, follow contaminated
water from furthest point of use to end of septic tank.
HEAT
 Follow sun paths to and into the building to plan for access or blocking. Follow excessive
external or internal heat through building skin and block if necessary. Follow source of
internal heat loads (lights, people, equipment) to their outfall (natural ventilation or A.C)

AIR
 Follow wind patterns through site to encourage or block natural ventilation through building
required. Follow air pattern from inlets to outlet. Follow forced air ventilation pattern through
building to address heat and odors.

NATURAL LIGHT
 Follow paths of natural light (direct or indirect sun) to and into the building. Encourage or
block as needed. Follow paths of circulation and at spaces to provide artificial illumination
where necessary. This includes site and building.

ENERGY AND COMMUNICATION

 Follow electric supply from off site to transformer, to breakers or panels to each outlet or point
of connection. Follow telephone lines off site to TMB to each phone location.

ECONOMICS

ECONOMIC COSTS
 It is reasonable to believe that creativity can be enhanced if something is known of the
relationship between structural and constructive design options and the cost of
implementation. This is actually the cost of the building structure and its maintenance costs.

NORMAL COST OF CONSTRUCTION BY CONTRACTORS

 The cost of materials used, the labor involved in every phase of the construction process, the
cost of equipment purchased or rented for the project and overhead, percentage of profit.

OTHER COSTS ADDED TO BUILDING STRUCTURE

 Added costs of building are professional fees, cost of landscaping. Permits and licenses, and
Interior design.

DAILY HOUSEKEEPING
 A cleaning of floors, walkways, windows and walls also ceilings.

PERIODIC INSPECTION AND REPAIR

 Inspecting and repairing windows, roofs, walls, heaters, plumbing and painting.

PERIODIC REFURBISHMENT
 The renovation, re-painting of interior surfaces, replacing roofs, replacing plumbing fixtures,
replacing furnitures.

LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE
 Watering of lawns and shrubs, removing of trash, etc.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS IN ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEM

 Use non-toxic, non-flammable materials, eliminate sharp edges, create properly designed
stairs, ramps, put barrier in wall to ceiling glass windows, ground all electrical control,
illuminate dark walkways and stairs, use non-skid materials on wet surfaces. Provide fire
exits, fire sprinklers, fence on water heaters, boilers.
HUMAN FACTORS AND BEHAVIOR

PERCEPTION
 Is the process by which we organize and interpret the patterns of stimuli in our environment.
The immediate intuitive recognition as of an aesthetic quality.

VISUAL ACUITY
 Is the keenness, sharpness or acuteness of perception or vision. (Imaginative foresight
especially of the beautiful). The most important features of a shape of an object is its general
outline or contour.

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
 This is false interpretation by the mind of a sense perception. An example is when shown two
lines, you see one as shorter and one larger, upon measuring it, they are the same. Another
is two perfect parallel lines, but when combined with diagonal lines, it will appear either to be
wider or thinner at the middle.

VALUES
 Human relationship. If you can speak with people and make them at ease, they will trust you
more, you will feel better and the job you do will turn out well for all concerned. Environment
influences values. Design interiors to make people feel at ease even if they are waiting for
their turn.

FOLK BELIEFS IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

 The architecture of a folk is involved and modified by ideas and imitation. Architecture is
building with which people have identified themselves given its significance like stairs never
stopping on the 3rd count or or plata, mata, no exit door or window direct to a main door
opening.

FENG SHUI
 A complex blend of sound common sense, fine aesthetics and mystical philosophy. It is a
traditional Chinese technique, which aim to ensure that all things are in harmony with their
surroundings. Having this sense is said to enhance happiness and prosperity.

ARCHITECTURAL LINGO
SMART HOUSES
 Are future homes, an electronic showcase, which electronically wakes you up, warm your hot
tub and blows your coffee. It will respond to your orders and no one else because security
sensors recognize your voice. HVAC are regulated.

INTELLIGENT BUILDING
 Defined a continuing capability in building, drawing from information service or system. It is
vital urgent tool to enable occupants to live, work or even play under the most satisfying,
creative and productive atmosphere. This involves automatically monitoring and taking care
of energy consumption and security and fire protection.

AMBIENCE
 Surrounding on all sides, an environment or its distinct atmosphere.

AMENITIES
 (Site) parking, public transit access, walk-in customer, exposure, landscape, illumination,
security and emergency access.
ARTICULATION
 Refers to the manner in which the surfaces of form come together to define its shape and
volume. their overall configuration is legible and easily perceived. It clearly reveals the edges
of its surfaces and corners at which they meet.

AUSPICIOUS
 Promising success, favorable, favored by fortune, prosperous.

AXONOMETRIC
 Designating a method of projection in which a three dimensional object are represented by a
drawing having all lines drawn to exact scale resulting in the optical distortion of diagonals
and curves.

CONFIGURATION
 To form after an arrangement of parts or a form, or figures determined by the arrangement of
parts.

GRADATION
 Deals with object, which may have the same shape, color and direction but may vary in size
and tone, this change is gradually increasing or decreasing.

IDIOSYNCRACIES
 A characteristic, mannerism, habit or the like, that is peculiar to an individual synonym:
peculiarity, quirk.

INDIGENOUS
 Originating in and characterizing a particular region or country: native

JUXTAPOSITION
 To put side by side or close together, to pose for a picture taking, to put in position putting of
dark to light areas.

MILIEU
 An environment, social or cultural setting.

REFURBISH
 To renovate, polish up again, brighten

RETROFIT
 To modify equipment that is already in service using parts developed or made available after
the time of original manufacture.

UPSCALE
 To reduce or increase in magnitude according to a fixed scale up and down. (upscale
subdivision) a higher priced location.

TRANCHE
 French (slice) Foreign Fund is divided into different releases to borrower.

LIBOR RATE
 London International Borrowing Rate, the present rate of interest.

MORATORIUM
 A legal authority to delay payment of money due; or a temporary cessation of activity
considered as dangerous (construction of tall building).
MACRO
 Group of city such as Barangays. In time of conflicts, territorial instincts are inflated to include
whole group of nations.

MICRO
 Group such as inhabitants of the same floor of a block or flats, through various social
gatherings.

EGEST
 To discharge, as from the body; void.

INGEST
 To put in.

EGRESS
 A means of going out or exit.

INGRESS
 A means or place of entering an entry way.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
 We plan people’s relationship to indoor and the site, the adjoining building, the neighbor, and
nature.

VALUE ENGINEERING
 The process of analyzing system equipment, materials and obtain the desired function at the
lowest overall cost, without sacrificing quality.

WHITE ELEPHANT
 Amount of investment given to a building, wherein the facilities is never used or needed in the
first place or property that is trouble some or expensive to keep.