THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1  A method or style of building characterized

Architecture and the Primary by certain peculiarities of structure or

Elements of Form ornamentation
By: Archt. Chris Luna, uap  The art and science of designing and
building structures, or large groups of
Introduction: structure, in keeping with aesthetic and
functional criteria ―Cyril M. Harris‖
 Structures built in accordance with such
principles ―Cyril M. Harris‖
 utilitas, firmitas, and venustas—generally
translated as ―utility, firmness, and delight‖-
"Vitruvius"

The 3 requirements of architecture:

 Utilitas - utility, use, function

Etymology:  Firmitas - firmness, strength
 Architecture  Venustas – delight, beauty, aesthetics
 Latin: architectura, - Vitruvius
 from the Greek ἀρχιτέκτων
 arkhitekton, from ἀρχι- "chief" and
The erection of structures devoid of beauty is
 τέκτων "builder, carpenter, mason"
mere building – a trade & not an art. Edifices in
which strength & stability alone are sought & in
the designing of which, only utilitarian
considerations have been followed, are works of
engineering.

PRIMARY ELEMENTS

POINT
 Marks a position in space
 Conceptually, it has no length, width or
depth
 It is static, centralized and directionless
By Definition:  As the prime element in the vocabulary of
 the art or science of building form, it serves to mark:
 art or practice of designing and building
structures especially habitable structures in
accordance with the principles determined
by aesthetic and practical or material
considerations
 Formation or construction whether the result
of conscious act of growth or of random
disposition of the parts
 The exercise or an instance of the exercise
of art and science of architecture

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 Other point-generated forms that share these
same visual attributes are the:

To mark a position in space or on the ground

plane, a point must be projected vertically into a
linear form

Obelisk of Thutmose I, Karnak

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LINE  Horizontal line – represents the horizon
 A point extended of the seascape; it is calm and peaceful, it is
 A line is a critical element in the formation of repose.
any visual construction
 It can serve to:

 Diagonal line – symbolizes the flight of

geese; it is vigorous or even angry, it is
action.

Characteristics of the line:

Straight Line is sturdy. It is masculine &

belongs to architecture with a determined
mission to fulfill. However, it has its moods. Curved Line is more subtle than the straight. It
is more graceful & sensitive. It is feminine &
 Vertical line – expresses the spirit of the represents that architecture which caters to the
Gothic; it is proud & exalted; it is inspiration. emotional rather than the physical.

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 The orientation of a line affects its role in a
visual construction
 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 may be seen as a vertical
line falling or a horizontal line rising
Hagia Sophia, Constantinople
Vertical elements have been used throughout
history to commemorate significant events and Linear members that possess the necessary
establish particular points in space material strength can perform structural
functions

Salginatobel Bridge, Switzerland

Linear elements express movement across

space

Column of Marcus Aurelius

Vertical linear elements can also define a

transparent volume of space, as in the example
above, the four minarets outline a spatial field
Caryatid Porch, The Erechtheion, Athens
which the dome of Hagia Sophia rises in
splendor

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 Two parallel lines have the ability to visually
describe a plane

Katsura Palace, Kyoto, Japan

Linear members form a three-dimensional

structural frame for architectural space

The closer these lines are to each other, the

stronger will be the sense of plane they convey

PLANE
 A line extended in a direction other than its
intrinsic direction
 Conceptually has length and width but no
depth

A line can be an imagined element rather than a

visible one in architecture

Planes in architecture define three-dimensional

volumes of mass and space
National Mall, Washington D.C.
The properties of each plane – size, shape,
An example is the AXIS, a regulating line
color and texture – as well as their spatial
established by two distant points in space and
relationship to one another determine the visual
about which elements are symmetrically
attributes of the form they define and the
arranged
qualities of space they enclose

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In architectural design, we manipulate three
generic types of planes:

1. 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 that forms the
upper enclosing surface of the room.

 The ground plane ultimately supports all

architectural construction
 It can be manipulated to establish a podium
for a building form
 It can be elevated to honor a sacred or
significant place; bermed to define outdoor
spaces or buffer against undesirable
conditions; carved or terraced to provide a
2. WALL PLANE
suitable platform on which to build; or
stepped to allow changes in elevation to be
The wall plane, because of its vertical
easily traversed
orientation, is active in our normal field
of vision and vital to the shaping and
enclosure of architectural space.

3. BASE PLANE
 The wall planes isolate a portion of space to
create a controlled interior environment
The base plane can either be ground
 Their construction provides both privacy and
plane that serves as the physical
protection from the climatic elements for the
foundation and visual base for building
interior spaces of a building, while openings
forms, or the floor plane that forms the
within or between their boundaries
lower enclosing surface of a room upon
reestablish a connection with the exterior
which we walk.
environment

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 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

 The ceiling plane is usually out of reach and

is almost always a purely visual event in a
space
 It can be raised or lowered to alter the scale
of a space or to define spatial zones within a
room
All volumes can be analyzed and understood to
 Its form can be manipulated to control the
consist of:
quality of light or sound within a space

 Form is the primary identifying characteristic

of a volume
 It is established by the shapes and
 The roof plane is the essential sheltering interrelationships of the planes that describe
element that protects the interior of a the boundaries of the volume
building from climatic elements  As the three-dimensional element in the
 The form and geometry of its structure is vocabulary of architectural design, a volume
established by the manner it spans across can be either a solid – space displaced by
space to bear on its supports and slopes to mass – or a void – space contained or
shed rain and melting snow enclosed by planes
 As a design element, the roof plane is
significant because of the impact it can have
on the form and silhouette of a building
within its setting

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 Topic Reference:

 Architecture Form, Space And Order by

Francis D.K. Ching, John, Witley & Sons,
2007
 Arch. Ma. Antonia Jennifer E. Nardo,
M.Arch. Powerpoint
 Prepared by: ARCH. Norma Alarcon and
Arch. Willa R. Solomon

FLOOR PLAN
Space defined by wall, floor and ceiling

ELEVATION
Space displaced by the mass of a building

 Building forms that stand as objects in the

landscape can be read as occupying
volumes in space
 Building forms that serve as containers can
be read as masses that define volumes of
space

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