INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL

DESIGN
EARC111

Presentation 1

Lecturer Yaşar Umut Barış Bektaş

What is Design?
What is Design?

● A plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is made.
What is Design?

● Design is a discipline of study and practice focused on the interaction between a person (a ‘user’) and the man-made
environment, taking into account aesthetic, functional, contextual, cultural and societal considerations.
The Key Concepts of Design

● Art or Science?

● While not being exactly an art nor a science, it takes elements from both. Art is about creating something that expresses the
author’s vision, ideas and feelings. While designers can express feelings and leave impressions through their work, doing so is
not their prime objective. So it takes the creating aspect of art, as it is about crafting an item, a tool, an experience even.

● On the other hand, it takes the problem-solving aspect of science. It exists primarily to address a particular need.
The Key Concepts of Design

● The Creative Design Process

● Problems are best solved when approached in a comprehensive and systematic way. The goal of this process is to guide you and
organize your work to turn ideas into concrete solutions. Designers do research and collect information about the problem they
are considering: who is person facing this problem? Why? How are other people trying to solve it? From this research, they
make a general hypothesis and identify the main features should be part of the answer. Then with these key aspects in mind it’s
time to experiment different solutions and iterate.
The Key Concepts of Design
The Key Concepts of Design

● Charles Eames, "Ray" Kaiser Eames (1912–1988) were an American married couple of industrial designers who made
significant historical contributions to the development of modern architecture and furniture through the work of the Eames
Office.
The Key Concepts of Design
The Key Concepts of Design

Q: What is your definition of ‘Design,’ Monsieur Eames?

A: One could describe Design as a plan for arranging elements to accomplish a particular purpose.
Q: Is Design an expression of art?
A: I would rather say it’s an expression of purpose. It may, if it is good enough, later be judged as art.
Q: Is Design a craft for industrial purposes?
A: No, but Design may be a solution to some industrial problems.
Q: What are the boundaries of Design?
A: What are the boundaries of problems?
What is Architecture?
What is Architecture?
What is Architecture?

● Architecture is the art or science of arranging the structure and design of a building. Architecture is both a product – the actual
built structure – and an interdisciplinary process. It integrates art, science, and engineering together. Architecture may serve as a
cultural symbol or a response to a societal issue or need. Architecture can embody the technological capabilities of a place or
time, whether historical or contemporary.
What is Architecture?

● Take a look at this photograph taken inside of a building. Where do you think this is? What type of building could it be? What
forms, materials, and shapes do you see in its architecture?
What is Architecture?

● This is the interior of the Louvre Pyramid, the largest art museum in the world. Located in Paris, France, the Louvre holds
thousands of artworks from around the globe. Composed of glass and steel, the Louvre Pyramid is an addition designed by
architect I. M. Pei as part of a project to modernize the museum’s architecture. It was opened to the public in 1989.
What is Architecture?

● There are at least as many definitions of architecture as there are architects or people who comment on the practice of it. While
some embrace it as art, others defend architecture’s seminal social responsibility as its most definitive attribute.

● This collection of statements illustrates the changing breadth of architecture’s significance.

What is Architecture?

● "Architecture is a way of seeing, thinking and questioning our world and our place in it." - Thom Mayne

● "Architecture is the art and science of making sure that our cities and buildings actually fit with the way we want to live our
lives: the process of manifesting our society into our physical world. - Bjarke Ingels

● "Architecture is too complex for just one person to do it, and I love collaboration." - Richard Rogers

● "Architecture is always dream and function, expression of a utopia and instrument of a convenience." - Roland Barthes

● "Architecture is a very complex effort everywhere. It’s very rare that all the forces that need to coincide to actually make a
project proceed are happening at the same time." - Rem Koolhaas
What is Architecture?

● "Architecture is an expression of values – the way we build is a reflection of the way we live." - Norman Foster

● "Architecture is not just one thing. It is not just an art. … It has to deal with the real situation; it has to do something good for the
society." - Xiaodu Liu

● "Architecture is an untapped source of magnificent stories waiting to be imagined, visualized, and built." - Matthew Hoffman

● "Architecture is about serving others through the design of the built environment." - Kevin J Singh

● "Architecture is intended to transcend the simple need for shelter and security by becoming an expression of artistry." - Jay A.
Pritzker
What is Architecture?

● "Architecture is the petrification of a cultural moment." - Jean Nouvel

● "Architecture is not just about building. It's a means of improving people's quality of life." - Diébédo Francis Kéré

● “Architecture is a physical experience — it needs to be seen and touched to be wholly understood.” - Nicolai Ouroussoff

● "Architecture is not just a matter of technology and aesthetics but the frame for a way of life – and, with luck, an intelligent way
of life." - Bernard Rudofsky

● "Architecture is a small piece of this human equation, but for those of us who practice it, we believe in its potential to make a
difference, to enlighten and to enrich the human experience, to penetrate the barriers of misunderstanding and provide a beautiful
context for life's drama." - Frank Gehry
What is Architecture?

● "Architecture is vital and enduring because it contains us; it describes space, space we move through, exit in and use." - Richard
Meier

● "Architecture is more about ideas than materials." - Qingyun Ma

● “Architecture is not a goal. Architecture is for life and pleasure and work and for people. The picture frame, not the picture.” -
William Wurster

● "Architecture is where imagination meets life." - Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa

● "Architecture is both an art and a practical pursuit, and the profession has always been divided between those who emphasize the
art, that is pure design, and those who give priority to the practical." - Paul Goldberger
What is Architecture?

● "Architecture is a very dangerous job. If a writer makes a bad book, eh, people don't read it. But if you make bad architecture,
you impose ugliness on a place for a hundred years." - Renzo Piano

● "Architecture is a frame of mind, it’s about ideas; the profession is about how to translate those ideas into the real world." -
Christopher Janney

● "Architecture is first and foremost about serving people and society. This is an architect’s responsibility: to design buildings that
fulfill their practical purpose, bring people together, and connect us to the natural world while preserving precious resources." -
Steven Ehrlich

● "Architecture is the starting point for anyone who wants to take humanity towards a better future ". - Le Corbusier
What is Architecture?

● Juhani Pallasmaa: “Architecture is a Verb”

● “Architecture creates a “choreography” of movements, perceptions, and emotions. Buildings direct and guide our
behavior—they suggest and invite, enable or limit. To me, this experiential, lived activity and reality is architecture. Architecture
should always be an invitation and a promise. So, the invited actions and dynamic interrelations make architecture closer to a
verb than a noun.”
What is Architecture?

● Juhani Pallasmaa

● Architecture as an art form defines the dimensions and essence of existential space; creates experiential scenes of life situations.

● Architecture shapes and frames human existential experience and reflects the horizon of understanding.

● The main purpose of architecture is to create existential spaces for human experience; is to mediate this experience, human
existence and life.
What is Architecture?

● These were some of the most important and pointed definitions about architecture which could be extended to unimaginable
limits because some authors define it as geometry/shape, practical poetry, of just a field where imagination became real. The
important thing is to continue taking care of this profession and value it as it deserves in order to preserve its importance and
cultural interest worldwide.
What is Architectural Design?

● Architecture is a team-working process and rarely a lone activity. There is always a client and there is always an interpreter of
that client's needs. The relationship between client and architect is fundamental, and the establishment of a professional and
trusting relationship between the two is the bedrock of every successful project.

● Creating architecture involves art and beauty, science and engineering, values and beliefs, friendship and team-working. It is one
of life's rewarding activities, bringing together a wide range of personalities, skills and expertise. It is an adventure for the client,
the architect and their team.
What is Architectural Design?

● Architectural design is a discipline that focuses on covering and meeting the needs and demands, to create living spaces, using
certain tools and especially, creativity. Therefore, the aim is to combine the technological and the aesthetic, despite the general
belief that architecture is only a technological task.

● In the same way, it mixes design, understood as the creative process, and architecture, which is based on the creation and
presentation of solutions at a technical level. By mixing both disciplines, architectural design seeks the values and formal
qualities of the works, through spatial experiences. In general, we associate it with drawings, sketches or outlines of a project,
and it is one of its fundamental basis. In this aspect of architectural design, there are also other factors involved, that are related
to geometry, space or aesthetics, among others. After all, architecture, and therefore architectural design, is made up of many
elements and processes or phases.
What is Architectural Design?

● When designing, an architect must take into account that he or she should carry out an analysis, to design and build according to
the needs and resources, always keeping in mind the aesthetics and technical characteristics, as well as the basic rules of
construction. That is why the process, capable of identifying all these variables must consider that it is necessary to reflect the
needs, both artistically and technically on the paper (or software). In this case, the lines are the main element of the architectural
design, which define several aspects such as the shape, dimension and positioning of the different spaces integrating the project.
What is Architectural Design?
What is Architectural Design?
Architectural Design Process
Architectural Design Process

● The process of design is cyclical and iterative, which can be defined as a six part process. The architecture design process can be
approached in a number of ways by different designers, but generally it will follow a very similar pattern: The designer will
continuously review and develop ideas, improving the solutions and moving forward with the design.
Architectural Design Process

● The architectural design process will be different from project to project, and from designer to designer. Each architectural
designer will have their own approach, and will develop a design in a diverse set of ways. As the design process is carried out
over and again, it will become more natural, and more clear. The design process will be based on your own views, ideas and
inspirations, and although you will draw from other designs, factors and influences, ultimately, the design will be a reflection of
you, and the skills you develop over time.
Architectural Design Process

● At the first stage of design, the architect prepares a provisional sketch of the structure, taking into account the requirements and
the designed style, based on the available space and economic resources of the client. Yet architecture is in the early stages of
design, open to discussion, and change. From these schematic design and thought reviews, the client and architect finalize the
concept and begin work on the project.

● Not only the final product, but also the process and hidden preliminary activities (psychological and cognitive) are equally
important and play a vital role in architecture. Structure is created from various mental functions such as imagination, ideas, and
concepts. Therefore, architecture is both process and result. It begins with a series of mental processes and ends with a physical
product.
Architectural Design Process
Architectural Design Process

● 1) Problem Solving.

Being able to understand complex problems.

Ability to find different solutions.
Critical thinking.
Paying attention to restrictions.

● 2) Developing the Concept.

● 3) Customers, Users and Project Summary.

Typical actions of this stage: Interviews with the customer, Drawing sketches, Recording the ideas, Organizational diagrams, Data collection,
Exploring the possibilities, Determining priorities.
Architectural Design Process

● 4) Context and Place.

Typical actions of this stage: Site visits, Sketch drawings, Research, Photographing, Data collection, Site analysis, Mapping.

● 5) First Ideas.

Typical actions of this stage: Concept sketches and models, First drawings and working models, Testing the ideas, Understanding the scale,
Developing the needs program, Exploring the possibilities, To inspire.

● 6) Improving and Detailing.

Typical actions of this stage: Scale drawings and models, Design solutions, Elaboration of recommendations, Material choices, Putting the
concept into practice, Working with prototypes.

● 7) Application and Using.

Typical actions of this stage: Application drawings, Design under construction, 1:1 models and samples, Quality control, Material choices.
References

Ansiklopedik Mimarlık Sözlüğü - Doğan Hasol

Basics Architecture 03: Architectural Design - Jane Anderson
https://www.vitra.com/fr-fr/magazine/details/what-is-your-definition-of-design-monsieur-eames
https://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/architecture-design-process/
https://www.archdaily.com/773971/architecture-is-121-definitions-of-architecture
https://www.mchmaster.com/news/definition-of-architecture-by-architects/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/architecture
https://commonedge.org/juhani-pallasmaa-architecture-is-a-verb/