Design Theory-I

Lecture Slides
Chapter-3
Khwopa Engineering College
 Norberg Schulz’s Theory of Architecture
• Christian Norberg Schultz has describe architecture as
 Building tasks,
 Form
 Technique
• written in his book entitled Intentions in architecture
" we may conclude that a description of the architectural totality has to be
carried out by means of three basic dimensions: Building Task, Form and
Technique.”
Building Task
Buildings are developed with some purpose
No any or very rare buildings are there without any
purpose…
 Building Task
• What is the purpose of a building then?
– an order or response to environment or atmosphere>>Plato>> … a
building should be warm in winter and cool in summer…

– should be capable enough to create an atmosphere inspiring life>> one

would not commit suicide just because of his/her house, if he or she
does so, the architecture is a failure

• Building: Homely environment

• Homely environment… non measurable.. Architecture deals not only with
measurable aspects rather it will deal with both measurable and non-
measurable aspects
• Homely atmosphere deals with physical and psychological comfort
 Building Task
• A building contains homely atmosphere if it can provide comfort.

• A building is said to be comfortable if

– it is capable enough to moderate the climate, >>should be cool in
summer and warm in winter<< PHYSICAL CONTROL
– it has got appropriate functional relationship between different spaces
inside<<FUNCTIONAL FRAME
– it is capable to create a social milieu enabling the exposure of the
building, its owner and the use<< SOCIAL MILEU
– If it symbolizes the culture of the territory on which it stands <<
CULTURAL SYMBOLIZATION
Building Task
Physical Control
• Contribute for desired degree of comfort
• Protection or contribute for the reduction of intensity of climate
• Also should have same for following elements
• light,
• sound,
• smell,
• dust,
• smoke,
• insect, animal,
• person,
• radioactivity

Need all elements in desired intensity

Building Task
Physical Control
• Hence, elements of a building should act as a filter, connector, barrier and switch

Building Function Reason

elements
Doors and Switch Possibility for opening as
windows desired
Walls Filter and Filters temperature and
barrier protects from light
Corridors Connector Horizontal vertical
and and filter communication
staircase

• The building is successful to moderate the intensity of physical factors, it will

contribute to achieve desired degree of comfort
Building Task
Physical Control
• The proper use of elements and formation of their mutual
relationship constitute physical control
– This gives physical and psychological control
• In order to maintain the desired degree of comfort, use of
building materials also play a vital role.
Building Task
Functional Frame
• Functional frame>>skeleton, If one has proper skeleton,
then only s/he can perform at his/her best. Same principle
is applied in terms of building as well
• Functional frame provides space for all desired functions in
the building
• The idea of a functional frame hinges around the generation
of a particular frame, which shelters the interior activities.
Building Task
Functional Frame
• Better example of functional frame of a building is BUBBLE
DIAGRAM
• In a bubble diagram, bubble represents the space, arrow
represents the connector
• If two spaces are connected>> both spaces have relations.
• Relations could be
(i) essential
(ii) desired
(iii) tolerable and
(iv) intolerable
Building Task
Functional Frame

• Example
Toilet

Living Room Dinning

Kitchen
Building Task
Social Milieu
Sociology:
• is the systematic study of social behavior and human groups
• is to see through the outside appearances of people’s
actions and organizations
• is to identify underlying, recurring patterns of and influences
on social behavior
• identifies the pattern of social behavior and attempts
provide explanation to those patterns
Building Task
Social Milieu
– The word Milieu >> persons surrounding
– Humans are social animals so they cannot live with out the
presence of society
– Experiments are evident that working efficiency of a person can
be added if is working alone but it does not continue for a long
duration
– This is because a person cannot work if s/he has no way to share
the ideas and it will be too monotonous.
Building Task
Social Milieu
◦ Possibility of social life for the person only in well and fit
surrounding
◦ In an open and democratic society, it isn’t so comfortable to talk
about the hierarchy as all are said to be equal by the state; but
the concept do not die and it exists allover.
 Inequality exists and this is the beauty of the society however
the gap between different class people should be fairly limited.
◦ Inequality is reflected in hierarchy >>hierarchy is clearly seen in
the form of social status
 Example a peon >< Boss
Building Task
Social Milieu
• Hierarchy in buildings>> A building also shows its social status and
its use.
Building Task
Social Milieu
◦ Each and every building has its own peculiar social character
that’s why one can easily predict its social status.
◦ A palace and a hut are clearly differentiated from a glance. That’s
why; one of the major tasks of a building is to display its social
identity.
◦ Social milieu is not only for the exposure of building character
rather it also help people to create a better neighborhood.
 Examples
 clusters as example where people prefer to buy a large
plot and to reside dividing the plot in pieces just to find a
desired degree of comfort by sharing their common daily
life.
 Housing colonies
Building Task
Cultural Symbolism
• Culture provides meaning of object
• an abstract term and comes through various social practices
• practiced as common values, empirical constructs, philosophical
ideas, moral codes, religious beliefs, ideological convictions and
economical conditions.
• Tolerance (Sahishnuta) is a form of culture practiced by Nepalese
society that’s how people from different ethnic groups are residing in
a territory.
• Hindus and Buddhists go to each others temples. The common values
are symbolized by such temples
• Empirical science is manifest in Astronomy: astronomers are found
to be very prominent in society and play a very useful role
• Six philosophical ideas: Nyaya, yoga, Samkhya, Viveshika, Advaita,
Mimamsa
Building Task
Cultural Symbolism
• Nyaya could be seen in the form of court buildings
• Political ideologies reflect in the formation of parties and
their office buildings
• Economical conditions are reflected in the size and the finish
of the building: A rich person usually constructs larger in area
and moreover such a building can be seen to have employed
more sophisticated materials.
FORM
• What is a form?
– the thing
• we see by our naked eyes if exists
• We visualize it while designing and finally disclosed to the
observer at the end
– important aspect for architects and architecture
• Criticism on architecture begins and highly depends on the
form it holds
• Appearance is the striking feature of any object >> form
refers to the appearance
• AWARAN <> BIBARAN
• Taking reference of the form, a commoner puts his/her
remarks, as the building is beautiful for him/her or not
FORM
• If the object holds a good form it looks beautiful.
– True or False?
• In general, it is true but beauty has various definitions so it is
controversial often.
• A form is a constituted by different elements, relationships between
those elements, formal structure and at the end the style.
 Form

Constituents of Form
elements

Mass element

Space element

Surface element

Relationships between elements

Topological relation

Geometrical relation

Conventional relation

Formal structure

style
Form
Elements

“Architecture- Form, Space & Order” by Francis D.K. Ching

 POINT ELEMENTS

Form
Elements
• Point marks as a position but theoretically it has neither shape nor
form but it begins to make its presence when placed within a visual
field.
Form
Elements
LINEAR ELEMENTS
• Line has only one direction, it must have some degree of thickness
to become visible.
• Character of line, is determined by our perception of its length-
width ratio, its contour and its degree of continuity
• Even the simple repetition of like or similar elements, if continues
enough, it can be regarded as a line. This type of line has significant
texture qualities.
Form
Elements Planar Elements

• Plane: a line extended in a direction other than its intrinsic direction

becomes a plane
• Conceptually a plane has length and width, but no depth
• Proportion of plane- its surface, color, pattern and texture; affects
its visual weight and stability
Form
Mass Elements
• Any form is constituted by elements.
• Elements appear when one looks at any form.

• Mass element:
– Mass element refers to geometrical form
– line and plane help to identify the geometrical form
– mass element is clearly and visually separated with the help of
Euclidian geometry, circle is different than a pentagon because
of the mass element.
– A straight line from the origin departing away in a particular
direction may thus, clarify that it is other than a circle, because a
circle or even a curved line have to return to their origin.
Form
Mass Elements
• round objects have a great capacity of attention.
– Infants prefer round objects globally
• A domed temple is more attractive than Shikhara or Sattala temple
• Drawbacks of circular masses>> do not show any sorts of affinity to
combine & they stand individual
– A sphere is seen therefore sphere from all angles. But other
shapes look different if the angle of vision is changed
Form
Mass Elements
• Uniform texture gives boldness to any object.
– Boldness contributes for the massiveness to the element.
– Dilution is the process, which make the form less massive.
– openings also contribute to the massive character of the mass
elements.
– Massive architecture>> examples
• Small openings: massive wall
• Bigger openings>> diluted wall
 Form
Mass Elements
• Smoothness of surface
contributes for the dilution of
mass.
– The stones and their curves
contribute to the
massiveness of Krishna
mandir in comparison with
the Bhimsen Stambha
(Dharahara) even the size
of Dharahara is greater
than the size of Krishna
Mandir.
Form
Space Elements
• Space elements have a character of thickness or height.
– What is a space?
• Void between two or more masses
• Mass element is more concentrated whereas space element is more
closed
• space elements are thus characterized by the feeling of closure
• Rectangular and triangular space has a sense of direction but the
circular ones rest on it.
Form
Space Elements
• Square and rectangular spaces>> assimilating(character of joining
with each other)
• circular spaces>> rejecting or Individualistic or completeness>>
remain on their one ( no assimilation)
• Walls, floors and ceilings usually define space elements.
 Form
Surface Elements
• Surface elements are akin to the space elements without the presence of
thickness but owning the relief character
• The surface element could be plastic or perforate
– Plastic >> pilaster
– Perforate>> doors and windows.
Some interesting Forms
Some interesting Forms
 Topological relationship
• Topological relationship:
– deal with the relations like
proximity, separation,
succession, closure and
continuity.
– do not deal with permanent
dimensions and angle
– Proximity:
• Relationship between
elements when they are
nearby forming a group
• Example>> columns in a
building form a group
with the property of
proximity
 Topological relationship
• Topological relationship:
– Proximity:
• Relationship which
generates feeling of
closure
• Example>> in Islamic
architecture where,
position of columns
creates feeling of closure.
 Topological relationship
• Similarity:
– the other relation according
to which the similar objects
form a group as windows
are prominently seen in a
building due to the
character of similarity.
 Topological relationship
• Similarity and dissimilarity are
the relations, which cause
repetition, contrast and
dominance in a form.
• A pediment is seen dominant
and contrast in Neo-classical
Architecture due to the
property of dissimilarity
whereas columns are seen
prominent in same style due
to the property of similarity.
 Geometrical relationship
• Geometrical relationship:
– take point, lines and coordinate
axes in the beginning.
– The formation of an object with
a relation of a point is called as
centralization. A circle follows
centralization system, as its
perimeter is equidistant from
the center.
– The one relative to a line is
known as axiality.
• Bahals are axial as they have
an axis, which is referred to
place the elements on both
sides.
 Geometrical relationship
• Employment of grids is an
example of a coordinate system.
– A small chaitya (Chi Bha:) is
axial and centralized at a
same time, because it is
arranged around a point and
also around an axis.
 Conventional relationship
• Conventional systems are evolved taking practice at the point of
departure and thus they worth logics.
• The Greek orders are the example of conventional relations
whereby all elements follow a particular proportion. Therefore,
Doric column made in Greece or in Nepal pose similar masculine
character that is 6 times the diameter, whereas the Ionic column
pose feminine character as it has proportion of 1:9 (dia: ht.).
• Nepalese Multitier temples also have a proportion therefore they
look similar all around. Traditional Vaastu Shastra is also said to be
based upon proportions and thus are posing the conventional
relations.
 Formal structure
• There are three types of elements in
a form.
• A form may consist of several
elements or even there might be
several forms combined together.
• Combination of several elements or
forms are possible because of the
formal structure.
• If elements are formed through
proximity, the formal structure is
known as a group.
 Formal structure
• If elements are formed
through continuity, it is
known as row.
 Formal structure
• When group is formed
with the help of continued
form, it is called as cluster.
 Style
• Style is to provide an identity of the particular object.
• Identity of any object contributes to be felt clear and distinguished
tangibly.
• Sometimes an object is observed as a hybrid as it may have a
composition of different elements of different styles.
• Style is a system consisting of three basic elements called as
primary, secondary and tertiary elements.
 Style
• An object looses its peculiarity in absence of primary elements as
this leads the object to disintegration. For example one cannot
imagine a traditional Newari house with absence of a sloped roof
covered with jhingati tiles.>> Slope roof as primary element
 Style
• Secondary elements
reinforce the identity of
style. Struts are observed
as secondary elements in
those Newari houses.
One hardly imagines a
Newari house without
the presence of struts as
they are very often. But
they sometimes might
disappear.
 Style
• Tertiary elements strengthen and beautify the style, but they are
not common and rarely are observed as cornices in Newari houses.
• Whenever talking about modern Architecture, one finds flat roof,
excessive use of metal as well as glass and concrete. One of the
peculiarities of modern Architecture is less ornamentation.
Therefore, flat roof is considered as primary element of modern
Architecture.
 Style
• The particular element goes with the particular style, that’s why, a
dome is not fit on the top of a Sattala as style of a Sattala demands
tiered or pagoda roof rather than a dome.
• example of Daura Suruwal with a tie as necktie is of a different style
from style of Daura Suruwal. But a hat may go to it, as topi is a
compulsory element with Daura Suruwal.
 Style
• A style is popular till the possibilities of modification and hence it
could be one day out dated. Once the style is exhausted,
development and adaptation of another style starts.
– For example the Sattala style was popular in Nepal for a long
time, but time came for its stabilization and stopped possibilities
of evolution and hence Neo-classical style was introduced.
 Technique
• Third aspect of Architecture according to Scultz is technique.
• Some common questions to answer:
– When a design is complete?
– How to make your design exist on the ground?
• An architecture is complete only when it is constructed
• Construction of any design is its materialization.
• Materialization of the design of an architect is only possible if
appropriate technique is applied.
 Technique
• All paper works go into vain if the design is not constructed and
stand as well.
• A structure could be designed but if cannot stand, it is of no use.
• A design is said to be successful if it stands in nature.
• To make design stand and seen, proper technique is most the
important factor.
 Technique
• A building stands by only two means:
– By the support of walls
– By the support of beams and columns.
• If the wall is supporting, it is said to be the Load Bearing system
• Load bearing system>>commonly called as Wall system.
• if Beams and columns are there to support the system, the system
is called as framed structure
• Framed structure>>commonly called as Pillar system.
 Massive system
• Massive system
– is nothing but the load
bearing system.
– has elements at once bound
and support.
– is rather rigid because,
modifications are almost nil
in this type after
construction.
– has walls which not only
enclose the space but also
support the structure.
 Massive system
• Massive system
– Lacks of repetitions
hence demonstrates
more sculptural character
and there is limitations in
the sizes of openings.
• found in traditional Nepali
buildings where we may
not find large openings.
– has got limitations in
applications, as taller
buildings are not possible
if it is applied.
 Skeleton system
• Skeleton system
– is that in which the function of a wall is rather
flexible
– has walls to bound the space
– Has supporting elements of beams and columns.
– Has beams to work for lateral loads
– Has columns to work for vertical loads, which
finally is transferred to the soil through
foundation.
 Skeleton system
• Beams and columns are primary elements and walls are secondary
elements in this system.
• This system consists of repetition of elements, which contribute to the
standardization of parts allowing room for ease in construction.
• It is more architectural as it allows for articulation (connect by joints) in a
flexible manner.
• It also allows transparency, which is meant to be one of the great
achievements of modern Architecture.
• The interior can be exposed in this system and it helps to create an
honest Architecture.
• The introduction of grid system was only possible after the introduction
of framed structure. Due to its versatility in use, it was possible to
construct taller buildings and we can see skyscrapers by its introduction.
 Some Myths
• Massive and skeleton system have some myths regarding
earthquake resistance
• Neither of the systems are earthquake proof
• Both of these require proper design and construction in order to
resist shock, impact
 Reality

NOTHING IS EARTHQUAKE PROOF,

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE CAN BE ACHIEVED
BY USING PROPER TECHNOLOGY.

TECHNIQUE IS IMPORTANCE ASPECT TO MAKE

BUILDING STAND IN ALL RESPECT.
 Hybrid system
• Hybrid system consists of both wall and frame
in the same building
• Usually this system is not preferred but
requirements might lead for such decisions.