Architecture Inquiry

"Architecture is the scientific art of making structure express ideas."  
-- Frank Lloyd Wright

Architecture and its close relations, landscape and urban design, are the arts of shaping space to meet human needs and express human ideas.  

Good design is a juggling act, for the purposes which shape our buildings, our downtowns, our campuses, and parks are seldom solitary or pure.   For example, we may look to one building to serve multiple functions and simultaneously express something of the our unique communal history and our institutional beliefs.   All of this must be accomplished on a limited budget, and the construction must consider the building's neighbors, the local building ordinances, and the environment.  

Goal

The goal of the inquiry process is to think about architectural design and the choices and values it reflects, so as to become more aware of how it may enhance or diminish the quality of our daily lives.   Understanding the basic elements of the genre allows a more fulfilling interaction with the structure and allows us to communicate this experience.  

The Process

The key to appreciating architecture and urban design, as with much else in our frantic lives, is to learn to slow down and really look at it.   Think back to where we began and the very basic methodology of describing what one sees.   As with any art, you should suspend judgment of the work until you are able to analyze the work and synthesize its elements. 

 The process of the analysis is the same as the methodology presented at the beginning of the course in that viewers should work through a consideration of form and content.   Though the porcess is the same, some of the elements are slightly different or unique to architecture.   The following is sample of the elements, but you should also consider those presented in your textbook and course handouts.     

1.  Elements: Form & Structure

• Consider how the building was constructed and its support elements.    What type of support structure is used (i.e. post-and-lintel, arch, cantilever, bearing wall, or skeleton frame)? 
              Are columns and capitals present?   What types or shapes of arches (tunnel, groin vault, rib vaulting)?  

• What lines and shapes dominate?  (Vertical?  Horizontal?  Curving?)   Where do these lines take you?   (Into a focal point?  Out to nature?  Up to God?)    Are the shapes and lines symmetrical?    Are there shapes or forms that are repeated? 

• What is the scale in relation to you?   To surrounding buildings?   To its natural setting?   Does it dominate the environment?  
  
       

  
  
  Modern Exterior by Spokane Architects & Designers Uptic Studios
  
  http://www.houzz.com/photos/1061599/Coeur-D---Alene-Residence-on-Lake-Coeur-D---Alene-modern-exterior-other-metro
  http://www.houzz.com/photos/1061599/Coeur-D---Alene-Residence-on-Lake-Coeur-D---Alene-modern-exterior-other-metro

  

• What is the context (the environment) of the structure?    

• What materials are used (stone, concrete, wood, steel)?   Are they natural, organic, or man-made?   Do they call attention to themselves, or are they unobtrusive?  
  
   

• What textures do you see (rough, slick, plain, ornate)?   Are they varied or repetitive?   

• What colors are used (natural, bold, primary, muted)?   What psychological effect do they have?  
  
  
  

• How does this place work with space?   Do areas flow openly and seamlessly into one another or are they chopped up?   Is it cavernous?   Cozy?   Claustrophobic?  

• Does it employ any kind of symbolism or iconography?   That is, do the designs or colors stand for something (such as red, white, and blue)?
• How do the furnishings function?   Do they seem appropriate or out of place?  
• Are any aspects of skilled (or unskilled) craftsmanship noteworthy?   How much personal attention has gone into the work?  

• Are lines or shapes repeated?  Is the composition balanced or asymmetrical?  

• What materials are used (stone, concrete, wood, steel)?   Are they natural, organic, or man-made?   Do they call attention to themselves, or are they unobtrusive?  

• What textures do you see (rough, slick, plain, ornate)?   Are they varied or repetitive?  

• What considerations for climate have been accounted for?
  
   

2.  Unifying Principle

• What aspect of this building or space dominates your perception?   The unifying principle may be a strong visual feature, some triumph (or failure) of its practical function, some important value it expresses or ignores, or the overall impact it has on you or on its surroundings.  

3.  Purpose

• What practical function was the space designed to serve?  
• What is the form's relation with the function of the building?    Does form follow (or oppose) function?   (Is the form a direct result of the planner's consideration of function?)  What is the result?  
• Are there nonfunctional motives that seem important (such as to project an image or attain status, convey an idea or mood)?  
• How important are aesthetic objectives?   Does the artistic effect seem more or less important than the practical function?  

Roman Colosseum, by unknown, at Rome, Italy, 70 to 82.

Harvard, Soldier's Field

Florida State University

4.  Context 

    The function of a building is an essential part of its subject matter.  

• What is the physical setting?   How does the building relate to surrounding buildings?    To the natural world around it?   Does it stand out or blend in?  
• What kind of interaction does it create between outside and inside?   Can you see into it or out of it?  
• Can you decipher any of the society's values from which the building was created?  
• What is its historical context?   When and why and by whom was it built?  
• What is its style (e.g., Victorian, Modern, Spanish)?   Is it representative of the period and place it was built, or does it use an earlier or foreign style?   Is the style appropriate for the purpose, or is it trying to be something that it is not?  

WTC Plan

Church Architecture Glossary

5.   Participation & Effect

• Does the structure invite contemplation as architecture?  
• What human activity does the space invite (interaction, privacy, quiet reflection)?  
• How do lighting, temperature, and acoustics affect its users?  
• What is the environmental impact?   Is it earth friendly?   What resources does it consume (heating/cooling. light, etc.)?   How does it affect foot and vehicle traffic in the vicinity?   Views of and from nearby areas?   Sunlight and shadow?  
• Is the building or space humane?   That is, does it dehumanize you and make you feel insignificant or manipulated?   Or, does it affirm the importance of human needs and aspirations?  

Finally ...

After you've spent awhile noticing details and chewing on these Inquiry Questions, you will find yourself ready to draw some conclusions about the place's meaning and value.  

6.  What does the work mean?
        The meaning or interpretation of the work synthesizes form, subject matter, and context. 

• Does the work (as a re-constructed whole) say something about the world?   Does it offer insight into the human condition?   Does the work provide a commentary about a particular subject?      What is the relationship between the meaning, subject matter, context, and form?