FS&O: Design Concepts Part 3: Proportion & Scale

Golden Section

 Since antiquity there has been the belief that certain numerical relationships are used in the structure of the universe. The Greeks used this when considering human proportion and applied this also to their temples. Since then, architects have utilized this "Golden Section". The Golden Section is the "ratio between two sections of a line, or the two dimensions of a plane figure, in which the lesser of the two is to the greater as the greater is to the sum of both" (Ching, 2007, p. 302). The builders of the Taj Mahal in India utilized in the Golden Section. See below in the black and white diagram where the square, a primary solid, is emphasized and also is dimensionally transformed to a rectangle.

Photo Source: http://rajivawijesinha.wordpress.com
Book Reference: Ching, F. (2007). Architecture: Form, Space and Order. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The Orders

The Greeks and Romans believed that the Orders showed perfect beauty and harmony. The diameter of the column was the unit of dimension. They wanted all parts of the building to be in harmony with one another. The Orders include: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. The image below shows a portion of an Ionic column. The geometric features of the column are represented in the black and white diagram below. The circle and square, both primary solids, are seen. In this particular viewpoint, the circle and square have been dimensionally transformed to ellipses and a rectangle. They are clustered to form the image below.

Photo Source: http://www.123rf.com

Renaissance Theories

Renaissance architects also used the Greek system of proportions. They used a progression of ratios to determine ideal plan shapes for rooms and to determine the heights of rooms. Palladios used these systems repeatedly in his designs and can be seen in the drawing of Villa Emo below. Note the proportional use of the three rectangles (square as a primary solid, dimensionally transformed to a rectangle).All three figures are contacted by a dotted line, creating a linear connection between the figures.

Photo Source: http://www.intbau.org

The Modular

Developed by Le Corbusier, this system combines mathematics and human proportions. Based on the Golden Section, it consists of a grid that has three measures - 113, 70 and 43 cm. Adding all of these up, we get 226. Le Corbusier developed the Red and Blue series based on 113 and 226. He therefore applied the human scale to his architecture.  His use of the Modular can be seen in his building, La Tourette, below. Note the use of square primary solids in the black and white diagram below, dimensionally transformed to rectangles and also their integration, facilitated by the dotted line.

Photo Source: http://www.arcspace.com/architects/corbusier/La_Tourette/letter/

The Ken


A Japanese unit of measure, the Ken was initially used to show the interval between two columns and its size varied. However, it was then used for residential architecture and became and absolute measure. It was also used for ordering structure, materials and space in architecture. There were two methods: the Inaka-ma method (room based on center spacing of columns and six floor mats that had slight variations to allow for the columns) and the Kyo-ma method (the floor mat size was the same, but the columns spacing varied with the room size). The image below shows an example of a floor plan exhibiting the Ken method. Note in the black and white diagram the strong use of the rectangle and emphasis on the floor mats.

Photo Source: www.hbp.usm.my/1b/100/HumanDIMENSIONS(1)


Anthropomorphic

Using the size and proportions of the human body, Anthropometry seeks functional ratios. It affects the distances between chairs and tables - in terms of the human reach - and even gets down to the details of walking down stairs or distance between people in interactions. Ergonomics is a development from this field. The image below shows two seating areas where anthropometry would have been considered when placing the distance between the tables and the sofa/chairs. The black and white diagram below emphasizes these distances more clearly.

Photo Source: http://luxury-furniture-design.com/category/modern-furniture/page/5/

Scale 

Scale refers to how the size of something is perceived in comparison with something else. There is visual scale and human scale. The image below shows an interior room with a wall panel. The blurred image of a human going up the stairs gives the viewer an idea of the size of the panel. This is emphasized in the black and white diagram with the slant of the stairs included.

Photo Source: http://www.atlantahomesmag.com/article/stylish-simplicity