TOA1: Elements of Design and Essentials of Structure

• A point in architecture marks a position in space and has no length, width, or depth.
• A point in architecture can serve as the following: as a marks two end of a line, as a mark for intersection of two lines, as a mark for meeting of lines at the corner of a plane or volume, and as center of a field.
• Circus Maximus in Rome, Kathipara Junction in India, and Horizontal Linear Elements in Central Park, New York City are examples of linear elements in architecture.
• A line in architecture has a length but has no depth or width.
• The Roman Colosseum, Rome, Italy, Central Park, New York City, and the Gherkin Building, London are examples of vertical linear elements in architecture.
• A plane in architecture is an extended point and has length and width.
• Overhead Plane, Base Plane, and Wall Plane are types of plane in architecture.
• Planar Elements in architecture include Roof Plane, Ceiling Plane, Exterior Wall Plane, Interior Wall Plane, and Ground Plane.
• A plane in architecture extended in a direction other than its intrinsic direction becomes a solid volume.
• A plane in architecture has length, width, and depth.
• CCP, Manila, Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy, and Volumetric Elements in Machu Picchu, Peru are examples of solid volumes in architecture.
• A void volume in architecture is the absence of volume.
• Emperor’s seat, Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan, Tomohiro Hata Residence, Kobe, Japan, and Volume in the Tomohiro Hata Residence are examples of void volumes in architecture.
• The plan is the beginning of a building.
• The visible structure of a building is composed of form, mass or volume, and evidence of three dimensions.
• The visible structure of a building can have a vertical or diagonal direction.
• The visible structure of a building can have geometric qualities of shape.
• The surface of the visible structure of a building can be an area, with two dimensions as in a facade of a building.
• The texture of the visible structure of a building can be roughness or softness of materials.
• The tone of the visible structure of a building can be lightness or darkness.
• The color of the visible structure of a building is produced by spectrum hues.
• Form in the visible structure of a building deals with shape.
• Mass in the visible structure of a building is a three-dimensional figure.
• Volume in the visible structure of a building has three dimensions: length, width and depth.
• A volume can either be solid, space displaced by mass, or Void, space contained or enclosed by planes in the visible structure of a building.
• Shape is the principal identifying characteristic of form in the visible structure of a building.
• Primary shapes in the visible structure of a building include circle, triangle, square.
• Grid additive forms are modular forms whose relationships are regulated by three-dimensional grids.
• A grid generates a geometric pattern of regularly spaced points where the grid line intersect and regularly shaped fields.
• Centralized additive forms consist of a number of secondary forms clustered about a dominant, central parent form.
• Components of surface include texture, tone, and color.
• Additive forms can have different visual structures, which are not necessarily related to their aesthetic qualities.
• Size in the visible structure of a building is the real dimensions of form, its length, width and depth.
• Texture in surface refers to the quality of surface treatment.
• Color in surface is color as distinguished from tone, which results from the hues of the spectrum.
• Color in surface can be inherent or applied.
• Clustered additive forms consist of forms that are grouped together by proximity or the sharing of a common visual trait.
• Tone in surface is a variety in the use of the gradations from black to white.
• A grid can be defined as two or more intersecting sets of regularly spaced parallel lines.
• Architectural surfaces are areas of materials which enclose a building and are of secondary importance to the masses which they create.