Architecture: Form, Space, & Order

THE CLASSIC ARCHITECTURAL REFERENCE, UPDATED WITH CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES AND INTERACTIVE RESOURCES

For more than forty years, the beautifully illustrated Architecture: Form, Space, and Order has served as the classic introduction to the basic vocabulary of architectural design. The updated and revised Fourth Edition features the fundamental elements of space and form and is designed to encourage critical thought in order to promote a more evocative understanding of architecture.

Architecture: Form, Space, and Order distills complex concepts of design into a clear focus and brings difficult abstractions to life. The book explains form and space in relation to light, view, openings, and enclosures and explores the organization of space, and the elements and relationships of circulation, as well as proportion and scale. In addition, the text’s detailed illustrations demonstrate the concepts presented and reveal the relationships between fundamental elements of architecture through the ages and across cultures.

This edition includes an access card with a redemption code for the online Interactive Resource Center, which features thirty-five animations, flashcards of key architectural terms, and an image gallery showcasing hundreds of photos that enrich the book’s content.

FRANCIS D.K. CHING is the bestselling author of numerous books on architecture and design, including A Global History of Architecture, Architectural Graphics, A Visual Dictionary of Architecture, Interior Design Illustrated, and Building Construction Illustrated, all published by Wiley. He is a registered architect and Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Preface vii

Introduction ix

1 Primary Elements

Primary Elements 2

Point 4

Point Elements 5

Two Points 6

Line 8

Linear Elements 10

From Line to Plane 14

Plane 18

Planar Elements 20

Volume 28

Volumetric Elements 30

2 Form

Properties of Form 35

Shape 36

Primary Shapes 38

Circle 39

Triangle 40

Square 41

Surfaces 42

Curved Surfaces 43

Primary Solids 46

Regular & Irregular forms 50

Transformation of Form 54

Dimensional Transformation 56

Subtractive Form 58

Subtractive & Additive Forms 61

Additive Form 62

Centralized Form 64

Linear Form 66

Radial Form 70

Clustered Form 72

Grid Form 76

Formal Collisions of Geometry 78

Circle & Square 80

Rotated Grid 82

Articulation of Form 84

Edges & Corners 86

Surface Articulation 92

3 Form & Space

Form & Space: Unity of Opposites 102

Form Defining Space 110

Horizontal Elements Defining Space 111

Base Plane 112

Elevated Base Plane 114

Depressed Base Plane 120

Overhead Plane 126

Vertical Elements Defining Space 134

Vertical Linear Elements 136

Single Vertical Plane 144

L-Shaped Configuration of Planes 148

Parallel Vertical Planes 154

U-Shaped Planes 160

Four Planes: Closure 166

Four Planes: Enlosure 170

Openings in Space-Defining Elements 174

Openings within Planes 176

Openings at Corners 178

Openings between Planes 180

Qualities of Architectural Space 182

Degree of Enclosure 184

Light 186

View 190

4 Organization

Organization of Form & Space 196

Spatial Relationships 197

Space within a Space 198

Interlocking Spaces 200

Adjacent Spaces 202

Spaces Linked by a Common Space 204

Spatial Organizations 206

Centralized Organizations 208

Linear Organizations 218

Radial Organizations 228

Clustered Organizations 234

Grid Organizations 242

5 Circulation

Circulation: Movement through Space 252

Circulation Elements 253

Approach 254

Entrance 262

Configuration of the Path 276

Path-Space Relationships 290

Form of the Circulation Space 294

6 Proportion & Scale

Proportion & Scale 306

Material Proportions 307

Structural Proportions 308

Manufactured Proportions 310

Proportioning Systems 311

Golden Section 314

Regulating Lines 318

Classical Orders 320

Renaissance Theories 326

Modulor 330

Ken 334

Anthropometry 338

Scale 341

Visual Scale 342

Human Scale 344

A Scalar Comparison 346

7 Principles

Ordering Principles 350

Axis 352

Symmetry 360

Hierarchy 370

Datum 380

Rhythm 396

Repetition 397

Transformation 418

Conclusion 422

A Selected Bibliography 425

Glossary 427

Index of Buildings 435

Index of Designers 441

Index to Subject Matter 443