Convention of architecture - Term Paper Example

Convention of architecture A plan can either be the floor plan or the site plan. The floor plan is a normative example of an architectural diagram showing the arrangement of compartments in the building from a view above the floor of a building. It is a representation of a section of the building cut in a horizontal line at a level of one meter on top of the floor to reveal all features of the building at that level including windows, walls, doors and window openings and other features visible at that level. Objects that are not visible at the plan level are represented using dotted lines on the diagram. The site plan on the other hand contains a structure or group of structures from above without any sections cut. It consists of the property boundaries, road and other ways of accessing the site and nearby relevant structures. A diagram entails the use of symbols or freehand drawing to generate a design logic.it can be modified into a more presentable form with the aim of representing the principles of a design and enhancing communication. Communication at an early stage of designing a complex structure such as a building is vital in ensuring the success of the design since the process involves the input of specialists from different disciplines.1 Diagrams give architects a rough idea of the end product which give insight on the adequate solutions to design problems. Since the finished work would be expensive and time consuming, the use of diagrams saves on costs due to repair and late changes in the design of the structure. A cross section is a vertical representation of a vertical plane cut through the object and is viewed from the front. Every detail that is cut by the section line is represented by a line that is bolder than the other representations. Sections provide a correlation between the different levels or floors of a building and other representations within the structure which would otherwise be difficult to comprehend from the plan views. A section can also be represented as a sectional elevation in which part of the building beyond the section plane is seen in the representation. In architectural design, a diagram is a graphic short hand representation of something different from itself. The diagram is understood both as a generative device and as an analytical or explanatory device. 2 The analytical role entails representation of the diagram diverse from the representation of a plan or sketch of a building. Even though a diagram is not considered a conventional structure, it seeks to uncover potentially existing structures of organization that are not evident at the moment. The generative role entails the use of a diagram as a form of representation in a design process and this differs from traditional ways of representing structures in that the diagram offers cognition of the object, real structure and the perceived interiority of the architect. The diagram is regarded as an intermediary in the generation process rather than an explanation or subsequent result. Classical architectural concept of a diagram depicts the diagram as something different from structure and it portrays a belief that structure is static, hierarchical and has an origin point. Breuer in his essay “where do we stand” 3describes the ‘New architecture’ of Modernism using an ironic phrase ‘maximum simplicity.’ This is in contrast to the diversity of issues and conflicts that influence architecture such as economic and aesthetic trends, conventions and inventions, relationships with customers among others. Modernism is the state of mind which describes the change in man’s attitude towards the abstract world and the cultural, aesthetics, economic, social as well as scientific artifacts. According to Eisenmann, superimposition refers to a vertical layering that differentiates between the figure and the ground while superposition is the coterminous horizontal layering that has no fixed point of origin or ground and where the figure and ground fluctuate between one another. Thus this creates diagrams which move away from the classical concept of architecture. Since the development of orthogonal projection, plans and sections have been used as the fundamental basis for the animating principles that define the Classicist concept of Western architecture. The concept of Modernist architecture was created with the aim of counteracting or superseding the Western thought of Classicist architecture. Plans and sections are primary devices with notations which reflect the changes in their use, meaning and technical capability to create these changes. Modernist architecture involves simplification of traditional modes of drawing and the lack of applying decoration to buildings. Since the twentieth century there have been efforts to reconcile the hastened advance in technology and modernization of society with the principles of architectural design. A plan diagram is represented in a simple and straightforward manner which results in extreme clarity. It involves design based on the purpose with simplicity and clarity of features with decrease in amount of detail, representation of the true nature of structures and not hidden structural elements, and the use of materials that are industrially-produced. It has been viewed as a self-referential sign with many theoretical writings in architecture have been based on an attitude of continuation of Renaissance tradition. While the style preference changed and new descriptive metaphors were used in modern architecture the concept of architecture, its use and what it was remained constant. Modern architecture continued to rely on traditional drawing modes of section, plan and elevation to conceive its values. In Modernist architecture, the plans are characterized by straight lines to represent walls, the materials are at 90 degrees to each other, the visual expression of the structure is clear and simple without hidden structural elements and the shape and representation of the structure poses its true nature without concealed meaning or representation. Tradition of Modern Architecture The development of modern architecture can be viewed as a result of political and social revolutions as well as changes in culture which led to the modernity of mankind, or as a result of advancement in engineering and technological knowledge or rather as a result of varied taste especially against the excessive styles used in Edwardian and Victorian architecture4. The most palpable advancements in architecture are as a result of the development of different conditions of use and the change in the importance placed on certain rituals and the range of performance. The nature and significance of objects in architecture represents the gradual change in the conception of man’s consciousness from a theocentric concept to an anthropocentric conception. These changes in architecture were reflected in the spatial modification of plan and section diagrams which provide physical representations of the formal strategies that are to be developed using new constructs of notation and representation. The adoption of modernist architecture has been seen as a struggle between old and new techniques in architecture with architects trying to develop solutions that would integrate traditional and classicist architectural techniques in models that would fit the needs of the public. Conclusion Convention of architecture is the evaluation of the different issues facing architectural designs and processes worldwide by renowned architects. It is an important venture which seeks to discuss trends in architecture to determine the best concepts to implement. The use of the various concepts of architecture namely Classicist architecture, Modernist architecture and vernacular architecture provides diversity and different designs for generation of structures that serve different purposes in society. Work Cited Boland, R., & Collopy, F. Managing as designing. Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books, 2004. Print. Conway H., & Roenisch, R. Understanding Architecture: An Introduction to Architecture and Architectural Theory. Revised. Routledge, 2013. Print. Eisenman, Peter. Diagram diaries. New York, NY: Universe Publishers, 1999. Print. Smith, K. H. Introducing architectural theory: debating a discipline. New York, NY: Routledge, 2012. Print. Read More