Design Principles and Theories Quiz

Design Principles and Theories

• Descriptive Theory: Explains events or phenomena.
• Shape: Outlines or surface configurations of a form.
• Grid Street Arrangement: A common street pattern observed in some cities today, as seen in the Law of the Indies.
• Architect of a Given Structure: Identify the specific architect responsible for a particular structure, using provided visual data. Examples include Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, I.M Pei, and Philip Johnson.
• Complementary Colors: Colors that create contrast, such as red and green, and blue and orange.
• Value (Color): Measures the lightness or darkness of a color.
• 3-Dimensional Forms: Objects that have length, width, and height, and cast shadows.
• Entrance Spaces: Features transitional areas to a building, providing shelter and visual cues for function.
• Basic Color Schemes: Various arrangements of colors, including: Tetradic, Triadic, Analogous, and Complementary.
• Approach Types: Different ways in which spaces approach buildings, including: Oblique, Parallel, Frontal, and Spiral.

Form, Space, and Architectural Elements

• Form: The characteristics outline or surface configuration of a particular form.
• Composition: The arrangement of elements to achieve a coherent image.
• Recessed, Projected, Flush: Terms describing different ways a structure projects or recedes from a surface.
• Volume: The geometry of form and space.
• Mass: A component of form and architectural elements.
• Stable Forms: Forms perceived as the most static or stable, like a sphere.
• Geometric Forms: A cube has 6 planes and 8 edges.
• Entrance, Frontal, Spiral, Oblique: Describe different directional approaches or views of a building or space.

Architects and Notable Structures

• Glass House Architect: Philip Johnson.
• Non-directional Forms: A point (that has no dimension) and a form that does not imply direction.
• Length, Width, Height: Attributes that define a 3-dimensional volume.
• Color and Light Reflection: White reflects the most light.

Colors and Color Schemes

• Secondary Colors: Colors resulting from mixing primary colors, examples include yellow-green, blue-violet, and orange-green

Space and Circulation

• Enclosure Types: Open on one side, open on both sides, enclosed or open.
• Approach Types: front, oblique, radial, spiral
• Path-Space Relationships: Terms used to describe various ways people move through spaces, including terminate, pass-by, drive-thru, and pass-thru.
• Circulation: The movement of people or objects from one place to another.

Planning and Design

• Theory: Proposed systems of assumptions or principles use to analyze, explain, predict phenomena; basis for action.
• Architecture (Definition): Art and science of designing and constructing buildings.
• Planning (Definition): Purposeful activity of devising a plan for change to a preferred situation in the future.
• Street Configurations: Grids, Ciudad, Cuadricula, and Town Squares
• 2-Dimensional Forms: Elements like shape, lines, and two points.

Color Properties and Applications

• Saturation (or Intensity): A part of the color describing its purity or strength.
• Colors and Perception: Yellow, for example, creates a sense of happiness and cheerfulness, while black can symbolize seriousness.

Design Principles: Order, Balance, and Scale

• Proportion: The harmonious relation of parts to one another and the whole.
• Scale: How something appears in relation to other elements and the viewer's perspective.
• Balance: The equilibrium between opposing forces.
• Emphasis: The highlighting of key elements often by contrast. (Example: size, shape , placement)
• Hierarchy: A system or rank order (e.g. by size, emphasis, placement.)
• Contrast: The opposition or juxtaposition of dissimilar elements.
• Unity: Elements that work cohesively to create an aesthetic harmony.
• Variety: The difference and contrast within elements/components of the design, increasing the visual appeal.

Famous Artists, Architects, and Concepts

• Modulor (System): A proportioning system by Le Corbusier based on human measurements.
• Golden Section/Ratio (Phi): Mathematical proportioning used in design.
• Vitruvian Man (Artist): Leonardo da Vinci.
• Greek Classical Orders (Examples): Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan; the columns of the Parthenon, for example.
• Liber Abaci (Author): Leonardo di Pisa (Fibonacci).
• Architectural Orders: classical orders and their characteristics or examples.

Additional Design Elements

• Rhythm: Repetitive patterns of elements in a design.

• Juxtaposition: Placing elements near one another to highlight contrasting factors.

• Human Scale: Designing spaces and structures appropriate for human size.

• Anthropometry: The measurement of human body dimensions.

• Ergonomics: Designing spaces, furniture, or tools to suit human needs.

• Proxemics: Study of human use of space.

• Terms that relate to specific Architectural Designs: For example, intercolumniation, pycnostyle, eustyle, systyle (referring to spacing between columns.)

Noteworthy Structures

• Bilbao Guggenheim Museum: Designed by Frank Gehry.

• Parthenon: Example of the Doric architectural classical order and illustrates the principle of balance and proportioning.

• Specific Features of Notable Structures: The design elements of notable structures, like the Parthenon, and their architectural orders.

Test your knowledge on various design principles and theories ranging from color schemes to architectural styles. This quiz covers key concepts such as complementary colors, three-dimensional forms, and grid street arrangements. Identify architects and their works as well as understand color values in design contexts.