Principles of Design for Architecture Students

What is Design

• Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system.
• It links creativity and innovation, shaping ideas to become practical and attractive propositions for users, clients, or customers.
• Design has different connotations in various fields, including architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, business processes, circuit diagrams, or sewing patterns.

Principles of Design

• The principles of design describe the ways an artist uses different elements of design in a composition.
• These principles include:
• Balance
• Rhythm
• Emphasis
• Contrast
• Movement
• Harmony
• Proportion and scale

Balance

• A sense of equilibrium, achieved by considering visual weight created by size, color, texture, and number of objects.
• Balance results in visual stability, achieved through symmetrical or asymmetrical means.

Rhythm

• Rhythm is created through:
• Repetition
• Gradation
• Radiation
• Opposition
• Transition
• Examples of rhythm include:
• Repeated shapes, colors, patterns, lines, or textures
• Gradual change in size or color
• Identical objects radiating from a central axis
• Direct placement of lines, shapes, or colors to create opposition
• Curved lines carrying the eye across a straight surface

Proportions and Scales

• Proportions and scales are critical in design, ensuring that elements are in harmony and balance.
• Good scale is essential in architecture, where ergonomics are closely related to human body proportions and function.
• Origins of measurements include the body, with measurements such as the inch, hand, span, and foot based on human proportions.

Fibonacci Sequence and Modular Man

• The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...).
• This sequence has a constant ratio of progression, approximately 1.618 (phi or Φ), which is the golden ratio.
• The golden ratio is an irrational number that results when a line is divided in a unique way, creating a golden rectangle.

Fibonacci Sequence in Architecture and Design

• The Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio are observed in many natural and man-made structures, including architecture, art, and design.
• Le Corbusier's modular system aimed to apply the golden ratio to architectural design, but was later discovered to have an error in its constructive geometry.
• Despite this, the golden ratio remains a crucial concept in design, influencing the aesthetics of modernism and symmetry.

Examples of the Golden Ratio in Everyday Life

• The golden ratio is observed in various aspects of everyday life, including:
• The shape of playing cards, eggs, and seeds
• The arrangement of petals on flowers and leaves on stems
• The composition of photographs and artworks
• The design of buildings, architecture, and interior spaces