Techniques of Design

 

1. "Concept" (also called "partee" or "idea") the essence of the design, the simply expressed main idea.

I.M. Pei Concept Sketch for the National Gallery, 1975

 

Church Schematic Plan - Richard Meyer, 2003


2. Combining elements

a. Grouping

b. Touching

Touching corner to corner

 

Touching corner to side

 

Touching side to side

c. Overlapping

Complete overlap

 

Partial overlap

 

d. Interpenetrating

 

e. Interlocking

f. Interlacing


3. Rearranging Elements

a. Slipping

b. Matching

c. Lining up

d. Rotating

e. Pushing and Pulling

f. Pin Wheeling

g. Telescoping

4. Superimposing a geometry


5. Working from simple to complex


6. Working from complex to simple


7. Additive Form (adding on)


8. Subtractive Form (scooping out)


9. Modular Organization

Chambered Nautilus Shell

 

A Sunflower Seed

 

Islamic Vaulting (looking up)

 

Chinese characters

 

Tobacco virus atoms seen through an electron microscope

 

Armadillo shell

 

Drawing by M. C. Escher

 

Example of Using a Module to Design

 

Modules

 

Exterior Precast Concrete,
Torrington Manufacturing Plant, Belgium 1963-64,
Marcel Breuer, Architect

 

Modular Design

 

Central Beheer Office Complex, Apeldoorn, Holland, 1972,
Herman Hertzberger, architect

Elevation

 

Floor Plan

Detail

Workstation arrangement

Habitat 67, Montreal, Moshe Safdie, 1967

 

 

10. Using a predetermined building plan "type"

a. Double loaded corridor

 

b. Single loaded corridor

 

c. Central hall

 

d. "H" plan

 

e. "C" plan

 

f. Atrium

 

g. Courtyard


11. Using a predetermined structural system

Example of an exposed vertical truss system
Crystal House, "A Century of Progress Exposition," Chicago,
George Fred Keck, 1934

Cable Net Structure
German Pavilion, Montreal World's Fair, Frei Otto, 1967

Space Frame
McCormick Place on the Lake, Chicago, C. F. Murphey, 1968

Exterior Braced Frame
John Hancock Building, Chicago, SOM, 1970

 

Bundled Tube
Sears Tower, Chicago, SOM, 1972

 

 


12. Design from the "Outside In"
(select a predetermined form and fill it up)

Reliastar Building, Formerly Northwestern National Life Insurance Building,
Minneapolis, Minori Yamasaki, 1964

 

13. Design from the "Inside Out"
(exterior form of the building results from the spaces needed on the inside, or from the functional program)

Boston City Hall, Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles, 1968

 

Baker House Dormitories, MIT, Alvar Aalto, 1948

 

14. Design around a specific material

Design around glass block
Frank Fisher Apartments, Chicago, Andrew Rebori, 1939

Design around stainless steel
Pritzker Music Pavilion, Chicago, Frank Ghery, 2004

 

15. Optimize solar exposure

Tuburculosis Sanitorium, Paimio, Finland, Alvar Aalto, 1933

 


16. Design from energy conservation standpoint

a. Passive solar energy

Basic passive solar strategy

Passive solar house, Albuquerque, Studio E Architects, 2000

 

b. Active solar energy

Solar collector strategy

Solar solar hot water panels on house roof

Apartments with active solar hot water panels

 

c. Photovoltaics (PV)

Farm building

Photovoltaic solar panels
Gas Station, San Francisco, 2004, estimated 8 year payback period

 

d. Combination of passive and active solar energy

Solar assisted heating in Hayward, California

 

e. "Super insulated"

 

f. Double Skin

Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science, Urbana, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, 2005

 

g. Active skin

 

h. Earth Sheltered

 

Earth sheltered house, Malcolm Wells

 

 

i. Wind Turbines

Turbine farm in Bakersfield, California

Freedom Tower Design with wind turbines, Daniel Liebeskind, 2005

 

j. Natural lighting

 

United Gulf Bank, Bahrain, SOM, 1987

United Gulf Bank Section thru exterior wall to study lighting

Lighting model

Lighting model

Lighting Model

 

j. Building envelope optimization
(the least area of enclosure to surround the maximum volume of building)


16. Focal point

Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, 1626

Piazza della Signoria, Florence

 


17. Design around the topography of the site


18. Design around vehicular traffic and parking

Aeon Mall, Japan, 2005


19. Separation of public and private spaces


20. Organize the building around pleasant or spectacular views

Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, Loius Kahn, 1965


21. Imitate historic styles of architecture

Harold Washington Central Library, Chicago, Tom Beebe, 1989

Detail

County Federal Savings, Fairfield, Connecticut, Robert Venturi, 1977

Weekend house designs, Robert Venturi, 1978

Flint House, Deleware, Robert Venturi, 1978


22. Reproduce an "image" of an object which is familiar

 

New York Transit Station at Ground Zero, Santiago Calatrava, 2005

Milwaukee Art Museum, Santiago Calatrava, 2003