Form generation the skills which are
unique ability of the architects being
different even from the other type of
designers and planners
How does architect think about form; how does
s/he gives the form.
Evidently, he deals with different resouces and
processes which can be based on:
Knowlege base form (knowledge/information
as a constraint)
Development of form(operational process)
Discovering of form (origins of form)
Number of categories with their associated disiplines provide the
main source of relevant knowledge usefull for design
Location:geography, geology, ecology, climatology...and
urban space/contextual and site oriented knowledge(building
regulations, standarts, rules)
Social form:philosophy, antropology, sociology, history,
economics and politics of the society,
Physical and socio-cultural characteristics of function,
Expectations of the users or client…
Building type: Typology, Morphology and designers
preferences related to them
Technology /technological conditions of the building activity
(engineering, building material, construction techiques)
Coast(economics, quantity surveying, building menagement)
Aesthetics (philosophy, art)
On the other hand it is a well known subject that architects is
too layz to reach the source of especially written knowledge.
That is why visual models play an important role in design
Most of the time experienced architects generates the form
according to his own formal tendencies or vocabularies.
Especially in our pluralistic world architects can select their
own visual model from a large number of formal repertoire.
Models can help to reduce uncertanity about some aspect
of the design world,
Models suggest some relations to some other existing
(visual) realities that is already known by many architect.
Model can serve as a practical guide. In this sense their
function is more ‘prescriptive’ which is more convinient to
apply to the most useful knowledge futher more it also
suggests ‘how to built’ and ‘what to built
These designs strategy is more broadly used for
commercial programmes, defines and supports
design proccess in different way.
In this case design problems are well defined and
client requirements are well understood.
The final solution is formed by refining the prototype
but not fundementally changing it.
This strategy is characterized by prototype refinement,
a goal-directed activity.
The ‘parametric/rutin/inertia methods’ needs minimum
decision making; it is a system of solving problems
with an old answer; helps an architect to save time
and money therefore it is rather commercial way of
producing solution
. Prototype ‘adaptation’ and ‘re-generation’ are used
if prototype refinement doesn’t lead to satisfactory
solution
. this is a kind of sequential proccess, in which a
chosen prototype is changed step by step to reach
a new form.
. To do so designers modifies vocabulary and
syntax combination.
. Prototype re-generation is the adaptation of the
selected forms or making an entirely new
prototypes with a new vocabulary and syntax
combination during this process.
. Sometimes this innovative design strategies leads
to discovery of the new form.
2. national style: transformation of
anatolian vernacular arch. or ottoman
timber house....
Suitable for modernist canons, ligth
structure, demontable construction,
continous windows
Sosyal Sigortalar Head Quarter by S. Hakkı Eldem İstanbul1960’s
This is the most difficult one among the other
two:refinement and adaptation and, defined as
a development of completely new/unique
solution.
problem is usually quite ill-defined; accordingly
designers start to defined it, to start designing
therefore the proposal initially migth be very
implicit and abstract at the beginning of the
design. Gradually it becomes more concrete
towards to end of design.
Designer uses the creative potential of the non-conscious
part of the mind consciously to reach the a new solution.
For this purpose s/he uses the heuristic proccessing either
to atract unconscious creative activity or force the productive
unconscious mind to move on.
This is sideways approach or lateral thinking in problem
solving which is more intuitive based shows great differences
than head-on logic of problem solving which deals with more
convergent thinking process.
In heuristic proccessing designer thinks divergently takes all
his attention away from the problem to escape from the
existing definition of the problem. In this case everthing
especially being irrelevant to the problem is worth
considering
in heuristic proccessing: many different approach take
place:
designer tries to avoid any clear problem or sub-problems in the
problem space but redefine or interprete the problem his own way
(problem finding)
In otherword s/he uses independent constrains instead of problem
oriented ones from the outside of problem space which may not be
clearly seen at first glance but can only be seen in different ligth
(using the ability of field-independent perception).
delibrate irrelevance of the problem,
mixed ideas, attention extending to beyond the context of the
problem,
trying to perceive the background of the problem instead of obvious
part of it
starting from the unusual point in the proccess,
exaggerating and using the inconviencies,
chosing reversal...
You can still recognize a strong logical structure in this proccess and
solution can be adequate for many conditions and sub-problems.
kreş-ourense uni. campus-by abalo alonso
Santa Fe Architects’ Association, Argantina, 2010
Sancaklar camii-küçük çekmece –istanbul 2014-E. Arolat
contexual considerations as a design aim is not
only help to students to structure design problem
relatively but it also forms the discussions and
dialog between the members of the studio,
theme also helps to form proper design
vocabulary and discover a appropriate design
concepts, develop scenarios
evidently that students should develop an ethical
approach based on the sense of responsibility
towards an environment,
Direct relation with the site: coming out from the
topography (from the mountains / slope /ground)
Indirect relation with the site: Located on the base
which will connect the main body of the building to
the ground.
No relation with the ground: Elevated up over the
columns.
Close relation with the site: Interaction between
landscape and building.
Combination of the different approaches
Direct relation with the site
…A simple definition of a concept suggests that: concepts
are image or thougth base developments which supports
or directly guides the generation of form in design.
…integrate various components of architectural form,
…it suggest a new way of order which creates the whole,
…it is more holistic approach towards the creation of
form,
…it suggests a kind of visual model to imagine the form…
…it could be a generator for the form giving activity in
design…
…in this approach form generating activity is more
deductive and the preliminary form shows a priori
nature of the final product.
Concept can be a thought based, but it
could be explained verbally through the
sentences which may also have a
picturesque potential.
Concept does not always have to be
invented by the architect but should be
revealed/discovered and sometimes even
invent by him, during her/his attempt of
re-defining or finding the problem of
design.
Concept, might be hidden in the clients
requirements, site conditions, building
regulations or…which may directly suggest
also some kind of images, this may help
image based conceptual creation of form.
…most of the time it would be an
easiest way to propose the formal
analogies between the new building
form and other forms either from
natural or design world.
… this forms could have a formal
indications with the function or
… context of the new building
… it could be just a designer’s dream
and his/her inner voice and personal
view, world view, decision and image
or message that he likes to give to the
others.
The site of the Danish embassy on the
outskirts of Adis Ababa
The_embassy_with ambassador's residence is
situated in the centre of the terrain in a long,
horizontal volume that seems to have been
carved out of the landscape, like a traditional
Ethiopian church carved out of the rock. The
outside walls are of rough concrete in the same
red color as the ground. The landscape
intersects the volume on the borderline of the
two functions. At this point the road embedded
in the landscape passes over. The building,
before dropping to the covered visitor’s
entrance of the residence.
Roof Plan
First Floor Plan
Ground Floor Plan
Long Sections
The roof, that comes into sight at the
moment that the road intersects the building,
has been implemented as a shallow pond, a
reference to the Netherlands in the hilly
Ethiopian landscape.
Air Max: Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Airport by Studio Fuksas Architetto
Noah's ark Hotel in Bafra north Cyprus 2011
Noah's ark Hotel in Bafra north Cyprus 2011- general view, enterence loby,
guest rooms
Concept can either be a thought or image
base, converted to architectural form
through analogies.
therefore conceptual approach in design implies
appropriateness, likeness, sameness..
due to this, it helps designer to imagine
and visualise the form.
In other words it is a kind of visual model which
is very helpful especially at the beginning of
design.
the similarities between concept and form
could be most of time quite clear and
visiable. But this is not always valid.
