Form

Theory of Architecture 1

Course Module 3: Form

Ar. Elda Magna G. Olegario

Faculty, BSArch
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TOPIC OUTLINE

3 Form

• Views of a Form
• Visual Properties
• Relational Properties
• Types
• Transformation
• Articulation

OBJECTIVES
A F T E R R E A D I N G T H I S P A R T O F T H E M O D U L E ,
T H E L E A R N E R S W I L L B E A B L E T O :

1. appreciate and understand form manipulation and its

relevance to design process;

2. demonstrate understanding of the building

transformations & articulations by identifying them in

the built environment.

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Form
Form suggests reference to both internal structure & external outline

& the principle that gives unity to the whole. Form is 3 dimensional &

has an area, height, mass; have different perspective from different

point of view: front, left, right, rear, top & bottom.

Visual Properties
1. Size – physical dimensions of length, width & depth of a form.

While these dimensions determine the proportion of a form, its

scale is determined by its size relative to other forms in its context.

2. Color – a phenomenon of light & visual perception that may be

described in terms of an individual’s perception of hue, saturation

& tonal value; it is the attribute that most clearly distinguishes a

form from its environment. It is the most important element in the

creation of a work; it also affects the visual weight of a form. It has

the power to influence & bring out feelings, such as:

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 Bright – sense of joy & happiness

 Dark – sense of sadness & dread

 Primary/Primer – Red, Blue, Yellow;

original colors; strongest & powerful

 Secondary – Orange, Violet, Green; combination of primary

colors; decline in power

 Tertiary – Red orange, Yellow orange, Yellow green, Blue

green, Blue violet, Red Violet; combination of primary &

secondary colors; sense of softness

 Harmonious – set of colors alike; located next to each other

on the color wheel

 Contrast – located on the opposite of each other on the color

wheel

 Tonal/Monochrome – one color in different tones, black is

used to increase the value & white to decrease

 Hot/Warm – Yellow, Red, Orange; shows anger, rage,

unevenness, mess, madness; bright, bold, hot, vibe

 Cold/Cool – Green, Blue, Violet; cold to the eye, gentle,

soothing & pleasant; fresh, cold, distant, sad feel

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Dimensions of Color:

 Hue - property of light by which the color of an object is

classified

 Saturation - the purity or vividness of a hue; also called

intensity

 Value - degree by which a color appears to reflect more or

less of the incident light, corresponding to lightness of the

perceived color

3. Texture – the visual & especially tactile quality given to a surface

by the size, shape, arrangement, & proportions of the parts;

determines the degree to which the surfaces of a form reflect or

absorb incident light.

 Tactile – can be felt (sculptures, embroidery, trees)

 Visual – can be seen; any texture shown in a photo (clouds,

drawings, water in the ocean)

4. Shape – characteristic outline or surface configuration of a

particular form. It is the principal aspect by which we identify &

categorize forms.
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Primary Shapes:

 Circle – a plane curve every point of which is equidistant from

a fixed point within the curve; it is a centralized, introverted

figure that is normally stable & self-centering in its

environment.

 Triangle – a plane figure bounded by 3 sides & having 3

angles; it signifies stability.

 Square – a plane figure having 4 equal sides & 4 right angles;

represents the pure & the rational; it is a static & neutral figure

having no preferred direction.

Primary Solids:

 Sphere – a solid generated by the revolution of a semicircle

about its diameter, whose surface is at all points equidistant

from the center.

 Pyramid – a polyhedron having a polygonal base & triangular

faces meeting at a common point or vertex.

 Cube – a prismatic solid bounded by 6 equal square sides,

the angle between any 2 adjacent faces being a right angle.

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 Cylinder – a solid generated by the revolution of a rectangle

about one of its sides. A cylinder is centralized about the axis

passing through the centers of its 2 circular faces.

 Cone – a solid generated by the revolution of a right triangle

about one of its sides.

Relational Properties
Relational properties govern the pattern and composition of elements.

• Position – location of a form relative to its environment or the

visual field within which it is seen.

• Orientation – direction of a form relative to the ground plane, the

compass points, other forms, or to the person viewing the form.

• Visual Inertia – degree of concentration & stability of a form. The

visual inertia of a form depends on its geometry as well as its

orientation relative to the ground plane, the pull of gravity, & our

line of sight.

All of these properties of form are in reality affected by the conditions

under which we view them.

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- A changing perspective or angle of view presents different shapes

or aspects of a form to our eyes.

- Our distance from a form determines its apparent size.

- The lighting conditions under which we view a form affect the

clarity of its shape & structure.

- The visual field surrounding a form influences our ability to read

& identify it.

Types
• Concrete – form of real object itself; one can see, touch & feel.

• Illusion – form that is 2 dimensional in character; one can only

see

• Regular forms –those whose parts are related to one another in

a consistent & orderly manner; generally stable in nature &

symmetrical about one or more axes; ex. sphere, cylinder, cone,

cube & pyramid.

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• Irregular forms – those whose parts are dissimilar in nature &

related to one another in an inconsistent manner; generally

asymmetrical & more dynamic than regular forms.

Regular forms can be contained within irregular forms & in a similar

manner, irregular forms can be enclosed by regular forms.

Transformation
All other forms can be understood to be transformations of the primary

solids, variations which are generated by the manipulation of one or

more dimensions or by the addition or subtraction of elements.

• Dimensional Transformation – when form is transformed by

altering one or more of the dimensions & still retains its identity as

a member of a family of forms.

• Subtractive Transformation – when form is transformed by

subtracting a portion of its volume. Depending on the extent of the

subtractive process, the form can retain its initial identity or be

transformed into a form of another family.

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• Additive Transformation – when form is transformed by the

addition of elements to its volume. The nature of the additive

process & the number of relative sizes of the elements being

attached determine whether the identity of the initial form is

altered or retained. The basic possibilities for grouping 2 or more

forms are by:

 Spatial Tension – relies on the close proximity of the forms

or their sharing of a common visual trait, such as shape, color

or material.

 Edge-to-edge Contact – the forms share a common edge &

can pivot about that edge.

 Face-to-face Contact – requires that the 2 forms have

corresponding planar surfaces which are parallel to each

other.

 Interlocking Volumes – the forms interpenetrate each other’s

space & need not share any visual trait.

Categories of additive form according to the nature of the

relationships that exist among component forms as well as their

overall configuration:
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 Centralized Form – a number of secondary forms clustered

about a dominant, central parent-form; ideal as freestanding

structures isolated within their context, dominating a point in

space, or occupying the center of a defined field.

 Linear Form – a series of forms arranged sequentially in a

row; the series of forms may be either repetitive or dissimilar

in nature & organized by a separate & distinct element such

as a wall or path.

 Radial Form – a composition of linear forms extending

outward from a central form in a radial manner; organization

of a radial form can best be seen & understood from an aerial

viewpoint.

 Clustered Form –a collection of forms grouped together by

proximity or the sharing of a common visual trait; flexible

enough to incorporate forms of various shapes, sizes &

orientations into its structure.

 Grid Form – a system of 2 or more intersecting sets of

regularly spaced parallel lines; it generates a geometric

pattern of regularly spaced points at the intersections of the

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grid lines & regularly shaped fields defined by the grid lines

themselves.

Articulation
Articulation refers to the manner in which the surfaces of a form come

together to define its shape & volume. An articulated form clearly

reveals the precise nature of its parts & their relationships to each other

& to the whole. Its surfaces appear as discrete planes with distinct

shapes & their overall configuration is legible & easily perceived. In a

similar manner, an articulated group of forms accentuates the joints

between the constituent parts in order to visually express their

individuality.

A form can be articulated by:

- differentiating adjoining planes with a change in material, color,

texture or pattern

- developing corners as distinct linear elements independent of the

abutting planes

- removing corners to physically separate neighboring planes

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- lighting the form to create sharp contrasts in tonal value along

edges & corners

The color, texture and pattern of surfaces articulate the existence of

planes & influence the visual weight of a form. Linear patterns have

the ability to emphasize the height or length of a form, unify its surfaces

& define its textural quality.

References
Tait, James (2018). The Architecture Concept Book.
Balme, Jeffrey & Swisher, Michael T. (2019). Diagramming the Big
Idea: Methods for Architectural Composition 2nd Edition
Pabón-Charneco, Arleen (2020). Architecture History, Theory and
Preservation: Prehistory to the Middle Ages 1st Edition