Spaces and Experiencing Space

Spaces §

2. A figure is an element on the page. The Ground is the space of the page.
3. Figure-Ground Theory states that the space that results from placing figures should be considered as carefully as the figures themselves.
   • People perceive things as part of negative space if it is unshaped.
   • Positive space is space that has an apparent shape and boundary.
4. Implied elements are those that can be seen even if they are not on drawn.
5. Solid-Void Theory holds that volumetric spaces shaped or implied by the placement of solid objects are as, if not more, important than the objects themselves.
   • Positive space pertains to a well-defined, bounded region with a notion of in and out.
   • Negative space pertains to an unbounded region or one with no inside and outside.
6. We move through negative spaces and dwell in positive spaces. Space influences human behavior
7. Building shape and layout affect space
   • Suburban buildings are freestanding objects in space, creating large negative space.
   • Urban buildings are often shapers of space, creating small positive space.

Experience §

8. *Architecture is the thoughtful making of space
9. Genius loci describes places that are deeply memorable for their architectural and experiential qualities.
10. How we arrive in an architectural space strongly influences our experience. Use contrasts. Play to our biases.
11. Use denial and reward to enrich passage through the built environment.
    • Mimic story telling by setting and meeting viewer expectations.
12. Architectural spaces are utilitarian. They are designed with a specific program, experience, or intent in mind.
13. If you wish to imbue an architectural element with a quality, make sure the quality is really there. Clearly demonstrate design intent.
14. Frame a view, don’t merely exhibit it. Select the views you wish to give the viewer based on richness of experience. Less is more.
15. A good building reveals different things about itself when viewed from different distances.
16. Geometric shapes have inherent dynamic qualities that influence our perception and experience of the built environment
    • Squares look restful and stable.
    • Rectangles encourage us to follow its long axis.
    • Circles act as interesting focal points without a notion of direction.
17. Fabric buildings are the more numerous buildings of a city used for ordinary residence and indicative of an underlying social fabric. Object buildings are buildings of unusual importance, and stand out from the fabric.

Links §

• 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School