PROPORTION & ORGANISATION
Proportion as the expression of architecture
Proportion plays an important role in all three, as it provides guidelines for laying out useful spaces, for designing structural systems, and for creating an aesthetically pleasing environment. The proportions of a space can dramatically change how visitors feel in it, and the proportions of a facade design can affect whether a building appears welcoming threatening, or impressive.
What is organisation?
To determine the separation or connection between similar or dissimilar uses, helps to clarify aspects of use and establishes similarity or contrast between spaces.
For my opinion, proportion and organisation are both necessary for human inhabitation and functioning in term of giving a success and comfort design strategies.
For example,
The free façade of Unite d´Habitation is formed by a carefully orchestrated pattern of single-and doubleheight balconies generated from 15 different types of living spaces and public, communal spaces, in which dimensions are determined by the Modulor system.
This residential project was Le Corbusier’s first opportunity to implement the Modulor system. The Unite d´Habitation in Marseille was meant to provide a prototype for other urban housing projects.
The building had a standard module of 2.26 m (Modulor man’s dimension). Four other versions were built in different locations afterwards, but they were changed from Le Corbusier’s concept for reasons of cost or political compromise.
Openings, seating and structural elements on the internal ‘shopping street’ are governed by the Modulor system.
The Modulor system provides:
• usefulness by proportioning the plan, section and elevations of the building (e.g. corridor width, storey height and bay distance), the brise-soleil (sun-shading device) and furniture units to human activities;
• strength by spacing the supporting columns in order;
• beauty in the façade by introducing rhythm.
As you can see from the pictures above, the organisation of the plan and the design of the space according the standard of proportion work perfectly good in term of taking advantage of efficiency, resolving numerous modern functions and beauty to provide a comfortable habitation.
SUMMARY
1. Proportion is important as the order of architecture for usefulness, strength and beauty.
2. The golden ratio, a common relationship of scale in nature, introduces order and creates harmony in visual art and architecture in order to get the efficient organisation.
3. Building dimensions should relate to human scale, and a standard module should be developed.
4. A good architecture should employ appropriate proportions for its functions and its particular users (usefulness), and should fulfill structural requirements (strength) and provide aesthetically pleasing order (beauty).
