PROPORTION AND ORGANISATION IN ARCHITECTURE
Do you think the organisation is important in architecture today? What is the role of the proportion and organisation in architecture today? In the article, "The Plan Of The Modern House", written by Le Corbusier, he mentioned that a house, a building should be well-designed follow by an order. There are five categories in the order that list all the requirements of a building should fulfil in biological and aesthetic phenomenon.
In the different term, it is called organisational architecture. I'm pretty agreed to the theory and idea from Le Corbusier that architecture be working in organisation/ order. The condition of architecture today also quite similar to the ideas from Le Corbusier. The organisation architecture today is not only focus to the functioning of the building but also think about the senses and feelings of human from a building.
The proportion and organisation are necessary for human habitation today. Using a house or home that we called which is the most familiar building in our daily life as the example and due to the spaces for human habitation is getting smaller and smaller, people have to design the spaces wisely for the better space quality. Besides of the functioning, the proportion also considered as the important part in improving the space quality.
Proportion is important as the order of architecture for usefulness, strength and beauty and 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.
A well-organised house do help in improving space quality also. Normally the homes involves dividing interior spaces into various rooms that have their own purposes. For example, a home may have a kitchen for cooking, a bedroom for sleeping and a closet for storage. The well-organised ensures that all components and the spaces of a function cohesively achieve its goals by having their own purpose and no spaces wasted.
This project called Elliott Ripper House was completed by Christopher Polly architect in 2011 for a young couple, who wanted more access to sunlight. The total built up area of this house is only 161sqm and the architect success to let the building looks bigger and spacious in a limited area by designing with the proportion. The project comprises the living spaces connecting to the rear and side courtyards. The series of connected interior volumes that harnessed access to sunlight, ventilation and views of tree canopies and sky beyond.
Fine steel plate elements contrast an age-old weatherboard cladding profile and large expanses of shallow pocket fixed glass and western red cedar externally sliding doors & pivoting windows offer varying degrees of openness and enclosure. The proportion of the glass panels and the supporting steel column improve the space quality by showing the connection between outdoor and indoor.
The rear open plan volume provides a ‘day’ space for meals preparation, eating and expansive enjoyment of the rear garden, while the upper living room provides an ‘evening’ space for watching TV, reading and separation from utilities. A third first floor bedroom provides flexibility for future use as a study. They combined the different spaces with different function into one with the good circulation. It is well-organised by using the simple panel and furniture to separate the spaces as Le Corbusier said " To Circulate", it is a modern word in architecture, circulation is everything.
You might be said the size of the windows make the building looks even bigger. Rather mentioned the size of the window, I would say the proportion of the windows of the building made it. The area of the bedroom in the first floor is considered not that big but the proportion between the window and house gave the impression and feelings that satisfied with the bedroom size from the outside and inside. It is because the window success to interact the outdoor to indoor by having such a big window.
Ultimately the house is a highly successful example of how the use of light and space can create a serene, inviting atmosphere, nuanced by refined design details and softened with natural materials. By providing all the required spaces of a house in a limited area, the architect use the strategy of proportion to design the house in such a way.
