Proportion & Organisation
‘Proportion’ is the term used to describe the relationship between two things of different size and scale of the various elements in a design. Proportion refers to the proper and harmonious relation of one part to another or to the whole, while scale refers to the size of something compared to a reference standard or to the size of something else like a human being.
On another hand, ‘Organization’ is the influence of the spatial environment on the health, the mind, and the behavior of humans in and around organizations. It’s like a central reference point that allows all other objects to be located in equality balance or in various pattern arrangements. This means it is also necessary to discuss when design something with principles in terms of the context or standard used to determine proportions.
For instance, a bedroom may have a much lower ceiling compare to an auditorium, which to make the sense of privacy enclosed. However, the designer can also play with proportions for aesthetic reasons, which is purposely out of proportion to human scale for producing desirable relationships among the dimensions of the parts and the whole of a building. This is the reason to deliberately design the spaces with changing scale by various heights of ceilings and sizes of rooms. This makes the occupants movement through the space more dynamic instead of rigid arrangement. For this reason, various different proportional systems were developed in various different times.
'Without symmetry and proportion there can be no principles in the design of any temple; that is, if there is no precise relation between its members, as in the case of those of a well-shaped man.’
Quoted by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio.
An example of proportional building is Unite d´Habitation design by architect Le Corbusier, He used his own developed theory of proportion and dimensioning system, named Modulor that based on Golden Section and human proportions.
The free façade of Unite d´Habitation is formed by a pattern of single-and doubleheight balconies generated from 15 different types of living spaces and public, communal spaces, in which dimensions are determined by his own Modulor system.
UNITE D' HABITATION
One of the most interesting aspects of the Unite d’Habitation has the spatial organization of the residential units. It's ceiling level number has been minimized to the lowest in ideal number according to his modular scale, where able to save alot of space.
Unlike most housing projects that have a double stacked corridor, he able to creates a living space by reducing the number of required corridors to one every three floors.
RUN - RUN SHAW CREATIVE MEDIA CENTRE
Another contemporary example in same using proportion principle, but differently way in dynamic form, it's a
'Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre' in Hong Kong which designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. He used an asymmetrical with dynamic form in design to creates a signature sculptural building.
As picture above, the vision from outside of the building may creates an uncomfortable feeling to some people who is going to entering it. However the internal space of its design was actually well organized and designed in proportionally according to the needs of function in each room spaces. This is how most contemporary architects try to play with this role to creates the mystery where people would not be easily imagine the internal design from outer space.
Conclusion, the proportion and organization of the room can greatly affect the visual effect or feeling of a person in a space. Besides, the functions of the space and the nature of activities to be accommodated there will influence its form and proportion. Therefore it is a challenge for architect to to control the proportion of forms and spaces within and around a building, to design a space in balance to makes people feel comfortable stay in it.
