ARCHITECTURAL

DESIGN THEORY II
LECTURE 4

FUNCTION, STRUCTURE AND

FORM
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

The basic ingredients to be analyzed for

any architectural design are:
Beauty, Strength and Utility.
Beauty: The visual outcome.
Strength: The physicality of the built space
and its expression.
Utility: The reason for making the building
or organizing the space.
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Beauty is manifest in the Form of the built

space or organization.
Strength is manifest in the Structure of the
building.

Utility of a spatial organization can be

seen as its Function.
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Different kinds of FUNCTIONAL requirements to

be resolved through Architectural design:
Corbusier has identified these in four broad
categories:
Living
Working
Care of Body and Spirit
Circulation
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

LIVING:
The built space typologies under this
Category could be: Houses

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

LIVING:
The built space typologies under this Category could be:
Housing

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

LIVING:
The built space typologies under this Category could
be: Hostels

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

LIVING:
The built space typologies under this Category
Could be: Hotels (These could also fall under care
of body and spirit as recreational areas)

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

WORKING: The built space typologies under this
category could be: Offices

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

WORKING:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Factories

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

10

WORKING:
The built space typologies under this category
could be: Shops (Multi category)

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

11

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CARE OF BODY AND

SPIRIT:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be: Malls

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CARE OF BODY AND

SPIRIT:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Restaurants

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

13

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CARE OF BODY AND

SPIRIT:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Clubs and Community
spaces

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CARE OF BODY AND

SPIRIT:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Cinemas and theaters

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

15

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CARE OF BODY AND

SPIRIT:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be: Art
Galleries and
Museums

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

16

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CARE OF BODY AND SPIRIT:

The built space typologies under
This category could be:
Religious spaces

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CIRCULATION:
The built space typologies under
this category could be:
Roads
(Interior circulation within
buildings needs to be seen as
part of that activity space)

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

18

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CIRCULATION:
The built space typologies under
this category could be:
Pathways (open and covered)

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CIRCULATION:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Piazzas

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

20

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CIRCULATION:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Railway and allied
spaces
(Interior circulation within
buildings needs to be
seen as part of that activity space)
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

CIRCULATION:
The built space
typologies under this
category could be:
Airways and allied
spaces
(Interior circulation within
buildings needs to be seen as
part of that
activity space)

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

The different kinds of spatial orders listed on

the previous slides are an outcome of the
different activities that need to be
performed by different people for their
normal day to day living.
Each space has to be designed according to
the envisaged function in that space or in
other words no space can be organized
without a function.
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

STRUCTURE: Like
the human skeleton
that supports the
human body, the
structure supports
the building.

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

STRUCTURE:

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

25

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Structure thus forms the back bone of a

building and represents the element of
strength in architecture.
It should also be appreciated that the
element of strength besides representing
structure also denotes the strength of
expression or the capacity to say
something to the viewer.
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

26

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Structure also forms the key to the

enclosure i.e. it provides the elements
that actually, physically enclose space.
Structure, hence, forms the basis for the
ultimate form though the skin and
cosmetics also finally effect the visuals.

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

27

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Structure in buildings
can be of numerous
kinds. The more
common types are:
Masonry: Brick or stone
walls and roofing
Trabeated: Columns
and beams
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

28

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Architectural Structures
Domes and Shells

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Architectural
structures: Vaults

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Architectural structures:
Cable Satyed

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

31

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Form of a built organization is the visual

outcome or the look of the building that is
finally seen by the viewers.
Form has no limitation except its relationship
with function and structure and is
dependent on the creative and aesthetic
sensibilities of the designer.

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

32

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Architectural forms
are of many kinds
depending on the
time, function and
the creativity of the
designer

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

33

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Structure is also dependant on the

technology available at a given time. This
is the only limitation in the creation of new
architectural forms.

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

34

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

Relationship of Form and Function

The element of Function dictates the
quantity and placement of spaces in a
spatial organization. To enclose these
spaces Structure is deployed. The
outcome is Form. The three are hence
intrinsically related and

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

35

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

There has been a debate as to Form follows

Function or Function follows Form.
As these are both inherent to an architectural
design both need to be resolved preferably
simultaneously.
However, in buildings like monuments, Form
becomes more important and in normal utility
buildings, Function needs to be resolved more
efficiently.
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

36

FUNCTION STRUCTURE AND FORM

In can be concluded that Form, Function and

Structure are interrelated and are inherent in a
design. All the three have to be present in a
design. Priority can be given to any one
depending on the context and situation.
Monuments may be form emphatic, large span
buildings like airports and factories may be
structure emphatic and routine buildings are
function emphatic, but all the three have to be
resolved in an architectural design exercise.
22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

37

Class Evaluation

Date-04.02.2013

Define in your own words (word limit : 150)

a. Form follows function
b. Function follows form
Which idea (above mentioned) according to you is perfect in Architectural
Expression? Give justification to your answer.

22nd April 2014

Sat Priya school of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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