1. Architecture of the Body
From the Geometry of the body to the Geometry ofArchitecture
2. The beginning of Geometry
At the beginning of life, when we are still in our mother’s womb, we have no
distinct shape and looks, all that we are is a geometrical form. We have forms
with point, line and planes.
When we view life from that perspective, we can see that all life forms from
fungus to plants, from insect to animals, from living things to non-living thing,
from everything to nothing (Physical to Metaphysical), we all share the same
geometrical and structural patterns within us.
All forms in this universe are formed using these exact patterns from a
microscopic level, but one cannot see this without a keen eye.
3. Geometry of the Body – Vitruvian Man
▪ The Vitruvian Man is a world-renowned drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci
around the year 1487. It is accompanied by notes based on the work of Vitruvius.
The drawing, which is in pen and ink on paper, depicts a nude male figure in two
superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed
in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the Canon of
Proportions.
▪ Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c. 80–70 BC, died after c. 15 BC) According to
Vitruvius, architecture is an imitation of nature. When we built architecture, we are
copying natures greatest artwork: Human Body. It give us a sense of proportion
when constructing a architecture.
4. Drawing of The Vitruvian Man
Step 1: Draw a square and circle (R R1) Step 2: Move circle so pointA overlaps with Point B
5. Drawing of The Vitruvian Man
Step 4: Locate center of the final circle (point O) by Dividing
distanceAB in a half. Draw new circle with radius R2=OA
The result matches perfectly Leonardo’s drawing
6. Transformation of the Body into Architecture
▪ The body is transformed into an abstract system of
formalization using the three basic shape of geometry;
Circles, Square andTriangles.
▪ This system is then incorporated into the architectural
system as forms, as a result the building is given form and
substance by analogy with the members and forms of our
body.
▪ This humanism of architecture and the tendency to
project the image of our body functions into concrete
forms is the believe that human body is created using god
as the image, hence our body is the closes thing to
perfection in nature.
▪ By using our body geometry as the foundation marks the
beginning of classic architecture.
8. Body as a model for Architecture
▪ Vitruvius believed the human body was the principal source of proportion
among the Classical orders of architecture.
▪ In the twentieth century, Le Corbusier continued the idea of human
proportions as the universal principle defining all aspects of architecture, as
described in his book The Modulor: a harmonious measure to the human
scale universally applied to architecture and mechanics, first published in
1950.
▪ Vitruvius and Alberti uses body as an analogue, model and referent for
their architecture
▪ Vitruvius’ writing on human body clearly stated the idea of using human
body as a blueprint for architectural building especially on the idea of
symmetry and proportions.
▪ Furthermore, the members of our body such as finger, arm, leg, foot is
where we derived the fundamental ideas of measurement and structures
which are obviously necessary in all works.
10. Humanism of architecture
Buildings just like our bodies need members and passages, that is in this
case entrances and exits.
Both the interior and exterior appearance of the building is arranged
effectively in a way that the members and passages are suitably located
just like how the members and parts are correctly placed for a body
The front and back facades of the buildings is built to perfect symmetry
just like how the facades of our bodies are.
Steps around the building are built to resemble members of our body
like how our body have legs, a building will have steps
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12. The making of classical architecture
▪ Architecture in the Renaissance establishes a system of rules forms the basis of WesternArchitecture
▪ TheTexts of the Renaissance, which in turn draw upon theVitruvian texts, develop a logocentric and anthropocentric discipline that
establishes the body at the very centre of the unconscious of architectural rules and configuration.
▪ The Renaissance operations of the symbolization of the body’s paradigmatic of the operations of the body’s relation to architeture.
13. Sacred and Profane Geometry in Architecture
▪ There are many different ways of transforming our body
dimensions into the making of architecture
▪ These ways can be divided into mainly two levels namely;
▪ Sacred and Profane
▪ Physical and Metaphysical
▪ Mortal and Immortal
▪ Or in other words Proportional and Functional
16. Nature in Architecture
▪ Nature is described as a projection of the human body, the ultimate model of perfect proportions, providing the true image
of harmony and symmetry
▪ A poetic glorifications of nature stated that, “our fecund mother that leaves nothing to chance.”
▪ The notion of weight, mass, gravity, balance, intensity, gravity which comes from nature are all inherent in the ideas of
antiquity in Architecture.
17. The Golden Proportions Of Human Body
Adolf Zeising begun his research on proportions in
Nature and art.This is when he discovered the Golden
ratio hidden within the creation of nature, the
arrangement of branches along the stem of plants, the
arrangement of flower petals and even how the leaves
are positioned.
From this point he extended his research to the
skeletal system and circulatory system of animals to
the proportions of chemical compounds and geometry
of crystal and finally to the proportion and artistic
properties of humans.
19. Fibonacci spiral vs Golden spiral
Nature does not use Golden Mean as golden mean
comes from the idea of divine proportions, it
represent the ideal or god.
Hence a golden spiral will potentially goes both
inwards and outwards forever, one can continue to
draw a golden spiral forever by taking the longest
line of any golden mean rectangle and extend it.
Since a Golden Mean spiral have no beginning nor
end, it will become a problem for Mother Nature.
Thus, when creating life Mother Nature goes with
what we call a Fibonacci Spiral which have a finite
start and ending point
24. Geometry In Classical Architecture
▪ Geometric Ratios, and Geometric Figures were often used in the design
of Egyptian, Ancient Indian, Greek, Roman and medieval European
Architecture.
▪ Indian and Himalayan spiritual communities often constructed temples
and fortifications on design plans of mandala and yantra
▪ Many of these design plans and geometry principle of the human body
have contributed to the drawing ofVitruvian Man by Leonardo daVinci.
25. Geometry In Religious Architecture
In Hinduism
▪ Elaborate rules are laid out for the sculptures when it comes to the quality requirements of the places where temples are to be
built, the kind of images to be installed, the materials to the dimensions, proportions and even the air circulation and lighting.
26. Sacred Geometry In Buildings
The stellar bodies appear to be strung out from the sun in specific “mean” distances from one another, suggesting
that when the gases constellated into planets they did so at points of harmonic constriction-like musical scales-in
abeyance to laws of hierarchical order.These ideas from the stellar bodies is used in architectural buildings as a
foundation for sacred geometry along side human body.
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28. The relationship between the nature, the body and the architecture
▪ Symbolic transference from the body to architecture
▪ The relationship established between the body and nature through the notions of natural harmony and perfections, the body is presented
as having the attribute of perfect natural properties.
▪ Analogical relationship between nature and architecture is made possible by the relationship between the body and architecture, which
ensures that the laws of beauty and nature are transferred into architecture.
▪ The body thus becomes a conciliator, a form of transferor .
29. A different view on the Human Body
The body is the locus of all formulations about the
world; it not occupies space and time but also
consists of spatiality and temporality.
The Body have a dimension
Through motion it captures external reality and
becomes the marker for meaning, it therefore
experience “geo-metrical”. The extension of this
“geometry of experience”, beyond the body’s and
mind’s spatiality constitutes the thrust of
architectural design.
The creation of an order resonant with the body’s
own.
33. The Body of Modern Space
Asymmetry,dynamic,fluidal, plasticity.
Expression in architecture we find in
nature that the human frame does
mechanical work, sometimes with the
labour of the carrier of burdens, and
then again with the ease of am athlete.
These gradations of ease, grace and
directness and expression with which
labour is performed or with which
mechanical work is done by human
frame, which furnishes to the architect
the elements of art expression in his or
her structure.
34. The Body of Modern Space
It is important to understand Human
movement, not just because of how a
person’s body might relate to a design,
but also how that a body in motion
influences a person’s perception of
things
35. The exact nature of the work of nature or of a fine art may be described as follows:
Natural organisms are alive with growth or motion, they are visibly express the functions performed by
them.
Eidlitz used the human body as an analogy for architecture. He stated that human emotions are able to be
expressed physically by the modifications of our very own human forms.
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37. Different type of geometries
Euclidean Plane Surface of a Sphere Surface of a Hyperbola
