The document discusses the different types of architectural space, including physical space, perceptual space, conceptual space, behavioral space, interwoven space, static space, directional space, non-directional space, positive space, and negative space. It also discusses the three basic elements of architecture according to Vitruvius: strength, utility, and grace. Strength refers to the physical structure and foundations of a building. Utility refers to the functional arrangement of rooms and spaces. Grace refers to how architecture engages the senses and shapes our experience of the built environment.

1. Architecture:
The Art of Shaping
Space
Our Human-made Environment

2. Architectural Space
“First we shape our buildings, and
afterwards our buildings shape us.”
-- Winston Churchill

3. The shaping of usable space is
the primary function of
architecture

4. Architectural Space
Physical Space – the volume of air bounded by
the walls, floor, and ceiling of a room (so many
cubic feet or meters of space)
Perceptual Space – space that can be
perceived, or seen (especially when
there are glass walls or
windows, this may
extend well beyond the
boundary of the walls
and be impossible
to quantify)

5. Architectural Space
Conceptual Space – the mental map we carry
around in our heads, the plan stored in our memory,
which we use to navigate familiar spaces (buildings
that work well can be easily grasped and held in the
mind’s eye, through which people move with a kind
of inevitability)
Behavioral Space - space we actually move through
and use (for example, if there is a large hole covered
with a cloth in the center of a room, we must walk
around the periphery instead of diagonally across it
– the physical space hasn’t changed, but the
behavioral space has)

6. Architectural Space
Interwoven Space – fluid spaces – connected
spaces that flow into one another
Static Space –
isolated spaces
that have
discrete, clearly
understood
functions

7. Architectural Space
Directional Space – when
there is one obvious,
compelling path through
a building
Non-directional Space –
when there are a variety of
paths through a building
to choose from

8. Architectural Space
Positive Space – one that is conceived of as a
void, then wrapped in a built shell specifically
erected to
define and
contain it
Negative Space –
created by
hollowing out a solid that
already exists, or the
open space that is simply
left over after the
construction of
surrounding

9. Roman architect Vitruvius gave a
definition of the basic elements of
architecture that has never been
improved upon:
STRENGTH,
UTILITY
AND
GRACE

10. Function (Utility)
The arrangement of rooms and spaces so
there is no hindrance to use and building
is perfectly
adjusted to
its site

11. Components of Function
Utilitarian or pragmatic function – accommodation of
a specific use or activity in a specific room or space
Circulatory function – the making of appropriate
spaces to accommodate, direct, and facilitate
movement from area to area

12. Components of Function
Symbolic function – the visible statement about
the building’s function – we expect there to be
correspondence
between what the
building’s use appears
to be, and what it
actually is

13. Components of Function
Psychological function – design of a room or
building geared toward the emotional needs
of the occupants

14. Structure (Strength)
Solid foundations – what makes
the building
stand up

15. Components of Structure
Physical structure – the “bones” of the
building that do the work
Perceptual structure – what we see (for
example, a column that is much larger than
structurally necessary to reassure us that it is
indeed big enough for its job; or a wall of
glass that seems to have no ability to hold a
building up)

16. Components of Structure
Empathy – we develop
early a way of understanding
objects around us, of
imagining ourselves inside
the object and
feeling how gravity
works on it

17. Delight (Grace)
Involves how architecture engages all our
senses, shapes our perception and
enjoyment of (or discomfort with) our built
environment

18. Delight (Grace)
Different eras
embrace different
aesthetic ideals, and
express in wood,
stone, metal, plaster
and plastic their
feelings and values

19. “Our eyes are
made to see forms
in light.”
– Le Corbusier, 1927

20. Delight: A Comparison
Steiner House, Adolf Loos, Austria, 1910
Carson House, Samuel and Joseph
Newsome, California, 1885

21. “Our architecture reflects us
as truly as a mirror.”
-- Louis Sullivan
What do the following
structures say about the
values of the cultures that
built them?

22. The U.S. Capitol Building

23. Burj Khalifa, Dubai

24. Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright, Pennsylvania

25. Exeter Cathedral, England

26. Temple at Karnak, Egypt

27. St. Basil’s Cathedral, Russia

28. Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan

29. Activity
You have just been hired to design a museum for
the city of Ann Arbor. The museum must reflect the
culture of the city, so start by considering the
culture of Ann Arbor. What are 5 cultural attributes
that you believe reflect our values and way of life?
Now, determine how your museum will mirror these
values. Think about the use of space, the use of
ornament and size, the use of materials, history
and environment.
Draw a sketch of your plan, and write a paragraph
description explaining how your building reflects the
culture of Ann Arbor as you perceive it.