Theories of Architecture and Urbanism

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS]
NAME: Muatasimah Billah Bt. Saleh ID: 0316071
LECTURER: Mr. Lam Shen Fei TUTORIAL TIME: 2.00-4.00pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 1 READER TITLE: In The Cause of Architecture
AUTHOR: Frank Llyod Wright
The article In The Cause of Architecture by Frank Llyod Wright addresses several issues. One was about
individualism as he stresses the importance of individuality in architecture. A man who has individuality has a right to its
expression and his own environment. I agree to this statement as every building should have its own unique style and
character to it that expresses it owns environment as the complexity of an individual characteristics articulates the
significant of a building. Hence, a building needs to stand as an expression to its own site rather than a replication of
another building to connect to its context.
Wright also mentioned that a building should be put together in true organic sense with proportions. I agree as
buildings should promote harmony between human and nature as it served as a continual source of inspiration and it
harmonizes a building with humanity and its environment. He also evoked the organic unity of a blossoming flower to
suggest the complexity with which the structural components were integrated as a cohesive whole as he stated that the
Thomas house, “flare[s] outward, and opening like a flower to the sky.”
Wright stated that “they do not care for the matter so long as their dwellings are fashionable.” In other words,
people do not care about principle as they care about fashion. If it is trendy, it will do. But fashions come and go, and if
houses are not built out of principle, then they contain no truth and find no organization in chaos. This is true as society
nowadays gives in to trends thus a lot of buildings are the same. Buildings nowadays were just built for the sake of
aesthetic value and have no meaning behind it while the building that was built during the past has been analyzed and
given meaning, creating theories and architecture. In conclusion, Wright wishes architecture be worthy in high rank as
a fine art as it requires understanding and appreciation of life to idealize the character of the individual features thus the
integration to the character of the building and nature in producing great architecture.
WORD COUNT 353
Key points (2.5)
Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical Progression (2.5)
DATE: 9/10/2016 TOTAL MARK & GRADE
ASSSESSED BY:

2. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS]
NAME: Muatasimah Billah Bt. Saleh ID: 0316071
LECTURER: Mr. Lam Shen Fei TUTORIAL TIME: 2.00-4.00pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 2 READER TITLE: Architecture Where Desire Can Live
AUTHOR: Jacques Derrida
The article Architecture Where Desire Can Live by Jacques Derrida talks about his view on the
architectural desire and creation to how he created deconstruction which was problematically associated
with a style of architecture. The guiding perception of deconstruction is that every structure such as literary,
psychological, social, economic, political or religious that organizes our experience is constituted and
maintained through acts of exclusion. Meaning, in the process of creating something, something else
inevitably gets left out.
Derrida was trying to say that deconstruction is an architectural metaphor and uses Plato and his
influences to relate to. To him, architecture is like pieces of written work which project a certain way of
living. Like forms of writing they live past their writers, like buildings outlive the architects who built them, so
what I think he is trying to say is that architects should try and design their building to stand the test of time
and not just worship a new modern style. He believed that “architecture must create places where desire
can recognize itself and where it can live forever”. I agree to what he said as I feel that the process of
architecture is about making place we belong to in our own desire and context of ourselves as it is this
relation that built an environment of a community.
He also explores the possibility of a way of thinking linked to the architectural moment. I agree to this
as thinking is indeed a way of solving something and it should relate to example of how a space works in a
building and how architecture takes place in a space or context. He raises the question of deconstruction,
which he observes resembles an architectural metaphor. However, Derrida stresses that deconstruction is
not simply a technique of reversed construction. He sees architecture as a form of writing, and hence as a
way of living. He calls for a new inventive faculty of architectural difference. Architecture must produce
places where desire can recognize itself where it can live.
In conclusion, individual desire is important in creating a space that reflects our own built environment
rather than an imitation of something as architecture is not an art of representation. A space where its
distinctive features can be known by itself is a space where we can live.
WORD COUNT 385
Key points (2.5)
Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical Progression (2.5)
DATE: 9/10/2016 TOTAL MARK & GRADE
ASSSESSED BY:

3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS]
NAME: Muatasimah Billah Bt. Saleh ID: 0316071
LECTURER: Mr. Lam Shen Fei TUTORIAL TIME: 2.00-4.00pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 3 READER TITLE: The Body in The Centre & Multi-Sensory Experience
AUTHOR: Juhani Pallasmaa
The article The Body in The Centre by Juhani Pallasmaa describes about how we physically see
buildings by confronting them with our bodies, by measuring the size of the streets with us pacing down
them and using hands to open doors to enter a space. Places can be remembered usually by their effect
upon our bodies, thereby entering association for our mind to recall them. Pallasmaa feels every organ
should be just as involved in the formation of a building like how the building feels on touch in contrast to
simply how it looks from far.
The next chapter Multi-Sensory Experience talks about how architecture can be seen as giving
structure to this daily experience, by strengthen our existentialism and reinforcing our sense of self.
Pallasmaa reinforces the importance of the senses in perception to create a fully embodied material and
spiritual construct. I agree with him as architecture is to create a live structure that can tickle the senses of
the user and bring out different feeling to each perception. He then traces the importance of the spaces of
shadow as presenting a moment where vision is restrained and less clear allowing space for the
imagination to engage.
Wright’s building Falling water is used as an example of how the forest smells and textures
surrounding the design contribute to an overall experience. It then describe how the eye touches what it
see, a gaze implying an unconscious touch and the importance of touching in making us aware of the
weight, depth and resistance of an object, building or space. Meaning, by dimming the light and restriction
vision, we are able to take in the full extent of our surroundings, the way it smells, sounds and feels. I
agree because this way, the experience of an architectural space can penetrate our consciousness, letting
our body feel the full extent of a place and strengthening our existential experience. Bernard also claims
that when we experience art we imagine a physical encounter through ‘ideated sensation’, this being the
ability to feel the cool breeze of the sea air in looking at a painting of an ocean.
In conclusion, this layering of senses creates a building which can generate deeper and more
meaningful ties with the occupant thus give architecture its true meaning and essence. We experience
spaces differently depending upon extent of involvement of different senses.
WORD COUNT 394
Key points (2.5)
Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical Progression (2.5)
DATE: 9/10/2016 TOTAL MARK & GRADE

4. ASSSESSED BY:
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
ASSESSMENT
RUBRIC

5. Grades Marks Key points (2.5) Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in
Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical
Progression (2.5)
A 1.8 -
2.5
Evidence of
outstanding
understanding of Key
points through clear
explanation
Appropriate use of
Terminologies In
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories
Outstanding
Clarity in opinions
and reactions -
Supported with
strong Logical
explanation
Outstanding
Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with well-
developed
paragraphs
B 1.5 -
1.79
Evidence of
understanding of Key
points through
reasonable
explanation
Reasonable use of
Terminologies In
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories with
Minor unfamiliarity
Reasonable
clarity in opinions
and reactions -
Supported with
Logical
explanation
Reasonable
Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with well-
developed
paragraphs
C 1.25 -
1.49
Evidence of Some
Understanding of Key
points through
acceptable
explanation
Acceptable use of
Terminologies In
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories with
Noticeable unfamiliarity
Acceptable
Clarity in opinions
and reactions -
Supported with
satisfactory
explanation
Acceptable
Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with some
ambiguous
statements
D 1 -
1.24
Evidence of Some
Understanding of Key
points through not
quite acceptable
explanation
Evidence of
Terminologies however
poorly communicated in
discussing The Issues/
Concepts/Theories With
Weak Clarity in
opinions and
reactions -
Supported with
Lengthy
explanation
Poor Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with
noticeable
ambiguous
statements
F 0 -
0.99
Insufficient Evidence
of Understanding of
Key points through
weak explanation
Insufficient Evidence of
Terminologies in
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories With
Improper
opinions and
reactions. Not
Matching the
Issues/ Concepts/
Theories -
Inadequate
Reasons
Unable to
Articulate / illogical
expressions.
Poorly written
synopsis.

6. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS]
NAME: Muatasimah Billah Bt. Saleh ID: 0316071
LECTURER: Mr. Lam Shen Fei TUTORIAL TIME: 2.00-4.00pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: Critical Regionalism and World Culture & The Resistance of
the Place-Form
AUTHOR: Kenneth Frampton
The article Critical Regionalism and World Culture by Kenneth Frampton talks about critical
regionalism that promotes an architectural form that stands as a support for the late modern world, reflecting
the evolution of function into a pleasing aesthetic form with relevance to current context.
According to Frampton, arriere-garde is as an architectural style that distances itself equally from the
Enlightenment myth of progress and from the reactionary impulse to return to pre-industrial styles. He said
through arriere-garde, the resistance to universalism can be achieved while at the same time "having a
discrete recourse to universal technique" This hybrid technique presents a way to move forward without
retarding the society and generalizing it to a point of universalism throughout all the regions of the world.
The article of the resistance of the place form talks about the depth of understanding the contextual
features instead of acting it as a free standing object. It should adapt the characteristic of place. According to
Frampton, the physical space of region and the place where the communication between people are not the
same things. When applying critical regionalism to the design, architects should consider the idea that there is
no limitation of physical space and the characteristic of place cannot be consisted of an independent building.
Spaces may be created by enclosing however its borders should be the beginning of the place instead of its
ending. The spatial organization of a building should be solved in terms of its relation between exterior
qualification of place such as; its entrance, exits, and the circulation.
Frampton argues that each of these are fundamental features that must be considered in creating an
architecture of resistance also as a broad conceptual guidelines for establishing good regional practice and
integrating a sense of place within architectural spaces. I agree to this as architecture must produce spaces
where one can recognize itself where it can live a space that creates deeper and more meaningful ties with the
place.
In conclusion, architecture can play a significant part in the negotiation of localized positions between
civilization and culture. Critical regionalism is a reaction against a globalized culture, providing an alternative
solution for the built environment based on local qualities that retained identity and sense of place. Frampton
theories overlap in seeking an architecture of deeper meanings that has connection to local culture, historic
relevance, and the use of modern principles.
WORD COUNT 398
Key points (2.5)
Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)

7. Clarity in Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical Progression (2.5)
DATE: 9/10/2016 TOTAL MARK & GRADE
ASSSESSED BY: