THEORY OF

ARCHITECTURE
03

SERRANO, AMABELLE B.
BSA 5
AR. EMILIO LAGYAP, UAP,RMP
INSTRUCTOR
The Role of Architectural Design
The social role of architectural design remains multi-faceted and complex. An architect must be trained in stylistic composition
and theory, study through anthropology and journalism, as well as philosophy and history, steeped in the cultural nuances of
the local societal culture and sub-cultures, and knowledgeable with regard to technical solutions. They must be able to
synthesize this body of knowledge in a manner that successfully addresses the client’s needs, desires, requirements, and
resources.

“Architecture reflects the cultural expectant that produces it.”

R. JOHNSTONE, (SAA CONFERENCE SPEAKER, 2005)

Architectural theory is crucial to the manner through which architectural design is completed. Theory in the profession has
changed dramatically within the 20th Century as the means and methods of design and construction have grown. An
abbreviated list of the various forms of contemporary architectural design includes:

 Productivism (technically based)

 Rationalism (formal composition)
 Structuralism (anthropological)
 Populism (contextual)
 Regionalism (locality based)
 Deconstructivism (abstract)
 Post-Modernism (similar to Populism)
 Modernism (similar to Productivism)

Architectural design, in order to succeed, must find the balance between reality, theory and practicality. Reality relates to the
real time component of design, placing it within a given societal/cultural structure that provides the known elements of meaning
for the solution. Theory is the mode of design that applies the architectural design constructs to the proposed reality.
Practicality relates to the specific nature of the client’s needs (the building program and budget), as well as the technological
capabilities available. It is technically possible to build a skyscraper in the arctic ice-fields but economically unfeasible and
theoretically improbable.

To properly maintain the relevance of architectural design within society, there must always be a sociological concern applied
to each design solution. A building achieves meaning through its constructed form and intangible space, in the way that these
elements relate to the human persona that use and inhabit it. Buildings that are elevated to the status of ‘architecture’ are
those that are able to relate their inherent meanings (physical and spiritual) to those that inhabit and view it, thus providing a
higher level of appreciation.

Theory Of Architecture
The term theory of architecture was originally
simply the accepted translation of the Latin
term ratiocinatio as used by Vitruvius, a Roman
architect-engineer of the 1st century CE,
to differentiate intellectual from practical knowledge
in architectural education, but it has come to signify
the total basis for judging the merits of buildings
or building projects. Such reasoned judgments are
an essential part of the architectural creative
process. A building can be designed only by a
continuous creative, intellectual dialectic between
imagination and reason in the mind of each creator.
A variety of interpretations has been given to the
term architectural theory by those who have
written or spoken on the topic in the past. Before
1750 every comprehensive treatise or published
lecture course on architecture could appropriately
be described as a textbook on architectural theory.
But, after the changes associated with the Industrial
Revolution, the amount of architectural knowledge
that could be acquired only by academic study
increased to the point where a complete synthesis
became virtually impossible in a single volume.
Design & Theory
Concepts
Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings.
The practice of architecture includes design from the
macro-level of the total built environment (civic centers,
subdivisions, urban planning and landscape design) to the
micro-level of furniture and product design.
The practice of architecture is a multi-disciplinary
profession integrating the skills of mathematics, science,
art, technology, social sciences, politics, history,
geography and philosophy. Philosophy is key component
in the analysis of an architect's practice. It is the philosophy
of the practice that defines the rationale by which they
produce particular solutions to definitive problems.
Rationalism, empiricism, structuralism, post-modernism,
de-constructivism structuralism and phenomenology are
some directions from philosophy influencing architecture.
Architectural design provides a distinction between
existence and living. The basic requirements of structures
include shelter and arrangement of space, both of which
are utilitarian. The additional feature provided by
architectural design is that of aesthetics, the expression of
a building. All three items; shelter, arrangement and
aesthetics must be seamlessly integrated in order to
achieve a successful architectural solution.
 NEOCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE
ART DECO
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
POST MODERN ARCHITECTURE
BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE
 VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE FUNCTIONALISM

RENAISSANCE
ARCHITECTURE
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE
RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE