An Architects Toolbox: A quick guide to architectural problem solving To define or illustrate how an architect designs a space or a building would

be practically impossible. Each design solution results from a combination of the architects experience, training and personal taste. However, there are a series of tools that all architects use at one time or another to creatively solve problems. The following is a quick guide of the tools and architectural ideas that may help you arrive at a design solution that not only works from a functional viewpoint, but also highlights your own style and creativity. Relationships: The basis of architecture Most architecture is based on a series of relationships. These relationships can be quite obvious, such as the relationship of a nail to the pieces of wood it joins. Or these relationships can be quite subtle, such as an intricate proportional system that regulates the size of every element in the building and relates it back to human proportions. The role of the architect is to establish the relationships necessary to make the building stand up and serve its intended purpose. At the same time, the architect attempts to create a form that is beautiful and distinctive. The following are some of the tools that architects use that directly establish relationships. Parti: The BIG Idea To complete an architectural project, there must be a beginning. This can be the most difficult task in designing a building. Architects sometimes invent a strategy before beginning a project. This is called a parti. This word is from the French language and is a derivative of the verb for departure. In other words, a parti is a beginning. These beginnings can take many forms. They can also be a written statement of an idea. However, architects generally make a graphic representation of the parti. Once a parti is established, it serves as the organizing idea behind the rest of the project. This can include everything from the organization of the spaces to the elements used as decoration. Optional Exercise: From time to time, architects may rely on purely orthogonal or purely curvilinear geometry to develop interest in the project. However, the best architects are able to develop their parti using both forms of geometry. As an introduction to this method of design, the following elements are suggested for use in your design; a line, an arc and a rectangle. The composition of these elements can be as simple or complex as you see fit. These elements can appear in plan, section or elevation. Also, they may serve to generate only the parti, or they may be incorporated throughout the entire design competition. These elements are only suggestions and are not required by the competition guidelines.

- The parti sketch and floor plan for Frank Lloyd Wrights Robie House

* Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994. (p. 276) Geometric figures used by architects to solve design problems

* Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994. (p. 9)

Mass / Space: These are probably the most obvious elements of architecture. Everything has a mass and mass takes up space. Think about a barn, for example. Immediately, you imagine a big, box-like building with a sloped roof. You quickly realize how much space must be inside the barn because of the mass it is occupying. Architects take advantage of this phenomenon by using different materials and shapes to disguise how much space a mass is occupying. Think about a very big building that has windows, which allow you to see inside. You start to imagine the space inside and stop considering how big the building is as a whole. These are the kinds of reactions that architects consider during the design process. What kinds of reactions do you want people to have when they experience the spaces you design? What kinds of reactions are appropriate given the functions the spaces contain? An interpretation of Mass / Space from the same diagram

* Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994. (p. 24)

Figure / Ground: Now that we have considered the space that a mass occupies, we begin to see a difference between occupied and open space. The occupied space is referred to as the figure, while the open space is referred to as the ground. Architects use this relationship when drawing plans and sections. Solid black shading traditionally represents the figure, while the ground is represented by the color of the media the plan is drawn on. By drawing these relationships, architects can see the proportion of figure to ground and understand how much space is available. Is the proportion of figure to ground so important? What if there was more occupied space than space available for use in a building? Would it still be useful? A figure / ground diagram of the Mass / Space diagram shown previously

* Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994. (p. 22) Historical Precedent: Architects use examples of buildings from history as a way to generate ideas as well. Think about the form of a courthouse. For many years people would immediately think about a white stone building that had steps and columns in the front. Due to the fact that architects have been working to reinvent what the typical courthouse should look like, this image of a courthouse is not quite as strong as it once was. Think about a type of building. What elements are crucial to being able to recognize what kind of building it is?

- An architects interpretation of an historical building type; the town home

* Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994. (p. 48)

Site Analysis: In order to generate ideas, architects may analyze the intended site for their project before designing the building. This analysis may uncover some relationships that the building will have to its surroundings that are very important and might affect the finished design. For example, a building that is situated very close to a river or lake should take into account that the level of the water will vary. Therefore, the building might be situated to account for this variation. Other relationships may not be so obvious. The position of the sun with respect to the building will have a big impact on the energy the building will use. If the side of the building that is exposed to the sun most often is mostly glass, a shading or screen element may need to be added to keep the buildings climate comfortable. Other relationships may be purely theoretical and used only to help the architect invent the form or style of the building. These relationships can be actual or implied by the architect. How can you manipulate the site of your project to create interesting relationships?

An analysis of the ancient city of Pergamon

* Gargus, Jacqueline. Ideas of Order: A Formal Approach to Architecture. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994. (p. 17, 19)