Chapter Six: Proportion & Scale

Golden Section:

 

A golden section is the ratio between the two dimensions of a plane. In this ratio, the proportion of the lesser plane to the larger plane is the same proportion as the larger plane is to the size of the two planes together as a whole.

Resource: www.creativebloq.com

 

 



Resource: www.ranario.com

 

In the above example, you are able to see a visual of the golden section. First you see it in an example of lines, then you can see the relation of these proportions in the image of the interior living space.

 

 

The Orders

An expression of beauty and harmony found in the proportioning of elements, mostly columns, to the Greeks and Romans of classical antiquity. Its basic unit of measurement used was the diameter of a column but since column size varied, the unit of measurement was not fixed. The dimensions of the shaft, capital, pedestal, and entablature were then derived from that measurement.

 

Resource: www.chestofbooks.com

 

Resources: meddiodesign.com

 

In the example image, you can see how the different columns are being proportioned based on their diameter. In the image of the outdoor space, you can see that the columns are being proportioned  to not overwhelm the space. 

 

Renaissance Theories

One of the main theories of the Renaissance comes from Pythagoras’ discovery that the Greek musical system could be expressed by a numerical progression -1,2,3,4- and their ratios, 1:2, 1:3, 2:3, 3:4. The Greeks believed that this scale expressed the harmonic structure of the universe.

Andrea Palladio followed this theory by proposing several methods for determining the proportional height of a room based upon its length and width. The height of a room with flat ceilings would be equal to its width. The height of a square room with vaulted ceilings would be one-third greater than their width.

resources: http://londonsquares.net/design-issues/

Resources: http://www.aboutscotland.com/harmony/968.gif

In these two examples you can see the Renaissance theories proposed by Pythagoras and Palladio. The first shows the different ratios of the musical proportioning system along with the room height ratios by Palladio. In the second you can see the proportioning of the room with its length and width determining each room height.

The Modulor
Developed by Le Corbusier, the Modulor proportioning system was meant to order “the dimensions of that which contains and that which is contained.” Inspired by the measuring tools of the Greek, Egyptians, and other high civilizations, he based his measuring tool off of both mathematics (like the Golden Section) and the proportions of the human body. Le Corbusier believed the Modulor to be a system of measurements that could govern lengths, surfaces, and volumes, and “maintain the human scale everywhere.”

Resource: thearchitectstake.com

 

Resource: caliescribe.com

 

The top image is an example of the Le Corbusier's Modulor proportioning system based on human proportioning. The second image shows Modulor proportioning system evaluation the different measurements required for certain activities to be carried out.
 

The “Ken”
The Ken is a Japanese unit of measurement that was standardized for residential architecture. The use of the Ken in a grid coincides with the use of tatami floor mats and their arrangement in a space.  

    Resource: markstephensarchitectss.com

Resource: realizingdesign.com

The first image displays the layout of a room that is being proportioned to fit six tatami floor mats. In the second image, the size of the rooms of this home are also being determined based on the "Ken" measurements. 

Anthropomorphic

The size and proportion of the human body is referred to as Anthropometry. The theory of anthropomorphic proportioning is based on architecture’s dimensions being determined by the human body since it is either a container of the human body or an extension. Along with inspiring the applied science of ergonomics, it also helps to accommodate our need for maintaining personal space and appropriate social distances.

Resources: www.dzinedirections.com

 

Resources: cetoine.com

The top image is of the scientific study of ergonomics being demonstrated in the workplace. In the interior space at the bottom, to keep an appropriate distance of personal space, the bar stools have been spaced 24" apart from one another.

Scale

 Scale refers to how large an object is in relation to the objects around it.  In architectural drawings, a scale visually shows the measured relationship between the illustration and the size of the structure once it is built.

Resource: exchange.autodesk.com

Resource: st.houzz.com

 

One example of scale is an architectural scale that is drawn onto floor plans to relate the drawing measurements to actual dimensions. The interior picture has a human silhouette added in to show the proportion of the space to the actual size of its user.