Mastering the basic design

The artistic mind can always convert sculptures to buildings and buildings to sculptures. A small sculpture made out of simple cardboard can trigger several architectural images in the mind of the architect. It is an interesting process for students of first-year architecture, to reconvert from dominated buildings (as against functionally dominated) into pure sculptures. This oscillation of the designer’s mind from sculpture to buildings and vice versa, is a kind of mental exercise. This training is helpful for first-year students of architecture throughout their design career.

Actual Exercise

The students visit several such buildings (form dominated). These buildings are photographed from all angles. These photographs are further analysed. Students should identify and articulate the various basic design elements in the building (lines, dots, shapes, colours, textures, proportions and so on). Building should be viewed as an amalgamated form constructed as a combination of various smaller solids and voids. The student should make an attempt to develop and create a sculptural miniature model that has parallel visual character.

Retrospective Analysis

At this stage can you criticize these form-dominated buildings? Can you say whether it is proportionate or disproportionate? Whether colour and texture suit the form? Whether the entrance of the building is a visual focal point? Whether the surfaces around the building enhance the visual character? Can you make the sculptural prototype of the same building? (Without making a miniature model of the building).