Proportional System

S ome of the oldest proportioning systems are based on the size of the human body and the relationship between the body’s parts. Ancient Greek and Roman architects used their bodies as inspiration for vertical supports called columns. The top of a column (a capital), for example, was a metaphor for the human head; the main part of the column (a shaft) was the body; and the block, or plinth, on which the column rested, acted like the feet.

Renaissance architect Leonardo da Vinci captured the proportion of the human body in his famous drawing of an outstretched figure of man (see on your right). In the twentieth century, modern architect Le Corbusier also used a human figure as the basis for building dimensions. He called the system Le Modulor and tried to persuade the building industry to use it as a standard.

T he ancient Greeks thought that the Golden Ratio was aesthetically pleasing and wrote of it as early as the 5th Century. They suggested that we can find examples of the Divine Proportion in the man-made world as well as in the natural world. The Parthenon was perhaps the best example of a mathematical approach to art. The ancient temple fits almost precisely into a golden rectangle. Further classic subdivisions of the rectangle align perfectly with major architectural features of the structure.

The Golden Section is a ratio or proportion defined by the number Phi (= 1.618033988749895…). It can be derived with a number of geometric constructions, each of which divides a line segment at the unique point where: the ratio of the whole line (A) to the large segment (B) is the same as the ratio of the large segment (B) to the small segment (C). In other words, A is to B as B is to C. This occurs only where A is 1.618 … times B and B is 1.618 … times C.

Weight and Mass

Building materials exert a great impact on the public’s perception of architecture. Weighty units such as stone or brick convey permanence, durability, and strength. Smooth and transparent surfaces seem lighter and more delicate. The appearance of a building, however, doesn’t necessarily represent the true quality of its construction. For example, a brick wall appears substantial, but when it is covered in stucco, the same wall looks much lighter, even though the combination of brick and stucco weighs more than bricks alone.

"Massing" is deciding on the overall shape and size of the building. Will the building be tall or short? Long and thin? Will it have significant cutouts, or be more solid? Building masses may be low to the ground to create a horizontal emphasis and harmony with the earth. Building masses may also stand vertically upright and soar to the sky to create an uplifting spirit, as in the pinnacles and towers of gothic cathedrals. Successful massing uses the general shape and size of the building to minimize energy loads as much as possible and to maximize free energy from the sun and wind. Architects often begin a project by assembling rough blocks of cardboard or clay into what is called a massing model.