CHAPTER 1:
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
POINT : indicates a position in space
LINE : a point extended becomes a Line
with properties of length, direction and
position
PLANE : A line extended becomes a Plane
with properties of length and width, shape,
surface, orientation and position
VOLUME: A plane extended becomes a
Volume with properties of length, width,
and depth, form and space, surface,
orientation and position
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: POINT
Indicates a position in space
a point can serve to mark:
the two ends of a line
the intersection of two lines
the meeting of lines at the corner of a plane
or volume
the center of a field
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: POINT
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: LINE
a line, in describing the
path of a point in motion,
is capable of visually
expressing direction,
movement, and growth
It can serve to:
join, link, support,
surround, or intersect
other visual elements
describe the edges of and
give shape to planes
articulate the surfaces of
planes
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: LINE
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: PLANE
A line extended in a
direction other than its
intrinsic direction
becomes a plane.
Shape is the primary
identifying characteristic
of a plane.
The supplementary
properties of a plane—its
surface color, pattern, and
texture—affect its visual
weight and stability.
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: PLANE
Three Generic Types
Overhead Plane
The overhead plane can be either the roof plane that spans and shelters
the interior spaces of a building from the climatic elements, or the
ceiling plane that forms the upper enclosing surface of a room.
Wall Plane
The wall plane, because of its vertical orientation, is active in our
normal field of vision and vital to the shaping and enclosure of
architectural space.
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: PLANE
Three Generic Types
BasePlane
The base plane can be either the ground plane that serves as
the physical foundation and visual base for building forms, or
the floor plane that forms the lower enclosing surface of a
room upon which we walk.
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: PLANE
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: VOLUME
A plane extended in a direction other
than its intrinsic direction becomes a
volume. Conceptually, a volume has
three dimensions: length, width, and
depth.
Form is the primary identifying
characteristic of a volume. It is
established by the shapes and
interrelationships of the planes that
describe the boundaries of the volume.
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: VOLUME
As the three-dimensional element in the vocabulary of
architectural design, a volume can be either a solid— space
displaced by mass—or a void—space contained or enclosed by
planes.
PRIMARY ELEMENTS: VOLUME
