2nd ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design
Job No: CPD0810-27/4028034-061 Chapter 2 final_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 8/18/10 11:23 AM Page 46
The design processDeveloping a conceptThe architect needs an idea to help make the conflicting
questions and requirements of the brief understandable
and answerable.
For example: ‘This cinema will be about the contrast
between light and dark’ – this is a concept. It can help the
architect to make decisions that are consistent and
meaningful, however idiosyncratic, in the context of so many
variables and possibilities. Continuing the example: ‘People
enter the black box of the auditorium and bask in the glow of
the projection. The narrative of the film will lead them to
experience emotions ranging from light to dark. Therefore,
the design of the position and form of the windows in the foyer
will be significant to the occupants and the materials chosen
for that space will be dualistic and strongly contrasting.’
Over the course of a project, an architect will develop a
concept that can be used to make choices about everything
from construction materials to the emotional experience of
the building users. It can unite several competing demands
into an overall idea to prevent the building becoming a
cacophony of disparate elements.
However, a concept can be far more than a creative problem-
solving device. It can be the story that the architect tells to
provoke images in their own mind as well as the minds of
tutors, clients and collaborators. This enables a closer
mutual understanding while the proposal is being developed.
Crucially, a strong concept is one that will resonate with
everyone who uses the building because it has translated
from idea to meaning. This meaning should communicate
to the building’s occupants on many levels and elevate their
experience of using it over a long period of time.
Earlier in the chapter, we discussed the predictive optimism,
enhanced perception, empirical invention and craft of the
architect. These qualities compel the architect to inject an
idea, and therefore meaning, into their architecture. They
cannot solve complex architectural problems without first
asking, ‘What is the problem?’ The search for meaning within
our surroundings is a central human concern. This is why
we are all fascinated by, and can engage with, architecture.
The discipline constantly escapes attempts to define it in
absolute terms. It is in these gaps between answers, and in
the refusal of architects to be pigeon-holed, that the strength
of architectural design can be found.Text
2nd ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design
Job No: CPD0810-27/4028034-061 Chapter 2 final_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 8/18/10 11:24 AM Page 46