Architects draw inspiration from a multitude of disciplines but regardless of the source of the inspiration, their works are guided by certain architectural design principles, which we will take a look at in this piece.
Below are some popular architectural designs from different continents of the world. These structures highlight architectural design principles and how they have shaped the future of modern architecture.
Repurposing
To repurpose something is to adapt it for use in a different purpose from what it was originally designed. When applied to architecture, what this means is that instead of simply tearing down an architectural design and starting all over, you can repurpose it.
A good example of this is a church in Chicago that was repurposed to become a 7-bedroom apartment. The building retained some of its original features such as its stained glass windows, a bell tower, exposed brickwork whilst throwing in contemporary designs and styles into the mix.
The repurposing of industrial shipping containers into contemporary architecture is becoming a thing, especially for apartment buildings.
Blending the Old With the New
There have been cases where architects have been saddled with the responsibility of creating some contemporary while still retaining elements of its old design. A good example is the Hearst Corporation, which had plans to have a skyscraper at its midtown Manhattan site. The only challenge with this was that it wanted to do this while still retaining the beautiful, historic façade of its former building.
The architects tasked with this job came up with the grand idea of throwing in a new tower right in the middle of it.
Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam once had a similar challenge. It had plans to expand its modern collection into a new wing, which would have fine and contemporary. The biggest challenge with this was that it still wanted to retain the existing building, which was built in the 19th century and had an ornate 16th-century style of architecture.
The architects got bold and were able to blend the old with the new thus, highlighting one of the most evolving architectural design principles.
Getting Noticed As Part of Architectural Design Principles
One way to get noticed in the architectural design space is to go epochal in your design. What this means is that we have architects who come up with distinctive-looking structures and designs. Some of these designs have ended up becoming a symbol of identification for cities and even regions.
The Sydney Opera House, for instance, stands out as the city’s unofficial logo. The story of Jørn Utzon, a relatively unknown Danish architect and how he surpassed several popular architectural firms with his breezy design also come to mind.
Lloyd’s of London, an insurance market, which was established in 1688 owns one of the world’s most futuristic building and the credit for this goes to Richard Rogers.
Sketching Your Concepts
There exists a school of thought that posits that the work of architects is based purely on rational art. What this means is that after the math and calculated engineering involved in their work, there is barely room for aesthetics. This is true but not entirely and there is proof.
Zaha Hadid stands out as an Iraqi-British architect who paid an enormous attention to the form of her work. Her works often begin with abstract sketches and a good example is the MAXXI Museum in Rome.
Another popular architect who was known for sketching his concepts is Lebbeus Woods. He was, however, largely considered a theoretical architect and this was because he was known for constructing almost no buildings at all. Instead, he was known for his amazing drawings, some of which would have been extremely impractical if not downright impossible to build in real life.
At the twilight of his career, however, he was able to give life to one of his ideas known as the ‘Light Pavilion.’
Bending the Rules
Like in every other field, creativity is synonymous to bending the rules of architecture. A perfect example of this is the horizontal skyscraper. We all know that skyscrapers were traditionally vertical; not anymore.
The Horizontal Skyscraper was designed by Steven Holl Architects and completed in 2009. It is a mixed-use building on the outskirts of Shenzhen, China. The complex includes offices for the Vanke Co., a conference centre, restaurant, an auditorium, a hotel, apartments and a large public park.
Be Conscious of The Environment
Architecture cannot be separated from the environment in which plays the host, which makes this principle quite straightforward. Unlike other architectural design principles, this one focuses on being mindful of the environment especially when the conversation steers towards green building.
Some of the greatest architects of the past century have paid a huge respect to this principle in their work. A good example of this is the ‘Falling Water,’ a rural home built into a hillside without disturbing its surroundings. The design includes a waterfall that runs under it the structure and Frank Lloyd Wright takes the credit for this with his 1935 architectural masterpiece.
In this age of going green, it is important to see examples of green architecture across Africa and the rest of the world.
Final Thoughts
The architectural design principles we have discussed here are a deep reflection of the flexibility, hard work and creativity that go into the work of architects.
As we look forward to what the future holds, we wonder if there is any famous architecture out there that inspires your work?
