Space Articulation

andTerritoriality

SPACE ARTICULATION It is a method of styling the joints in the formal

elements of architectural design. Through degrees of articulation, each part is united with the whole work by means of a joint in such a way that the joined parts are put together in styles ranging from exceptionally distinct jointing the opposite of high articulation-fluidity and continuity of joining.

In highly articulated works, each part is defined precisely and stands out clearly. The articulation of a building reveals how the parts fit into the whole by emphasizing each part separately.

horizontal elements

DEFINING SPACE

• Base Plane• Elevated Base

Plane• Depressed Base

Plane• Overhead Plane

BASE PLANE

A horizontal plane laying as a figure on a contrasting background defines

a simple field of space.

For a horizontal plane to be seen as a figure, there must be a perceptible change in color, tone, or

texture between its surface and that of the surrounding area.

ELEVATED BASE PLANEA horizontal plane elevated above the

ground plane establishes vertical surfaces along its edges that reinforce the visual separation between its field

and the surrounding ground.

Here are some of the examples of elevated base plane:

Elevating a proportion of the base plane creates a specific domain within

a larger spatial context.

The degree which spatial and visual continuity is maintained between an elevated space and its

surroundings depends on the scale of the level of change.

The degree which spatial and visual continuity is maintained between an elevated space and its

surroundings depends on the scale of the level of change.

THE FORBIDDEN CITY - China

DEPRESSED BASE PLANE

A horizontal plane depressed into the ground plane utilizes the

vertical surfaces of the lowered area to define a volume of space.

Lowering a portion of the base isolates field of space from a larger context.

The depressed field can be an interruption of the floor plane and remain an integral part of the surrounding area.

Increasing the depression depth weakens its visual relationship with the surrounding space and strengthens its definition as a distinct volume of space.

Once the original base plane is above our eye level, the depressed field become a separate and distinct room itself.

Creating a stepped, terraced or ramped transition from one level to

the next helps promote continuity between a sunken space and the area

that rises around it.

Extroverted = the act of stepping up to an elevated space; implying significance of place

Introverted = lowering of a space below its surrounding; protective/ sheltering qualities.

Example of depressed base plane:

A sunken courtyard, while protected from surface-level win and noise by the mass

surrounding it, remains a source of air, light, and views for the underground

spaces opening onto it.

The ground plane can be lowered to define sheltered outdoor spaces for underground buildings.

Example of overhead plane:

OVERHEAD PLANE

A horizontal plane located overhead defines a volume of space between itself and the

ground plane

An overhead plane defines a field of space between itself and the ground plane. The edges of the

overhead plane establish the boundaries of this field, its shape, size and height above the ground

plane determines the formal qualities of the space.

An overhead plane has the ability to define a discrete volume of space virtually by itself.

Visually reinforcing the boundaries of the defined volume of space of an overhead plane.

WOOD TRUSS

STEEL JOIST

MASONRY VAULT

The major overhead element of a building is its

roof plane, not only sheltering interior spaces but has a major impact on

the overall form of a building and the shaping of

its spaces.

The ceiling plane of an interior space can reflect the form of the structural system supporting the overhead floor or roof plane. Since it need not resist any weathering forces nor carry any major loads, the ceiling plane can also be

detached from the floor or roof plane and becomes a visually active element in space.

The ceiling can be manipulated to define and articulate zones of space within a room. It can be lowered or elevated to

alter the scale of a place, define a path of movement through it or allow natural light to enter it from the above.

The form, colour, texture and pattern of the ceiling can be manipulated as well to improve the quality of light and sound within a space or give a

directional quality or orientation.

TERRITORIALITY In highly articulated works, each part is defined

precisely and stands out clearly. The articulation of a building reveals how the parts fit into the whole by emphasizing each part separately

Territoriality provides the frame in which things are done, places to learn, places to play. Safe places to hide, -basic to territoriality is a sharp sense of the limits that mark the distance to be maintained between individuals.

Territory is something which is relevant to the individual, to the MICRO-group such as inhabitants of the same floor of a block of flats, through various social groupings to the MACRO-group of the town and City. In times of conflict, territorial instincts are inflated to include whole groups of nations.