ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

THEORY
SEMESTER I
LECTURE 2
• An object is perceived by the viewers by their
five sense organs – eyes, ears (music), tongue
(food), nose (perfume) and skin (surfaces).
• All man made objects are designed.
• Our concern will, however, be primarily related
to visual perception as that is how we perceive
architecture.
• The Elements and Principles of design are the
building blocks used to create a work of art.

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 Elements of Design
• An element is one of those most basic visible
things.  In science, the elements are on the
periodic chart (hydrogen, iron, oxygen, gold,
sulfur, etc.).  All the complex chemicals are
simply combinations of these (H2O). 
• The Elements of design can be thought of as the
things that make up a painting, drawing, design
etc.
• Good or bad - all designs will contain most of if
not all, the elements of design.
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 An artistic product is created by a combination
of visual elements.

All that is visible is made up of visual elements.

An element will be a single entity and can not be

called an element if combined with anything
else.

In reality rarely if ever would an element exist in

isolation. It will be present as a part of a
combination of elements.
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Visual composition starts with the basic
elements: dot, line, shape, form, color
and texture and subsequently the
extended aspects of direction, movement,
dimension and scale.

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ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

POINT

LINE

SHAPE

FORM

COLOUR

TEXTURE

DIRECTION

MOVEMENT

DIMENSION

SCALE

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 POINT
• The point is the simplest irreducible minimum unit of
visual communication.
• It has no length, width and depth and is therefore
static, centralized and directionless.

• It indicates position in space

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 POINT
• It begins to begin its presence felt when placed within
visual field
• At the centre of its environment, a point is stable and at
rest, organizing surrounding elements about itself and
dominating its field.

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 POINT

• When the point is moved off centre its field becomes more
aggressive and begins to compete for visual supremacy.
• Visual tension is created between the point and its field.

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 Point
• Any point has strong
visual power to attract
the eye wherever it
exists naturally or is
placed by artists in
response to a purpose.
• Points connect, and
therefore are capable of
leading the eye.
• In great profusion and
juxtaposed, points
create the illusion of
tone or color.

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 Pointillism is a technique of painting in which a lot of tiny dots
are combined to form a picture.
Optical mixing

A pointillist impressionist painting by Seurat – a French painter.

Boats on lake
Artists have taken the advantage of the qualities of points to create
beautiful paintings – as these in a large number create tones.
Van Gogh painting, a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter
French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905

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 Line
• A point extended becomes a line.
• When points are so close to one another that they cannot be
individually recognized the sensation of direction is increased
and the chain of dots become a distinctive Line.
• Paul Klee, the Swiss Expressionist painter, described a line as
a dot out for walk.

• Although line has one dimension but it has some degree of

thickness to become visible.
• It is seen as line because it’s length dominates it’s thickness.

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 Line
• Line can also be seen as a mark on a surface that describes a
shape or outline.

Describe the edges of and give shape to planes

• A line can also be seen as a form that has length and width but
no depth. Lines are used to create edges and outlines of
objects but by themselves can also be suggestive of visual
expression. A line is created by the movement of a pen, pencil
or brush.
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• It can create texture and can be thick and thin.  Types of line
can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and
contour lines.

Articulate the surfaces of plane

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A line can define the outside contours of a shape, multiple lines can create
value, and repeated lines can produce patterns and textures

PATTERNS

VALUE
 Line
• A line is the critical element in formation of any visual
construction.
• It can serve to:

Join, link, support, surround or intersect other visual

elements
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A line can be

•Taut or limp
•Bold or tentative
•Graceful or ragged

The character of a line is determined by our perception

of it’s length-width ratio, contour and degree of
continuity.
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The orientation of a line affects its role in
visual construction.

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• A line can be: Stable, placid, Represents
dignity, formality and
strength.

Regressive

Unstable, restless,
ambitious- calm, peace action, activity,
and relaxation. excitement and
movement.

Progressive

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•Lines represent order and give the eye explicit
directions about where to look and how to interpret what
it sees.
•Lines can be straight or curved.
•Lines can be thick and thin.
•Just straight lines can be expressive by their direction.
•Horizontal – stability
•Vertical – ambition
•Angular - direction
•Combination of lines can generate discernable or
suggestive shapes.
•Lines can make a statement by their direction

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Even the simple repetition of like or similar elements, if
continuous enough can be regarded as line.

This type of line has significant textural qualities.

Visual lines and implied lines.

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Characteristic of Line: Line has direction

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• Line defines the position and direction of the design. If you
have lines or shapes that seem to be running horizontally,
then the design would seem like it's running in a left and right
line.
• Make sure your design identifies some sort of line so that the
human eye can recognize which side is the top of the design
or on which side the design is suppose to start with interest.

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VERTICALITY
HORIZONTALITY

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DIAGONAL

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VERTICAL
HORIZONTAL
DIAGONAL
Lines are basic to all of the visual arts. Drawing is more
or less based on using lines. 31
• The odd thing about lines is that they do not occur in nature.
• Line in art is an artificial device that we have learned to interpret as
representing something. You have learned to read drawings with lines
since childhood. The usual meaning of a line is that it represents an
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edge.
Tips on using lines:

• Decide which part of your display is the most important,

and direct attention to it by judicious use of line.
• Do not scatter lines about at random.
• Remember that margins are an invisible line.
• Attention to line does not mean that all elements in the
design have to be lined up.

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How artists feel about lines • Lines are tools for communication.
When an artist uses lines to define
the edges of an object or to
describe its surface they are like
someone telling a story. A good
storyteller knows that it is not just
the story, but the telling of it,
that makes for success. The
qualities of the lines in a drawing
are like the timing, vocal
inflections and emphasis that a
storyteller uses.
• Line quality also adds interest by
increasing the variety in an image.
• Line quality describes the
appearance of a line -- its look not
• Using a simple line to apply the its direction. Different line
principle of economy is to show qualities like thick, thin, light,
only part of an image, giving dark, solid, broken, colored etc.
enough information for viewers to all will change how the line is
complete it mentally. interpreted in a drawing.
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• Curving lines give unfilled areas a flowing, rhythmic quality.

• The sketch is designed to make us perceive optical

effects that are not there.
• These drawings have the mystery of a figure-ground
reversal: we cannot be sure whether the design is
black or white on black.

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This work by Bridget Riley's Current is designed to interact by
making us perceive optical effects that are not there.
Current has the mystery of a figure-ground reversal: we
cannot be sure whether the design is black or white on black.

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 Light and dark lines

Straight lines at random

A combination of straight lines can convey different feelings.

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Monochromatic parallel Multi-chromatic parallel
thick lines thick lines

Feel the difference

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Straight lines can be modulated to create optical illusions
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A few lines can generate associative mental images. Here,
however, the line by itself loses its intrinsic meaning, as
the ‘shape’ becomes more prominent.

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• By now you would have understood the strength
and value of lines in design.
• Remember all your future work will be based on
your appreciation of this element.
• Each line that you draw will have a meaning.
• So, do not waste or misuse this powerful element
of visual design.

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Life…..L…..I……N…….E…….

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 Assignment
• "Line as an element of design is the most
important tool in the creative process of
design." Discuss with examples.

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