An exploration of order

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Authors
Burns, Kevin M.
Advisor
Meyer, Bruce F. (Bruce Frederick), 1946-
Issue Date
1991
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B. Arch.)
Department
College of Architecture and Planning
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Thesis statement: Man seeks and creates order in his environment by utilizing ordering principles which affect his perception of the arrangement of architectural components such that he understands his basic physical, social, intellectual needs being met.People seek meaning in their lives. One way people find meaning in life I by ordering their lives. People order their lives in part by seeking and/or creating order in the environments in which they inhabit (ie: through the medium of architecture). Order may be understood in many different ways. The scientist or mathematician would probably most closely associate the concept of order with truth, the object of scientific inquiry, while the sociologist or historian might see order as being closely associated with values, which hold together a society and give meaning to people’s actions. In architecture, however, order is most commonly thought to reflect an understanding of an arrangement of components. Thinking of order in this way, we can see considerable changes in the attitudes about order that have persisted throughout the history of architecture. The modernists sought to express the conquering nature of modern man and his machine. In the present age, new attitudes about order are prevalent. Mystery, discovery, complexity, simplicity, contradiction, and humanism are commonly sought objects of contemporary design. Whatever the attitude, there have been certain principles of order used throughout. In architecture, order is sought and created through the use of ordering principles which work at all scales of design. These ordering devices are, in a sense, tools which mankind uses to understand the satisfaction of his basic physical, social, and intellectual needs. Some ordering devices which I have explored are: axis, proportion, hierarchy, datum, visual patterns, compositional balance, gestalt, experiential patterns, and theme.This thesis is an exploration of these principles of order and their relationship to human perception. I believe that more holistically ordered design can be achieved when one: (1) understands the relationship between specific principles of order and human perception, (2) identifies the principles of order at work in a given context, and (3) responds in the design process by synthesizing both the extrinsic principles of order in the context and the intrinsic issues of the specific design program. I believe that by following this approach, it is possible to create architecture which is more responsive interaction, orientation, identity, and intellectual/emotional stimulation.By resolving the tension created by the intrinsic and extrinsic forces, a more sympathetic contextual response is created -- one which is participatory in its relationship to an existing contextural dialogue; one which strives at a holistic expression of physical, social, and intellectual issues; and one which can be discerned both intuitively and rationally.