Ching CH 6&7

Ken

Japanese unit of measure based on distance between two columns

radial symmetry

Symmetry about a central axis.

Renaissance theories

System of proportions used by renaissance architects who believed Architecture was mathematics translated into spatial units

Classical Orders

The ancient Greek styles of architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian

hierarchy

The articulation of the importance or significance of a form or space by its size, shape, or placement relative to the other forms and spaces of the organization

Symmetry

The balanced distribution and arrangement of equivalent forms and spaces on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane, or about a center or ax

Anthropometry

The measurement of the size and proportions of the human body

Transformation

The principle that an architectural concept, structure, or organization can be altered through a series of discrete manipulations and permutations

Mechanical scale

The size or proportion of something relative to an accepted standard of measurement.

tokonoma

a niche or an alcove in a Japanese home for displaying a flower arrangement, kakemono, or other piece of art

Modulor

an anthropomorphic (based on the human form) scale created by Le Corbusier for use in the design of his buildings

Scale

A fixed proportion used in determining measurements and dimensions

Axis

A line established by two points in space, about which forms and spaces can be arranged in a symmetrical or balanced manner

Datum

A line, plane, or voler that, by it's continuity and regularity, serves to gather, measure, and organize a pattern of forms and spaces

Torii

A monumental, freestanding gateway on the approach to a Shinto shrine, consisting of two pillars connected at the top by a horizontal crosspiece and a libre above it, usually curving upward

Golden Section

A proportion between the two dimensions of a plane figure or the two divisions of a line, in which the ratio of the smaller to the larger is the same as the ratio of the larger to the whole: a ratio of approximately 0.618 to 1.000

Rhythm

A unifying movement characterized by a patterned repetition or alternation of formal elements or motifs in the same or a modified form

bilateral symmetry

the property of being divisible into symmetrical halves on either side of a unique plane.

Visual scale

the size or proportion a building element appears to have relative to other elements of known or assumed size