Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 11

INTR O DUCTIO N

In order to place this study in proper context, the following is an overview
of the basic elements, systems, and orders that constitute a work of
architecture. All of these constituents can be perceived and experienced. Some
may be readily apparent while others are more obscure to our intellect and
senses. Some may dominate while others play a secondary role in a building’s
organization. Some may convey images and meaning while others serve as
qualifiers or modifiers of these messages.

In all cases, however, these elements and systems should be interrelated
to form an integrated whole having a unifying or coherent structure.
Architectural order is created when the organization of parts makes visible
their relationships to each other and the structure as a whole. When these
relationships are perceived as mutually reinforcing and contributing to the
singular nature of the whole, then a conceptual order exists—an order that
may well be more enduring than transient perceptual visions.

Architectural Systems

The Architecture o `