Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 113

FO R M & SPACE: TH E UNIT Y O F O P P O S IT ES

A

The symbiotic relationship of the forms of mass and space in architecture can
be examined and found to exist at several different scales. At each level, we
should be concerned not only with the form of a building but also its impact on
the space around it. At an urban scale, we should carefully consider whether
the role of a building is to continue the existing fabric of a place, form a
backdrop for other buildings, or define a positive urban space, or whether it
might be appropriate for it to stand free as a significant object in space.
At the scale of a building site, there are various strategies for relating the
form of a building to the space around it. A building can:

B

A. form a wall along an edge of its site and begin to define a positive
outdoor space;
B. merge its interior space with the private outdoor space of a walled site;
C. enclose a portion of its site as an outdoor room and shelter it from
undesirable climatic conditions;

C

D. surround and enclose a courtyard or atrium space within its volume—
an introverted scheme.

D

Building as an object in space

Buildings defining space

Monastery of St. Meletios on Mt. Kithairon, Greece, 9th century A.D.

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