Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 119

BASE PLANE

For a horizontal plane to be seen as a figure, there
must be a perceptible change in color, tone, or texture
between its surface and that of the surrounding area.

The stronger the edge definition of a horizontal plane
is, the more distinct will be its field.

Although there is a continuous flow of space across
it, the field nevertheless generates a spatial zone or
realm within its boundaries.

The surface articulation of the ground or floor plane
is often used in architecture to define a zone of space
within a larger context. The examples on the facing
page illustrate how this type of spatial definition can
be used to differentiate between a path of movement
and places of rest, establish a field from which the
form of a building rises out of the ground, or articulate
a functional zone within a one-room living environment.

104 / A R C H I TE C TU R E : F O R M , S PA C E , & O R D E R