Architectural Scale Always Leaves an Impression

image: MissTurner | Flickr

Architecture resonates at many scales — the human scale, the building scale, the urban scale, the global scale and the cultural scale. Each building creates a ripple effect beginning with one occupant to ultimately reach its even wider audience which experiences it. Thus, architectural scale is something which you, as an architect, should use instinctively and consciously.

Often, critics might say that a building captures a perfect “sense of scale”, and so often, many architects have trouble pinpointing exactly what they mean and what they did to achieve this. Conversely, when a building does not capture an appropriate sense of scale, what went wrong can be glaringly obvious. Either way, a building always makes (and leaves) an impression.

It seems that, even upon approach, an occupant immediately scans a building looking for ways that they can relate to it. They may find something beautiful, novel or even just plain useful. One thing is for sure though; occupants form opinions about what they like (and what they don’t like), for better or for worse.

Can the Key Be Translation?

Designing a “language” can take you a long way toward achieving a good “sense of scale” in your designs. Take narrative, for instance. Just as a story is made up by chapters, each sentence is made up by words and each letter is made up by a set of geometries which make them readable. One key here can be seen as “translation” — which authors use to capture the best of what scaling can do. Well, architects can do the same.

So, translate from the micro (nano-scale, for instance) to the macro (urban-scale, for instance) and remember that each scale jump may require translation — because what you solve for one occupant’s experience may have an entirely different effect as it compounds its impression upon a larger community.

Design your “sense of scale” as a fabric that links from a human to an entire culture.

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