L03_The Four Books of Architecture // Yeap Huei Sze

This book are more focus on the proportion and organization of the building element and space planning. I interpreted into the architecture I had seen around me. Firstly, it talk about the proportion of the loggias, entrance, halls and room. If using a terrace house as an example, the terrace house will normally come with a car porch, foyer, then the living room. As you need place for parking, taking off shoes and then only entering the other space.

Next is about the height of room. The height of room have to be proportion to the activity. If providing an example for the architecture nowadays, the living room will be given a higher ceiling level compare to the toilet. The lobby area of a building will have a higher ceiling level compare to other spaces. They are given a higher proportion as they are a central space, a welcoming space of the entire building.

The central court is higher compare to other space

Besides, the proportion of dimension of door and window. The architecture nowadays are also using I could say a thumb of rule from Palladio, where the door and window height are proportion. For example, 900mm for normal door width, 750mm for toilet door width, 2100mm door height. There’s a standard dimension for window like 900mm sill height, 300mm/ 450mm/ 600mm/ 750mm width. Of course there will be some elements that could be customized into other sizing but these will be the typical sizing of door and window and it is proportion in term of user experience. The placement of the opening also have to be carefully consider, for example the facing direction, opening direction and so on.

There’s also proportion and organization on the decorum or suitability that must maintain in private building. This is somehow like the space zoning for example, a terrace house, normally will place the master room towards the entrance where the owner / master of the house could easily noticed anything. And, master room should be bigger than the other room as it stated it is for the master of the building.

The floor plan is symmetry and proportion come with a porch near to the entrance

Typical terrace house floor plan showing the location of master bedroom near to the entrance and a terrace for user to take off their shoe

Lastly, the planning of room and other place. The space planning and zoning of the building have to be proportion and organized to the uses and function. For example, divide the space into proper zoning like private and public, or working and resting, which is proper to the function of the building. This is depend the user of the building, for example, some might like to have kitchen side by side with study room so that the parents could observe their kids while working I kitchen. While some might like to have study room in a more isolated area as they need quiet space for working.

In a nutshell, the building have too be proportion in every single detail, from space planning to structure to the building element to the form. But all these need to be consider depends on different requirement by different user, or the purpose of the building.

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