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Architects - Which proportions do you use in your designs?

TheCollector

When you are initially laying out a floor plan for a new build house for example, do you use classic proportions (even when the house is designed in the modern style), or do you use the sizes of materials available and then let this determine the room proportions etc?

What do you think about the golden mean in general? If you don't use it, then how do you retain the aesthetic balance in your elevation?

What about window proportions etc?

 
Sep 10, 12 3:51 am
avengeradventure

If it's not a Voronoi or Delauney diagram, it's not really worth looking at.

Sep 10, 12 7:09 am  · 
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Oh, yes the Delauney protocol is essential for exact decomposition, however many  believe that the Lejeune does have practical applications.

Sep 10, 12 9:11 am  · 
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gwharton

Van Der Laan's Plastic Number, bitchez.

Sep 10, 12 11:53 am  · 
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TheCollector

Interesting. Thanks for the replies.

I don't really understand the above though and was looking for something slightly more basic and simplified.

Sep 10, 12 2:45 pm  · 
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gwharton

Voronoi and Delauney algorithms aren't really proportioning systems. They're decomposition algortithms that let you divide and bound volumes or surfaces according to specific mathematical rules.

The Plastic Number is a transcendental constant (similar to Phi, Pi, e, etc.) discovered by the architect/monk/mathematician Dom Hans Van der Laan in the early 20th century. What's particularly interesting about it is that it shows up a lot in empirical studies of human perception of spatial and compositional relationships.

Sep 10, 12 3:03 pm  · 
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wurdan freo

For new construction, if you are not using a four foot module, then you are wasting the clients money and all you care about is form. All the fancy schmancy parametric designs don't meant shit unless you change the contract, which no architect has done, which means you can actually hit the print button to build it.

I, personally, always use the Golden Verinoi Vitruvian Proportion Module.

Sep 10, 12 4:29 pm  · 
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TheCollector

What is the Golden Verinoi Vitruvian Proportion Module?

Sep 10, 12 5:36 pm  · 
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boy in a well

it's this.

Sep 10, 12 6:21 pm  · 
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ncecchi

I've always found 36-24-36 to be the most pleasing proportions.

Sep 10, 12 7:38 pm  · 
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gwharton

0.70 WHR FTW.

Sep 10, 12 7:51 pm  · 
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gee wharton....you take the fun out of life

Sep 10, 12 7:59 pm  · 
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mdler

i use whatever i can buy at home depot

Sep 11, 12 1:58 am  · 
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curtkram

i have to support gwharton on the issue of .7 being the ideal ratio.

Sep 11, 12 9:14 am  · 
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proportion is discerned in the educated eye, not the math.

Sep 11, 12 11:57 am  · 
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boy in a well

Word to Mr. Ward.

Sep 11, 12 1:12 pm  · 
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No mention of masonry dimensions?  Yeah, okay, that's probably for the better, yo!

Sep 11, 12 1:15 pm  · 
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curtkram

proportion is discerned in the educated eye, not the math.

i think uneducated people can discern their own preferred proportions as well.

also, i think the educated eye prefers .7.  reference wikipedia or this thing which looks like something educated people would have put together.

Sep 11, 12 1:28 pm  · 
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drums please, Fab?

I've always found 36-24-36 to be the most pleasing proportions

yeah? only if she's 5 foot 3 ...

Sep 11, 12 1:45 pm  · 
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boy in a well

uhhhh. Sorry.

Sep 11, 12 3:18 pm  · 
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mdler

i prefer length to width, myself

Sep 11, 12 11:11 pm  · 
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35.5 - 24 - 34 and 5'7"

Close enough, yo!

Sep 12, 12 3:56 pm  · 
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TIQM

Proportion may be in the eye of the beholder, but our eyes, and most importantly, our brains were generated by largely-shared DNA code.  We are hardwired from birth to find certain geometries beautiful.

Sep 12, 12 6:44 pm  · 
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TIQM

Nature by Numbers:

http://vimeo.com/9953368

Sep 12, 12 6:51 pm  · 
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whistler

I had contractor / developer once who demanded that floor plans, sections and elevations for a house be defined by the proportion of a sheet of plywood ( 4' x 8' ) or portions thereof.  He didn't like cutting much and hated excess scrap on site.  All his houses kind of look the same!  haha.

Sep 13, 12 7:06 pm  · 
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Your contractor must have taken lessons from R.M. Schindler!

One of the original 4'-0" modular designers!

Sep 13, 12 7:59 pm  · 
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accesskb

Fibonacci Series!! biches!

Sep 16, 12 8:13 pm  · 
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curtkram

you mathemetic proportion folks may appreciate this:

Oct 31, 12 11:07 am  · 
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tonystefan

Proportion can be applied in elevation, and is probably more easily perceived in the vertical plane. Think about Greek temples: while the plan layouts tended to adhere to a rigorous geometry, the proportions of the columns (vertical obviously), and the spacing between them, received the most attention in the classical treatises.

Nov 1, 12 12:12 am  · 
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