Design Principals

Learning the six ordering design principles is very helpful in expanding your vocabulary and the way you talk about design.  These design principles include Symmetry, Axis, Transformation, Rhythm/Repetition, Datum and Hierarchy.

Louis Kahn's Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA.

Symmetry (Asymmetry)- A balanced (or imbalanced) distribution of space or form about a dividing line or plane.
Axis: A line established by two points in space that balances design elements and extends beyond the built form.
Transformation:  The modification and/or configuration of an architectural element or theme that is used repeatedly, but altered based on two conditions: context and program.
Rhythm/Repetition:  A principal element is repeated or alternated and compared against other forms.
Datum:  The "reference zone" in design (ie. courtyard).  A plane or geometric volume that, by its regularity, gathers, organizes, and measures other spacial components.
Hierarchy:  The ordering of forms in space based on the size, shape, or placement of an object.


In most designs you can clearly see two or three of these design principles being used.