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PAMANTASAN NG COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA AND URBAN PLANNING

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
ARCHITECTURAL
CONCEPT

ALNIE KHAYZER HAYUDINI, RLA, RMP

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A rc h i t e c t u r a l p ro d u c t i o n
i s a p ro c e s s t h a t i n c l u d e s
the stages of thinking,
designing and drafting.
T h i s p ro c e s s s t a r t s w i t h
the development of a
“concept”.
What is a CONCEPT? Page 3

IMAGE
IDEA VIEW
THEORY PLAN
NOTION THOUGHT
OPINION IMPRESSION
ABSTRACTION REPRESENTATION
PHILOSOPHY SOLUTION
BELIEF IDENTITY
INSPIRATION DESIGN
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So what is a CONCEPT? Therefore a concept can be an idea,

notion, theory, object, opinion,
representation or process that
provides the fundamental building
blocks to the thoughts and beliefs
behind an idea. They play an
important role in all aspects of a
subjects understanding.

So this can be related to a book, car,

item of furniture, a phone …absolutely
anything, including architecture.
 What is an
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Architectural concept is used to help generate a ARCHITECTURA

response to a given design based scenario, by L CONCEPT?
addressing the projects brief, context, restrictions,
issues, use and structural requirements.

All projects should start with a concept, as it is this

that underpins its development and guides the
design process. There does not however need to
be one singular idea, a building or structure can
have many different concepts that guide its
individual parts to form the whole.
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CONCEPTS come from? PROGRAM (Functional Requirements)

SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECT
TECHNOLOGIES / MATERIALS /
METHODS
INFLUENCE / PHILOSOPHIES
USERS
MOVEMENT
SPACES
FORM (Quality of Spaces)
EMOTIONS
PRECEDENT RESEARCH
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A “concept” starts to take “form” by including the “functions” attached to it. Then, this “form” is further
shaped “structurally” and “materially”. Finally, the form is realized in three dimensions by taking care of
the sound related (acoustics), light related (illumination) and spatial considerations.

Architecture is an act of problem solving that requires a creative thinking process. These problems
need creativity because they do not have predetermined methods (as in mathematical formulas or
theorems) for their solutions. Each designer/architect has to find their own methods themselves for
each and every different design problem.

When a designer is given a design problem, his depth and range of design vocabulary affects both how
he understands the problem and also how he shapes his answer. If one’s understanding of a design
vocabulary is limited and the range of possible solutions to the problems are also limited.

The concepts and methods for different design problems can be formed by getting inspired from past
architectural solutions and architects, by getting inspired from nature by analogy or metaphor, or most
favorably by total innovation of new forms and structures. Architectural creativity exists when the
architectural work is both original and appropriate.
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DIMENSIONS of CONCEPTS
EXTERIOR EXPRESSION

INTERIOR EXPERIENCE
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LEVELS of EXPRESSIONS
The concept should appeal both to:
• Normal Layman
• Professional Specialist
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Can you design without a

concept?
And why do I need to go
through all the trouble?

You may design without a concept, but you need a concept because:
• It gives depth and meaning to your work (the more innovative and coherent the
concept the more interesting work is.)
• Concepts open the door for more related ideas, it makes you think and research
(the richer the concept means a richer building)
• Concepts distinguish architects.
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How to go about it?

• Be comfortable, use any way you find best to express what you are thinking of
• Understand the nature and context of the project you are working on
• Brainstorm, don’t be afraid to experiment
• Empty all your thoughts, the relevant and irrelevant, make doodles because it’s not
only fun but also carry messages
• Select one or a couple of ideas, work more intensively on these
• Settle on the concept that you personally feel attracted to
• Great concepts have humble beginnings and it evolves
• With time, every architect finds his preferable way
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Where to start in doing your

You cannot begin to generate a
architectural concept? concept until you understand the
projects brief, site and context, and
so this should be your first point of
call and the starting point to
gathering all of the projects
required parameters.

This includes site analysis, design

brief appraisal, building typology
appraisal, archetype appraisal,
precedent studies and so on.
Whether your project is real or required to be perceived to be, there will always be a design briefP athat
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provide the vital details on the clients and buildings requirements, along with the site your architectural
proposal will need to be placed within.

The type of building and its desired accommodation the design brief asks for, will help to identify initial
avenues of research and the key principles that will be important to a building of its type.

For example, does the brief call for a singular or collection of buildings, and/or is it public or private.

Following this the brief will indicate the program size, the projects priorities, its restrictions and allow for it
to be approximately mapped out to get an idea of its scale on the site.

The DESIGN BRIEF

 In a lot of cases this is one of the key generators in a projects conceptual
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development, and you should never really be considering a conceptual

proposal without already carrying out a detailed site analysis.

In the early stages of a project, a lot of information can be gained before

you actually visit the site via a desktop study, but this should always be
followed by a physical visit.

The sites parameters can be used to discover the limits, restrictions, and
opportunities that can add depth and meaning to your conceptual
approach.

These first steps are almost always a series of explorations and research
that will bring to light conflicting aesthetically, organizational, technical,
social or contextual criteria, that can be used as ingredients for further
analysis and development.

For your concept to be as successful as possible, its make up needs to

consist of and resolve as much of this criteria as possible, whilst
The SITE addressing the key elements of the brief.
& its CONTEXT
How to create an ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT
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To create your concept you must first address and research all of the concept categories described
below. Only once all these areas have been researched and evaluated, should you start to formalize
your method.

These four areas are summarized as:

1. Site Analysis. Take the data described before and identify the key constraints, features and
characteristics of the site and its surrounding context.
2. Design Brief. This is the information presented by the client that should address the building type,
preferences, budget, culture, preconceptions, agenda, personality, organization, and program.
3. Buildings Typology. This determines the genre of the building, its purpose, the services it provides
and how it should work.
4. Project Narrative. This identifies the story behind the project, the people who will use it, and how it
will sit and grow within its context.

This information then needs to be gathered and translated into usable and useful material, and so
starting with the your site analysis (point 01), overlay the key features and elements such as the site
boundary, typography, existing and neighboring buildings, trees and vegetation, and solar orientation
and paths, onto a site plan.
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The program should be then be mapped out in diagram form onto the site to determine the size of the
overall building and individual spaces, as well as whether it should be single story or have a number of
stories …all outlining the constraints and requirements.

The arrangement of your program should be influenced by the other categories, and as an example may
be based on lifestyle (project narrative), seasons (site analysis), and use (building typology).

These are important as there is simply no way a concept can be generated without the necessary
background information to support it.

Using the third point and identifying the building typology is key in understanding the projects
outcomes, and if you are not familiar with the required typology then extensive precedent research
should take place with the clear goal of understanding the inner and outer workings of the building
type. Knowing the typology provides you with the opportunity to reinvent and improve what already
existing.

Lastly the narrative provides a concept will final layer of relevancy, making it relatable and human. This
could come from the client, the building type, or the site.
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 How to communicate your
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concepts?
Multiple tools can be used to
express your idea, such as:
• Drawings
• Conceptual models
• Text

Using of different materials, colors,

or methods might help you
understand better what you are
doing, hence, expressing your
concept
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DIAGRAMS
drawing of geometric
shapes to show different
relationships within any
given space
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PARTI
a type of diagram that
serves as a general idea to
figure out a building’s
program or layout, usually
in the form of quick
sketches or 3D models
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PARTI
a type of diagram that
serves as a general idea to
figure out a building’s
program or layout, usually
in the form of quick
sketches or 3D models
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MORPHOLOGY
the study of forms of
things
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MORPHOLOGY
the study of forms of
things
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Conceptual models can be

used to express:
• Layers (vertical,
horizontal, or rotated
planes)
• Outer shell
• Circulation
• Materials & colors
• Construction issues
• Coherency with
topography
• Any idea
 Face House,
ANALOGY
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Kyoto, Japan

An analogy is more like a simile, a

similarity between like features of two
things, on which a comparison may be
based. A cognitive process of
transferring information from particular
subject (source) to another subject
(target).

• superficial analogy – to take the same

shape of something without any
changes
• structural analogy – to make a
structure of building from a shape of
something
• holistic analogy – combination of Piano House,
Huainan City,
both
China
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METAPHOR
A metaphor is more like an allegory. A
metaphor is an implicit simile, while
analogy is an explicit one. Put
differently, a metaphor is literally false,
while an analogy is literally true.
Metaphors need a bit more imagination
to interpret, while analogies are readily
apparent.

The process of transformation of

intangible or abstract aspects into
physical or visual image is known as the
“Metaphoric Process”.

Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France

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Baha’i Lotus Temple,
New Delhi India

Sydney Opera House,

Sydney, Australia
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L’Hemisfèric is one of the structures

within the City of Arts and Sciences in
Valencia, Spain.
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Samuel Beckett Bridge,

Dublin, Ireland
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*Images used in this presentation is not the property of the presenter.

Thank you &

References:
• Mahgoub, Y. (2010). ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 LECTURES – CONCEPT. Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/ymahgoub/architectural-
design-1-lectures-by-dr-yasser-mahgoub-lecture-5-concept?qid=6200fca2-2823-490b-9a28-1c3a08e77019&v=&b=&from_search=3
• Adbel-Aziz, D. (2016). A GUIDE TO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONCEPTS. Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/coolgirl0000/architectural-
concepts-a-guide-to-architectural-design-concepts

keep safe.
• Unknown. (Unknown). DEVELOPING AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONCEPT. Retrieved from: https://www.archisoup.com/developing-an-
architecture-concept
• Alshdaifat, A. (2018). ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS. Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/ay0osh1/architectural-concepts#:~:text=Put
%20differently%2C%20a%20metaphor%20is,while%20analogies%20are%20readily%20apparent.