Collective Form: A Design Process

This thesis investigates the conceptof group form. Group form can defined as an exploration of ideas and situationsthat; when combined, control an environment.  There are three major conditions thatdetermine the readability of a site: spatial elements, material elements, andsocial elements. Spatial conditions drive the scale of the space and controlthe inhabitant’s size and feeling in relationship to the context. The materialconditions define the colors and the physical qualities, this most commonlyassociated with the picture of the space. And finally, the social aspects ofthe space create the essence of the space. This condition is much moredifficult to capture and then the solution must have the ability to adapt andrespond to the changing ideals of the society.

This topic is relevant to current architecturaldiscourse because the rapid expansion of urban environments has created anindividual arbitrary building concept. This design method creates a series ofdisconnected spaces that smash into each other and dense cities have becomedifficult to redistribute more effectively. Instead, the focus should be moreon creating space that more productively takes advantage of the surroundingcontext in an attempt to bring the city together as a whole. Group form createsopportunities for empty spaces that may have been left behind by the arbitrarybuilding concept. The results can yield a remarkable new connection between theinhabitants and the architecture and transform the dark and dense city into adesirable and pleasurable environment for everyone.

This thesis idea in project formcreates a design process that involves analyzing and understanding the stages ofgroup form to reconnect a deteriorated site surrounded by a recently modifiedcontext. First, I plan to investigate the conditions of the context of the site.These results will yield a problem and begin to propose basic solutions.Secondly, I will use those results and begin to make connections between mysite and the context and test different scenarios. And finally, through trialand error of the tests, I will reach a number of conclusions, that whencombined, will deliver a result that responds and harnesses the spirit of theentire environment to create a whole picture.

Spatial conditions form the scale and massing of the environment. These qualities are represented through the differences of sizes in buildings as well as connections between different spaces. This perceptual quality can affect how the inhabitants feel about the space. Does the space feel open or closed? Does the viewer feel like they are seen in the space, or are they just a tiny object? 

Building material and color conditions create the picture of the space. These are the qualities people most often remember when they leave the space and tell others about their experience.

The social conditions are the toughest qualities to capture when designing using group form. The ideals of today will be very different from the ideals of tomorrow. To affectively utilize group form, the social conditions must have the ability to adapt and then continue to harness these ideals.