Aesthetics

by the WBDG Aesthetics Subcommittee

Last updated: 08-27-2009

Overview

aes•thet•ics: 1: a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of the beautiful and with judgments concerning beauty…

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy which studies concepts of beauty. Not surprisingly, theories of beauty vary over time and reflect preferences which, when widely agreed upon are called taste, and which also reflect more basic currents of thought in societies. The term does not describe an additional element added to, say, sub-art to make it better - rather aesthetics is simply a realm of study, free of specific values.

Architecture is subject to evolving concepts of beauty, just like the other arts. Most obviously, aesthetic theories in architecture are related to what buildings should look like - these preferences change and are most cogently discussed as history, after those preferences have achieved realization as buildings.

The appearance of buildings is also inherently a choice which is made by the architect in full collaboration with the client, building users, other consultants, and the public, in the achievement of practical results. Good architecture achieves useful, humane and economical results, regardless of what that result looks like.

The early 21st century is a remarkable period in architecture because the continuation of traditional styles includes both pre-Modern historical styles in great variety (Classical and its many derivatives, Romanesque, Gothic, Victorian, Craftsman, Art Deco, Post-Modern) and Modern forms which now have their own traditions, as well as the continuingly evolving forms of contemporary architecture.

This variety of appropriate expression can be seen in these two examples of federal building projects.

The overall scope of architecture was first formulated in the first century B.C. by Vitruvius, a Roman architect who described architecture's obligations to provide commodity (utilitas), firmness (firmitas) and delight (venustas) in the comprehensive guide, "The Ten Books of Architecture". Firmness refers to a building's ability to stand up over time to natural forces. Commodity addresses how the building serves its function and can be made more useful to the occupants. Delight refers to the aesthetics. Delight can also refer to how a building makes you feel: ranging from awe to joy to fear to love to peace. Delight in built space (whether it is positive or negative) can also be auditory, tactile, olfactory, thermal, visual, and even kinesthetic.

Although reinterpreted over the centuries, these three aspects of architecture still serve to describe the importance of accommodating the building's requirements, remaining standing, and offering the observer and user an imageable form, a sense of place, and an interpretation of the technology of the time.

It is important for the client and building users to be well informed about the possibilities of architecture. This will enable them to assist the architect and design team in providing the building design that will meet the client's and users' needs.

One way to become acquainted with the possibilities of a given task is to become familiar with a number of buildings of the same type. New building types emerge constantly in an era of developing technology.

Familiarity with architectural ideas is also useful so that the discerning client can understand where the architect and design team stands in the spectrum of possibility. The list of books and websites at the end of this page is a starting point.

Most designers agree that aesthetically successful architecture comes from an integrated approach. The best aesthetic solutions are inspired by the project's programmatic requirements. Beginning with a correctly formulated problem (or program) developed with the client's participation to design reviews involving the delivery team to Facility Performance Evaluations conducted with building occupants, this process leads most effectively to the best aesthetics AND cost-effective, secure/safe, sustainable, accessible, functional/operational, etc. solution.

This branch of the WBDG is designed primarily to help those not familiar with architectural design terminology understand the basic process, technique, and language by which architectural aesthetic decisions are made. Towards that end, the following strategies are recommended:

• Find the Appropriate Language and Elements of Design
  The language of design describes fundamental visual elements of architecture and design. The appropriate application and thoughtful integration of these elements are key to achieving high quality facilities.
• Engage the Integrated Design Process
  The integrated design process involves steps that foster successful integration of the many factors and design disciplines that influence good building design. These steps provide an orderly flow that build on each other, and full and constructive participation of all members of the design and delivery team will help assure the best results.

The result of successfully integrating the three principles often leads to exemplary projects that are awarded through Design Awards Programs sponsored by professional societies, the federal government, and industry trade associations. These programs offer insight into aesthetic choices and values at a given time in history. For more information see Design Award Programs.

Note: Information in these Aesthetics pages must be considered together with other design objectives and within a total project context in order to achieve quality, high-performance buildings.

Emerging Issues

Anti-terrorism and High-Performance Buildings

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Major Resources

Federal Agencies

• Department of Defense (DOD):
• DOD—UFC 3-120-10 Interior Design
• U.S. Army—Installation Design Guides
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Engineering and Design Regulation - Interior Design ER 1110-345-122
• NAVFAC—MIL-HDBK 1190 Facility Planning and Design Guide, Chapter 5, Section A.1, 1987
• U.S. Air Force—Achieving Design Excellence (PDF 2.1 MB) and Architectural Compatibility Guidelines (PDF 740 KB) and Air Force Interior Design Guides

• General Services Administration:
• Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, P-100, Chapter 1, Section 2

Standard Form 330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications—Architects and engineers use this form to present their qualifications and experience when seeking federal projects and emphasizes qualifications-based selection for the procurement of A/E services. This form replaces SF 254/255.

Organizations

• National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)—The National Capital Planning Commission provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in the National Capital Region
• U.S. Commission of Fine Arts—The Commission of Fine Arts was established by Congress in 1910 as an independent agency to advise the Federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of art and architecture that affect the appearance of the nation's capital.

Associations

The work of many building professionals impact aesthetics decisions. These include architects, landscape architects, interior designers, lighting designers, and engineers. In part to help define the boundaries of professional and aesthetic responsibility, each of these professions is represented by a national trade association. In most cases, the trade association or organization publishes industry guidelines about the legal, ethical, and aesthetics role of their members in the building design process.

Publications

• The Aesthetic Movement by Lionel Lambourne. London, England: Phaidon Press Limited, 1996. ISBN 0714830003.
• Architectural Graphic Standards, 10th Edition by Charles Ramsey, Harold Sleeper, and John Hoke. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000.
• Architecture For Dummies by Deborah K. Dietsch and Robert A. M. Stern. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002.
• The Four Books of Architecture by Andrea Palladio and translated by Robert Tavernor and Richard Schofield. Dover Publications, 1965.
• Design Professionals and the Built Environment: An Introduction by Paul Knox (Editor), Peter Ozolins (Editor). February 2001. ISBN: 0-471-98515-5.—Brings together many of the world's leading names from the UK, USA, Europe, and Asia; this is the first book to fully reflect the move towards a more synthetic approach in professional and student courses.
• A History of Interior Design, 3rd Edition by John Pile. August 2009. ISBN: 978-0-470-22888-3.—Much like the history of art, the history of interior design encompasses numerous styles, movements and the international political and social developments that have informed or challenged its evolution. This lavishly illustrated book will be of interest to anyone who appreciates interior design as well as antiques, furniture design, textiles, decorative objects and the general evolution of the space where we work and live.
• Interior Design, 4th Edition by John Pile. March 2008. ISBN: 0132321033. Extremely comprehensive on all elements of interior design including codes. Textbook standards.
• Interior Design Illustrated, 2nd Edition by Francis D. K. Ching, Corky Binggeli. October 2004. ISBN: 0-471-47376-6.—Ching's illustrated introduction to interior design is now completely revised to be even more clear and accessible. It includes new and updated material on finishes, furnishings and textiles, lighting, sustainability, acoustics, workstations, and much more.
• Interior Graphic Standards by Maryrose McGowan (Editor-in-Chief), Kelsey Kruse (Graphics Editor). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003.
• On the Art of Building in Ten Books by Leon Battista Alberti and translated by Joseph Rykwert and Neil Leach. MIT Press, 1988.
• A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein, with Max Jacobson, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, and Shlomo Angel. Oxford University Press, 1977.
• Space, Time and Architecture: The Growth of a New Tradition, Fifth Revised and Enlarged Edition (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures) by Siegfried Giedion. 2003.
• The Ten Books on Architecture by Pollio Vitruvius and translated by Morris Hicky Morgan. Dover Publications, 1960.

Glossary of Architecture Terms

• archiseek online architectural resources
• Art & Architecture Thesaurus Online
• Illustrated Architecture Dictionary

Sample of Great Buildings and Architecture

• Architecture and Interior Design Through the 18th Century: An Integrated History by Buie Harwood, Bridget May and Curt Sherman. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall, December 2001. Exceptionally comprehensive, this single-source reference allows readers to compare and contrast architecture, interior design, interior architectural features, design details, motifs, furniture, space planning, color, lighting, textiles, interior surface treatments, and decorative accessories through many centuries—from antiquity to the 18th century—from the many regions of the world.
• architekturphoto provides a large-scale, specialized online archive of carefully composed photographs of prominent projects.
• The ArcSpace image archive includes brief descriptions of cutting-edge design. Exhibit reviews give a taste of architectural gallery installations.
• The Art of Landscape Detail: Fundamentals, Practices, and Case Studies by Niall Kirkwood. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., August 1999. ISBN: 0-471-14044-9. A fresh, holistic approach to the theories, approaches, and practices of landscape detail. With the support of a wealth of graphic and written material taken from historic and contemporary landscape design work, Kirkwood clearly demonstrates the role that landscape detail plays in the design process. Going beyond theoretical considerations, the book outlines landscape detail as a primary design activity, both pragmatic and poetic, using a range of built landscape design examples.
• The Evolution of American Urban Design: A Chronological Anthology by David Gosling. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., December 2002. ISBN: 0-471-98345-4. Covering a 50-year span, the book seeks to identify built urban design projects and traces the evolution and separation of American urban design theories up to the end of the twentieth century. It includes contemporary designs, projects, and writings in an attempt to identify future directions of the next century.
• The Great Buildings Collection
• The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture is a gorgeous new compendium of recent design from around the globe. This coffee-table book is so heavy, it's sold in its own carrying case.
• Weimar University's Innovative Housing (in German) Website allows you to search by criteria, architect, or name of project. Pick "Kriteriensuche" or "Suche". If you have trouble reading a foreign site, try using the Babelfish translator to get a crude approximation.