ARCHITECTURAL

DESIGN THEORY II
LECTURE 3
TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN
ARCHITECTURE

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Tangible is that which can be touched.

Only physical things can be touched.
So all physical things are tangible.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

tangible
2

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

tangible
3

 Intangible is that which can be only

experienced.
Normally it is the qualitative aspect
that can not be touched but is
experienced such as beauty, goodness,
delight, joy, happiness and the like.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

intangible

Art Form - Dance

Dance

Human
Expression

22 april 14

Joy

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

Anger

intangible

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

As tangibility relates to physicality, it is

measurable.
Intangible aspects are abstract and
therefore not measurable. Beauty and
goodness can not be weighed or
measured.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Tangibility therefore deals with the

physical world and intangibility with the
philosophical world.
Tangibility and intangibility can also be
seen as the measurable and the
immeasurable.
The quality of physical existence and of
evoking reactions that are abstract are
found in all man made objects.
22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Why does this image feel

good?
Why is it called beautiful?
What are the aspects that
make it a visual delight?
If these issues are kept in
mind a designer can
create beautiful things.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE

IN ARCHITECTURE

What is the reaction

on seeing this visual?
If it is good, try to find
out why it is so and if
one does not like it,
one should try to find
out why it is not
likable or what would
make it better.
22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

How would you like to

live in this house?
This is Falling
Waters by Frank
Lloyd Wright.
Try to note what
makes this house so
interesting.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

This is not very pretty.

It is important to
figure out why it is not
pretty so that the
designer can avoid
making the mistakes
that stop this from
becoming pretty.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

11

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

There is a feel of
plasticity in this
architecture.
This has come about by
the curved lines for all the
elements used to create
this spatial organization.
The curved line is the
tangible reason for the
intangible reaction.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Note the difference in the two spatial

environments.
How has this difference been created?

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Note the differences in these bedrooms.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

The previous slide showed views that

created different reactions.
To find why these different reactions were
created, it is necessary to quantify the
reasons. Ultimately a designer has to
finally give dimensions and allocate
materials to create designs.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

15

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Architecture in its final manifestation is a

physical object but both its creation and
the reactions it produces are intangible.
An architect endeavors to create objects
that produce positive reactions in the
users and viewers.
A designer or a creator, therefore, has
to convert the intangible into the
tangible.
22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

16

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

If a building or a spatial organization is

found to be beautiful, a designer has to
identify the aspects that make it beautiful.
This would entail the conversion of the
intangible into the tangible.
The object could be beautiful because of
the form, proportions, colors or textures
which are quantifiable as these are
physical qualities.
22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE IN ARCHITECTURE

A designer has to learn to perceive the

intangibles and convert it into tangibles so
that these could be associational facts for
future designs.

22 april 14

Sat Priya School of Architecture & Design,

Rohtak

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