ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THEORY

SEMESTER 1
LECTURE 10
OBJECTIVES OF DESIGN
•A study of the theory of subject can not be complete
without an understanding of the objectives of the subject.

•Here, the objective is not of the subject but the need to

understand the objectives of the subject.

•Objectives, targets or reasons for design can be

interpreted at both the physical and a meta- physical
plans.

•The physical objectives are related to the business of

producing designs while the meta physical objectives will
be related to the philosophy of creative- an abstract
phenomenon
•Various artist, designers and creators could be in the
field of designing for different reasons.

•All of them, however to be true to their profession

will have to appreciate the inherent philosophical
needs of design.

•It may not be sufficient to treat design as just

physical activity for the purpose pleasure and
business.

•There has to be a higher motive ‘designing’.

•Ponder over the question- why doesnot
artist paint, why does a musician create
music…..?

•The higher motive could be :

-Giving sensory pleasure
-Making a statement

•How can these motives be achived?

•These could be achieved by making the artist and the viewer/
listener “happy”.

•The visual design the objective would be to provide ‘visual

delight’.

•Real “happiness” will come from viewing or listening to

something that is Beautiful, Truthful and Good.

•Beauty , Truth and Goodness can thus be seen as the

abstract objectives of visual design.

•There could be other objectives that could be offshoots of

these such as Perfection, Honesty, etc. and these would be
dependent on the artist and the medium.
•Beauty can be seen as a combination of qualities
in an object or a composition that delight the sight
or other senses by the shape, proportion, color or
other physical attributes.

•Beauty can also be seen as that which is morally or

intellectually impressing charming or
satisfactory.

•Anything that has allure, charm, grace, elegance,

loveliness, exquisiteness can also be called
beautiful.
Here are some examples of beauty
from different facets of life.
•To be good is to have the right qualities as accepted by
a particular culture, society and at a particular time.

•To be good is to be satisfactory and adequate meeting

the expected conditions.

•Goodness is a virtuous quality.

•Goodness is related to excellence, merit, value and worth

of an object or an act.

•Goodness also relates to honesty, integrity and merit

besides righteousness and uprightness.
NOT GOOD GOOD
•Truth is a quality of being in accordance with fact
or reality not false or erroneous and in accordance
with reason are correct principles or accepted
standard.

•Truthful is that which is genuine, showing life as it

is an adhering faithfully to that which is right.

•Truthful is correct honest, precise, realistic,

sincere and trust worthy.

•Truth is godly and divine.

TRUTHFUL

DECEIT
•Students of architecture would need to
appreciate that ‘design’ for them would have
much greater ramifications.

•‘Architectural Design’, besides providing

visual delight, will have to satisfy the
conditions of functionality, structural and
expressional strength, economy, sociology,
culture, climate, psychology related to the
architectural project
By now you should be clear about
the elements, principles and
objectives of basic design.