Position paper 2

2015

[Position Paper Two] ARC 313: Theory of Architecture I Typology And Style

Name: Tareq Al-amoudi

ID#: 201061480

Instructor: DR.jamal Qawasmi

Introduction

This position paper will explain the meaning of typology and how it affects in the modern era, and if there a relation between typology and style in architecture.

As we know, typology method been used in physics, chemistry and other science, to organize and rationing the large number of elements in groups, to be easy to define.

In architecture, different moves lead to rationing the different architectural moves in kind of types, to be defined with their important elements that make them more unique than the other types.

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Definition Of Typology

What Is Typology In Architecture?

1- It is a classification tool of characteristics which commonly found in buildings, according to school of thought, individual characteristics of patterns, in small details or large system, and many other aspects, which can be used as a classification tool to identify groups of related buildings, in different typologies.

2- Sometimes the term ''Typology'' in architecture depends on categorizing buildings according to forms. For example: Simple forms, decorative forms, deconstructing forms.

So we can conclude that the term ''Typology'' could be defining Buildings into different categories according to the behavior of their forms in general.

On the other hand:

3- Some people explain the term as a format been used to identify the timeline of every period, and how the buildings been affected by the characteristics of that period, driven from the idea that architecture always been affect by the properties of the surrounding environment and knowledge.

4- Typology can be explained in an easy way. By saying that typology is a method to categorize architectural forms in groups depending on the physical or non-physical aspect that create different "types" which give us the right to limit every "type" with some rules methodically. So architecture can be taught with clear rules of design.

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Definition of Typology after the Modern movement

After the Movement of Modernity, Which Happened when the industrial era spread around the world, The needs of finding new Build techniques and using new materials become a pleasure of that era, so a lot of architecture was took that way of designing, because of that, new typologies been created to categorize new kind of buildings, new faรงade treatment, new forms.

After new categorized buildings become to the world because of the industrial revolution, some architects been driven to give an industrial characteristics for other typologies of buildings, like homes become more of industrial characteristic, in addition, a lot of architects use that knowledge, by telling that "form follow function" and the function is the main important aspect in any building, regarding non-physical or social aspects or even cultural aspects. So they introduce new typologies that somehow treat humans as robots or they are all the same, from that the idea of "ideal man" cross all around the world.

The big image that colored different typologies in the modern era was driven by functional aspects by the believe that users are the same, and the building is like a machine.

On the other hand, some different Modernity typologies been created depending on the form characteristic, to raise up the need of being special, regarding the modernity main approach.

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Relation Between Typology And Style

An architecture style is a characteristic properties that give a building an identified and notable historical feeling over time.

A style may include elements like methods of construction, building material. All these aspects will be affected by the characteristic of that time depending on the technology of that era, so the same style is adjustable by the technology that appear day by day.

Most architecture styles can be classified as a chronology of styles which changes over time to reflect the changing in fashion, beliefs, religion, new materials or even new technology ideas which create new styles.

So we can say that one Type or typology can be formed in different styles, styles acts like a cover that effects any type to give it the properties and the new technology of that time.

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Modern Building In Saudi Arabia (King Saud Univeristy)

Name: King Saud University Location: AL-Riyadh Date: Established: 1957

The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia has created a desire to use that wealth in investing projects, by getting new technology, new materials, and new infrastructures techniques.

From that, we can notice, in king Saud university a lot of new construction technique been used, to form this rigid forms that have different perspective, by having a clear cubics forms with different sizes, that been shaped the whole mass.

My opinion, that some of the modern methods been used, because they want to try new Construction methods that been experiment by western technology, So that lead to have rigid clear geometric form.

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Modern Building In Saudi Arabia ( Zahrat Al-sharq Hotel)

Name: Zahrat al-sharq Hotel Location: AL-Riyadh Date: Established: 1960

In this building, we can critique, that the designer used some of the modern elements, for example, the columns was show up on the faรงade at the ground level, and its been colored to give it more attention. In addition, balcony been designed with clear triangle geometry and columns been pushed to the faรงade. Overall, the design of the building is to simple with clear geometry.

In my opinion, the building used a lot of modernity aspects, because they used western technology in that period, and they introduce modernity to a lot of buildings in Saudi Arabia, as a movement to change the traditional approach in Saudi architecture.

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References

1) Analysis Of Modern Typology Classification of Industral Architecture In European Urbanized Cites, http://www.cesb.cz/cesb13/proceedings/2_industrial/CESB13_1266.pdf

2) Typology- An Architecture Of Limits, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13264829609478288

3) Typology (urban Planning anf architecture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typology_(urban_planning_and_architecture)

4) Type and Typology in architectural discourse http://fbe.balikesir.edu.tr/dergi/20071/BAUFBE2007-1-1.pdf

5) http://www.kingsaud.org/ar/gallery/details/3019

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