Circulation: an iteration of the design concept?

Abstract

The aim of this report is to investigate the relationship between the original concepts which derived the articulation of the building, and one aspect of the building, the circulation. The report wishes to discover whether the circulation, as an independent architectural system which integrates the building, is used to reiterate the design concepts or is used purely as a functional element. Four 20th Century buildings are tested against this proposition, chosen primarily for their differences of function and the fact the architect is critically acknowledged as expressing movement within their designs. Each case study is structured into three parts. The first part investigates the relevant critical discourse on the building to determine the essential concepts. The second part is based on a method of analysis proposed by Francis D.K. Ching in his book 'Architecture: Form, Space & Order' in order to be able to analyze the drawn images hence the circulation of the building. The third part concludes the report. The conclusions of the four case studies found that circulation can indeed be used as part of an architects vocabulary in iterating the essential ideas within a piece of architecture, and that the ideas can be interpreted by analyzing the circulation in conjunction with the buildings cultural context.