On Form

Image by Paranesi

Here at OHMS we are masochists, we like to engage on senseless debates that are better left for the assholes in academia that love to wear black clothing. While reminiscing on some shitty critiques during school that actually sparked up interesting conversations Hector and I had a discussion on the importance of form in architecture. I won’t bore you with his insane argument, maybe you can ask him, but I will tell you mine.

The functionality of form has developed over the years; as designers today we have infinite amounts of techniques on how to create form. Is it a reaction to the surroundings or is it designed from inside out to accommodate the necessity of occupants? Is it an algorithm or pure artistic interpretation? As humans we have to engage in a connection to the environment, in essence the way we interact with each other is affected by our surroundings, in an urban setting more often than not these surroundings are buildings. The performance and interaction of this connection is very important for social existence.

Form refers to shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. At its core the definition of form is the shape of an object. The use of form in architecture goes beyond merely aesthetics of a building; it represents the body of that piece of work as opposed to space, which represents the soul. Not only does form determines what a building looks like but there are different philosophies behind formal expression, there is an intention to create feelings, attitude, and atmosphere, in a nut shell form influences human emotion.