In today's lecture, we discuss on the title of body and building. We've been look into Vitruvius, Le Corbusier and Hosey text about their view on this particular title. Vitruvius talking about the proportion of human body interrelation with building, Le Corbusier discuss on unity between architecture and anthropometric as a whole by his modular system, while Hosey argue about the race, gender, age of human in design through the architecture history, and finally the lecture wrap up with the question: What is the relationship between building and body in architecture today?

                                                                          
Since Greek antiquity, the human body has been regarded as a microcosm of universal harmony. To me, I deeply believes that building is a metaphors abd abstract of human body, or in another way body can be said as metaphor or abstract of building. In this case, we can put our thinking on ancient Chinese's view. They actually metaphor human body is a small building and each of human body part naming just like the actually building and until now these words are still being use. For example, in Chinese we called backbone as RIDGE OF THE BODY 背脊, uterus as PALACE OF CHILD 子宫, throat as DOOR OF THE SOUND 嗓门 and etc. Chinese also name building as body part , for example we called lintel as BROW of the door 门楣, facade as FACE of building 正面, beam as TIMBER FOREHEAD 额枋. Some other case, we even call leader of country as the ridgepole and beam of country 栋梁. Besides from just explain the metaphor from Chinese word, we can also relate the metaphor during daily design process. In Indian temple design, we can also see they design plan and elevation as metaphor of  a human body.

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We always call the building foundation as “footing”, because it allow a building to stand firmly and stable on the ground and  acting to transfer loads to ground, just like human foot. We call building’s structure system as the bones of the building because it not only give building the structural shape but also support the overall loads exerted on the building. We said building’s facades as the body skin as its function is to separate the internal and external, shield to a building to regulate temperature. Apart from that , architecture also have gender , just like what mentioned by Vitruvius , that Corinthian order originated through mimicry of female body while Doric order had been based on manly beauty. Therefore, we somehow look the building as a human and isn’t a metaphor to human body?

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Building also an abctract from human body.For example, a building that design inspire by the human bone. Human bones are made from a composite, a fifty-fifty combination of calcium and collagen. Hydroxyapatite, the calcium compound, is incredibly strong but brittle—alone, it snaps as soon as it reaches its weight limit. When we look at those cross bar of Eiffel Tower, they just act like those seam line reinforce in human bones, looks porous but with high tendency in fact.

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TURNING TORSO by Santiago Calatrava

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The project was designed by Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter Santiago Calatrava and officially opened on 27 August 2005. The tower consists of 9 boxes stacking up in different angle in order to achieve the twisting structure. The spiral structure framing of the building somehow metaphor of human spine bone.Turning Torso is based on a sculpture by Calatrava, called Twisting Torso, which is a white marble piece based on the form of a twisting human being. In order to follow the building’s twisting structure, which was inspired by a human body in movement, the glass façade features a complex double-curved shape.

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Therefore we couldn’t neglect the interrelation of the building and body. Just like what Le Corbusier hold his view, building and anthropometry as a whole. Without consider about the user’s age, gender, body size , building no longer a building if it can’t meet human basic requirement and satisfy their favour physically. We should also understand that these physical factor might make a huge impact on mentally. What is meant by mentally? Mentally means how we experience the space and the way our mind analyse the architectural space by its aesthetic and quality of it. For example, if a building design without consider about disabled people, how are they going to appreciate it? If a washroom design without concern about the privacy, how do we enjoy when using it? Much like the human body, buildings and cities have intricate systems that keep them running. Building also build based on direct responses to human body. Building are purposely meant to provide space for user and each and every space we design have to base on human proportion, physical ability and usage. For example, we need to consider about the disabled people when we design a public space, a ramp instead of a staircase, a nearer and larger parking instead of small and narrow one. The body receives messages from both its own organs and the external world. We perceive light, sound, odours, pressure, temperature, chemicals, and the like. By being aware of and integrating these best practices from the human body and systems, smart cities can achieve the most efficient building and building systems.

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Thus we said architecture should always be design with a bit more of consideration. All those human body maybe a constraints rule for us when designing but by twist and playing with these grammatical rules to break from the norm and create something truly poetic and suit user’s desire.

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