Scale+Lesson 

 ** Scale **

//Architecture is a visual art, and the buildings speak for themselves. // //[|Julia Morgan] //  Objectives: By the end of these two weeks you will have... - Learned about scale in architecture and urban planning. - Read about scale. - Created a brainmap about scale. - Design a set of questions about scale. - Created a page dedicated to Scale. Activities: 1. Read the following text about scale and take notes on a new page on your wiki (call it “Scale”). 2. After reading the text, create a brain map to summarize the content of the reading text. (You can use [|Gliffy], [|Bubbl.us], or Power Point). 3. Make sure to put pictures to illustrate. 4. After doing the brainmap, design a set of 3 questions that can be answered by checking the brainmap. Reading: Scale ** Scale ** refers to how we perceive the size of a building element or space relative to other forms; **is that quality that makes a building appears correct**. The most common expressions related to this topic are human scale, inhuman scale, out of scale, automobile scale, etc. Each has different meanings, but the main idea is communicate the relative size of things. That’s the reason why instead of say “That house is three times big as it should be”, architects say, “That house is out of scale”. Architects tend to use other elements of know-size in their context, as measuring devices know as scale-giving elements. In architecture we are familiar with 2 basic types of scale:  1. ** Generic scale ** : the size of a building element //relative to other forms in context//. And from this definition we can obtain 3 kinds of scale.  2. ** Human scale: ** the size of a building or space //relative to the dimensions and proportions to the human body//. And from this definition we can obtain 3 kinds of scale. **Physical scale**, which is measurable, and helps to know the right size of things in a physical way. **Associative scale**, which is determined by precedent, this type of scale is just real and measurable for the sense; eyes and memory do the measuring. **Effectual scale**, it refers to the way we feel inside a space, such as rooms, buildings or open spaces; this scale depends on the person that experiences the scale and the circumstances of the moment, for this reason effectual scale is psychological. From this type of scale, we can obtain three kinds of scale impressions: natural, heroic and intimate scale.  The first principle in achieving this important quality is that scale is produced by introducing into the design some unit which acts as a visual measuring rod and the size of which the human being appreciates easily, naturally and instinctive. The second great principle of scale are the elements in a building that have the closest and most direct touch with the activities and bodily functions of a human being, this is the most powerful element in giving scale to that building//.// // Scale is essentially a quality that relates buildings to human beings. // 
 * Natural scale ** is the attempt to make a building express its actual dimensions. Natural scale is obviously to be sought in the ordinary workaday structures of the world. **Heroic scale** is the attempt to make a building appear as large as possible; this is not a falsification of scale. **Intimate scale** is the desire to make buildings or rooms appear smaller than their actual size; is seldom desirable and is difficult to achieve. 

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