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Module 3 : Where Does Form Come From ? Lecture 6 : ‘’

The Lecture Contains:

About Form

Logic of Natural Form Development

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Module 3 : Where Does Form Come From ? Lecture 6 : ‘Form Follows Function’ Where Does Form Come From ?

1. 19th C architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) introduced a very relevant subject- “form follows function” … form that expresses its environment, its structural system, and its purpose. Form has to reflect the environment and harmonize with the surroundings

2. However, often architects have worked the other way- function follows the form.

3. ‘Form independent from function’

Source :1A : http:// 1B Coco Cola Plate 1A Indus Valley Earthen Pots 1C 18th C Furniture www. Bottle google. co.in/search?hl=en&q=Indus+Valley+Civilizations&bav=on.2,or.r_g c.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1328&bih=574&um=1&ie=UTF8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei= YaMLUIDCFsPwrQfd24zKCA#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=EKQLUJyPBIXSrQe_u_zICA&ved= 0CEMQvwUoAQ&q=Indus+Valley+Ceramics&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=34d8 ba9219cf99bb&biw=1328&bih=574 ; July 22, 2012 1B : http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=Coca+Cola+Bottles&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.o sb&biw=1328&bih=574&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=kaQLUPyxJZHjr

Aev2sHICA ; July 22, 2012 1C : http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=18th+C+Furnitures&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.os b&biw=1328&bih=574&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=6qQLULq6M5Dtr QeZ75XICA ; July 22, 2012

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Module 3 : Where Does Form Come From ? Lecture 6 : ‘Form Follows Function’ Interestingly, first turned their attention to household products long before. Many products have emerged with formal characteristics largely unrelated to their primary purposes. Indus Valley ceramics (plate1) of household pots have remained unchanged after thousands of years. The forms of such earthen forms have functioned so effectively that they stand as ‘classic’ . Each of the pot has particular functioning. The narrow neck jar, bottle or drinking cup serves specific purpose. Coca Cola (plate 1B) bottle stands as a classic design which has remained unchanged for more than a

century. Beverage bottles appearing like woman-shaped bottles, refrigerators sporting aerodynamic streamlining instead of the functional requirements, the products were designed to evoke emotional responses. 18th C furniture design (plate 1C) had emphasized on the decorative quality over the form. The basic form remained hidden inside the total design. Elegance of Rococo decoration remained in vogue during that period.

Most forms begin with paradigm. D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (2 May 1860– 21 June 1948) a Scottish scholar, biologist and mathematician, writes in his book on, On Growth and Form, “Form…, and the changes of form which are apparent in its movement and in its growth, may… be described as due to the action of force. In short, the form of an object is a ‘diagram of forces’… from it we can judge of or deduce the forces that are acting or have acted upon it.” Thompson continues to write and explain his argument on uniformity in growth through mathematical solutions, "An organism is so complex a thing, and growth so complex a phenomenon, that for growth to be so uniform and constant in all the parts as to keep the whole shape unchanged would indeed be an unlikely and an unusual circumstance. Rates vary, proportions change, and the whole configuration alters accordingly." (Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Arcy_Wentworth_Thompson ; July 23, 2012) According to Thompson the change of a form is proportionate to the growth.

(Ref. Thompson, D W., 1992. On Growth and Form, Dover reprint of 1942 2nd ed. (1st ed., 1917; Pub: Cambridge University Press)

Buckminster Fuller’s concept of Geodesic Dome structure derives from similar assumptions. The strength of the dome is based on the arms of pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal shapes give enough

strength to build large size domes with lesser structural material and weight. However, it is quite clear that most of the designed forms directly or indirectly are derived from design paradigm (Biomimicry). Concept of ball, types of joints, movement of limbs, jumping in air, swallowing food, etc. various functions or actions are based on design paradigm. Designers are also refined to meet a host of functional and aesthetic criteria.

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Module 3 : Where Does Form Come From ? Lecture 6 : ‘Form Follows Function’ Design, Paradigm & Science of Design

Plate 2A Growth and Form 2B Golden Rectangle

(Source : http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=D%E2%80%99Arcy+Wentworth+Thompson &bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1328&bih=574&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch& source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=ajYOUNnvMsHsrAeXwIGYAg ; July 24, 2012)

D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson’s theory and application created the basic foundation of Science of Design. Deriving from nature’s phenomenon Thompson established a rational argument on ‘growth’ and its ‘form’ (plate 2A). The Golden Rectangle (plate 2B) is based on ‘...growth to be so uniform and constant in all the parts as to keep the whole shape unchanged’. The ‘form’ remains constant in proportion to the ‘growth’. In the modern design profession has to depend on such rationalization in order to achieve standardization and quality control. Typical work methods of such modern teams will be discussed later on. For comparison, we start by taking a brief historical look at the traditional, not wholly conscious ways of designing and developing artifacts.

Logic of Natural Development

In the history of living beings and their survival shows that man has perhaps the most adoptability compare to other living beings. Mankind always tried to adopt and adjust in new environment. All other livings go through a slow process of adopting the new environment. They survive in a very fragile yet stable condition. Hence, once the chain is broken it becomes difficult for the other living beings to adopt the new situation. It takes years to adopt the new condition. However, there is no guarantee that the same species would return in its same condition. Thus, mankind has proved their adoptable ability in every new condition.

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Module 3 : Where Does Form Come From ? Lecture 6 : ‘Form Follows Function’

Plate 3 Early Human settlement

(Source:http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=Man%27s+ancient+community+habitat&bav

=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1328&bih=574&um=1&ie=UTF8&tbm=isch&source= og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=FlkNUK2XBIn3rQesmtXICA#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=+

aboriginal+village+plan&oq=+aboriginal+village+plan&gs_l=img.12...159532.164162.6.16593 2.6.6.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0...1c.ubADBrmej9k&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&

fp=8cfd07f0bc2b55f6&biw=1328&bih=574 ; July 23, 2012)

Tradition in nature is rigid and resists to changes. It allows small changes or deviation from its original tradition. The changes have to go through close scrutiny and judgment is passed. It has to go through a strict critical analysis. After a tentative change is made, the result will be scrutinized and judged either better or worse than the original. If the judgment is not favourable it has to go through thorough validation. The community tend to remain closed physically as well as mentally. It remains close to

protect themselves from outside agents (plate 3).

Such process naturally has a few weaknesses. Because of no exposure the old tradition becomes rigid and static. It becomes repetitive and hardly finds new solution. Obviously, if you consider only alternatives that do not differ much from the old one you ever invent something radically new.

Another weakness of the repetitive method is that it can effectively optimize only one thing at a time. If there are multiple solutions which diverge from the old model, and from each other, it is almost impossible to validate their qualitative ranking. It cannot think inclusive way. Successful development of natural process is thus possible only under the following conditions:

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Module 3 : Where Does Form Come From ? Lecture 6 : ‘Form Follows Function’

● Not more than one aspect of the artifact need to be improved

● Not more than additive changes are needed,

● And there has to be enough time to process of development before another revision must be initiated

● It may need repetitive cyclic process before the solution is found

Naturally such conditions and process is absolutely redundant in the modern design process. In

contrast, professional designers regularly explore and exploit the traditions. The modern is

used to theoretical thinking and analyses which can assess the elements of obsolete tradition and which can be serviceable when designing a new product. Modern designers are able to extract earlier traditional information and synthesize with the modern system/ requirement. Therefore, the process of ‘form’ and ‘function’ remains point of discussion which validates subject to its condition and time.

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