Use the patterns of architectural composition to inspire creative design

In Compositions in Architecture, Don Hanlon offers students an excitingly original path to dis-covering architectural composition, one that avoids the traditional either/or choice between theory and practice. By exploring the underlying patterns of organization in architecture, this book enables the reader to connect architectural theory with the design process. And by relating what happens in the design studio with how the architect thinks about architectural composition, the approach spurs creative thinking.

With examples that range across diverse cultures and historical periods--from the famous to the obscure--the author reveals the universal compositional strategies that can be used to solve particular architectural problems. Readers will explore:

• The five formal properties of composition--number, geometry, proportion, hierarchy, and orientation

• How the plan conveys the central organizing strategy of a building

• Typological similarities of architectural forms that cut across cultural, social, historical, and geographic boundaries

Enriched by a graphic approach that will appeal to visual learners, Compositions in Architecture reveals the formal structures in architecture throughout the world as well as through the ages and inspires architects to turn abstract ideas into real-world design.