The object’s relation to the site, expressed
A preposition shows direction, location, time or introduces an object. Summarized – it expresses a relation to another element. The way that I learned about a preposition in grammar was to imagine a box and think of ways in which I could interact with that box.
The object, a man-made expression, interacts with the natural site. The built object and the site share an inherent relation which should be celebrated in the architecture. Most buildings ignore this relationship, subconsciously leading to a poor product.
Prepositions in grammar should be used to explore architectural interdependencies. These include:
Above, Across, Against, Ahead, Along, Among, Around, At, Behind, Below, Beneath, Beside, Between, By, From, In, In Front Of, Inside, Near, Next to, Off, On, Onto, Opposite, Out Of, Over, Through, To, Toward, Under, Underneath, and Within
Explore a preposition:
- Pick a preposition – a site will likely inform the preposition
- Find ways to achieve that relationship
- Diagram(s)
- Find an architectural example that expresses the preposition
- Identify how to engage the site to achieve that preposition
- Diagram a parti of how the preposition is expressed in the relationship between a built object and the selected site
- Schematically design the object