Lesson 24: Building Design

Objective: To have children design a building with balance.

Vocabulary:

architect - A person who designs buildings, bridges, or cities.

architecture - The art and science of planning and creating buildings.

asymmetrical balance - A kind of balance in which different lines, shapes, and colors are used on each side of an artwork to make both sides seem equal.

symmetrical balance - A kind of balance in which the same lines, shapes, colors, or forms are placed on both sides of an artwork.

Chase Building by Unknown ArchitectDallas, TX, USA

Architectural Balance

An architect is a person who designs buildings. Architects design houses, churches, and schools. They design skyscrapers for large cities. Skyscrapers were developed in the late nineteenth century in the united states because of the growing population of the cities. Land was expensive, so tall buildings were built on small pieces of land. Today we see skyscrapers in almost every major city in the world.
Look at the skyscraper Chase Building by Unknown Architect. Does this building have symmetrical or asymmetrical balance? How do you know?

City Hall by Norman FosterLondon, England, EU

Have you ever seen a building like City Hall by Norman Foster? How would you describe it? Move your finger down the vertical axis of the building. Notice that the bottom left side of the building has the same visual weight as the top right side. This gives the building asymmetrical balance.

Hotel Nice by Unknown ArchitectNice, France, EU

Look at Hotel Nice by Unknown Architect. Imagine the building without the decorative pendulum. Does the building have symmetrical or asymmetrical balance? Does the pendulum make the building more interesting or less interesting? Why do you think so?

Think Critically - Tell what you learned.

Studio Time: Building Design

Materials:

Books or Magazines, Pencils, Sketchbooks, White Paper, Colored Pencils or Markers

Plan

Look at some photographs of buildings in books or magazines. Decide what kind of building you would like to design. Choose symmetrical or asymmetrical balance for your design. Make some sketches of your building.
Check list:
- Create a building design.
- Use color and shape to balance visual weight.
- Use line and value to show visual texture.

Create

Choose your best sketch, and copy it onto white paper.
Use color and shape to balance the visual weight in your drawing. Use lines and value to show visual texture.

3. Finish your design by drawing a setting for your building.

Reflect - Tell about your work.

Photograph and Submit your work on Google Classroom.

Photograph sketches as well as completed artwork.
"Add" (attach) to Google Classroom assignment.
"Mark as done" to submit your work for a grade.

Challenge: Architectural Relief Sculpture

Create a relief from a clay slab of a building using balance and complete with watercolors.