Sem 02 / Form and Space Studies
Studies of Form as Pattern, Geometry, Structure and Material

Anuj Daga
with Dushyant Asher, Vastavikta Bhagat, Anshu Choudhri

This approach treats spatio-formal configurations not merely as finished architectural objects but as patterns emerging from the interaction of forces, materials, and geometric systems. It frames form as the visible consequence of underlying material logics and force relations. In this sense, architectural form can be deciphered as the stabilization of multiple forces—structural loads, material behaviors, and geometric constraints—that collectively shape spatial configurations.

Orthographic drawing played a crucial analytical role in this methodology. Plans, sections, and elevations served not only as representational tools but as instruments for visualizing force paths, material relationships, and geometric organisation. Through drawing, the underlying logic of spatial structures became legible, enabling designers to study, compare, and communicate the processes through which material geometries gave rise to architectural form.

Forty-two building examples with distinct spatio-structural relationships were chosen. Students were asked to study the building initially through four key drawings:

1. End Wall section: to study the spatial qualities of the building at the external interface
2. Force Diagram: Tracing how the forces are moving through the structure, specifically in the end wall section.
3. Distribution of Mass: How are the solid parts of the building held together and where do they occur
4. Axonometric: to study the tectonic assembly of structural components, and the resultant space it produces.

Subsequently, students were introduced to the provocation of making a ‘Light Pavilion’ through the understanding of structural assembly of the studied project. ‘Light’ here was meant to index both - lightness of building structure, and the manner in which the quality of light may be controlled through structural assembly. The light pavilion was meant to be a small annexe to the school, for 10 people, imagined to be built on the plot opposite to the college campus, measuring approximately 30 m x 10 m. In order to contextualize the varied projects’ learnings onto this site, three operations were introduced:

1. Scaling: to scale the sectional diagram of the building to respond appropriately to the given site
2. Mass: the reassembly of massing to manage lightness - structural and phenomenal - for the scaled work
3. Orientation: to think about how the building must be placed onto the site vis-a-vis conditions of light and access

The design process began by treating form as a system of forces. Every material carried specific capacities, and when organized through geometric rules, these capacities shaped the pathways through which loads moved across a structure. Identifying these structural and material logics enabled a reading of architecture as a force diagram rather than a mere arrangement of shapes. These same forces and systems also became generative tools for design. Instead of shaping form directly, designers engaged with material behaviours and structural principles, allowing form to emerge through the orchestration of forces and constraints. This generative process foregrounded the internal logic of material and geometric systems as the driver of spatial outcomes.

A central component of the project was the examination of how structural systems—frames, shells, vaults, trusses—produced specific spatial conditions. Structure was understood not only as a means of support but as a spatial organizer that determined enclosure, movement, and experience.