If we try to separate certain capabilities of an architect, we’ll see that there are different types of professions that study the same thing, but what makes an architect different from every other professional and artist, is the way of generating the three dimensional forms of buildings. From different studies, Geoffrey Bawa came across three more significant ways of designing that Architects use: pragmatic, iconic, analogic and canonic.
Pragmatic design is the way of generating a space by it’s natural surroundings, thus site analysis is an important part on this type of design. We can identify form of design being used since the beginning of humanity, when they use leather to create shadows, or when they created igloos to survive the low temperatures.
Iconic design is the way of designing according to a certain image that is proved to be efficient for a certain reason. For example in some cultures a couple of families live in one big house and in some others only one family lives in a smaller house, because there’s an image created for them that they that’s the type of design for their living style. In Albania, when the bunkers were proved to be efficient, there were more than 750.000 of them built through the whole country.
Analogic design can be understood by the meaning of it’s name alone. Just like the analogic words in literature, who have similar usage to each-other, the same is for this type of design. So when an Architect creates a design based on a concept that is already familiar, we have an analogical design.
Canonic design is the grid created in a design so regularity, pattern and order can be achieved. We can see this type of design in Plato’s four primary bodies, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple Plan and many other examples that we occur on our day to day life.
The Architect cannot solve a building design problem without generating a three-dimensional design.
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