ABSTRACT
Placing an object in a landscape, or a figure on a field, results in a picture – a manifestation that suggests an idea. Ideas in architecture generally point to two things: the organization of a design, and its orientation to the site. Placement, in its relation to order, should start with a general intent. Within the relational grid, the figure will reflect the underlying sense of either quarters and centerline or thirds and center space. A single figure on a ground exhibits basic compositional gestures. A horizontal figure might sit on top or settle to the bottom. It may relate to a side or the center, or occupy a particular quadrant. The figure may also either hold its place, or seem to move towards empty space to the left or right. Design discussions generally avoid using the word ‘style’ as it brings along a negative sense of the superficial.
