ABSTRACT
Architectural filters can be classified in terms of two distinct constructive techniques: operations of subtraction and addition. In the former, matter predominates, resulting in massive, perceptually heavy and disconnecting filters; in the latter, openness predominates, resulting in light and airy filters that emphasize connections between interior and exterior spaces. These distinctive constructive strategies inform the evolution of filters as either perforated enclosures or additive meshes. Each technique evokes unique emotional and psychological responses to the spaces that they engender, resulting in a culture of filters whose history and meaning can be traced back to the earliest known human habitations.
