Webster's defines Aesthetics as: a branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and the beautiful. Philosophy is the critical study of fundamental beliefs and the grounds for those beliefs. We define beauty as the qualities that give pleasure to the senses or exalt the mind. The study of aesthetics is an essential societal value, and is obviously subjective.

The following problem sets provide visual example and brief description of each of the basic aesthetic concepts valued by our culture.The values that we hold regarding architecture could be grouped into four areas: balance, order, integrity, and meaning.

PROBLEM SETS

Balance:
scale, proportion, symmetry, asymmetry, light and shadow, pattern, texture, color

Order and ordering systems:
 Axis, hierarchy, repetition, and rhythm.

Integrity:
 structural integrity, and appropriate use of materials.

Meaning:
 symbolism, metaphor, breaking rules.

The Architecture Project

The Architecture Project
University of Arizona
Tuesday, September 2, 1997

http://tutorials.architecture.arizona.edu/
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