The Function of Form explores the production of singular affects through systems that relate form and content. This is an essential graphic manual on structural systems and their capacity to produce a variety of forms. Extracting their base geometric unit, a wide range of historical projects from the Medieval to the present are used as systems to proliferate different forms. The book distinguishes tessellation from modulation as a type of flexible system for producing complex repetition through diverse parts. The research presented aims to move architectural experiments away from 'mechanistic' notions of systems for re-producing forms, to 'machinic' notions of systems that determine how parts of an architectural problem interrelate and multiply. This open nature of transversal systems leads to new actualized forms and novel affects.
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Editorial Reviews
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A must-have for any designer, The Function of Form makes for a tremendous resource as a reference when investigating possible forms/structural systems for a given project - allowing readers to quickly compare spatial quality and affects of various systems, while also providing reasonably in-depth explanations as to how these qualities are achieved by the different systems." --AMNP
"Here is one (book) that is thoughful, useful, and only incidentally related to Ms. Moussavi's practice. Yet it is about architecture. The book is ostensibly a survey of distinct structural spanning systems, all of which contain repetitive structural members and variations on their arrangement, scale, or shape." --Tropolism
"A thought-provoking account of the challenges facing the 21st century built environment, and an enlivened awareness of the wider possibilities of architectural form." --Archidose
"...this book (is) a valuable resource for almost everyone: from students, to architects who need to deal with a structure in early stages of design, up to someone dealing with parametric tools for complex structures, because at the end the systems are the same: from Bruno Taut to SOM, to FOA." --ArchDaily
"The Function of Form is a 'must' for any serious college-level arts collection. It proposes a new theory of form based on repetition and differentiation, offering a way for function in built forms to be conceptualized as a transversal process. Architecture and arts libraries will find this a technical, comprehensive analysis of the parts of forms that interact and reciprocate, going beyond text to pack pages with finished designs offset by pages of diagrams and explanations." --The Midwest Book Review
"The book is ideal for students, as it enables them to discover how subtle differences in the manipulation of structure impact the spaces, articulated as the affects noted for each entry." ----Archidose
"Using real life examples from the ancient to the contemporary, Moussavi reduces a building to its most basic components. Then, after the striptease, she dresses the structure back up with every possible variation, starting with the simple and austere before layering on fabulous flourishes." ----Interior Design
"Here is one (book) that is thoughful, useful, and only incidentally related to Ms. Moussavi's practice. Yet it is about architecture. The book is ostensibly a survey of distinct structural spanning systems, all of which contain repetitive structural members and variations on their arrangement, scale, or shape." --Tropolism
"A thought-provoking account of the challenges facing the 21st century built environment, and an enlivened awareness of the wider possibilities of architectural form." --Archidose
"...this book (is) a valuable resource for almost everyone: from students, to architects who need to deal with a structure in early stages of design, up to someone dealing with parametric tools for complex structures, because at the end the systems are the same: from Bruno Taut to SOM, to FOA." --ArchDaily
"The Function of Form is a 'must' for any serious college-level arts collection. It proposes a new theory of form based on repetition and differentiation, offering a way for function in built forms to be conceptualized as a transversal process. Architecture and arts libraries will find this a technical, comprehensive analysis of the parts of forms that interact and reciprocate, going beyond text to pack pages with finished designs offset by pages of diagrams and explanations." --The Midwest Book Review
"The book is ideal for students, as it enables them to discover how subtle differences in the manipulation of structure impact the spaces, articulated as the affects noted for each entry." ----Archidose
"Using real life examples from the ancient to the contemporary, Moussavi reduces a building to its most basic components. Then, after the striptease, she dresses the structure back up with every possible variation, starting with the simple and austere before layering on fabulous flourishes." ----Interior Design
About the Author
Farshid Moussavi is Professor in Practice in the Department of Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She trained at the GSD, University College London, the Bartlett School of Architecture, and Dundee University. Prior to establishing Foreign Office Architects (with Alejandro Zaera Polo) in London in 1992, she worked with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Genoa and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam. Her London-based firm, FOA, is recognized as one of the most creative design firms in the world, deftly integrating architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture in their projects. They have produced numerous critically-acclaimed international projects, most notably the Yokohama Ferry Terminal. Other built projects include the Bluemoon Hotel in Groningen, The Netherlands, the Spanish Pavilion in the 2005 Aichi International Expo in Japan, a technology center in Logrono, a publisher's headquarters in Paju, Korea as well a department store and Cineplex and pedestrian bridges in Leicester.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Jorge
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
about the book: it was a little dissapointing, many pictures but weak theory. still you have to meditate for a while on many aspects after come to some practical use. but it's useful. it's not a book for begginers.
I think with all the graphics you can easily feed your imagination.
I think with all the graphics you can easily feed your imagination.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Jesse Wetzel
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of Moussavi's "The Function of ..." books, which are great books for students. I would personally recommend the "Ornament" installment. This book explains many (many) different structural solutions that mostly include arches and vaults and the almost infinite variations of them. Still a good book, maybe even a better book for engineers looking to get a broad overview than architects, but still a good book to have.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
THE FUNCTION OF FORM is a 'must' for any serious college-level arts collection. It proposes a new theory of form based on repetition and differentiation, offering a way for function in built forms to be conceptualized as a transversal process. Architecture and arts libraries will find this a technical, comprehensive analysis of the parts of forms that interact and reciprocate, going beyond text to pack pages with finished designs offset by pages of diagrams and explanations.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Architecture Student's Graphic Structural Guide
The Function of Form simply put, is useful for architecture students who want to have an overall basic understanding of the taxonomy of the various types of structural forms that... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Tim C. (GSAPP Columbia University)
4.0 out of 5 stars
Form
Perfect when studing different ways of approching to architecture! BE usefull for students! I loved this book it is a big readding but it worths!
Published 5 months ago by Daniel
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's OK
I have to say I'm disappointed too. This book has many, many images but only the first 50 pages are theory; the rest of the book is full of images of grasshopperesque structure... Read more
Published 19 months ago by tavodu
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great reminder of forms
I love the book because it is an easy way to remember all different forms and what the form creates around it. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Juul
4.0 out of 5 stars
compiled information
it's like a catalog of all past forms of architectural structure. for example, all kinds of vaults. the list is long. but for the price amazon offers, it's good bargain.
Published 21 months ago by visualizor
5.0 out of 5 stars
It Functions in various forms
What else to say but a big WOW.. This book is actually what i really need it.
Concerning the fact that i was interested in origami(tell you the truth i am a bit of an... Read more
Concerning the fact that i was interested in origami(tell you the truth i am a bit of an... Read more
Published on April 9, 2011 by VladArt
1.0 out of 5 stars
Misleading / Harvard intelligentsia-babble
Graphics and structural descriptions in the book are excellent.
Narratives consist of architects trying to move the discourse of structural systems to a "higher plane". Read more
Narratives consist of architects trying to move the discourse of structural systems to a "higher plane". Read more
Published on January 7, 2011 by Ben
5.0 out of 5 stars
This books definately FUNCTIONS!
Where was this book when I was in architecture school? I have to say this is one the most comprehensive books ever written about structures that "generate" form... Read more
Published on January 18, 2010 by A. Blandon
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