Perceptions of architecture: a critical examination of the options for the designer

Abstract

Architecture today has many perceptions especially from the designer's point of view, each of it which is unique in its own design conceptions and manifestations. These perceptions, strictly adhered to by many architects, sometimes fail in various situations as the perceptions held by the designer is not entirely compatible for the particular design situation giving rise to loss of faith in architecture by the society as they fear that architecture is not capable of dealing with the direct issues in question. Therefore, this study intends to reveal such options/perceptions, their design process, its applications and manifestations in products, in order to explore and gain an understanding of their potentials and weaknesses, which in turn allows designers to be more flexible in applying the most suitable design perception for the most appropriate situation. The study revealed that many of these perceptions held by architects revealed a non-designer perceptions which fail naturally when applied for design purposes. Therefore, the study attempts to classify these major perceptions available in its operating depth and level of performance, enabling designers to transcend their personal biases to operate at the most appropriate level demanded, thus bringing out the best possible solution to a design problem. However, in doing so, the perceptions are looked at from a designer's point of view and will also be examined in terms of their 'product making process'.