historical
context and circumstances
time
and place: dates of construction and geographic
location, cultural setting for that time and place
patron
and purpose: who financed the building or
caused it to be made, for what functional use?
architect:
designer(s) of a building, if known. What
is known of his/her training, background, design approach?
examination
of form/exterior
siting:
building's position on its plot of land, character
of the building site, topographic considerations where
relevant.
context:
immediate surroundings of a building, built
and/or natural.
approach:
is there a prescribed way to access the site
and building? Does it have ritual or other significance?
massing:
overall building shape, described in terms of three-dimensional
geometric solids (cubes, cylinders, etc)
composition:
arrangment of the facade, or front face,
of the building; how is it subdivided vertically and
horizontally by stories, columns, windows, etc.?
scale:
size relative to the human figure: a qualitative description
(intimate scale, dwarfing scale, etc.)
structural
system: architectural forms and principles
that allow the building to stand (post and lintel,
arched construction, etc.). Strengths and weaknesses
of this system?
materials:
natural and artificial substances (wood, concrete,
brick, etc) of which major elements of the building
(walls, roofs, etc.) are composed; relevant structural
and aesthetic properties of those materials.
ornamentation:
elements and details used for adornment and/or
symbolic communication; can be added on or "applied,"
implying non-functional and non-structural items,
or integral to the form and structure of the building.
exmination
of form/interior
spatial
layout: distribution of rooms and spaces,
most easily seen in plan view.
circulation:
paths of movement through a structure, horizontally
(corridors, etc.) and vertical (stairs, ramps, elevators)
lighting:
means of illumination, natural or artificial: from
what direction, generating what interior spatial qualities
(bright, dim, shadowy, etc)?
ritual
use/accomodation of function: what human
activities is the building designed to enable, and
how do the building's forms and layout allow these
to take place?
percolating
throughout
ecologies:
if not already addressed above, what lessons in adaptation
to the natural environment or energy conservation
might be drawn from this structure (as a positive
or negative example)?
meanings:
if not already addressed above, symbolic
messages communicated by a building's forms, intended
or accreted over time.