Amogh N P
✦ In loving memory of Amogh N P — Architect · Designer · Visionary ✦
A symmetrical facade in balance about its central entrance.
Unit III25ART101 · Theory of Architecture

The Principles of Design

Balance, rhythm, proportion, scale, hierarchy — the grammar of composition.

≈ 35 min

If the elements are the words, the principles are the grammar — what turns a heap of parts into a composition that holds together. Balance, rhythm, proportion, scale and hierarchy are the tools every designer uses to control where the eye goes and how a building feels.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to — mapped to the course outcomes for Building Materials & Construction I:

1
CO3 · Understand

Distinguish symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial balance.

2
CO3 · Apply

Use rhythm, scale, emphasis and hierarchy in composition.

3
CO3 · Understand

Explain Ching's ordering principles (axis, symmetry, hierarchy, rhythm, datum, transformation).

4
CO3 · Analyse

Discuss proportion systems — and judge the golden-ratio claims critically.

The grammar

The principles of composition

Six principles do most of the work. Select one to study it.

Balance

Visual equilibrium — symmetrical (equal weight either side of an axis), asymmetrical (different weights balanced off-centre), or radial (about a centre).[1]

Balance — symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial Symmetrical equal weight either side of an axis Asymmetrical different weights, balanced off-centre Radial arranged about a centre point
DiagramThree kinds of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial
Rhythm & hierarchy Rhythm — repetition equal bays in a steady beat Hierarchy — emphasis one element dominates the eye
DiagramRhythm from repeated bays, and hierarchy where one dominant element stands out
Repeating arches — rhythm made of light and shadow.
PhotoRepeating arches — rhythm made of light and shadow.
An asymmetrical facade held in balance by unequal masses.
PhotoAn asymmetrical facade held in balance by unequal masses.
Harmony of parts

Proportion — and an honest word on the golden ratio

Proportion systems try to make the relationships between parts harmonious — the classical orders, Le Corbusier's Modulor, and most famously the golden ratio (φ ≈ 1.618). But be careful of the legend: the claim that the Parthenon was “designed on the golden ratio” is historically unsupported — it dates only to the 1850s and relies on selectively chosen rectangles. Treat φ as an influential idea, not a universal law.[2]

Proportion — the golden ratio (φ ≈ 1.618) a + ba (a+b) : a = a : b = φ An influential idea — but the claim that the Parthenon was “designed on φ” is historically unsupported. Use it as a tool, not a law.
DiagramA golden rectangle subdivided into squares with the inscribed spiral, and the caution that the Parthenon claim is unsupported
A classical portico — proportion in the order of its columns.
PhotoA classical portico — proportion in the order of its columns.
Structuring form

Ching's ordering principles

Francis Ching distils the ordering of architectural form into six principles.[1]

Axis

A line about which forms are arranged in balance.

Symmetry

Balanced distribution about an axis (bilateral) or centre (radial).

Hierarchy

Importance shown by difference in size, shape or placement.

Rhythm

Unifying movement by repetition or alternation.

Datum

A line, plane or volume that gathers and organises other forms.

Transformation

A scheme altered step by step while keeping its identity.

One dominant element commands the eye — visual hierarchy.
PhotoOne dominant element commands the eye — visual hierarchy.
Check your understanding

Self-assessment

1. Which balance places equal visual weight either side of a central axis?

2. The golden ratio φ is approximately:

3. “The Parthenon was definitely designed on the golden ratio.” This is:

In a nutshell

Recap

Balance comes in three kinds — symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial.
Rhythm, scale, emphasis and hierarchy guide the eye and order the composition.
Ching's ordering principles — axis, symmetry, hierarchy, rhythm, datum, transformation — structure form.
Proportion systems like the golden ratio are useful ideas, but the famous Parthenon claim is unsupported.
The evidence

References & further reading

  1. [1]Ching, F.D.K. Architecture: Form, Space and Order (4th ed., Wiley, 2014) — ordering principles and composition. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Architecture%3A+Form%2C+Space%2C+and+Order%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781118745083
  2. [2]The golden ratio and Fibonacci — and the myths around them (Parthenon, Great Pyramid). plus.maths.org. https://plus.maths.org/content/myths-maths-golden-ratio
  3. [3]Principles of design (balance, rhythm, emphasis, unity, contrast). The Getty / design-education references. https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf
  4. [4]Le Corbusier's Modulor and the classical orders — proportion systems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulor

Further reading

  • Ching, F.D.K. (2014). Architecture: Form, Space and Order (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
  • Le Corbusier (1954). The Modulor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Unwin, S. (2014). Analysing Architecture (4th ed.). Abingdon: Routledge.

Sources gathered and fact-checked June 2026. Published values vary by source, sample and method — treat as indicative and confirm against the cited standard before structural use.