Tangible Outlook at Fluid Forms - Calculating Fluidity and Design Strategy to Achieve Fluid Forms

Abstract

In nature, fluid is a property of matter, but in architectural language, the interpretation of fluid can’t be explained as a definition in any language. There must be a visual sense of understanding in form, pattern, and certain elements of architectural language like repetition, symmetry, scale, etc. Fluid architecture does not have a single definition or interpretation, thus before understanding it in detail, the first step is to study and understand the definitions and interpretations of Fluid architecture by pioneer architects, researchers, and philosophers. Fluid Architecture is a stylistic endeavor, with visual perception and not a tangible calculation to check on its fluidity, the research will conclude into the formulation of some attributes, which will come together to make a checklist, with each one having a different percentage of contribution, to check onto fluidity of a built form This percentage will be calculated by the average of the ratings, given by professionals who work with this typology. Further for case studies, the buildings will be taken up, and the presence of each attribute will be tested in it. As per the number of attributes present, their average percentage contribution will be calculated, which will give us the final fluidity percentage of the building. Tools will be identified and understood to understand the formulation of these forms, whereas the knowhow of the usage of these tools will not be touched upon in this paper, thereby only giving the reader a direction by identification of tool, and not entering into the dynamics of it. Fluid architecture is very rich and very diverse in terms of morphology, textures, colors, material details, and articulation. The technological advancement in the field has led a shift from simply form inventing, to form finding by logics of structure and physics. This advancement in architecture can be named as a typology in itself which can be called Parametric architecture. Thereby, research will also touch upon some of the epochal and subsidiary styles to understand the interlinkage between styles, with a brief overlook on its historic realm.