• Introduction
• Form
• Space
• Order
• Proportion
• Structure

Scale

Scale refers to the size of something compared to a reference standard such as a ruler. Architects make “scale drawings” with all parts in equal relation to each other, according to a fixed standard of measurement. Considerations of scale remind us that buildings, parts of buildings, or objects within are all relative not only one to the other, but with respect to the eye of the beholder.

Scale can affect emotional reactions to a space. For example, two people dining at a huge table in a cavernous room feel much more lonely than two people sitting close in a smaller space. Thus, the scale of our surroundings, including interior and exterior space, is an essential design element.