Proportion

















Ratio

The goal of all theories of proportion is to create a sense of order and harmony among the elements in a visual construction. In architecture, the relationship of parts to a whole or parts to other parts is expressed by ratios, which is a numeric way to describe the proportion. For example, in a room where the ceiling is twice as high as the width of the room, the ratio of the height to the width is 2 to 1.

Calculating ratios is simple enough, but what is more complicated is to determine which ratios create the most aesthetically pleasing structures. Throughout history, theorists have struggled with this question, and modern architects have many theories of ratios to consider as they design beautiful buildings.

 

Select the Harmonic, Modulor, or Ken tab and roll the mouse over various elements. The Harmonic example shows the overall ratio of the building's length to width. The Modulor example shows LeCorbusier's proportioning system based on the human form. The Ken example shows a Japanese proportioning system.