Architectural Typology
Introduction
The building typology refers to the study and documentation of a set of buildings that have similarities in their form. There are two ways of looking at the term building typology: the first is commonly used by architects and refers to the use of the building; Common building types with this definition are hospitals, schools, and shopping centers; The second term are types of official buildings, which are usually ordinary buildings rather than monuments or specialized buildings.
A type of construction, such as a terraced house, is a building that has a specific shape: located between two others, up to four stories high, and facing the street. Many variants of this type are found around the world, each with different configurations that are the result of local materials, habits, time and technology.[1].
Documenting a typology is the process of discovering elements in a similar way. Typically types are distinguished by their basic form, configuration, and scale, but not by their particular architectural style, color, or even precise use. And they are related to the time, the culture, and the environment in which they arise.[2][3].
History
The idea of building types arose in part from the general Enlightenment idea of categorization, a prelude to scientific discoveries.
At first, the types were taken as ideal models that could be copied in various ways. In this sense the types were commonly used as forms (a basilica, for example), which were adapted over time into new buildings with very different uses: from Roman forums to early forms of churches (St. Peter's Basilica), to 19th century railway stations. cultural continuity.
The idea of building types as formal configurations was highlighted by J.N.L. Durand, who developed two important works, the Parallele (1799), a large and attractive book, which reproduces plans, elevations and sections of historical buildings on the same scale.[5].
He classifies them by formal types, so their basic similarities could be recognized. As a result of this work, Durand also created a second book that uses and reconfigures the classic elements of architecture: columns, walls, etc., in order to adapt them to new uses.[6]
Durand's system, a language of architecture, demonstrated an essential characteristic of types: a form of design that was neither completely unconstrained nor excessively prescribable.