Form
There a number of different possible definitions of the noun ‘form’.
- In architecture, a form is a three-dimensional object or building that is perceived by a viewer in space and time, and made possible by the action of light and shadow. For example, a building may be said to present a complex, geometric form on the skyline. However, a form cannot be two-dimensional as it will then merely be a shape.
- ‘Human form’ is sometimes used to describe the body in a functioning, though not physiological sense. Le Corbusier considered houses and automobiles as essential modern tools that were extensions of the human form. He rejected Cubism in favour of the pure, simple geometric forms seen in everyday objects.
- Form can also be used in the same sense as ‘type’, so, for example, one may say that office buildings come in many different forms (i.e types, which can mean style, size, general arrangement, etc, or a combination of some or all of these. Or, theatre productions down the ages have taken many different forms, e.g proscenium, thrust, in-the-round etc.
- The term, ‘form’ can also mean a mould, i.e for holding a liquid or semi-plastic material in a particular shape until it sets. Hence, in construction, formwork is used to create shapes and designs, e.g supporting in-situ concrete until it cures to form walls and floors, etc.
- A form can be a standard document that can be completed, such as a Declaration of non-collusion form.
- Plato’s theory of forms suggests that a form is an idealised, universal paradigm of a particular concept or virtue which transcends the real world and by which in comparison, all other manifestations in the real world are nothing but inferior copies. For Plato, forms represent reality to which the inhabited world can only approximate. So, if a thing was beautiful, it resembled some of the aspects of the form of beauty, but its beauty was only participatory, and an imperfect imitation of the form of beauty.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.