The Faculty of Architecture / Architecture (English taught)
1st Year, sem 2, 2026-2027

SFA-2E | Shape Study (2)

Compulsory Course | Hours/Week: 3L | ECTS Credits: 2

Department:

Study of Form and Ambience

Course Leader:

lect. Andreea Ivanciof

Teaching language:

English

Learning outcomes:

In the second semester, we shift from form as a controlled object to form as a system with meaning and effects. The assignment investigates how architectural form is generated, modified, and imbued with meaning through the relationships between elements. The starting point consists of simple geometric forms. These are not to be treated as independent objects, but rather as elements capable of entering into relationships of proximity, juxtaposition, overlapping, inclusion, subordination, or integration. The exercise aims to transition from the simple association of forms to the construction of a coherent spatial system. Students will analyze how the position, orientation, size, proportion, and deformation of a form alter the relationship between parts and the character of the whole. Deformation is not understood as an arbitrary alteration or a loss of geometric order. Instead, it represents a controlled operation through which a form adapts to another form, a rule, a path, light, structure, or context. The assignment will be developed in five cumulative stages, each culminating in a model measuring a maximum of 20 × 20 × 20 cm.

Content:

TOPIC: FORM, RELATIONSHIP, AND DEFORMATION
STAGE I - Analysis, extraction, and abstraction
STAGE II - Structure as a generator of space
STAGE III - The module and spatial configuration
STAGE IV - Space, function, and context
STAGE V - Architectural synthesis

Teaching Method:

Theoretical exposure accompanied by images and video presentations, practical work in the studio conducted under the guidance of the teacher.

Assessment:

Arithmetic average achieved between the 5 works.

Bibliography:

Borchardt-Hume Achim and Coxon Ann, Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture, Yale University Press, 2016, U.S.
Liversain Patricia, Modeling in Clay, Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2000, U.S.
Arthur Dorothy, Modelling In Clay, A&C Black, U.S.
Rickey George, George Rickey Kinetic Sculpture: A Retrospective, Vero Beach Museum of Art, 2007, U.S.
Hunter Sam, Daniel Wheeler, John Jacobus, Modern Art: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography ,
Pearson, 2003, U.K.
Lawlor Robert Sacred Geometry, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1982, London, U.K.
Frascari Marco, Eleven Exercises in the Art of Architectural Drawing, Routledge, 2011, Oxford, U.K.
Wucius Wong, Principles of form and design, John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 1993, New York, U.S
Marco Frascari, Eleven Exercises in the Art of Architectural Drawing, Routledge, 2011, U.K.
Robert Lawlor, Sacred Geometry, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1982, London, U.K.
Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Dover Publications, 1977,U.S.
Vivian Endicott Barnett , Kandinsky, Guggenheim Museum, 2009, U.S.
Wassily Kandinsky, Cours Du Bauhaus, Denoël Gonthier, 1975, France
Anna Moszynska, Abstract Art, Thames Hudson, 1990, U.K..
Deicher Susanne, Piet Mondrian, Taschen, 2000, Germany
Milner John, Piet Mondrian, Phaidon Press, 1995, U.K.
Blau Eve, Architecture and Cubism, Mit Press, 2002, U.S.

Notes:

SHAPE STUDY — RULES 2026–2027
1. Attendance. Attendance is mandatory for both presentation and studio sessions.
2. Course rhythm. Each topic begins with a presentation and continues with practical studio work the following week, giving students time to consult the bibliography and develop an initial response to the topic.
3. Preparation. Students must come prepared with the materials required for the current assignment and with an initial idea or proposal to be discussed with the professor.
4. Studio-only work. Work developed entirely at home will not be accepted for evaluation. Assignments must be developed in the studio, during scheduled sessions, under teacher supervision and with ongoing feedback.
5. Grade improvement. If a student wishes to improve a grade, the assignment may be redone from the beginning during the semester, within the already announced studio schedule, under teacher supervision. A dedicated recovery date is also included in the schedule for this purpose.
6. Medical cases. In justified medical cases, students must provide a medical certificate covering the period of absence. A separate recovery date during the examination session may then be established by mutual agreement with the teaching staff.
7. Submission. Assignments are submitted at the end of the studio session, in the required format.
8. Original work. All submitted work must be original and produced by the student.
9. Clean studio. Students are responsible for keeping the studio clean. Plaster, clay, paint, glue and other workshop residues must never be disposed of in sinks or toilets.
10. Waste. Students must bring garbage bags when required and clean their working area after each studio session.
11. Surface protection. When an assignment involves wet, dusty, staining or potentially damaging materials, the work surface must be fully covered and protected before work begins.