Towards an Understanding of Shapes and Types in Architecture

Architects deal with shapes all the time in a variety of ways. Shapes in architectural practice are understood as an interesting blend of abstract geometrical forms and their possible or actual material realisations. These entities can even be identified with a real place, a place where people live, which then acquires this mixed nature as well. Thus, architectural shapes and places are not abstract entities nor can be confused with material realisations (the constructed objects) since humans perceive them well beyond their material aspects: enclosed and open places are perceived via their material as well as their idealised forms. In this paper we make some initial step in the study of this characteristic of architecture and its understanding of shapes and places. In particular, we focus on the perspective that architectural types offer to read shapes.