The reading of the Ching highlights aspects of ordering, proportionality, order, and patterns. These components, along with other closely related elements, form the core of proper urban and even rural design, albeit with minor variations due to the variety of environments. Planning and architecture professionals have become interested in the Ching reading because of its applicability and uniqueness in the modern world, as is the case with ancient texts that attempt to combine archaic and modern forms of art. As a matter of fact, various forms of planning and architecture such as rustic architecture have been born to address the need to have a blend of the old ad the new which is fascinating. Additionally, in the Ching reading, building forms and functions have intricately been accounted for in the design process whereby elements such as public spaces and fora were provided for, fountains were constructed or aesthetics, there were service areas, private chambers and visitor areas. Public spaces were part and parcel of the urban design process and this ensured that free airflow was experienced and that the cities could breathe, and in the same vein, plantings were employed to guarantee fresh air along with the more obvious purpose of aesthetics (Russ, p.30).
There is a difference between this kind of thinking between urban and regional planning since the forms of spaces require significantly different degrees of handling and concept implementation. For example, the concepts of hierarchy, proportion, and perspective may not be strictly applicable in a rural planning setting but are mandatory for ensuring legibility in an urban area. Legibility here refers to the ease with which a city is understood in terms of direction, alternative access methods and the general outlook (Cohousing.org, 2017). Essentially, legibility answers the question that says ‘how easy would a newcomer find it to understand the city?’. The Ching readings emphasize the readability of the urban area. However, for rural areas, hierarchy, perspective and from tend to be of less concern considering that the environment is open and building density is low. Hierarchy, for example, only works with tightly packed housing (Lynch & Hack, p.84).
I would not design the same way in a landscape as in a city largely due to the rationales pointed out in the preceding paragraph. A landscape setting has different dynamics in terms of slope, gradient, aesthetics and waste disposal as compared to an inner city. In an inner city, I would employ concepts of proportionality, hierarchy, and perspective which are diagrammatically demonstrated below. One important thing to note is that for example in the inner city, a skyline has to be maintained in most cases while in a rural area, there is often no need for a skyline. Additionally, in an inner city, the proportionality between houses is paramount in bringing out a sense of order while in a landscape environment, the built units are often detached and are apart that proportionality would be lost because of the poor proximity. These concepts have been demonstrated in the diagrams in the paper, albeit in a simple manner (Russ, 129).
The diagram below (figure ii) from google maps shows an aerial shot of the site, De Beauvoir. It shows legibility, and building form (Google.co.uk, 2017). The alternative access routes, house pattern and shape can easily be distinguished.
Figure i
Figure ii
In figure i, we see the concepts of aesthetics at play and admirable blend of greenery and concrete to ensure sustainability in the urban areas (Google.co.uk, 2017).
The following diagrams demonstrate some of the concepts in a much simpler manner.
Hierarchy
Pattern
References
Cohousing.org, 2017. Creating Community, One Neighborhood at a Time. [Online]
Available at: http://www.cohousing.org/ [Accessed 19 May 2017].
Google.co.uk, 2017. De Beauvoir Town. [Online]
Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/De+Beauvoir+Town,+London/@51.5373812,-0.0817571,3a,80.9y,271.15h,90.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3__6xzCMoT-7pbMGsy-HgQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x48761c982b208c81:0xf26bf912e34ab38a!8m2!3d51.5385665!4d-0.0824387!6m1!1e1[Accessed 19 May 2017].
Google.co.uk, 2017. De Beauvoir Town. [Online]
Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/De+Beauvoir+Town,+London/@51.5373851,-0.0825173,170m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48761c982b208c81:0xf26bf912e34ab38a!8m2!3d51.5385665!4d-0.0824387[Accessed 19 May 2017].
Lynch, K. & Hack, G., 1984. Site Planning, Third Edition. 3rd ed. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Russ , T., 2009. Site Planning and Design Handbook, Second Edition (P/L Custom Scoring Survey). 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Russ, T. H., 2009. Site Planning and Design Handbook. New York: The McGraw-Hill
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