If you’re planning a custom build for your business, you will probably have a vague vision for it in mind before you even meet with an architect. Learning more about the most commonly used design principles in architecture can help you develop that vision into a more realistic concept. You can use these principles to create a unique and attractive structure while maintaining the strength and durability you expect from it.

1. Balance Is One of the Most Important Design Principles in Architecture

When designing any commercial structure, you must consider balance and gravity. While an idea might look good on paper or when displayed as a computer graphic, it may not be possible to construct in the real world. Create balance in your design — either symmetrical or asymmetrical — to ensure that its construction is feasible and that the finished structure will be long-lasting.

In a symmetrical design, the structure is evenly distributed around a central point of balance. In an asymmetrical design, there isn’t a central point, but the different points of the structure are evenly balanced in relation to one another.

2. Use the Axis Principle to Create a Sense of Progression

The second of the four basic design principles in architecture is the use of an axis or movement to create a sense of progression in the design. You can organize your design through a linear progression or use a more abstract concept that demonstrates relationships between various forms or negative spaces.

Designing Colorado architecture requires thinking about the axis concept as a narrative voice that tells the story of any other design principles you’ll incorporate into your design-build project.

You can use the axis principle to make a room seem bigger or to make a corridor seem wider; a gradual progression of the size of objects in the design is a simple way of using this principle in the construction of your commercial building.

3. Use Emphasis to Highlight Specific Points

It’s easy to see where specific points in a commercial construction project will require emphasis. In an office building, you’d want to pay special attention to the employee area for maximum productivity and satisfaction. In a consumer-facing building, the customer experience is paramount, so you’d spend more time ensuring that public areas are pleasant and user-friendly.

Emphasize the front entrance of the building, for instance, to prevent customers from arriving at an employee entrance. In a showroom, emphasize specific product displays by directing all the other features in the room toward them.

As one of the four design principles in architecture, emphasis helps convey a theme or central idea, so always use various proportions and the placement of objects to help you draw attention to a particular point of interest.

4. Contrast Will Help Your Colorado Design-Build Stand Out

The final architectural design principle is contrast, and it’s another way to draw attention to one area or de-emphasize another, as well as highlight features that offer functionality. Use varying, interesting patterns to have employees or customers engage with specific features. Contrasting colors can also help create a h2 impression and convey emotions with your design.

Bring Your Dream to Life with Colorado’s Top Builder

Hammers Construction has been building commercial buildings for years, earning a reputation as a trustworthy builder. We’ll help you design and build your business, meeting all of your Colorado design-build needs. To schedule a consultation to discuss your plans, contact us today.