Symmetry + Heirarchy

While doing some research for my building typology, I looked for examples of symmetry and hierarchy in their design. For symmetry for instance:

This floor plan of the Fine Arts School by Synarchitects shows a curved design that is mostly a mirror image of one wing to the other.

University of South Florida's Fine Arts Hall is an example of bilateral symmetry.

The Los Angeles Convention Center is another example of symmetry.


Hierarchy is another important part of design. Studying plans of various buildings, I used colors to separate the different areas of the building:

This is Cartoon Network Studios' first floor plan. The area in magenta is probably the most important area, seeing as how it's the entry. The blue area in blue is probably an important administrative area since it comes right of the entry. The areas in green, yellow, purple and saffron seem to be different departments. The area in cyan is likely a service area.

This is University of Michigan's Art and Architecture Building. There are three large areas that serve different purposes. The pink area is likely an area of studios. The area in blue are probably classrooms. The green area is a large common area (most likely the entry area) connecting both wings.

This is Pixar Animation Studio's First floor plan. The area in yellow is the entry and the main lobby. The indigo area is a theater. The areas in green, cyan, and pink are different office areas for different departments. The area in saffron is a cafe and screening room. The area in purple is an outdoor porch area.

Using symmetry and Hierarchy to one's advantage can create interesting structures and realistic designs.