The Role of Flexibility of Technological Selection in the Formal andSymbolic Reproduction of Arches

Abstract

The research focuses on the significance of a technological selection strategy in generating either
an updated traditional form or a new contemporary form that reflects the specific characteristics of the
present. The research selects the element of the arch and the resulting morphological generations based on
the designer’s formal intellectual processes and technology, thereby generating diversity rather than formal copying. The research problem identified is the scarcity of studies examining the role of technological
selection types in generating multiple modules of the arch element, reflecting its contemporary specificity
and supporting its enduring symbolic and formal permanence. “As the research assumes, there is flexibility in structured technological selection to generate elements with symbolic, expressive, and formally defined dimensions. The methodology involved the adoption of facades for 6 diverse buildings in terms of arches and function. A questionnaire and a descriptive formal scale were conducted. The research found that structured technological selection is a balanced strategy that supports the generation of formal variations derived from the origin of the symbolic element more than the free selection that is not based on fixed foundations. The value of the research is evident in the flexibility of the formal options resulting from technology and the designer’s creativity in reusing heritage elements in new and updated forms that support their symbolic values.