Firmitas, Utilitas, Venustas or Firmness, Commodity and Delight is set of principles set forth by an ancient roman architect, Vitruvius in his treatise that survives to the day, “The Ten Book of Architecture”.
From the Book as translated by Morris Hicky Morgan, Phd, “All these must be built with due reference to durability (Firmness), convenience (commodity) and beauty (delight). Durability will be assured when foundations are carried down to solid ground and materials wisely and liberally selected; convenience, when the arrangement of apartments is faultless and present no hindrance to use, and when each calls of building is assigned to its suitable and appropriate exposure; and beauty, when the appearance of the work is pleasing and in good taste, and when the members are in due proportion according to correct principles of symmetry.
In an effort to better visualize and understand these principles a set of woodturnings was done based upon these three components of good design. When asked most people find it easy to correctly label each vase with respect to the attributes they embody.
More than a few designers tend to emphasize one aspect these parameters over another. Studio 285 Architecture takes a balanced and flexible view understanding the organic nature of design and also the emphasis may change based upon the specific situation. An art museum would be high on Delight while a military fortification places a premium on Firmness . .
