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Beyond stylistic mixture: A critical reconceptualization of architectural eclecticism Stephanie Clarissa; Purnama Salura; Ignatius Bambang Sugiharto
ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur Vol 11 No 3 (2026): ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur | July 2026 ~ September 2026
Publisher : Program Studi Arsitektur Fakultas Teknik Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.30822/arteks.v11i3.5749

Abstract

Architectural eclecticism has traditionally been interpreted as the simple combination of architectural components derived from multiple stylistic traditions. Such an interpretation, however, diverges considerably from the original philosophical foundation of eclecticism, which emphasizes the deliberate and critical selection of historical precedents, followed by their thoughtful integration to generate new and more refined conceptual frameworks capable of advancing existing architectural knowledge and professional practice. This study seeks to deconstruct the prevailing interpretation of architectural eclecticism, reconstruct its conceptual foundation according to its original philosophical meaning, and operationalize the reconstructed concept into a systematic analytical model that enables the critical selection, integration, and evaluation of historical precedents within architectural design. The analytical procedure consists of several interconnected stages, including extracting the fundamental concept of eclecticism from its philosophical origins, identifying the distortions that have shaped its interpretation within architectural discourse, reconstructing the conceptual framework of architectural eclecticism, and subsequently operationalizing this reconstructed framework into an analytical model capable of guiding the systematic selection, critical synthesis, and comprehensive evaluation of architectural precedents. The principal findings demonstrate that architectural eclecticism can be regarded as conceptually valid only when it fulfills the essential purpose of architecture, namely, its capacity to support human habitation through a coherent and inseparable relationship between function and form. Consequently, the effectiveness of architectural eclecticism should not be assessed according to the complexity of its composition, the diversity of its formal expressions, or the stylistic origins from which its elements are derived. Instead, its success should be evaluated based on its ability to preserve an integrated relational structure that enables human activities to occur in conditions that are both safe and comfortable.
Beyond green cosmetics: Repositioning biophilic architecture through relational spatial form Purnama Salura; Reginaldo Christophori Lake; Stephanie Clarissa
ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur Vol 11 No 3 (2026): ARTEKS : Jurnal Teknik Arsitektur | July 2026 ~ September 2026
Publisher : Program Studi Arsitektur Fakultas Teknik Universitas Katolik Widya Mandira

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.30822/arteks.v11i3.5750

Abstract

Over the past several decades, the notion of biophilic design has become increasingly prominent within both architectural scholarship and professional practice. Nevertheless, its implementation is frequently confined to the incorporation of vegetation, natural materials, daylight, and other visually perceptible characteristics associated with the natural environment. Consequently, biophilic design is commonly interpreted as a form of green aesthetics or as an approach to creating visually tranquil environments, whereas deeper architectural understandings of how human beings encounter and inhabit space as a place of dwelling remain comparatively underdeveloped. In addition, the majority of existing biophilic design research has emerged from the disciplines of biology, environmental psychology, and health sciences, emphasizing physiological and psychological responses to natural environments rather than examining the spatial configurations through which such experiences are constructed and mediated. This article seeks to reconceptualize biophilic design within the architectural discipline by approaching it through the ontological understanding of architecture as a place of dwelling. To accomplish this objective, the discussion foregrounds the theory of Relational Spatial Form (RSF) together with its operational framework as a means of interpreting and applying biophilic principles in architectural design. This article contends that, from an architectural standpoint, the essence of the biophilic experience is not fundamentally generated by the mere presence of natural elements as visual artifacts. Instead, it is constituted through the relational organization of space, which establishes orientation, spatial transitions, hierarchical relationships, and the conditions that enable meaningful dwelling. From this perspective, natural elements undoubtedly contribute to enriching the quality of spatial experience; however, they do not serve as the principal factors governing the organization of use or the lived experience of inhabitation. Accordingly, biophilic design should be more appropriately understood as an emergent spatial quality that operates upon an already established framework of inhabitation through the relational structure of architectural space.