Designing with Building Bricks and Shape Grammar

This paper correlates the use of building blocks with the shape grammar theory in the design process. The main goal is to present the potentialities of the various building blocks, which combined with Shape grammar can contribute to the creative process, particularly for the formal composition in the field of Architecture, Urbanism and Design. The methodology is based on a literature review and reflections derived from the observations of the use of the building blocks during experiments carried out in the scope of research with students of the undergraduate course in Architecture and Urbanism. Starting from the discussions proposed by George Stiny on design with Froebel’s buildings gifts and from experiments with other building blocks, such as Archbricks, it is found that building blocks have their own vocabulary and rules, which can be appropriated and exploited by designers in the construction of new shape grammars.