Layering from Things to Humans:A Hierarchical Design towards Correlations
CHEN Yongming
ZHOU Qiming
Abstract：This paper reviews the developmental trajectory of the"layering"concept within the histories of art and architecture,identifying a crucial shift in the concept from objects to humans.Layering originated from the organisation of pictorial depth in Renaissance paintings and evolved with the development of Cubism.The interface disconnection has evolved into mediated expression.In particular,collage has transitioned from"indirect subjectivity"to"direct bodily participation"through material layering.
The study points out that hierarchical thinking developed in the modernism and post-modern periods around"layering materials".Three major layering types were formed:transparency-based,functionality-based,and data-driven.In transparency-based layering(formal dimension),multiple interface layers were formed through geometric superposition and visual penetration.An example is Peter Eisenman's residential design series.However,the operation substantially depended on the manifestation of geometric logic and symbolic systems rather than embodied human experience.Functionality-based layering(systemic dimension)reconstructed the complex urban functions and forms through the overlaying and interaction of multi-layer systems(bands,grids,traffic,and landscape),such as Rem Koolhaas's La Villette Park.However,people were simplified as functional users and remained on the abstract functional logic.In data-driven layering(ecological dimension),the spatial suitability was evaluated through the overlay analysis of ecological and geological data,such as Ian McHarg's factor layering technique.Although it promotes the scientificity of layering techniques,it is easy to abstract people as influential factors in the environment,making them unresponsive to specific socio-cultural contexts.These three types of layering have a common problem:subjectivity gradually fades.
By contrast,mediated layering represents a shift towards"stratified subjects".It views experiences of subjects,including daily routines,behavioural modes,customs,and collective memory as mutually related experience layers,and realises the spatialisation of these indicators,thus helping layering methods develop deep relationships with the daily world,subject behaviours,and social culture.For example,the post-disaster recovery work by Atelier Bow-Wow after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2001 designed a life-mediated layering structure composed of daily-life routes of residents,temporal experiences(collective memory)and social networks.This facilitated a shift from single,functional solutions to a multi-dimensional,dynamic system.
This study aims to unveil the transformation of design epistemology,manifested in layering diagrams from"deconstruction",which pursues forms,to emphasising"correlations"with the relational network.This shift not only demonstrates that the value of hierarchical cognition shifts from"objects"to"people"but also discloses the trend of developing architectural design from a single paradigm to an interdisciplinary paradigm involving the participation of multiple subjects and temporal narrative practices.By focusing on the application of layering to design practices,this study further discusses the composite relations among different layering perspectives.As well,it can facilitate the visualisation of implicit relations through associated layering practices,promoting the generation of new superimposed layers during design.This method has great potential for reconnecting space,city,and life.It provides effective ways to overcome contemporary design challenges,such as digital humanism,ecological sustainability,and participatory design.
Keywords：layeringrelational diagramstransparencyfunctionalitydata-drivenmediality
Publication Date：2026-01-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-06(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：11( 41-51 )