Math in Home Design?!

By Suma Bhiravarasa and Emma Lu

Math has many uses outside of the classroom. STEM fields rely on it, but is also highly useful for artistic endeavors like design and art. 

Mathematical ratios have long been used in many cultures to create “perfectly proportional” structures. Take the Parthenon for example; it’s 4:9 ratio (of the length to the width) is well known and looks visually appealing. The Greeks used ratios for other art as well, as in Polykleitos’ “Spear Bearer”, who was created with a 1:7 head to body ratio. This logic has been applied elsewhere, with many cultures using ratios to create homes with ample amounts of space and harmonious furniture arrangements. 

Modern day home design starts on a blueprint from the builder and a completed home. Home interior designers use this blue print to map out the amount of space in each room and also look at what the customer wishes to get out of each part of the house. While there are now many softwares that are capable of designing floor plans for customers, the home design business is still booming.
An example of a larger scale modern design is the Center for Computing & Data Sciences, located in the heart of Boston University’s Charles River Campus. Due to its unique shape, mirroring that of a stack of books, builders needed to account for the “sag” that the building would endure due to its large overhangs. Without the use of mathematics, this one-of-a-kind building would not be able to safely exist. 

Math can be applicable to all fields if you are willing to make the connection. 

https://www.homestyler.com/article/floorplanner/the-essential-role-of-math-in-interior-design

https://www.structuremag.org/article/boston-university/