Amorim's Law - A modern grammar

In normative or prescriptive theories, architectural requirements are set as parameters to support design decisions. A set of formal parameters is suffice to generate a wide variety of compositions, but associated to the same formal language. This paper looks at the work of the Portuguese-Brazilian architect, Delfim Fernandes Amorim, whose contributions to the dissemination of modern ideas and the development of a particular architectural lexicon is quite relevant, particularly his addendum to the municipal land use and occupation act, which became generally known as the Amorim's Law. It consists basically in allowing spaces of transitory occupation and specific architectural elements to be built beyond the mandatory setback limits. This paper presents the development of a grammar that shows how some of the parameters described in Amorim's law are able to create a strong formal language and influence the building's architectural composition. The grammar was developed in two successive stages: the first allows the generation of the pattern of adjacency of the apartment's rooms; the second, guide the insertion of the openings and architectural elements as defined by the Amorim's Law.