Defining architecture to me

Architecture may be defined in countless ways. Each and every Architect has his/her own definition of what architecture is. In the English dictionary, it is defined as ‘the art and science of designing and building structures’. This is the standard definition for architecture.  It is an art for the aesthetic elements of a building. Architects need to have creativity to design a building or a structure. Although architecture is an art, it is not ‘‘an isolated, museum art’’, as defined in Louis Hellman’s ‘Architecture for beginners’. By that, he means it is unavoidable to see architecture due to the fact that it is all around us, unlike museum art in which we have the choice to see it or not. In addition, architecture is a science because the design of the building must be possible to build. Other experts in the field, including German writer and politician Von Goethe, may define architecture as “frozen music”. It may be defined this way because time is an element of music. Similarly, circulation is an element of architecture as well as form and space. This is related because to be able to move through structures, people have to walk through and around the paths in the building through time. My initial interpretation of this definition is that in European history, the architecture during different periods varies like music does. For example, the Baroque is a period of artistic style that began around 1600 in Rome, Italy. This style was used in painting, sculpture, architecture, dance, literature and music. Baroque architecture consists of a few features such as bold massing, colonnades, domes, light-and-shade (chiaroscuro), and the play of volume and void. Interiors of Baroque architecture emphasizes on the over stylization of rich-looking columns and voids. A lot of Baroque architecture may be found in Cathedrals, like the Cathedral of Morelia Michoacán in Mexico. Moreover, many Baroque churches are also seen in the Philippines, which were built during the Spanish period. Baroque music overlaps with the art and architecture during the period. Melodies of Baroque music are complex and elaborate. Much like the Baroque architecture, it is highly ornamented. Both arts share the close attention and emphasis on details. The correlation between the arts may be found in other eras such as the Classical and Romantic periods.

Others argue, “Architecture is about people”. Architects design structures and buildings for the use of other people.  Pinpointing this statement further according to ‘Architecture for beginners’ is that “Architecture is about creating order…People ordering the environment for the benefit of people”. In my opinion, architecture benefits people in terms of providing shelter, or using architecture as a workplace i.e. office buildings and skyscrapers. Architecture also affects people in a more profound level. Structure and layout are able to change people’s psychological state of mind, as well as physical health. Aesthetics elements of buildings will influence people as well. Among those are the amount of natural light, natural ventilation and color application. It has been proven through research that people read and work better in an environment with high amounts of natural light and ventilation. This may be because they bring the natural breath of life in nature to people, in comparison to having artificial light, which may cause depression and claustrophobia. With color application, studies show that people are more productive with their studies when being in a room with a lot of blue. To conclude, yes, architecture does have a huge impact of people. Defining architecture is subjective; there is no wrong definition of architecture since it is a matter of opinion.

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I have been exposed to a lot of architecture. The high school I graduated from, which was founded by my mother, started in the year 2000. I was led through the process of planning, designing and building the buildings. Ever since, I have been mesmerized by the design and creation of buildings. Later on, my parents decided to go into real estate in the year 2011. Also being a shareholder of this company, I was encouraged to attend meetings with architects who proposed their designs of what the building will look like, the features of the building and so on. This definitely had an influence of my decision to take up architecture in university. However, my fascination for architecture did not come only for this reason. Growing up in Thailand, culture played an enormous part the envinoment I was raised in, and culture is mainly showed through the arts such as; music, dance, architecture etc. Lanna style houses, which originated from the Kingdom of Lanna, started in the 13^th century until this present day. It may be found in Northern regions of Thailand, in a city called Chiang Rai. This particular style portrays the Thai culture strongly. Lanna houses are mainly made up of teak wood. This provides a cool environment inside the houses as well as supplying a long-lasting strength to the structure. What intrigued me especially was the fact that these wooden structures are all handmade. Lastly, my life of travel has showed me the different architectures from all around the world. A few years back while visiting the UK, I had the opportunity to witness first hand the well-known architectural spots in history. These included the London Bridge, Warwick castle and the York Minster Abbey. What had struck me primarily about these ancient architectural spots is the massing of the structures. It is absolutely overwhelming to see them up-close.  Furthermore, learning about the history of each site and its purposes and uses, I had found very interesting. Another significance of architecture in my life of travel will have to be in UAE. I was delighted to be given the opportunity of a lifetime to go to the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, designed by the architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merill. The very design of the Burj Khalifa is derived from the patterns of Islamic architecture, the ‘spiral minaret’. I specifically appreciated the exteriors of the building, consisting of 142,000 meter squared of reflective aluminum and textured stainless steel. The cladding system was made to withstand the extreme summer heat of Dubai. Hence, beyond the perfect appearance of the building, it is used as a shelter from extreme conditions.

As I have previously said, there is no wrong in defining architecture. There is no universal definition that every Architect would agree on. Every Architect should have a clear definition of what architecture is for him/herself. Without this definition, people other than themselves may define their architecture.

In my opinion, architecture is about the contribution to the ongoing creation of the world. The world we see today, the different cultures and people, have been influenced by architecture. To say the least, we are who we are today because of the environment we grew up in, or the environment we are currently living in. Architecture is about designing that environment, or as I think of it, the creation of a mini world for people. All these mini worlds make up our world as a whole. Architecture is a way of life. It influences people’s mood, attitude and abilities. Hence, an architect should have a vision of what the world should be like for him/herself, because every environment, structure, or building created will influence direction of mankind. This is the importance of architecture.