Seeking shelter has always been an intrinsic human bare necessity; since the dawn of humanity, people have sought shelter from the weather and predators. We all know how mankind first inhabited caves and other similar naturally made shelters. We also know that, at some point, humans found it necessary to manufacture their own shelters, which they first used temporarily, then permanently as humanity found its way to settlement. That was the beginning of architecture, as houses—followed by temples, then shops and other places of business—shaped villages, towns, and eventually cities, and even megacities.
For an interesting, and quick, look at the evolution of housing, albeit not always as a form of architecture, check out this 2-min video:
Source: www.youtube.com
The Encyclopedia Britannica defines architecture as “the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction”. Indeed, despite the amount of science that goes into the study and development of construction, the mathematics that goes into the engineering aspect of architecture, we must acknowledge that it is above all a formidable art form.
Britannica elaborates: “The practice of architecture is employed to fulfill both practical and expressive requirements; it thus serves both utilitarian and aesthetic ends. As every society—whether highly developed or less so, settled, or nomadic—has a spatial relationship to the natural world and to other societies; the structures they produce reveal much about their environment, history, and artistic sensibility, as well as many aspects of daily life”.
Having studied some history of architecture in college, I know firsthand what an extensive and diverse history that is. While researching for this series of articles, I was delightfully surprised to come upon the next video, which is extremely brief, yet very funny and quite accurate, summarizing the history of architecture in certainly less than a nutshell:
Source: www.youtube.com
Indeed, throughout history, as opposed to other art forms that are rather personal in nature, architecture has been somewhat a form of “national” expression. In addition to serving the inhabitants and users of the structure in the best way suitable for the environment, works of architecture express and serve the beliefs and direction of the nation; they also project the nation’s image.
Moreover, architecture has always been a reflection of the evolution of not only mankind and human nature, but also of science and technology. This also means that, throughout history, there have not only been architectural milestones, but also prominent architects. There is also a lot to architecture in relation to the environment and to human health, among a diversity of other issues.
Architecture is a truly fascinating field where science and art unite in a way unlike any other. In a series of articles, I will tackle a diversity of interesting aspects of architectural history, present and future, so stay tuned.
Source CNN
Relevant Reads from SCIplanet
- Home, Sweet Home; the Beginning; a feature by Jailane Salem, SCIplanet printed, Winter 2015: “Bare Necessities”.
- Around the World in Five Houses; a feature by Hend Fathy, SCIplanet printed, Winter 2018: “Science at Home”.