What is Architecture, really?
Man-kind was born into a structured world. While there might not have been tall skyscrapers to steal away our infinite gaze toward the sky, there has always been a sense of continuity and uniformity in nature. Whether it is a makeshift shelter consisting of two bamboo sticks and a piece of cloth hanging on top of it or perhaps using stepping stones as stairs, Humans have always been familiar with the concept of architecture. Mesopotamians, for instance, had airy courtyards with the heads of their hunted prey hanging on walls as decorative elements. They understood the importance of openings within their abodes, hence the voids in their roofs. Gradually, they introduced ladders into the world to reach multiple levels. All of these progressions resulted from understanding the context they lived in.
If we date further back, we find caves, the first ever shelter humans found for themselves. Back then, Architecture might not have resulted from the need for identity or diversity; it was needed for survival. You could either befriend nature or be consumed by it.
Impact of Architecture on Humans
Besides its primary sense of function, Architecture provides a nation with its identity. Every civilization has had distinct features in its building techniques and structures. It moulds thought into components and ideas into identity. We see various schools of thought worldwide within the same period. It states how diverse humans can be as a species. When the Christians took over Rome, their rage turned everything classical into gothic. High roofs and dark themes expressed their need for vengeance. Frescoes and stained-glass windows defined their spirituality. The slightest details have so much depth that it is incomprehensible if you try taking it in at once.
Minimalistic movements like, “less is more” have taken the world by storm. The features that separated one school of architecture from another have been diminished into nothingness. This gives us a glimpse of how life could have been without architecture. Devoid of its character and individual essence, a modular perception of today’s world, we see a lack of incongruence.
Where Would Humans Be Without Architecture?
Humans have evolved as beings since the day they set food on Earth. Tall Giants turned into smaller versions of the species, thick fur-like hair dissolved into skin, etc. We can see notable human changes from the early ages to the current versions. Studies show the evolution of the Human body is motivated by their survival needs. Initially, they needed thick skin and abundant hair to survive the cold, harsh winter. As they built houses, they no longer needed these traits. Similarly, barren lands turned into civilizations, and groups turned into communities. This required an orderly fashion of living.
If Humans had survived without shelter, they wouldn’t have created a civilised way of living. Communities would not have been complex; people would travel in tribes and clusters. They would settle for hunting as their primary source of food. Agriculture, as a concept, came into being when people decided that hunting was too tiresome as their main food source. Humans started exploring other options that nature had given them, such as fruits, herbs, different mushrooms, etc. With use, comes the need. As the usage of plant-based materials grew, people realised they might soon run out of their secondary source, so they started farming.
If humans had not felt the need to settle down, our society would not have the concept of “home.” A house is built of wood, sticks, and stones, but a home is built on values. For one to survive, we need both to co-exist.
Without the confinement of four walls, privacy would have been far-fetched. Houses are not containments of people; they are enclosures for secrets. While humans need social interaction as one of their params, they also need a personal sense of space for mental peace. This would have been impossible if there were no homes.
Architecture developed gradually according to need. People first built shelters, then they built farms. They built pyramids and ziggurats to devote to their Gods. They built workplaces to keep track of their earnings. All of this hierarchy that comes with the size of abodes, would have perished. There would be no tall towers to look down upon smaller ones. Perhaps, humans would have no sense of superiority.
Architecture serves a greater purpose to humanity than we can perceive. It brings identity, order, and taste to our societies. Without architecture, the world would have no structure.
