Have you ever looked at the Gherkin and thought, “That is one weird-looking building”? But then you look again and reflect on it and see how good it looks. You see how the dark glass spirals up the building, how the light reflects against the glass and makes the building shine, and how there’s a repetition of shapes to create rhythm and movement to bring the building alive. This is how architecture changed my perspective of buildings.
How To Define Architecture
Architecture is a field where science and design come together to create beautiful, functional spaces. Three-dimensional space is taken, studied, and modeled with projections and voids that eventually result in a structure that is tailored to the requirements. This is done by considering different internal and external factors.
What Did Architecture Influence
Climatic Factors
Learning architecture revealed interesting things about the climate. It brought to mind the types of building materials used in the structures around me, whether they were relevant to the local climatic conditions, how to best take advantage of the wind and solar pattern of my site, and create shading devices that expertly block the sun during the specific, required times.
Conducting case studies on existing structures brought to light the thought process of the architect. It showed how the architect may or may not have considered the climate and to what extent. It puts forth the principles that an architect followed concerning the climatic conditions and shapes the identity of a person as an architect.
Construction Techniques
Magnificent domes, continuous arches, and beautiful columns that span the length of the room are all features that improve the aesthetics and structural integrity of the building. But finer points, such as the ratio of the radius of the column to its length, the problems faced while constructing an arch, and the acoustics to be considered for domes are all points that come to light in a deeper study of architecture. These are the result of the work of thousands of workers and architects, through various eras, each building on to the knowledge of the previous one.
Sustainability
We live in a time where climate change is one of the most pressing problems. This puts pressure on architects to create sustainable buildings that reduce their environmental impact on the world. It demands environmentally friendly solutions, discovered through thought and experimentation.
The ITC Green Center, Gurgaon, for example, uses green materials like fly-ash based concrete and glass with 19% recycled content used for building the majority of the façade. The design of the V-shaped structure itself was also cleverly carried out, to reduce the heat within the building.
Anthropometrics
There is a very important relationship between humans and the space they occupy. The underlying principle of anthropometrics is that building designs should adapt to suit the human body, rather than people having to adapt to suit the buildings. This means that the dimensions must be appropriate, ceilings high enough, doorways and hallways wide enough, and so on. Each space is very carefully created to ensure easy usage.
History
The greatest achievements of civilization are cultural diversity and tradition. These have been influenced by various factors as a particular region evolved. Every structure is inspired by the lives of the people, created to serve their needs. It makes it possible for us to reconstruct the past, extract the traditions, and discover our heritage. Building construction techniques, design systems, and various other planning methods can be gleaned from the texts and structures that survive. These can be adopted into existing technologies to create a blend of modern techniques with an ancient base.
Concept
The concept behind a building also comes to mind. Previously, what was just a simple building, a hospital, a residential building, or a shopping center now brings various questions and points to mind. The arrangement of spaces for easy movement and of windows and doors for better air circulation makes it clear that design is based on an idea, a function to fulfill after which it is designed.
Aesthetics
Repetition in the motifs of Islamic mosques, fractal geometry in the shikhara of temples, and symmetricity in buildings are things that please and focus the eyes as we look at them. Principles of architecture such as datum, hierarchy, axis, and symmetry; elements such as point, line, plane, and gestalts laws explain the aesthetics of a space. They give a reason as to why a certain type of composition or layout looks visually pleasing and lay down certain guidelines for a good design.
Conclusion
Studying architecture changed my perception of buildings and spaces. It made me think about the advantages and disadvantages of materials, techniques, colors, and such factors. I can note architectural features and use my knowledge to label them as an appreciation point of the building or a criticism. All of this will eventually become second nature and make the upcoming generation better architects.
References:
Melva Joseph. 10 Most inspirational green buildings in India – Rethinking The Future [online]. Available at: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a919-10-most-inspirational-green-buildings-in-india/ [Accessed 04 May 2022].
Designingbuildings (2016). Anthropometrics in architectural design. [online]. (Last updated 18 September 2021). Available at: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Anthropometrics_in_architectural_design [Accessed 04 May 2022].
Olgyay, V. (1963). Design with Climate: Bioclimatic Approach to Architectural Regionalism. 2nd Ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press
Neufert E. (1980). Architect’s Data. 2nd Ed. Great Britain: Alden Press Limited
