The moment you enter into the realm of architecture, it changes the way you perceive the world. It is almost as if one starts wearing a monocle that has the power to make the invisible, visible. Architects often space out, be it a new environment or the same old studio that they have been working in for years. The blank facade on the face hides the rapid consumption of the ‘data’ presented before the eyes. One observes the texture, the scale, the material, the emotions one feels in that space, the way people interact with the space, and so on. The world will never look the same once your thoughts are influenced by architecture. These thoughts never come in singular parts but help one picture the larger idea. The perception that architecture brings in an individual is like the cohesive force that brings all ideas together. It makes you question and it pushes you to look for answers. It pushes you towards the art of noticing.
An Architect’s monocle and what it does
Architecture teaches one a lot of things, but there is that one skill that feels innate, ‘observing’. The more one observes the more one uncovers. This alters the way one perceives spaces around and eventually shapes the way one looks at architecture. It helps one split complex environments into its core elements. It helps one understand the streets and the different activities they house. One can also tell how inclusive or how public the given space is. It also makes one think of what is missing, for example, is the space inclusive enough for someone who is differently abled? Is the slope of the ramp in the ratio of the prescribed standards? Of course, everyone can notice these aspects but is an architect who understands the problem. In other words, people experience the problem and an architect simply points out what is giving rise to this problem.
In ways one might or might not realize, the experience of it leaves a memory. This memory can later manifest as an inspiration, a research question, a design solution, or even a product. It serves as food for thought and what makes it even more interesting is that it is not limited to just space and its design. The chain of thoughts and this perspective opens up one to more possibilities. It is what keeps one open to fresh ideas and changes.
Architecture leads to…more architecture
Architecture makes one more aware of what surrounds them. There are so many layers to architecture so almost everything and anything is a clue or even the answer. A simple ride will help one understand the climate just by observing the roofing styles and the vegetation growing around. This is why experiencing the space and context in person is so important to an architect. One inherently tends to pick up cues that otherwise might have been missed if explained by somebody else. This sense of awareness helps one notice more patterns and the way a particular piece of architecture interacts with its context. It makes one think of the influence of the style that it has in its neighborhoods and how they coexist.
At the same time, the answers are not as apparent as they seem. Architects just observe almost every bit of their surroundings but it is not always an immediate understanding. More often it makes one question and wonder. It gets one thinking and finding the purpose. This might prove tedious to some but on a random Tuesday, it lights the bulb in one’s head, and suddenly, it makes sense. It helps one correlate and adopt elements that make the design better. It helps one discover and rediscover the same piece of architecture in many ways.
To observe or to not?
It isn’t always so profound in many instances. The exposed ceiling and the services might distract one mid-conversation with a friend at a cafe. One might step out for a break but find themselves noticing the careful positioning of the trees and the elements that make up the streetscape. One might wonder if there is truly no escape from this habit. At the same time, it is what makes architecture so enjoyable. Knowing that one is completely sheathed in several such complex layers of architecture, no matter what part of the world one is in. One follows architecture and architecture in return, follows back.
So, there is no escape from this practice. It becomes a part of the routine. It is something that comes naturally to an architect. Architects keep going back to this first experience to help them give cues to their design and thinking. It makes one more aware and sensitizes them to their surroundings. It helps one fall in love with architecture. One tends to see it everywhere, even when one is not looking for it. That is the art of noticing.
