An Architect’s Perspective – At its very core, the role of architecture encourages building communities and improving the relationship between people and their surroundings. ‘Architecture is the mother of all arts’ is a famous quote explaining that as a discipline, architecture encompasses a vast ocean of possibilities from a tiny interior detail to enormous structures. The discipline is an amalgamation of art, technology and culture to design functioning built environments.
Beyond learning the design and construction of buildings and structures, an education in architecture broadens your mind to understand different complexities involving the design process. Understanding the criteria of the user, analysing various components of the design process to design meaningful spaces, and understanding the relationship between people and the built environment are some of the skills that an architect learns.
One might contemplate the relationship between people and architecture to understand how it affects the user in both tangible and intangible ways. Comprehending the impact of the scale of any built form, and how each material is unique in its texture and signifies unique traits are some of the thoughts that come to an architect’s mind. Every individual’s outlook is unique and depends on their character, life experiences and knowledge. Nevertheless, the discipline encourages us to have our unique thinking and perspective.
Envisaging public places
Outdoor public places are essential to the urban fabric and they provide opportunities for community engagement, recreation, and involvement of people. The public plazas, open squares, public buildings, streets with different characteristics and water bodies are important features of public spaces. As an architect, one can’t help but comprehend the spatial characteristics and tangible and intangible features of the public place.
(https://fcl.ethz.ch/news-events/news/2020/02/eth-feautured-in-uras-skyline-issue.html)
When wandering through the public places of a city, one can analyse the development of street sections to create a welcoming public place to engage the community. To explain this point, here is an example: When roaming through the streets of core Pune city i.e., Peth areas, one can witness the old Wadas and markets telling us a story about the rich heritage and culture. The festive processions taking place on the streets of Peth areas have been continued for many generations. From an architect’s perspective, due to public celebrations, the streets are no more just modes of transportation but transform into vibrant spaces for community engagement. Furthermore, the traditional balconies in the Wada face the streets to orient the people towards public activities.
(https://lbb.in/pune/dhol-tasha-groups/)
Reflection of culture and tradition | Architect Perspective
Architecture is much more than just built forms, it is also a representation of the culture and tradition of the place. It represents the traditions by incorporating various aspects of culture in the built form: from form development to intricate details, workmanship, use of various materials, textures, the play of light and shadow, and spatial characteristics. The built form and culture of a place are connected to derive meaningful experiences for the user. The traditional architecture weaves us in their alluring stories. To demonstrate this statement with an example:
Let us study the Hazara Rama temple, in Hampi, India. Built in the early 15th century by King Devaraya II (the then ruler of Vijayanagara), the temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, a Hindu God. The temple is known for depicting the story of the epic Ramayana through the architecture, and the engraved carvings on the walls. The processions, numerous engraved figures of Gods and Goddesses, and various animals are portrayed on the engraved walls of the temple. These engraved carvings not only tell us about the story and tradition but also make us wonder about the process of engraving the walls and construction of the temple.
(https://vijayanagara.live/travel/hazara-rama-temple-in-hampi/)
(https://vijayanagara.live/travel/hazara-rama-temple-in-hampi/)
Architecture: Epitome of progress through time
“Change is the only constant in life.” Was quoted by a Greek philosopher, Heraclitus. Adhering to this statement, there have been several design developments in architecture throughout different eras and centuries. Evolution in architecture can be witnessed in each phase with changing technologies and different architectural styles. The changing architectural styles help us connect the dots between the past, present, and future.
In the present times, architecture responds to rapid urbanisation and also adapts to the changing times by considering the need for sustainable development, high-rise development for a large population in cities and planning inclusive cities. Through the lens of an architect, architecture teaches us to adapt according to the world’s pace. Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate future goals are ideal design goals.
(https://www.thoughtco.com/architecture-timeline-historic-periods-styles-175996)
Daily nuances of an architect’s day | Architect Perspective
By carrying the architect’s perspective in everyday life, every miniscule detail gets noticed, be it a skyscraper building or even the lighting design of a cafe. In other words, the analysis of the user-friendliness of even a simple product, the use of texture and materials, the play of light and shadow, colour schemes, and the context goes on in the back of the mind. The analysis also determines the strengths of the design and the amendments that could have been implemented.
(https://www.instagram.com/leewardists/?hl=en)
Conclusion
Not only does analytical nature and a keen eye for aesthetics help the architect to build structures, but also build experiences for humans. The moral is to gain deeper insight into the discipline and envisage the best possible outlook in the architectural field and life.
References :
1.Medium (2016).The Importance of Public Places [online] . (Last updated 23 August 2016). Available at: https://medium.com/interviews-and-articles-on-art-public-spaces/the-importance-of-public-spaces-5bb49ba6c000#:~:text=Public%20spaces%20are%20an%20important,the%20society%20to%20participate%20in. [Accessed 12 October 2022]
2.Karnataka.com (2014). Hazara Ram Temple, Hampi : A story carved in stone. [online] (Last updated 23 October, 2014 ). Available at : https://www.karnataka.com/hampi/hazara-rama-temple/#:~:text=The%20temple%20has%20a%20sprawling,of%20Rama%2C%20Lakshmana%20and%20Sita. [Accessed 13 October 2022]
3.Concrete Renovations (2019). The Evolution of Architecture [online] (Last updated 28 December 2019). Available at : https://www.concreterenovations.co.uk/news/the-evolution-of-architecture/#:~:text=The%20first%20forms%20of%20architecture,and%20why%20these%20structures%20exist.
[Accessed 12 October 2022]
