As a layman, one cannot truly appreciate architecture’s influence on one’s life. Our daily lives are impacted by architecture not just on a conscious level but also on a subconscious level. Five years of architecture school helped us gain a plethora of knowledge and offered a complete shift in perspective. Each individual’s uniqueness gives rise to various ideologies and mindsets. This architectural point of view can be utilised to view multiple aspects of life. Architecture can be amazingly complex or truly simple, depending on the user. It ties the mind and spirit together. It helps me gain knowledge in architecture and every aspect of life. Overall, architecture helps create a unique, new, and fresh perspective toward most things. It could be the simple geometry of shapes, an overly complex building, nature’s beauty, or even something as simple as fashion.
The many aspects where architecture helps see things with new eyes are:
How architecture sharpens our spatial reasoning
Context plays a vital role in architecture, which is often considered non-professional. It is easy to criticise a building without understanding its context. The practical concerns and functionality of a building may be dismissed on the surface, but people are undoubtedly influenced subliminally. In addition to aiding in the visualization of environments, comprehension of functioning, and appreciation of aesthetics, architecture also aids in the human knowledge of climatology, topography, and geography. Unknowingly, architecture increases our daily awareness of places, designs, colours, and materials. Never having been to a specific place, a person may still relate to their culture, tradition, and artwork through architecture.
Architectural Psychology
The need for human shelter led to the development of architecture. Today, it is a symbol of cultural identity. Well-designed buildings may inspire people to reach new heights, but poor designs can suffocate them. Human behaviour is significantly influenced by architecture. Humans subconsciously modify their behaviour in response to their surroundings and architecture. A significant contrast is that of prisons elsewhere compared to Sweden and Norway. Dark walls, confined boxes, and lack of proper light make the spaces dull and gloomy, leading to stress, trauma, and zero progress. At the same time, open green areas, well-lit and ventilated rooms, community spaces, and form exploration make an excellent rehabilitation space, a place to understand and learn to become a better fit for the community.
Observation sparks curiosity
You might have heard of a rhetorical question when you were younger: “Why is it called a building if it has already been built?” Guess what? The answer is architecture. Although the result is meant to be the ultimate objective, over time, the entire process stands out and gives the building longevity. A structure becomes a “building” through the design process by putting it together one building block at a time, research and development, trial and error, and numerous analyses. No project is ever “perfect,” even after it has been completed, which leaves room for improvement, leading to a structure being perpetually built regardless of the design stage it is at, hence the term “building.”
Curiosity sparks knowledge
Though not the best analogy, it certainly gets your mind going. Am I right, or am I right !?
That is what viewing the world from an architectural perspective does. It makes you think, makes you a question, and, more so, makes you observe. Observing situations around you is the best way to learn from them. Architecture unknowingly heightens our sense of observation in everyday life; observation about spaces, design, colours, materials, movies, fashion, and whatnot.
Every kid’s first drawing is a tree next to a house with a sloping roof, a sun in the corner, mountains, and a river flowing between them. As an architecture student, one observes and learns the reasoning behind the tiniest details, such as a sloping roof—or rather, details one may have considered insignificant.
Filmography
Set Designing, a field of theatre and film, can easily be understood via architecture. From an architectural standpoint, the relationship and similarities between design and movies may also be brilliantly comprehended. Through architecture, movies like Inception, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Gangubai Kathiawadi capture the grandeur of these works. The intricate detailing of set design, the artistic flexibility, and the ability to employ colours and architecture to portray emotions and sentiment is beautifully captured on screen through design and architecture.
Anywhere we look, we can find an example and correlation of architecture, whether in fashion, video games, photography, or something else. Architecture boosts your creativity and gives birth to new ideas. Now, imagine a world devoid of architecture. It is a world where there is nothing– nothing to notice, nothing to question, nothing to doubt, and nothing to offer.
