Humans, or Homo Sapiens as we scientifically refer to them, are the affluent and intelligent species on Earth. Humans have been evolving since the beginning of time, not just in terms of physical development but also in terms of intelligence. Though there are no restrictions on what Humans may achieve, at this moment, man has attained the ability to travel to the moon and travel through space. These are just a few examples. With just their fingertips on the smartphone screen, humans can view the entire planet. We now have more opportunities thanks to the advancement of technology. But human beings have always required four walls and a roof to work on these revolutionary projects.
To feel that sense of security and comfort, Humans built fortresses and walls and castles and homes. Humans adapted to live in a shelter. These shelters were later termed “Houses”, “Workshops”, Offices”, and “Home”. They didn’t just remain shelters, but with the evolution of the human psyche, these emotions were associated with these four walls and a roof.
Human beings and Architecture
Since the beginning of time, humans have been seeking locations where they may do their daily tasks in a safe and comfortable environment. People used caves as dwellings throughout the Stone Age. These caves merely provided them with all of the utility that our own homes currently provide for us. They, at last, felt secure. Now that he could hunt and gather his food, the man was able to walk to his cave at the end of the day, start a fire, and prepare his dinner. The fire also served many more purposes besides merely heating the food. Fire served a variety of other purposes in addition to its obvious primary function of cooking food. Most importantly, fire made it easier for a man to see in the dark at night. It was also utilized to stay away from animals. Humans are flexible. Since Homo Sapiens can understand, adapt, and grow, they stand apart from all other species. These caverns and those wildfires continue to exist today and have evolved into our homes, which are examples of modern forms.
It has been a very long journey from caves to solid homes, but it has only been made possible by the potential of human invention and adaptability, which is essentially architecture. The phenomenon, concept, or quality of architecture is what most significantly altered the world. The word “architecture” has several different meanings. Even if it combines elements of art, science, and engineering overall, this does not mean that it can be summed up in these three categories alone. Architecture simply unites the user’s mind and body to the inside and outside, creating emotions and adding features to spaces and places. It is an infinite realm of flexibility and technological advancement. The link between dystopia and utopia is architecture. Through architecture, humans have accomplished several things.
Culture, Faith and Identity
Different regions in the world have different cultures. These cultures tell us a lot about the lifestyle of people living in that particular region. Now culture rests on several components like language or religion, and one of the most significant factors that unify all of these factors is architecture. For instance, when a huge group of strangers goes to church, they all sing the same prayers and hear the church bell ring, and these rituals help them to unite and create what is known as culture, a much larger entity. Similarly, when people go to their reputable companies, they experience a “work culture.” As an example, the work culture of the film industry would be completely different from that of an IT company. Now, this work culture can vary for different companies. This whole entity of culture came into existence when Human beings became social and started doing things as a group. “Places” created “Spaces” for social gatherings. Architecture is also the idea of place and space. The architecture gave rise to the culture. The constructed environment within an office differs from that of a church because the characteristics and purposes that might be used to identify a church and an office are entirely different. The architecture of that specific area also defines these characteristics and functions. A church is being designed for prayers while an office is being defined to work, and hence the culture is being shaped.
The role of faith is important when a culture is being formed. Faith undoubtedly depends on how a culture is developing. A poisoned culture causes the death of the faith. Graveyards are hence those melancholic locations where the faith appears to have vanished from humanity. A culture is defined by a place, and faith is born from that culture. The fundamental unit of architecture is the beginning of a whole cycle. Even the darkest places, when designed with beauty, can give human beings faith. As an illustration, the Okunoin Cemetery in Japan was created in a way that makes the ceremony of bidding farewell to the deceased calm rather than killing out a person’s faith. The task is made a little bit lighter by the sciography and the solitary trail that leads to the final location under cover of the large, dense trees.
Similar to the ancient city of Athens, the Greek Agora and Acropolis were each uniquely created based on the location’s utility, which offered us an idea of how a location may come to have a particular Identity. Similarly, when we visit Tokyo, Japan, we see that the nation has a distinct identity, and while the city has embraced technology improvements, Kyoto, another Japanese city, has maintained its traditional Japanese architecture to this day. Both cities are in Japan, however, they each have a distinctive identity that is a result of the two cities’ various infrastructure styles.
A world Devoid of Architecture
There are several rules for time travel, including the inability to influence the “Absolute Event” and the prohibition of jeopardizing any event that might have an impact on the future. An absolute event cannot be changed, that has already occurred, and that will continue to occur despite your best efforts. Architecture is similar to that Absolute Event in that we cannot fathom a world without it, but what would happen if the idea of architecture had never been put forth? What will human life look like? Without architecture, what would human existence be like? Let’s attempt to respond to these questions.
Cultures, religions, and identities were shaped by architecture. Without architecture, those prehistoric caves would have remained little more than “just caves.” a setting in which there is nothing one could call “Home.” Today, we retreat to our home. At the end of the day, home is where we find tranquility. It’s where we feel safe. One trait that distinguishes humans from other species is their ability to emotionally relate to inanimate objects or material possessions. And when a person moves into a house, that is what happens. Their attachment to their home is emotional. Homo Sapiens experienced such emotion as a result of architecture. Caves would have remained caves rather than a large mansion with 20 rooms within if it weren’t for emotions. An increased sense of attachment to one’s home and workplace can be attributed to architecture. Architecture gave beauty to the world.
Without architecture, the world would be devoid of Beauty, Humanity, Heights, Passion, and the Divine. This would be the world without Vision.
- Books
Yi-Fu Tuan. Space and place.
- Online sources
Colette Hemingway (2003): Architecture in Ancient Greece
Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grarc/hd_grarc.htm#:~:text=The%20two%20principal%20orders%20in,slab%20known%20as%20the%20echinus.
