We all live
and work in buildings. From the humblest to the sublime, there is no
reason why any of these should be less than inspiring even in small ways. One
of the means through which we try to create order and make
sense in our endlessly intriguing yet microscopic world is to provide
ourselves with shelter.
The turn of a stair. The way sunlight falls through windows
in mesmerizing patterns on floors. Material cool to the touch in
the heat of summer. The rhythm of an arcade. The pregnant quality
of a dome. At its best, architecture, which is different from building,
lifts our spirits and sends shivers down our spines. At its worst,
it belittles us. Although it really shouldn't, Ever.
Architecture touches all
of our senses. Our culture is about making of things. A process which
starts with the provision of shelter from the elements. Architecture
fulfills this basic need and its expression across time, history
and space. And is as varied as the paralleled worlds of plant an animal
species.
There is a difference between building and architecture.
Animals can build. Their innate sense of geometry and knowledge of
light-weight materials is unsurpassed. Humans, though, developed architecture.
The science and art of building. The transformation from mere shelter
into that of a self-conscious work of art.
20th century architecture could go any one of many different
ways. New materials, computers, and a sense of freedom from our ever
changing
philosophies and dominant movements gave design engineers a greater range
than they ever had before. Continuing to explore and push the limits
of innovative use of geometry, matter and color to introduce a new,
humanistic modern design, showcasing the various designs for over a
quarter century.
Back to the Future
Buildings by design engineers who
have a real aesthetic sense are rare. Most continue to be filled with
inept imitations, economically handicapped reproductions of our grandiose
ideas brought down to their lowest common denominator. The theoretical
cutting edge of design and engineering is ever moving at the periphery of public
interest.
Most buildings in the real world are still conceived
in modes and even in styles that might not have seemed unfamiliar
fifty years ago. Architectural designs that will come out of the computer
age will bring forth shapes that no architecture has imagined before
is advancing. The computer can also greatly facilitate the design
engineers of highly complex forms. If such sculptured shapes are in
the future of architecture, then they have to be more than an aesthetic
whim. Adaptability, capacity to change with use and evolve with time.
These are the underlying victims of the new architecture designs, a living
breathing art form in this world.
Architecture is a continuously evolving art. Advances in technology have enabled
design engineers to build intelligence into buildings. To create structures that can respond to changes in environment and then adapt to human needs.
