Community Architecture And Cultural Architecture

Architecture is a physical manifestation of the needs and aspirations of a society and is determined by few factors – context, climate, environment, and socio-cultural aspects of a place or a region. It includes not only monumental and professionally designed monuments but also quaint residential structures built by craftsmen and lay people for their own use. It includes the interrelationships of the built and open spaces within the larger landscape. (Tipnis, 2012)

When considering the cultural and social aspects of a building, one must study the historical context of its construction. In the 1920’s, European architecture was beginning to integrate traditional elements with the new social demands for modern technology. Although many architects and engineers were involved, Le Corbusier was the French architect who people today believe led this architectural revolution in Europe. Few are aware of the fact that Pierre Chareau also played a significant role in this modernist movement. Originally a furniture designer, the Maison de Verre was his first full scale architectural project. Doctor Jean Dalsace and his wife Annie commissioned Chareau to design their home and kept a binding friendship throughout and

The participation of all social classes in urban design comes out as a crucial element which can only be understood if the domestic life component of a city is evaluated; this is often referred to the feminine space where women and children are essential characters. The Documentation of the Hull house is seen as a transformational tool that changes the civilization aspect of the home model into a new model of urban change that is based on organizational culture. Through the documentation of Addams’s sketch, the daily life in the Hull House created theoretical approaches that led to urban reform proposals to incorporate legitimacy of the urban

In a multicultural society like Levenshulme it is important to observe the behaviour of people from different community having different proxemics to avoid conflicts and disputes within the society. As an architect it is our duty to fulfil the needs of people from every social group in a multicultural society therefore it is important for us to keep multiculturalism in mind while making a society. In this essay we’ll also discuss the influence of culture into architecture and multiculturalism in building a society.

With the growing presence of globalization and modernization, the pre-industrial building heritage is indeed under threat with modern methods prevailing. In that vein, we are seeing how the “designs, use and meanings of these traditions change within the concepts of the contemporary processes” in a globalized world (Lindsay Asquit, Marcel Vellinga, 2006).

Architecture that was once specific and local has now become global. It would seem that the national identity of the past has been sacrificed for the development of modernity.

Architecture can be seen a tool for exploring the future; an instrument for questioning ourselves about the infinite possibilities that humankind has when

Architecture refers to the production of objects, buildings, a task performed by the people. The most successful architecture goes beyond functions, enclosure, or rather a big envelope for living.”

From the Ancient Egyptian pyramids, to the Ancient Roman Colosseum, architecture is seen in different forms all over the world. As a mechanical engineering student and an art admirer, I am extremely interested in the rich history of architecture, as well as modern architecture. Architecture was, is, and will continue to be a very important aspect of people’s lives until the end of time. Today, architecture is more than the skyscrapers in Dubai. It’s more than the prominent church of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. It’s more than just a house. Architecture is really much larger than that. Architect Daniel Libeskind declares, “Architecture is the biggest unwritten document of history”. Architecture has significant purpose and meaning. Architecture is capable of healing physically, economically, environmentally, and emotionally.

It’s shown me that different cultures require varied translations in physical outputs of buildings. It’s also shown me that different people from all walks of life have varied ideas, interests, hobbies, needs. By going outside that box, I’ve seen the innovations in architecture becoming not only progressive, but also more sensitive. These make the intangible, emotional experiences of an individual person in a space more tangible, the impossible of yesterday more possible today.

The main trademark of contemporary architecture style consists of geometric shapes, asymmetric features, and natural building materials. The focus is on function, simplicity, flexible interiors, plenty of light on airy spaces. The style is mostly minimalistic with clean lines. The house has a bold look and a very distinctive architectural street appeal. The houses are built to be more flexible to several different uses; they are also well ventilated and have access to enough natural light. These buildings' orientations form the main concern for contemporary architectural style. Compared to old classic mid-century designs, the modern

Buildings are fundamental parts of our lives, they have such a huge impact on the way we live, our quality of life and our behaviour. Some of the most important buildings include our homes, offices, schools among many others we inhabit on a daily basis. Even the buildings we don’t inhabit often have great importance to our lives places such as hospitals, airports and hotels impact our lives. The quality of these buildings and the way they make there users feel are incredibly important because they dramatically effect our mood and our experiences. Obviously architects want to design buildings that are pushing the boundries of modern architecture, however the clients should always be the most important part of the design process; creating a space for them and their need and to improve upon their lives should be the number one priority.

As Goldman Environmental Prize winner Terry Swearingen stated, “we are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to.” In today’s society, the architectural process is beginning to exponentially grow due to the vast need of building construction for evolving communities. However, many architects are massively constructing without truly realizing the side effects of building architecture to the economy or environment. A building plan should not be viewed solely on the physical structure, but also the ecological and ethical impacts that the actual construction can potentially create. Eco architecture is gradually integrating developing sustainable concepts into the architectural world and experts are currently exploring green tactics to fulfill the environmental and economical needs of architecture. The term “green” is coined with eco architecture because the method of construction seeks to minimize harm and disruption to the environment, while promoting energy efficiency and cost reduction through the moderate use of natural materials. With the proper approach, architects could operate with a green technique that could potentially strengthen quality control of construction, improve the efficiency of current architecture, and depress the potential harm towards the economy and environment.

It can be argued that architecture and design have proved more significant in the establishment of cultures as civilisations developed. For the vast majority of the population, buildings are what they saw and used in their everyday lives, it was either a place they lived in, worked in or sometimes visited. Generally it was only the rich and privileged and this included religious establishments who saw, and more importantly appreciated what was known as ‘art’. The general population was fairly ambiguous to art and the aesthetics of architecture by adopting a more pragmatic view of their surroundings. For most of them it did not excite their intellect, as they were more concerned about order and

Architects are now called upon to create designs that provide social change, improve the health of a building’s inhabitants, increase equality and in general improve social life (Dutton and Mann 1996 in Woodward 2007, 3). Bioclimatic design falls within this brief as it priviledges designs that are at one with the surrounding climate and produce a harmonious microclimate for the inhabitants, thus improving health and providing social change. However, until recently technical aspects of producing bioclimatic designs were ceded to specialist-trained engineers in the field of Bioclimatics (Altomonte 2009, 13). Thus, keeping architectural education focused on its long-held traditions of culture, emotion and improving the landscape. This ensures that there is a continued gap between the traditional education of new architects and the education of principles of bioclimatic design. Which makes it difficult for architects to incorporate bioclimatic principles into their final designs.