what is architecture?

This is a million-dollar question for an Architect who would definitely ask this question to himself/ herself during the making or working as an Architect….

The literal meaning is “the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings” as per Dictionary but only an Architect can understand the vast meaning of the word Architecture.

Architecture is an imagination or passion to design and built buildings, create spaces for human beings to live their lives in a civilized manner…

The encyclopaedia meaning would be

“Architecture, the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. The practice of architecture is employed to fulfil both practical and expressive requirements, and thus it serves both utilitarian and aesthetic ends. Although these two ends may be distinguished, they cannot be separated, and the relative weight given to each can vary widely. Because every society—whether highly developed or less so, settled or nomadic—has a spatial relationship to the natural world and to other societies, the structures they produce reveal much about their environment (including climate and weather), history, ceremonies, and artistic sensibility, as well as many aspects of daily life”.

There have been many great Architects throughout the world who have defined Architecture in various languages of building design and have inspired us with their works.

When we want to define Architecture, we can go back to the famous Architects/ philosophers of their age who defined it in their own style….

“By dint of building well, you get to be a good architect” – Aristotle

“Architecture is the learned game correct and magnificent of forms assembled in the light” – Le Corbusier

“God is in the details” – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

“Architecture is the reaching out for the truth” – Louis Kahn

“I don’t build in order to have clients. I have clients in order to build” – Ayn Rand

“Life is architecture and architecture is the mirror of life” – I.M. Pei

“Architecture is an expression of values” – Norman Foster

Architecture is a language that translates the imagination of an Architect from the mind to the actual 3 dimensional sculpture that is created in the form of the built space, a building which can be occupied by the human beings in various forms- from living to working to relaxing.

Since the early ages the evolution of Architecture has changed in terms of the need of human beings as a shelter to the Modern age architecture where there are various types of buildings based on the requirements today, like commercial, entertainment, hotels etc.

As we all have heard about “Form follows Function”, is a principle associated with late 19th and early 20th century architecture, coined by architect Louis H. Sullivan. To follow the basics, Architecture is all about creating a habitable space with aesthetics built in and having a mindful functionality which follows the built form of structure of the living space.

Architecture is therefore an art of organizing space not only functionally but aesthetically. The constitutes of beauty are structure, utility and aesthetics- the ‘Trinity’ of Architecture.