Habitat or Habitual

    De Carlo writes “the world cannot do without architecture. As long as a group of humans in physical space exists, the physical organization of space will continue not only as a fundamental necessity of existence, but also as the most direct and concrete means of communicating via materialized systems of self-representation.” If architecture and architects are as important as he suggests, it is critical to analyze how the built environment interacts with human beings. The role of architecture quickly becomes reality to man, and provides a sense of impactful occupiable spaces. The rooms where we sleep, spaces we gather and structures we seek for comfort are the characteristics man relies on to live. I refer back to the habitation of spaces and can personally connect with these feelings. Although I do not rely entirely on only meaningful architecture to spend my time in (sometimes the unsuccessful or unnecessary architecture - a humid Lee Hall, a stairway leading to nowhere or a covered dining area on a cloudy day - I occupy because it is a habit to do so) it still becomes a space that we can understand. 

     Applying this to my own experience as a student in the architecture world, I frequently find myself questioning if what I have illustrated would be meaningful to someone else. It is easy to get wrapped up into a tangled web of ideas for innovative strategies to form massing, sometimes irregular shaped corridors and offices….but is this just me trying to stand out so reinventing the wheel feels natural to accomplish this? Hard to really say, but I think it is very much the case in certain situations. In my attempt to redefine, it is clear how successful spaces are not really understood until the architecture is standing. The architect is able to provide the structure as a service, but people are the ones who chose (or to reject) spaces where we want to stay. When we feel a connection in our experience with architecture, that is where the meaningful, relevant and impactful world is formed regardless of the intentions of the designer at hand. The architect is not as important as the architecture.