Sky Is Not the Limit
In architecture school they teach students to consider the building’s surroundings, the people who will inhabit it, the experience it creates, and the impact it will have on the neighborhood. They have always made us aware that the building structures we design influence the community that immediately surrounds it.
After watching the lecture “formgiving” by Bjarke Ingels, I started to realize that architecture has the power to influence much more than the community in which it exists. Our discipline has the potential to explore new technologies and concepts and to push the limits of not only architecture but of our society and to redefine the world in which we live in. Its influence can range from establishing the principles of what a country’s academic architecture will talk about for the following decades like Peter Eisenman did, to exploring the possibility of making life in another planet feasible through carefully designing the built environment in a way that provides the elements that the planet, such as Mars, is missing in order for life to exist there.
Is there a limit to the influence architecture can have on the world?
Thaly,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you were able to look past the immediate community/neighborhood that BIG creates, or fails to create. Architecture has a huge influence on the world and impacts so many aspects apart from the built environment. It is a great way to implement new ideas and technologies, and hopefully improve the world around us.
Thaly,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read your post, because during the readings/film I was thinking the same things. Buildings absolutely influence the surrounding neighborhoods and the users and it is so important to take that into account!
Thaly,
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your position on how architecture influences so much more than its adjacent surroundings. The question you posed at the end really made me think about what the architecture of the future could look like if we dont define the limits to just the building's form and functions, but if we as architects, educated ourselves in topics outside the realm of buildings.
One of my favorite quotes is:
“An architect knows something about everything. An engineer knows everything about one thing.” - Matthew Frederick
I think our limits of influence stem from our knowledge or lack thereof for topics other than architecture and its counterparts.
One aspect of architecture that I've always found interesting is how it decides how we live our lives. Deciding what apartment to live in is not all that different from deciding which city to live in. Living in New York is substantially different from living in Dallas. Having a kitchen near your living space can make you snack more. Having a patio can decide whether you go outside some days which can then impact your actual health. Open office plans alter how you work compared to cubicles and offices. So many small decisions an architect makes in the building can change how people interact with the building and their neighbors.
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