Taking Shape

What does it mean to think critically about architecture before it takes shape? 

    Architecture, as we know it takes shape by considering many different factors in which the building will sit. We consider the region, the people who will use the building, the people who will be working in other buildings near by, it is our job to consider all of these factors in the earliest stages of our architecture taking shape. We have to critically think about the things that will be around our building before we can even start to find a shape that fits it. I thought that this quote from the Somol- Whiting reading encompassed my thoughts on this.

    "Architecture is not an isolated or autonomous medium, it is actively engaged by the social, intellectual, and visual culture which is outside the discipline and which encompasses it... it is based on a premise that architecture is inevitably involved with questions more difficult than those of form or style."

    What does it mean to think critically about architecture before it takes shape? Well, you have to understand what the engagement and the autonomy is going to be for that building. This is something that becomes crucial when designing-- especially when designing in an already built community. Thinking critically before starting the designing process can change the timeline of the project drastically-- in a positive way. 

    An example of why thinking critically is so important is because if all of
the issues that could be come up in a project are brought to the table from the beginning of the design process, I believe that this causes less problems during construction-- but also allows for the architect to be able to successfully design around issues and be able to determine an accurate scope of work during the pre-design phase. During this time you can determine if the architecture will be hot or cold, how the building should be oriented, demographics of users, etc.