History, The Test of Time

     In architecture, design can drive us to do extraordinary things. Not only are we trying to suffice the needs of today, but we are also trying to predict the needs of the future. We as designers often find ourselves in this dilemma with no clear answer. The best thing we can do is analyze what we can, collect data, and try to apply what we have observed to what we think is applicable.

    What we don’t realize is the issues that we find today are most often the same issues seen in the past. The best part is that someone in the past has either found a good solution to the problem, or they have shown us what not to do. You might say how can past issues relate to the present? Our advancements in technology and scale separate them drastically.

    This is where I am beginning to find that theory plays a major role in architectural development. I look at theory like a formula. You have your variables and similar conditions, you plug them into the formula, and you have a somewhat predictable outcome. These variables can range from context between cities, the demographics, anything that makes a site unique can most likely be comparable to somewhere else in the world at the same time or in the past. Theory is our guide to architecture that can work. Nothing is set in stone. It can develop and conform as does time and the progression of the architecture of the day.