wHaT Is aRChiTeCtUrE ?

I think the idea that I found the most interesting from the readings this week was that of Doppler Architecture in the text by Somol and Whiting. The Doppler effect in physics speaks to how there is no absolute value in the perception of light or sound waves as it varies concerning the distance between the participant and the source. So in the same way, the author draws a comparison to how there is no absolute definition of architecture. For years, people have put forth theories about what the essence of architecture is and attempted to define it fixedly without success. It ends up circling around and around with no conclusion because as rightly observed in the article, “Architecture as a discipline is not a fixed entity - it is an active organism dealing with several autonomous but not individual domains in perpetual transformation.” I think the aspect of creativity and design is key in setting architecture apart. The text states, “Design is what keeps architecture from slipping into a cloud of heterogeneity.” Architects are not just constrained to drawing plans and technical drawing, but through “design’s relation to other disciplines” are in fact relevant to other parts of the design process. Since the domain that architecture encompasses keeps evolving, I think trying to define it in an absolute manner is absolutely pointless. It is not “black or white” but instead lies in many shades of gray.