The Science of Architecture - feeling architecture

Throughout history, architecture has stood as a representation of society, reflecting the values, successes, and eventual downfall of civilizations over time. From the monumental structures to the residences and buildings that make up the fabric of a city, we can learn a lot about who the people were who inhabited them long before our time. By studying the built environment of the past, combined with modern-day research on psychology and the environment, we’re coming to understand the effects of architecture on people in entirely new ways, which begs the question: Just how does architecture impact society? The Importance of Architecture At its roots, architecture exists to create the physical environment in which people live, but architecture is more than just the built environment, it’s also a part of our culture. It stands as a representation of how we see ourselves, as well as how we see the world.  While the concept of shelter is a fairly simple thing, the style of...

Public Art is any example of media that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the public realm. The public realm refers to publicly-owned streets, parks and rights-of-way, which is where buildings are situated. Architecture clearly meets this definition. All of us, as the public, interact with architecture. We are affected on a practical and emotional level by both the way a building appears in its context and by its interior environment. The scientific method is used by architects to research and develop concepts on myriad levels required to create buildings. These levels include understanding the surrounding context from environmental, historic, stylistic and infrastructure perspectives; and determining program areas required by users such as interior products, structure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, technological and security systems. If both Art and Science are utilized in creating architecture, how do you find a balance be...

When we’re inside a building, whether it’s a science lab, library, or the office where we work from 9 to 5, it’s easy to see things solely in terms of its function. It can often seem like the interior of any construction’s four walls takes centre stage as the most important aspect of a design. In this regard, a building’s architectural merits often fall by the wayside in comparison. After all, we’re always told it’s what’s on the inside that counts. In practical terms, this may be true, but it’s important to remember that architecture is so often built  around  those who dwell inside. It has the ability to affect and influence our emotions and perceptions through factors such as space, light, and geometry, right down to the very materials that are used in its construction. It isn’t just an instinctive feeling either, scientific research has shown that certain cells in our brains’ hippocampal region attune themselves to the places and spaces we inhabit. But what of th...