Image taken from “The Visual Dictionary of Architecture” published by AVA Publishing SA 2008.

What is Architecture? Not a common question among everyday people. Yet, it’s a key question when one enters Architecture School. As well as, one that I keep asking myself as I grow as a person and progress in my career.

Defining Architecture is hard, as it not a static definition and can take various subjective, objective, specific and broad terms. The photo on the left reflects a well-structured definition, in my opinion. My favorite part of this definition is that its emphasis is that Architecture is not an object, aka a building, but a discipline, practice and it’s always evolving.

To the common person, Architecture is used to define a building such as homes, skyscrapers, offices, etc. Practicing it would mean drafting drawings, designing buildings and everything else I described in my previous blog post of “Architects: Who we are and What we do”. While, yes that is a large portion of what most of us do, Architecture goes far beyond that. Architecture is our built environment, thus part of our culture, defines the usage of our space, affects our moods and much more. Architectural designs as small as built-in benches and as large as city planning can affect how people interact with each other and go on with their every day lives.

Across the world, culture and Architecture go hand in hand. One can see how each country or even regions have their own architecture style based on the climate and the history of that place. Sure, there are design trends that spread throughout, but there is always a style, aka the vernacular, that is a representation of the region or country. Sometimes these styles get copied over in other areas, and that is the transition of culture and addition to the ever-melting pot that is our society now.

With that in mind, one can then look at the Architecture profession and ask what do they do for our society? Well, believe or not we make an impact far larger than most think. Before I dive into the impact, I wanted to make it a point to highlight that the Architecture Profession itself isn’t just those who are Licensed. It incorporates those who are in Architecture School, Architecture Professors, Architecture researchers, those who work in Architecture firms and do not have their license yet, advocates and much more.

Believe it or not the Architecture Profession has impact politically and socially. There are many within the professions who advocate politically to make changes on how design is regulated via what zoning and building code regulations are passed and/or changed. Furthermore, it is our duty to make sure the codes are being implemented properly and that no projects are construction illegally without permits or without meeting the codes that pertain to such projects. Socially, the profession impacts the type of projects that are built and how the design will affect the end users. Buildings last many years and shape the way the space and even city is used. A building can easily blend into the current design in the neighborhood or stand out and create a shift in the environment.

Furthermore, Architecture affects the body and mind. It shelters us and makes us feel emotions, whether we realize it or not. For example, a façade with little to no windows could be seen as unwelcoming, yet a façade with large windows and lighting attracts attention and welcomes people in. Part of the Architecture Profession job is to understand the past/present and foresee what changes in Architecture design is needed to further improve the usage of the space and the individual human experience. We see things differently and spot things the normal person wouldn’t. Whether it’s a small kitchen design to a skyscraper Architects knowledge is this expertise is important.

Comment below if you found this valuable and/or let me know what other information you would like to know about. I would love to hear back from you.

Keep growing,

Katherine Serrano Sosa