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explain architectural design as an imitation of our natural habitat. Our primary aim here is not to assess the correctness of age-old architectural theories in the light of modern science. Instead, we seek to expand our knowledge by investigating the origin and development of architectural design within a longer timeframe than these architectural theories can offer us. In order to do so, we will construct a relatively neutral and everyday notion of architecture. Architects occupy themselves with the planning, design and construction of buildings. Architectural design, then, must be about the design of
When the chimpanzee starts stacking these crates in order to reach the banana, she displays the mental ability to design, plan and construct an object.
[10] is constructed in reality. Nigel Cross chiefly
Animal Architecture
understands design as a mental ability, and
Are there other animals with the mental
we will try to consider architectural design
ability to plan and construct objects similar
in the context of the mind as well.
to buildings? A convincing example is given
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by Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal. In Darwin’s evolutionary theory has cleared
his book Are We Smart Enough to Know How
the way for understanding humans as a
Smart Animals Are?, De Waal describes an
species that has evolved from other species.
experiment in which a chimpanzee is put
Consequently, in this new conception of
in a cage with a banana that is hung from
continuity, specific human traits can be
a string and a number of crates.11 When the
viewed as genetically inherited. Thus,
chimpanzee starts stacking these crates in
recent insights from contemporary science,
order to reach the banana, she displays the
buildings, and the deliberate planning of
in particular the fields of primatology,
mental ability to design, plan and construct
their characteristics as objects. We believe
evolutionary anthropology, neuroscience
an object. The structure is stable enough to
that the word planning is of paramount
and cognitive science, may help us trace
serve her needs, and the ability of planning
importance, because it implies that you
the origin and development of our mental
is present in the fact that she is only awarded
construct the object in your head before it
ability to design.
after the tower is realized.