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What is Architecture?

Dominic McAndrew

Semester 2 2008/2009 AC1006 Design Philosophy 2

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“Nobody to somebody, but somebody to everybody”

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About the Author Born Dominic Martin McAndrew, 6th June 1990.

In his short existence he has powered his way through an extraordinarily unextraordinary life and now finds himself on the brink of greatness.

Witty, sarcastic and wise he brings his charm to those luck enough to study in Bobby G’s School of the Gifted, Aberdeen (commonly known as Robert Gordon University) where he will finally graduate in 2015. Arrogant as ever, he sincerely hopes that you find this little gem of wisdom enticing, interesting and invigorating.  

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What is Architecture?

"What is architecture anyway? Is it the vast collection of the various buildings which have been built to please the varying taste of the various lords of mankind? I think not.

"No, I know that architecture is life; or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived. So architecture I know to be a Great Spirit....

"Architecture is that great living creative spirit which from generation to generation, from age to age, proceeds, persists, creates, according to the nature of man, and his circumstances as they change. That is really architecture."

Frank Lloyd Wright

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The question of “what is architecture� had almost defiantly been around as long, if not longer, as what we see to today as architecture began.

Architecture to some people may only be the means by which their shelter is constructed. Others may, as Lloyd Wright, see it as a spiritual component in our day to day life as passed on by our forefathers and as we will pass on in the future.

By far the most common perception of what architecture is is the artistic and cultural impact of a place, building or object.

The feelings of the masses of awe, comfort and content encapsulated in a form, which while appearing strong and sturdy ultimately will meet the same fate as human life will.

Perhaps it is this juxtaposition that makes it so compelling.

Architecture has certainly gone through a major transformation, some appreciated, some not. But whether an architectural change has been perceived to be exemplar or not is irrelevant. The fact that in these masses of stone, steel and timber has condensed an era into a strong, tangible collection is what architecture is really about – and the reason I am doing this degree.

Change is inevitable in architecture, architects and the world demand such change and it is through change that the future is born.

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One of the key factors that makes this question so hard to answer is because one cannot pinpoint the moment in time architecture began. It could be argued that architecture began as soon as man started using sticks and skin to form a shelter, equally it could be the beginning of solid structures – or when one of us “educated folk” turned up with a pencil and paper.

The question “what is architecture” will, I’m sure, be pondered by many a mind over time. Unfortunately, they will find that there is no real answer. However the following text will highlight some intriguing, challenging and thought provoking ideas that – although not for everyone – will help you engage in such an enormous question

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Power "When thou art at Rome, do as they do at Rome."

(Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, 1547-1616)

Conforming is a typical part of human behavior. We conform to people, places and things – though we may not know it.

Buildings can cause the conformism is a subtle, unconscious manner – that if looked for is as obvious as a smack in the face. This should not necessarily be construed as a sinister act, merely the architect planning for a purpose and making sure that this is what the environment will be used for. The power of this coercion can be as subtle as a change in texture, or as obvious as a physical barrier.

One prime example of this is the Scottish Parliament. Throughout the public areas there are changes in flooring colour and texture the subconsciously form “invisible walls” in the guest’s mind.

Powerful Object?

The vaulted concrete ceiling in the entrance lobby instantly closes in and exerts a powerful aura, firmly setting down that this is a place of upmost superiority.

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Believe it or not, a small mushroom shaped piece of concrete, or more a small army of these, exerts a surprisingly strong force in an object that would otherwise be disregarded as a bollard. These concrete mushrooms lie dormant the vast majority of the time, indeed being used as a play thing, however in the event of a car bomb attack these lumps of concrete are the difference between intrusion into the seat of Scottish power and a pathetic protest outside.

Conformism is as part of life as life itself. As architects, it is our right, our purpose and our need to create conformity – unless we want a riot now and again. Architectural power is not sinister, it is merely a fact of life. In using this power it is only a communication of the needs of ourselves, others around us and the needs of the environment we are in.

To paraphrase the old adage:

“When thou art in my building, do as I designed” Dominic McAndrew (1990-Present)

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Dominating you?

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Sex “Love is the answer, but while you are waiting for the answer sex raises some pretty good questions�

Woody Allen

Again just as with power, the title suggests that architecture is once again a seedy manipulative movement in the underbelly of society.

Far from this, sex, gender, romance and beauty are the visible essence of what architecture is. The association of a building to a specific gender is quite possibly a mix of the sexual nature of the human mind and the age-old sexist ideology, which, although not subscribed to in everyday life is still present on sum sort of subconscious level within each one of us.

Sculptor Alex McAndrew on Paris Expedition

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Hertzog and De Muron: Walker Art Centre

Above is a typical example of the macho-chauvinist rough and ready to smack you in the face variety of architecture. Bold geometric forms, dominating appearance and a rough appearance are “typically male” according to our inner sexist.

It’s a “man’s world”. At least, architecture still typically is.

Male architects, male buildings – testosterone everywhere.

Manhattan for example is spewing into the bay with testosterone. Skyscraper after skyscraper, each one bigger and better than the other. Sounds familiar? For decades men have been designing these phallic forms in ever increasing enormosity.

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Norman Foster: Russia Tower

Perhaps Lord foster has something to prove with the 180 floor, 25000 person city in the sky.

Simply softening the lines of these buildings instantly turns them into a sleek, slender and beautiful “female” building.

Bringing in the stereotypical feminine flower further emphasizes the “girly” nature of Crystal Island.

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Norman Foster: Crystal Island

Feminine buildings prove nothing.

They simply are what they are – a form of beauty.

Zaha Hadid: Nordpark Cable Railway

The finishes of a female building is also often different.

So, the architectural world is out dated, sexist, chauvinist, egocentric and macho?

For the most part in the current climate, yes. And it will be until the exclusive club of the crème de la crème architects has been refresh. The beginning of this happened, not with the work of Zaha Hadid, but with the fame and publicity she accrued. It is therefore, down to my generation of architects and those that will follow us that will truly complete the metamorphosis of the architectural landscape into the sexual equality scenario we have had in society for many, many years.

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Fair is Fair

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Race “It doesn’t matter if your black or white” Michael Jackson

Following on with the theme of humanizing architecture, we can also bring race into the mix. However race is possibly not the best word to use, ethnicity seems to fit this better – we are not discussing colour of buildings, more the cultural relativity.

Architectural history as we know it, indeed how it is taught in out very institution, is merely a history of what us in our self righteous western world perceive to be the crème de la crème of our crop of architecture, “inadvertently”

disregarding the just as commendable architecture found beyond the border.

This is purely Figure 1&2: Pretentious or Practical caused by our racial past. The white mans belief that he is all that matters in the world, 21

purist, wisest, strongest, most powerful and most educated has lead to the omission from history of ethnic architecture – indeed at has been segregated from white architecture.

As was the norm in society for until the 1960s ethnic architecture, just as ethnic people themselves was deemed inferior to that of the ever-wise white man’s. There skill in adapting to their situation, resourcefulness of building materials and their ability to design, build and maintain themselves was somehow overlooked.

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Black

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White

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Yellow

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One world

One architecture

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Architecture is…

Architecture is the life and soul of our society. It is as much a kingpin in out lives as our husbands, wives, parents and children. The ability to subconsciously convey so many different ideologies is far beyond that of any politician or activist.

Architecture is to the world what a soul is to a person.

Architecture is also far behind the moral thinking’s of modern day society, yet because it is in a simple built form and not some raving lunatic shouting in our faces we accept it. If a human was to say have the things connotated with architecture they would almost certainly meet an ugly demise.

I can draw parallels between the question of what is architecture to such dilemmas as “where is the universe” and “what came first the chick or the egg?”. No one can defiantly say when architecture began, or even what architecture is. Yes architecture includes the buildings us westerners see day to day, but who is to 3 sticks and a skin 28

say it cannot include 3 sticks and a dead cow’s skin or a cave somewhere deep underground.

I feel that architecture does not have to be created by man.

Ideed for something to be architecture I agree that is has been created by man for man. But ARCHITECTURAL, anything can be architectural – even a baboons backside. This kind of natural architecture has all too easily been flown by by the architectural powers that be. We all came from nothing but earth and water and that to is where architecture originated.

It does not need an arrogant fool with a degree, nor does it need recognition, but architecture is everywhere. It is the land we live, grow and develop - underneath our feet, all around us and ultimately in the future above us. We cannot escape it, as it has been part of the very fiber of our being since the dawn of time.

Why would we want to escape it? It has, after all, provided us with the world we have today. Yes, I agree, our world is not perfect – it never has been. Maybe architecture is the way to fix it. If it has the ability to take on such ideas as race and sex who is to say that a particular type of architecture in the right place and the right time could not change the world. I, my peers or those that will follow us could change the face of our planet.

Films in the early 21st century show the future as being a dire and desperate time, where the previous occupants of the planet have royally fucked it up and now everyone is having to scarper somewhere else in the universe.

Scape concepts: Sarah Schneider

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What I say to these film makes is they are the ones that have got it all wrong.

The budding young architects that turn up to university everyday – although hungover – have a passion deep inside of them to change the world.

We can, and those we will educate will follow us.

Our humble planet only gets better from here on in, you better push your sock down – because we are going to knock them right off.

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References Architecture now scran

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