Architecture and the Environment

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According to the Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary, the word architecture has different meanings in our case it is taken to mean the art design or style of a structural building. Environment is the condition that affects the behavior and development of a person, the physical conditions that somebody exists in. So do the physical structures, their design and style affect human behavior in general? Many a time ones quality of life is associated with factors like ones diet, lifestyle and at times ones level of activities. Architecture in general has not been considered as a factor that affects one’s quality of life but in real sense it is a defining cause. With today’s research people have been made aware of the advantages and disadvantages that have been brought about by the architecture of surrounding infrastructure. “The amount and size of windows in a room, openness, shape/form and size of a room, the type and amount of light, specific colors, air quality, noise, and toxic materials implemented in buildings have been related to the specific outcome of behaviors and certain health-related issues.” (Architecture and health, 2007). For instance if a person was to be left in a dark room with no windows or was basically small and cramped it would make him or her moody, decrease his or her productivity, invoke stress, stress and if he or she was sick their getting better would be hindered. People’s behavior is the nature in which humans react to certain conditions and may be influenced by their emotions, beliefs, values, attitudes amongst other things. “An architect is in a unique position to revive people’s faith in their own culture. If, as an authoritative critic, he shows what is admirable in local forms, and even goes so far as to use them himself, then the people at once begin to look on their own products with pride. What was formerly ignored or even despised becomes suddenly something to be proud of. It is important that this pride involves products and techniques of which the local people have full knowledge and mastery. Thus the village craftsman is stimulated to use and develop the traditional local forms, simply because he sees them respected by a professional architect, while the ordinary person, the client, is once more in a position to understand and appreciate the craftsman’s work.”(Fathy), however what was considered as architecture in the past is now being changed with the advent of new technology we don’t have yards that families would look at but streets there is no clean cool air but more of rampant noise, heat, dust and pollution.

“Questions as to why, for instance a building’s form takes the shape it does, not only raises the more conventional aesthetic questions but also questions about what purpose or meaning the building serves beyond purely visual stimulation.”(Newcastle) As a way of controlling human behavior architects design buildings that make people feel more at ease and at home with themselves. People feel safer when they find a building that looks like it has to offer better security and a way to escape danger, unlike one where when one looks at the possibility of a catastrophe he has no way of escaping or avoiding it. “Environmental behavior studies in architecture are a contemporary approach to the traditional humanistic purposes of architecture. It is a view of design and of the environment which places the value, needs and preferences of users at the forefront of the design process. It is philosophy of design which has as its goal the satisfaction of human needs and the elimination of environmentally induced stress and it is founded on the belief that good design and great buildings are always ultimately judged by how conducive they are to a human existence which is alive, more human more capable and free.”(Moore). This has also been shown through the work and school environment. There are specific designs implemented by schools and offices which make people more productive and in case of schools learning more exciting thus making people more efficient and effective.

“Proxemics is the term used to describe person-environmental spatial associations and covers the areas of territoriality, crowding, and personal space. As with the concept of noise, the positioning of people in their social and physical worlds is predicated on cultural, psychological, and environmental influences.”(Stoker), with this in mind we should note that when referring to commercial designs we are talking about offices and businesses while residential design we mean homes and apartments. When one is at the office he or she does not feel the need to be very private or territorial, although a feel of personal space is required but when it comes being at home there is a general tendency of wanting strict privacy and being very territorial. There is a general feeling of wanting people to mind their own business and protect your things both physical and emotionally. According to stoker “…privacy is more closely related to interpersonal relationships than to objective social density” thus people go for houses, apartments or homes that they feel will be more comfortable to them. As architects design both the commercial and residential buildings they take into consideration factors like noise, privacy and overall expected population. On average most people tend to spend their time indoors not knowing that indoor pollutants maybe higher than outdoor pollutants due to the lack of regular fresh air that is needed for ones well being.

“Construction projects typically consume large amounts of materials, produce tons of waste, and often involve weighing the preservation of buildings that have historical significance against the desire for the development of newer, more modern designs. Sustainable construction is defined as the creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment based on resource efficient and ecological principles. Sustainably designed buildings aim to lessen their impact on our environment through energy and resource efficiency.”(Benzu)

A sustainable building is one that will have the least effect on the surrounding environment. They are referred to as sustainable buildings due to the following; in terms of the building themselves, their immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global setting. “Thus, the rational use of natural resources and appropriate management of the building stock will contribute to saving scarce resources reducing energy consumption and improving environmental quality.”(Benzu)

“Building a more environmentally stable future clearly requires some vision of it. If forests are no longer to be cleared to grow food, then how is a larger population to be fed? If a throwaway culture leads inevitably to pollution and resource depletion, how can material needs be satisfied? In other words, if the present path is so obviously unsound, what picture of the future can be used to move toward a global community that can endure?”(Hart)

In conclusion, for us to achieve a sustainable environment we must take into consideration when planning and designing for future infrastructure otherwise our future is grim to say the least.