My Stand on Architecture

The more I learn, the more I realise how little I know. When attempting to understand what architecture is, you step into a whole matrix of concepts. As I have been in the past bombarded with countless number of architectural styles, fields of thought and manifestoes I have been left confused. I mean try to put in words what ‘sustainability’ really is. When we think of sustainability, too many fields of thought are associated with it; green architecture, efficiency, eco-effectiveness, conservation, cradle to cradle methodology and so on... it leaves me somewhat... baffled. I do know one thing though: that Architecture is neither as undefined or flexible as art, nor fixed, determinable or as rigid as science.


I have therefore decided to put what my current stand is on Architecture in words. Both to convey what I believe as well as that ‘hmm.... maybe I’ll find out as I do so’.


I believe it is a leadership in a way that architecture is the leading of all the specialists together to produce a building, combining the many different concepts, beliefs, and with that weighing out the pros/cons to make a final decision. As the engineer may think wholeheartedly on function, the designer believes in aesthetics and the quantity surveyor believes in minimising the costs and cares for neither.


Architecture is the skill of thinking laterally that brings together all these concepts to produce an all-rounded building, fully scientific in context and yet artistically ingenious.

I have come to love the outcome and work of architecture and am beginning to learn the greatness and ingenuity of the work. What it does is condense and simplify all the various ‘specialist’s’ work into understandable lay man’s type of thinking and representation. Without losing significant information and yet keeping very close contact with the big picture.

An example would be how the architect combines the various ‘specialist’s’ information to produce a plan drawing of a theatre. The architect’s plan drawing shows the sound properties (sound engineer) taken into consideration illustrated by the arrangement of seats, the flow and pathway of people (fire department/businessman), what materials used, its dimension and
how much (QS) and so on.

On a more general context I believe architecture to be the link, not just the jack of all trades and master of none. He is the master at linking these other professions/ ways of thinking to produce a balanced functional piece of art. Very vital in making things happen.

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