CHANGE”TECTURE”

CHANGE AND ARCHITECTURE GO HAND IN HAND

Change is inevitable, and maybe that is the one thing we can’t change. Irony,
change is one such thing that’s constant. Most people change due to their past
experiences. They try to change their surroundings to make it more habitable. This is
the reason why art and architecture don’t have a constant trend. They keep changing
based on ones experiences with themselves and their surroundings. It is important
for us to understand that change is one such thing that is constant in architecture.
We are constantly trying to change our surroundings, make it more comfortable,
adaptable and maybe also a little luxurious. This affects the architecture of that
place.
But change isn’t just about the structure and the spaces we create but there is a lot
more to it.
ANCESTRAL INFLUENCES
During the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age, each of it had a different style of
housing based on their thinking capabilities, surroundings and necessities. As we
look into other civilizations like Indus valley civilization, the Egyptian civilization,
Roman, Greek and so on; each had a different style and characteristic to their
building.
Prehistoric architecture of the Palaeolithic and Neolithic ages, for example, depicted
a movement from wandering to settling. Sites such as Stonehenge, too, depict the
beginnings of architecture as iconic, as this design is thought to have recorded an
important historical event. Greek architecture displays the emergence of reason and
calculated thought. Buildings and cities were designed with precise mathematical
calculation, great attention to detail, and were thoughtfully laid out; reflections of the
mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers that the buildings housed. Similarly, the
way that Roman architecture was designed reflected the civil aspects of that society,
putting greater emphasis on designing cities with a core central area, or heart.
Byzantine architecture heralded the strong significance of religion to architecture. In
this way, buildings became dedicated spaces of purpose, meaning, and emotional
experience. Furthermore, Romanesque monasteries not only reflected the religious
consciousness of the time, but also literary and cultural life. This architecture
depicted a hunger for knowledge and learning and a development of cultural identity.
These series of changes in the building style has helped us reach a point in
architecture where anything is possible. These anecdotes from the past have helped
us shape our future buildings. Going back in time, analysing why certain things were
done in a particular way will help us shape our present as well as future.
For example, Golconda fort or Amber fort or most of the other forts, don’t have a
direct straight entry, it’s twisted and curved with numerous gates/checkpoints. This
was done so that during the time of war they could slow down their enemy.
The instinct of survival is present in every person or animal since its birth. This is
what enables us to make changes, not only in our surroundings but also in ourselves
to survive. Here what we take as an architect is not the twisted and curved paths but
the essence of why it was done in the first place; it was done to protect them and this
is what we have to take from it. The feeling of security is what we must try to imbibe
in our structures. The existence of such perspectives has framed us in our present
and future. Understanding the true meaning of these ideas will enable us to shape
our future.
PAST SHAPING THE FUTURE
We have looked into our past, but how have these shaped us? For example, take
openings; every building requires openings of various sizes. How they decided its
size depends on where it’s being used. Doors were bigger as it should allow human
or other bigger objects to move in, windows were smaller and ventilators were much
smaller. So we can see that each utility had a different yet simple solution.
The changes in our past have been shaping our present and future. Our outlook
towards the future changes when we look into our past influences. Why certain
things are designed a certain way? Why some things have reached their best design
potential? Why do some things need a constant change of design?
Each of these questions can be answered by looking in to our architectural history
and they depend on human necessities. For example, take a fork; we can’t come up
with a better design for it. It has reached its maximum design capability. The ones
who first thought of designing this article might have come up with many ideas but at
last, based on its usage; it had to be the way it is today.
When we take up an example of a house, the basic components might remain the
same but the way these are arranged would be different until unless it is meant to be
similar. Think about the various civilizations; each one has a different style of
building any type of structure. They might even have 2 or 3 improvised styles of the
same type of structure with in the civilization.