Unit 1 – What is Architecture?

As we have concluded in class, Architecture hasn’t a unique definition as it’s a huge profession with different branches. But in one way or the other, we can take some references about what some architects think and mix them with what we, architecture students, would define as Architecture.

So, in the first place I would choose those quotes to have a general idea.

“Architecture is the inevitable art, we are in continuous contact with it … we can avoid contemplating paintings, sculptures or any other work of architecture, it affect us constantly, configures our behavior and conditions our state of mind …”

Richard Leland

“The house has to please everyone, unlike a work of art that doesn’t have to please anyone. The work of art is que private affair of the artist. The house is not. The work of art is placed in the world without any requirements that forces it to be born. The house covers a need … Should’t architecture be understood outside the art?”

Adolf Loos

“Architecture embraces the entire physical environment that surrounds human life. We cannot scape from it as long as we are part of civilization, because architecture is the sum of modifications and alterations introduced into the land in order to satisfy human needs.”

William Morris

Taking everything into consideration, I would define architecture as the creation of living spaces in a way such that functionality and beauty are completely mixed.


But here it comes the question: Is Architecture an art. So, as we have commented in class, there are a lot of different opinions about this topic and of course it’s an evidence that it’s difficult to keep only one idea because as I’ve said Architecture can present infinite definitions, so depending of what you understand as Architecture you’ll consider it an art or not.

As far as I’m concerned, I claim that Architecture is a mix between the technique of construction and the beauty of art, so it’s not completely an art, but we can understand that it has its artistic parts.

As we have concluded in class, Architecture hasn’t a unique definition as it’s a huge profession with different branches. But in one way or the other, we can take some references about what some architects think and mix them with what we, architecture students, would define as Architecture.

So, in the first place I would choose those quotes to have a general idea.

“Architecture is the inevitable art, we are in continuous contact with it … we can avoid contemplating paintings, sculptures or any other work of architecture, it affect us constantly, configures our behavior and conditions our state of mind …”

Richard Leland

“The house has to please everyone, unlike a work of art that doesn’t have to please anyone. The work of art is que private affair of the artist. The house is not. The work of art is placed in the world without any requirements that forces it to be born. The house covers a need … Should’t architecture be understood outside the art?”

Adolf Loos

“Architecture embraces the entire physical environment that surrounds human life. We cannot scape from it as long as we are part of civilization, because architecture is the sum of modifications and alterations introduced into the land in order to satisfy human needs.”

William Morris

Taking everything into consideration, I would define architecture as the creation of living spaces in a way such that functionality and beauty are completely mixed.


But here it comes the question: Is Architecture an art. So, as we have commented in class, there are a lot of different opinions about this topic and of course it’s an evidence that it’s difficult to keep only one idea because as I’ve said Architecture can present infinite definitions, so depending of what you understand as Architecture you’ll consider it an art or not.

As far as I’m concerned, I claim that Architecture is a mix between the technique of construction and the beauty of art, so it’s not completely an art, but we can understand that it has its artistic parts.