According to Merriam Webster, architecture is defined as: the art or science of building; specifically the art or practice of designing and building structures and especially habitable ones. Shelter is defined as: something that covers or affords protection. There is an important distinction between the two. A piece of architecture provides shelter, but a basic structure is not necessarily a piece of architecture.
Consider the comparison of sound to music. Do we as a society think of every sound or stream of sounds musical? The answer is clearly no, but why is that? There are many reasons, but intuitively we could probably all agree that music is something with intention, purpose, creativity, and expresses something more than just the chord structure used to create the sounds. Music can express love, anger, evoke memories, provide spiritual praise, and a host of many other experiences.
Similarly, buildings have the same capacity as sound relative to the human experience. At its basic level, a building can provide shelter from the elements. At its greatest, a building can create layers of history, culture, expression, and places of stored memories. Why is there a spectrum between the two conditions?
Going back to the music analogy, in many instances, a simple sound is all that is required for certain situations. Think on the last time you were driving through a school zone. Most likely, there was a police officer directing traffic using a whistle. Almost anyone would recognize a sound of a whistle and what it signifies in this instance. We know to stop, pay attention and watch for direction. Would it be as effective if what you heard was the melody of ‘Give me Shelter’, even if we tried to make it customary? Most likely not. There is an appropriateness to sound that we allocate to situations.
A building is built because there is a need or a function that it must satisfy. Primitive structures began as basic means to protect our ancestors from the weather and climatic conditions. In current society, we have a vast range of ‘needs’ that we use buildings to serve. Beyond functionality, we decide as a culture how much thought and creativity each building deserves. It’s within this spectrum, between a building serving as pure function and a building or structure embodying the human spirit, that architecture arises.
The time required to think through the construction of a building has cost, the material used to make the building has cost, and the effort to put the building together has cost. Ultimately, through the laws of supply and demand, we decide what types of buildings will be produced, how needs will be met, and for whom. When we purchase a home built in a certain style with specific materials in particular areas, when we live in specific types of apartment buildings and condos, when we elect politicians who implement government spending, we are deciding what we are willing to accept. Our purchasing power is our silent vote for the world we are creating. When we look around in the American built environment, are everyone’s basic needs being met, and when they are being met, are they as good as they could be?
Sources: Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/