As humanists, we value knowledge as something that should be accessible to everyone. We believe in education as an agent of change and exploration, not just for yourself but for others.

Architecture is a form of art that uses space, proportion, and style to influence how people feel about what you’re presenting to them. A well-designed building or area of land creates feelings such as calm, tranquility, and inspiration. It can even stir emotion – like wonder at the beauty of its architecture or appreciation for the efforts put into creating it.

In this article, we will talk more about why architectural design matters, some types of buildings, and how architects are trained.

History of architecture

Like most fields, architects are divided over what styles they want to exist in and which ones should be discarded, replaced with newer versions. But before we talk about why that is, let’s take a look at how architecture has changed through history!

Architecture goes back much longer than you might think. Some say it began as early as 3000 B.C. when tribes would gather around fires and construct simple shelters or huts using stones and branches. These structures were mostly for protection from natural disasters like rain or snow.

More complex buildings emerged around the middle-east, south Asia, and europe during this time period. The pharaohs built elaborate tombs and monuments utilizing advanced engineering principles. They also constructed vast palaces and temples dedicated to their gods.

In India, the roman style was adapted and incorporated into various cultures including greek and chinese. This gave us some of our major architectural styles such as neoclassical and art deco. Japan even took inspiration from both Italian Renaissance and Indian culture to create something new; manga (Japanese comics) heavily features kantai – an Italian word for “boat style.”

The term architecture comes from the latin architectus, which means builder or engineer. So, across all continents, different cultures applied the field of building, design, and engineering to inspire future generations of architects.

Principles of architecture

There are five basic principles that all great buildings follow, or what we refer to as the seven fundamental styles of architecturalism. These include proportion, line, rhythm, space, and texture. All of these apply not only to individual building parts, but also to the way the whole building integrates into its setting.

Proportion refers to how much an element in your design is bigger than another one. For instance, if a house has very tall windows, then it will look like there’s no room inside- just white walls! To avoid this, you have to establish proportions that make up for the loss in size by using strong vertical lines or shapes. A classic example of this is the use of arches in architecture.

Line is simply the shape of something; for instance, a long, thin rectangle is a line of length and width. Rhythm works similarly, referring to the pattern or flow of something. Spaces mean open areas, while textures are the surface qualities of something – think about the feel of warm wood versus cold metal. And finally, style comes down to personal expression, which varies from person to person.

To put it briefly, great architects know how to use these fundamentals to create aesthetically pleasing spaces. That may be designing an apartment interior or a skyscraper, or even both!

Keep reading to learn more about each principle of architecture.

Building codes

The second major domain of knowledge that architects are trained in is building codes. These set standards for everything from safety to energy efficiency, as well as requiring formal review by committees before a permit can be issued.

Most notably, the International Code Council (ICC) develops these codes that are then adopted and enforced nationwide.

Their mission is “to promote quality designed environments through development of national construction codes and guidelines”. They also work with other organizations and governments to do this!

The ICC creates code books called Title 24 which contain all the various codes such as electrical, plumbing, and architecture. Each of these areas has its own committee made up of professionals who contribute to the creation of the book.

These committees go through an extensive process that includes many rounds of reviews and comments to ensure that the content is both accurate and clear. Only after passing those milestones does a team of professional writers create the material needed to publish a new edition or even a whole new book.

Architects license

Like lawyers, architects need to be licensed before they can practice in their field. But instead of practicing law, they design buildings! To put it simply, an architect is someone who designs or plans buildings.

An architectural designer works under general rules and regulations that define what styles are allowed to use and how many times you can take creative liberties with the style before it becomes illegal to do so.

These rules apply not only to building shapes and decorations, but also copyright laws for pictures and diagrams used to explain the styles as well.

There are several ways to become certified as an architect, most requiring at least two years of study. Some degree programs require much longer though, especially if you want to enter into one of the more specialized fields like interior architecture or urban planning.

But no matter which program you choose, make sure to look into any additional fees related to becoming accredited. Many schools increase the price of tuition due to these extra costs.

Architectural commissions

Beyond designing buildings, architects also get asked to design spaces or areas of a building or site. These are called architectural projects.

Architects typically work under two models for revenue. One is private practice, where an architect is paid directly by clients to make designs for specific projects.

The other model is employment, where an architecture firm hires out its services to different companies or organizations that ask them to plan renovations or create new facilities.

These second types of projects can be even more lucrative for an architect if they’re given their own budget and creative freedom.

That said, there is still some level of accountability in these cases as the architect must present formal proposals to potential clients, and sometimes pressure comes from outside sources like time constraints.

Designing a room

When designing a new space, one of the first things to do is determine what you want the space to be used for. What will it function as? Is this for work or relaxation?

It’s very important to establish these functions early on so that your mind can begin to make assumptions about how best to use the space. For example, if the space is designed to be used for working, then no decorations are needed because you have already thought through whether or not the space is adequate.

If the space is meant only for relaxing, then no items such as lamps or plants could possibly be placed there, since they would take up too much energy to light and maintain.

When establishing uses for the space, remember that design should always be a balance between solid functions and aesthetically pleasing features.

Designing a website or blog

A well-designed site or app uses colors, fonts, layouts, and features that appeal to your audience to tell its story – and helps you to tell yours!

As humanists, we value diversity and inclusivity. That’s why our toolkits are full of easy ways to make changes to sites and apps to promote equity, inclusion, and respect for all people.

You can use these tools to make modifications such as changing the font size or color, adding or removing features (like logos), and incorporating inclusive language.

Some of these tips also apply to writing new material or editing existing posts.

Architecture is an integral part of how we communicate and understand stories. When we appreciate and learn about good architectural styles, they help us recognize strong storytelling via design.