As we have seen, architects are trained in many different fields, such as engineering or sculpture. They often combine these skills with those of painting to make creative designs that appeal to both eyes and mind.

Architects also use mathematical formulas to achieve their design goals and strategies, which is another way they show off how artistic they are.

However, aside from creating aesthetically pleasing spaces, there’s one more thing most people don’t know about architects- what makes an architect truly special is not his/her creativity for designing buildings, but rather his/her creativity in other areas like art or business.

In this article you will learn some interesting things about the career path of being an architect.

Definition of creativity

Aptitude or skill in producing creative works, especially literary compositions, art, or music.

That is not to say that architects are not creative though! Architects design buildings all the time, which definitely fits into the definition of creativity. What makes them different than other designers is how they apply their creativity to shape and structure their designs.

Architects use mathematics in designing structures, creating aesthetically pleasing shapes and patterns that appeal to people. They also make logical connections between ideas, drawing inspiration from everywhere, including science, philosophy, and religion.

All these components come together to create architectural masterpieces that leave onlookers wishing there was more space for them to admire and appreciate.

History of architecture

Like any other major art form, such as painting or sculpture, architects have their own style that is unique to them. They develop these styles as they explore new concepts through experimentation and research.

In fact, many believe it was just this process of experimenting and refining ideas that made architectural styles emerge.

Architects would start with simple shapes and structures, then add decorations to emphasize certain features or convey an idea. For example, the arches we see in Gothic buildings are simply shaped roofs with heavy use of decoration.

The decorations often relate to the structure underneath – think about how windows are framed in masonary or how ribbons represent curtains in a room.

These building motifs eventually merged into something more defined, giving us examples like Renaissance or Neoclassical design. These are recognizable due to their elaborate curvature and symmetry.

Another important element of architectural styling is proportion. A house built today will probably look very different from a house built 200 years ago, but there’s one thing they all share — proportions!

Proportion refers not only to height versus width, but also to longer axis vs shorter axis (think of a square box as opposed to a round cylinder). An easy way to remember this is to think about what size things feel when you hold them up against your body.

Famous architects

While not every architect is famous, there are many who have achieved significant recognition for their work. Some stick out more than others, though! Here we will take a look at some of the most well-known architects and see what kind of influence they had on other artists in their field.

Many consider Frank Gehry to be one of the greatest living architects. He has designed buildings that feature unique shapes and styles, which he then elaborates upon through his signature style. His works often make use flashy materials like metal or plastic cliches that emphasize decoration over function.

His office and studio was once located within walking distance of Walt Disney World in Florida, making it easy to drop in for an afternoon of inspiration before heading back home to create your own ideas.

Gehrs’s talent as an artist was never forgotten though, and he would frequently put his artistic skills to use by designing logos, illustrations, and even furniture. Many believe his style can be traced back to these diversions.

Another notable architect whose creative talents go beyond architecture only applies towards this article is Ai Weiwei. The artist is known for using unconventional means to convey powerful messages about society and politics in our current time.

He designs sculptures and installations that directly address political issues such as communism and capitalism, among others. These designs are usually cost free since he produces them himself but still manage to get people’s attention.

Architectural styles

As we have seen, architectural style is an integral part of understanding how architecture shapes people’s perception of space and the environment.

Given that buildings influence our perceptions, it makes sense to examine which building styles are most popular and what meanings they convey.

Specific types of roofs or windows, for example, indicate something about the owner’t he or she personality or lifestyle.

Certain proportions between rooms also echo recurring themes in human nature. For instance, the room-to-window ratio in many homes reflects the desire to be surrounded by lots of things — like walls and other houses or cars — while still having access to outside experiences.

General categories such as Romanesque or Gothic can tell us a lot about historical shifts in society and beliefs about religion and philosophy.

Organization of architecture

Aesthetics, or beauty as some call it, is not about how beautiful something looks, but why it makes you feel good when you look at it. It’s not about what things mean, but how they make you think.

Aesthetics are not practical nor are they moralistic, instead they are just qualities that appeal to the senses. They stir emotions and reactions, sometimes positive ones.

If someone says their house made them feel peaceful then maybe that’s an indication there is more going on beneath the surface.

Beauty can be categorized into three main groups: formal, natural, and expressive. Any style or genre of art may contain all three.

Formal styles emphasize proportion and mathematical relationships. Natural styles focus on textures and materials. Expressive styles use bold shapes and colors to convey emotion.

Take a moment to explore these links and see if you can identify which types of aesthetics each link illustrates.

Financial challenges for architects

As we have seen, being an architect is not a cheap career. Even in times when the market was relatively stable, earning enough money to live on as an architect took very careful planning and strategy.

These days it is even more difficult. Since the recession hit in 2008, architectural practices are on a down-turner cycle that has lasted well over a decade now.

This isn’t just limited to there being less work available, but also reduced opportunities for employment due to people cutting back spending in the area of the house or business they wish to hire an architect to design.

Architects who survive are working longer hours for lower pay than ever before. A lot of them are having to make sacrifices in terms of lifestyle choices to still be able to pay their bills.

There are some ways to earn extra money as an architect, but most don’t feel this additional income will truly keep the wolf from the door.

Popular architecture designs

Recent architectural styles that have been heavily popularized are probably not the work of naturally creative people. More likely, they were designed by professional architects with no artistic talent who then got inspired to create their own look.

There are many examples of this in both fiction and non-fiction. In his book The Aesthetics Of Hunger, Patrick de Mello cites Steve Jobs as an example of someone without much artistic ability who would later develop successful trends in design.

Jobs’s style evolved over time, but early prototypes include boxy shapes and flat surfaces — features that are clearly influenced by 1970s modernism.

Architecture is more than just putting things together according to certain rules, it is also about how those components come together to form a picture or expression of something.

However, smart designers can take existing ideas and materialize them into something new that only they could make. They may influence other artists for designing similar looks, or be given credit for creativity for incorporating these elements into their own works.

Lessons learned

As we have seen, being able to recognize and articulate the underlying structure or form used in an architectural design is very important. More advanced students can move onto exploring how this formal element is integrated with other parts of the building, or whether it even exists within the space.

But what about the artist side of things? What kind of artistic touches do architects include in their designs?

Architects not only consider cost when designing spaces, but also how aesthetically pleasing they are for people. They typically use common materials such as glass, steel, or concrete, and add artistic decorations to them. A popular example of this is using large windows or openings as feature walls or areas where light can stream into the space.

These types of decorations can be something simple like painting the wall white, adding patterned wallpaper, or going all out and creating your own mural-style artwork! Or perhaps putting pictures or sculptures on the walls. All of these additions make the space more interesting and creative.

I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the ways that architecture is influenced by art and artists! If you would like to see more posts like this one, please subscribe to our blogs via email, Facebook, or Twitter. You can find us here: http://thecreativeperspective.