The following outline is an overview and topical guide to architecture:
What type of thing is architecture? Architecture can be described as all of the following:
Academic discipline – focused study in one academic field or profession. A discipline incorporates expertise, people, projects, communities, challenges, studies, inquiry, and research areas that are strongly associated with the given discipline. Buildings – buildings and similar structures, the product of architecture, are referred to as architecture. One of the arts – as an art form, architecture is an outlet of human expression, that is usually influenced by culture and which in turn helps to change culture. Architecture is a physical manifestation of the internal human creative impulse. Fine art – in Western European academic traditions, fine art is art developed primarily for aesthetics, distinguishing it from applied art that also has to serve some practical function. The word "fine" here does not so much denote the quality of the artwork in question, but the purity of the discipline according to traditional Western European canons. Science – systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. A science is a branch of science, or a discipline of science. It is a way of pursuing knowledge, not only the knowledge itself. Applied science – branch of science that applies existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications, such as technology or inventions.
Definitions of architecture
Architecture is variously defined in conflicting ways, highlighting the difficulty of describing the scope of the subject precisely:
A general term to describe buildings and other physical structures – although not all buildings are generally considered to be architecture, and infrastructure (bridges, roads etc.) is civil engineering, not architecture. The art and science, or the action and process, of designing and constructing buildings. The design activity of the architect, the profession of designing buildings. A building designed by an architect, the end product of architectural design. A building whose design transcends mere function, a unifying or coherent form or structure. The expression of thought in building. A group or body of buildings in a particular style. A particular style or way of designing buildings.
Some key quotations on the subject of architecture:
Vitruvius: defined the essential qualities of architecture as "firmness, commodity, and delight". Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "I call architecture frozen music". Walter Gropius: "Architecture begins where engineering ends". Le Corbusier: "A house is a machine for living in". Louis Sullivan: "... form ever follows function. This is the law", usually quoted as the architectural mantra "form follows function". Mies van der Rohe: "Less is more". Robert Venturi: "Less is a bore".
Roles in architecture
Professionals involved in planning, designing, and constructing buildings include: Architect – a person trained in the planning, design and supervision of building construction. Architectural intern – a person gaining practical experience while studying to qualify as an architect. Council architect – an architect employed by a local authority. Landscape architect – a person who develops land for human use and enjoyment through effective placement of structures, vehicular and pedestrian ways, and plantings. Project architect – a person who is responsible for overseeing the architectural aspects of the development of the design, production of the construction documents and specifications. State architect – a person who is generally responsible for the design and/or construction of public buildings in the state. Architectural designer – generally, a designer involved in architecture but not qualified as an architect. Architectural engineer Architectural technologist or building technologist – a professional trained in architectural technology, building design and construction, and who provides building design services. Building control officer or Approved Inspector Building inspector Clerk of works Drafter or draughtsman – a person trained in drawing up architectural drawings. Site manager Building surveyor
People engaged in architecture Architects Architecture firms Architectural historians Architecture critics
Architectural styles
Architectural style – a specific way of building, characterized by the features that make it notable. A style may include such elements as form, method of construction, materials, and regional character. Influential contemporary and relatively recent styles include : Modern architecture – generally characterized by simplification of form and the absence of applied ornament. International style or international modern– the steel-and-glass culmination of Modernism. Brutalism – the use of raw concrete and massive uncompromising forms. Postmodern architecture – has been described as the return of "wit, ornament and reference" to architecture in response to the formalism of the International Style of modernism. Deconstructivism – based on the more general theory of deconstruction, a design style characterized by fragmentation, distortion and dislocation of structure and envelope.
Specialist subclassifications of architecture
Terms used to describe different architectural concerns, origins and objectives. Architecture parlante ("speaking architecture") – buildings or architectural elements that explain their own function or identity by means of an inscription or literal representation. Religious architecture – the design and construction of places of worship. Responsive architecture – designing buildings that measure their environmental conditions (via sensors) to adapt their form, shape, color or character responsively (via actuators). Sustainable architecture – environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Vernacular architecture – traditional local building styles, typically not designed by professional architects although vernacular elements are adopted by many architects.
Architectural theory
Architectural design values – the various values that influence architects and designers in making design decisions. Mathematics and architecture – have always been close, because architecture relies upon mathematical precision, and because both fields share a search for order and beauty. Pattern language – a term coined by architect Christopher Alexander, a structured method of describing good design practices within a field of expertise. Proportion – the relationship between elements and the whole. Space syntax – a set of theories and techniques for the analysis of spatial configurations. Architecture criticism – published or broadcast critique, assessing the architect's success in meeting his own aims and objectives and those of others.
Architectural terms Glossary of architecture
Regional architecture
Architecture of Africa
Architecture of Africa Architecture of Algeria Architecture of Angola Ancient Egyptian architecture Architecture of Cape Verde Architecture of Ethiopia Architecture of Ghana Architecture of Madagascar Architecture of Mali Architecture of Morocco Architecture of Casablanca Architecture of Fez Architecture of Marrakesh Architecture of Nigeria Architecture of Lagos Architecture of Somalia Architecture of South Africa Architecture of Johannesburg Cape Dutch architecture Architecture of Zimbabwe
Architecture of Asia
Architecture of Asia Architecture of Afghanistan Armenian architecture Architecture of Azerbaijan Architecture of Baku Architecture of Bahrain Architecture of Bangladesh Architecture of Bhutan Dzong architecture Architecture of Cambodia Architecture of China Architecture of Hong Kong Architecture of Cyprus Architecture of Georgia (country) Architecture of India Architecture of Bengal Architecture of Gujarat Architecture of Karnataka Architecture of Kerala Architecture of Maharashtra Architecture of Rajasthan Architecture of Tamil Nadu Architecture of Uttar Pradesh Architecture of Telangana Architecture of Indonesia Architecture of Sumatra Balinese architecture Architecture of Iran Architecture of Tehran Architecture of Israel Architecture of Japan Architecture of Tokyo Okinawan architecture Architecture of Jordan Architecture of Korea Architecture of North Korea Architecture of South Korea Architecture of Kuwait Architecture of Lebanon Architecture of Macau Architecture of Malaysia Architecture of Kuala Lumpur Architecture of Penang Architecture of Mongolia Architecture of Myanmar Architecture of Nepal Architecture of Kathmandu Architecture of Pakistan Architecture of the Philippines Architecture of Russia Architecture of Saudi Arabia Architecture of Singapore Architecture of Sri Lanka Architecture of Taiwan Architecture of Thailand Architecture of Tibet Architecture of Turkey Architecture of the United Arab Emirates Architecture of Uzbekistan Architecture of Vietnam Architecture of Yemen
Architecture of Europe
Architecture of Europe Architecture of Albania Architecture of Austria Architecture of Azerbaijan Architecture of Belgium Architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina Architecture of Mostar Architecture of Bulgaria Architecture of Croatia Architecture of the Czech Republic Architecture of Denmark Architecture of Aarhus Architecture in Copenhagen Architecture of Estonia Architecture of Finland Architecture of France Architecture of Normandy Architecture of Paris Architecture of the Paris Métro Paris architecture of the Belle Époque Architecture of Provence Architecture of Georgia (country) Architecture of Germany Architecture of Berlin Architecture of Munich Architecture of Greece Modern architecture in Athens Architecture of Hungary Architecture of Iceland Architecture of Ireland Architecture of Letterkenny Architecture of Limerick Architecture of Italy Architecture of Rome Italian modern and contemporary architecture Architecture of Lithuania Architecture of Luxembourg Architecture of Malta Architecture of Moldova Architecture of Monaco Architecture of Montenegro Architecture of the Netherlands Architecture of North Macedonia Architecture of Norway Architecture of Poland Architecture of Warsaw Architecture of Portugal Architecture of Romania Architecture of Russia Architecture of Serbia Architecture of Belgrade Architecture of Slovenia Architecture of Spain Architecture of Barcelona Architecture of Madrid Architecture of Sweden Architecture of Stockholm Architecture of Switzerland Architecture of Turkey Architecture of Istanbul Architecture of Ukraine Architecture of the United Kingdom Architecture of England Architecture of Aylesbury Architecture of Birmingham Architecture of Leeds Architecture of Liverpool Architecture of London Architecture of the London Borough of Croydon Architecture of Manchester Buildings and architecture of Bath Architecture of Scotland Architecture of Aberdeen Architecture of Glasgow Architecture of Ireland Architecture of Wales Architecture of Cardiff Architecture of Vatican City
Dependencies, autonomies, and other territories Architecture of Gibraltar Architecture of Kosovo Architecture of Peć
Architecture of North America
Architecture of Antigua and Barbuda Architecture of the Bahamas Architecture of Barbados Architecture of Belize Architecture of Canada Architecture of Montreal Architecture of Ottawa Architecture of Quebec City Architecture of St. John's Architecture of Toronto Architecture of Vancouver Architecture of Costa Rica Architecture of Cuba Architecture of Havana Architecture of Dominica Architecture of the Dominican Republic Architecture of El Salvador Architecture of Grenada