Architecture is a matter of life and death

Simply put, architecture is an inseparable part of our life, every single physical construction, no matter buildings, roads, doors, steps, benches, gutters on this entire world composes the meaning of architecture. It does not have boundaries. You can not identify where architecture stops from your neighbor's house to your own, as long as you are in side a built environment, an intentionally man-made environment.

Man can only survive in the element for so long, architecture is the art of creating a shelter that provides a higher quality of life. Its basic purpose is to serve the occupant to its needs.

As the world is keep changing, new challenges arises for the occupants and architects of architecture. Natural disasters is a more powerful existence that rises to crush our existence, because we have underestimated the strength of nature when we encroached on its territory, expanding our built environment into the wilderness. The planet is only so large, so when we create architecture, we annihilate traces of wilderness.

Architecture is depended on resources to construct and to operate, in fact it consumes 52% of the world's raw materials and emit over half of the total CO2. It is a principle culprit of the climate change, scientists view climate as the biggest threat to the survival of human species. Climate change became an unexpected consequence from human action exploiting fossil fuels, harvesting natural materials. So much of these resources were meant to generate a better standard of living for men, yet it comes back to hurt us.

Remedies:
Architecture shall be able to cope with the weather abnormalities induced by climate change.

                                             Photo of the Katrina Hurricane left the city devasted

Architecture shall be earthquake proof.

                                              Photo of Wenchuan Earthquake that killed 69，226people,
                                              and still 374,643 are unaccounted for.

Architecture can use alternative source of energy.

                                                Photo of Intelligent Workspace.


Solutions:
Decrease the demand of energy use in buildings, emitting significantly less CO2.
Use planning to regulate sites safer for building buildings.
Use planning and legislation to allow people to work close to where they live not having to worry about the price of living in urban environments.
Ultimately make architecture do its job to provide a truly healthy environment for its occupants.

                                             Photo of a Chinese village, where the main
                                                architectural form is the court yard house
                                                all houses have favorable solar orientation.
                                                Farmers work close to where they live, and
                                                valuable culture is being preserved.

7 sins of architecture

I'm attempting to understand how architecture has gone wrong. Just some thoughts to share.

People employ architecture for special means, thus we may see the evidence of 7 sins shown in architecture. (In my understanding, every building is part of a larger sense of architecture. Architecture includes whole industry, the practice and everything else)

1) We know that climate change is caused by too much CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, and according to EPA that the buildings sector account for over 52% of CO2 emissions in the construction and operation of buildings. (Gluttony)

2) Urban decay happens in the peripheral of cities, is architecture of those neighborhoods to blame?(Despair)

3) In areas of high economic growth, we see ultra extravagant buildings going up, behind it is a huge waste of resources and an attempt to be seperated from the rest of the world.
(Pride)

4) Land is the asset of the real estate industry, architecture is just the icing on the cake. The capital is using architecture as a tool to achieve capital growth. (Greed)

5) There is an ongoing competition to build the tallest building, tallest structure on this planet, when a country or a city builds one to be called the tallest, soon another will compete to build an even taller one. Thus the forever perpetual competition.   (Evny)

6)  Architecture has become obsessed with form and have forgotten the importance of the function. The mundane skyscrapers with glimmering glass facade has become symbol for success and wealth.   (Vanity)

7)  Architecture dominates the city, sometimes giving a cold austere experience to strangers with a sole purpose that is to daunt! (Wrath)