Friday, July 12, 2013

Life of the City

If people make a community, buildings make the city. People rarely change, but societies grow, and with it, technology and the things we build.

Architecture matters.

What do you look for in a community? Work, sure. You have to make a living; it would be great to work in a cool building (literally and figuratively – I’m writing this from Texas, HOT capital of the world). Restaurants. Bars. Churches. Entertainment. Arts. Culture. All of these needs and wants are built around the communities humans create, and voila! Architecture.

It’s fun to look at cities, to see how the old mixes with the new. How banners and flags go up on main streets giving them a circus-like feel. How lines, trees, curves and air all play together to create an “essence”. Some feel inspired, some feel playful, some are majestic and others are downright dirty.

Cities show the outward expression of humanity. They show us who we are.


























2 comments:

  1. My complaint is that cities have been designed for the convenience of cars and not people. I love going to walkable communities like Manitou Springs, Colorado--very much designed with people as the priority. And consequently, the architecture is beautiful and invinting.

    I could go on all day about this, but I'll just add one more thing. A clear sign that you have failed as an architect is if people can't figure out which side of your building is the front entrance without a sign saying "Entrance."

    Steve McCann

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  2. Sure, like I said, they tell us a lot about who we are as a society.

    Towns up in New England are pretty great. Walking and biking are encouraged.

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