Renaissance
Gothic
High-tech
Architecture is both the process and
the product of planning, designing
and constructing buildings or any
other structures. Architectural
works, in the material form of
buildings, are often perceived
as cultural symbols and as
works of art. Historical
civilizations are often
identified with their
surviving architectural
achievements.
Archart
About the architecture
The earliest surviving written work on the subject of architecture is De architectura,
by the Roman architect Vitruvius in the early 1st century AD. According to Vitruvius,
a good building should satisfy the three principles of firmitas, utilitas, venustas,
commonly known by the original translation – firmness, commodity and delight.
An equivalent in modern English would be:
• Durability – a building should stand up robustly and remain in good condition.
• Utility – it should be suitable for the purposes for which it is used.
• Beauty – it should be aesthetically pleasing.
Renaissance
In Renaissance Europe, from about 1400 onwards, there was a revival of Classical learning accompanied by the development of Renaissance Humanism which placed greater emphasis on the role of the individual in society than had been the case during the Medieval period. Buildings were ascribed to specific architects – Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelangelo, Palladio – and the cult of the individual had begun. There was still no dividing line between artist, architect and engineer, or any of the related vocations, and the appellation was often one of regional preference.
Trends in architecture
Since the 1980s, as the complexity of buildings began to increase (in terms of structural systems, services, energy and technologies), the field of architecture became multi-disciplinary with specializations for each project type, technological expertise or project delivery methods.
In addition, there has been an increased separation of the 'design' architect from the 'project' architect who ensures that the project meets the required standards and deals with matters of liability.
