Notes on Architecture

Architecture allows us to honour and remember; be it a person, school of thought, or principle. When the bodies of the fallen are burnt we also destroy that which remains of them upon the world. Each body deserves the right to a tomb to serve as a memorial that will allow them to be remembered by those that remain in life. If we do not remember our dead in this way then we lose the link to our ancestors.
Remember that architecture lasts longer than man. It allows us immortality to pass things on to our next generation, be it protection, wisdom, or wealth.

Architecture consists of two distinct components, existence and void. Although to a layperson architecture is most frequently characterized by the nature the elements that make up the solid existence of architecture: arches, flying buttresses, and columns. The true work of the architect is to shape the void, which becomes the theatre of the actions that take place in the building. Architecture is governed by strict rules and only through order and applying architecture can an empty space be given real meaning.
The concepts of existence and void also apply to everyday life; you should just judge a person by their actions but also by that which they do not do.

Architecture teaches us that opposite things happening at the same time aren’t necessarily contradictory. A fountain is always changing, yet always staying the same; always moving, yet always still; there is rest in movement, yet movement in rest. Just as the architect captures the dual nature of the fountain in his architecture in life we must also realise that in life there must be balance and that chaotic forces must be harnessed by law and order.

Architecture is not just about appearance. When an architect designs a building he has three concerns to think of Purpose, Integrity, and Delight.
Every building has purpose and the architect should strive to ensure that his designs best serve that purpose. An architect must ensure that his designs achieve that which he set out to do.
A building must have integrity and do what it is supposed to do. An architect must ensure that the building he designs will not fall down, leak, or pose risk to it is designed to serve.
Beauty in a building is not an indulgence; a building that brings joy to its occupants is good for their spirit. An architect should ensure that the welfare of his charge is paramount.