Asterales

See also: Architecture (homonymy)

The architecture , term resulting from Latin structured , word drawn from the Greek αρχιτεκτων (“Master-mason”) of αρχι (“chief”) and τεκτων (“manufacturer”, “carpenter”) indicates a discipline which associates Art and Science to build terrestrial or naval building S and Structure S.

It is a multidisciplinary trade which cannot be unaware of philosophy, socio-psychology, the right or the policy because the Architecte is before all the originator in our manner of living and imposes its choices to the users of its constructions. This discipline relates to the design and the construction of spaces (that they are cities, buildings, interiors, landscapes, furniture, objects, virtual spaces…). On another side, it also indicates the study and the classification of constructions, that their design was considered or not. The practice of this trade is codified and governed by different the orders from architects. In the majority of the industrialized countries, the port of the title of architect is also reserved to the only members of these kinds.

By extension, the term of architecture is also used to indicate the design or the act to conceive complex systems of objects, such as for example the software Architecture and the data-processing Architecture. In this case, one refers to the general structure of the system.

This article does not deal with the last two directions of the mot.

General information

The interest and the direction of the architectural discipline evolved/moved through time. According to the oldest treaty that we know on the subject, Of Structured of Vitruve, architecture rests on a harmonious and balanced combination of three principles:

Beautiful t-piece ( Venustas )
Solidity ( Firmitas )
Utility ( Utilitas ).

This trinity remained with the wire of time, but the terms changed, whereas one stressed other aspects of these three criteria, as indicated on the following table:

Treaty of Vitruve

According to the proper writings of Vitruve:

“ architecture is a science which embraces a large variety of studies and knowledge; she knows and judges all the productions of other arts. She is the fruit of the practice and the theory. The practice is the design even, continued and worked by the exercise, which is carried out by the act giving to the matter intended for an unspecified work, the form which a drawing presents. The theory, on the contrary, consists in showing, explaining the accuracy, the suitability of the proportions of the worked objects.

Also the architects who, to the contempt of the theory, delivered themselves only to the practice, could not arrive at a reputation proportioned at their efforts. As for those which believed to have enough reasoning and literary science, it is the shade and not the reality which they continued.

That one only, which, similar to the warrior armed with all parts, can join the theory to the practice, achieved its goal with as much success than promptitude. ”

N.B. : the entirety of the text of Vitruve is available on the Gallica site of the Library nationale.

Fields of architecture

Architecture includes many ideas and many trades, design and manufacture of parts of Charpenterie until the construction of houses, hospital, airports, of cities, even of whole areas…

Because of this vast extended, architecture was segmented to be studied better, included/understood and opened with the other trade associations:

the Town planning,
the Architecture of interior,
Science of the design,
the famous Architects,
the Forms of architecture,

the Archiborescence,
an evolution of architecture: the Arcologie,

the Periods of architecture.

The Naval architecture form a quite particular discipline. It indicates the design of the boats of all sizes and categories. In particular certain naval architects specialized in the design of the competition and pleasure boats.

Price and rewards

One of the most prestigious prices that an architect can receive is the Prix Pritzker.

Also let us quote:

Price of the Money Square, decreed under the aegis of the the Monitor, most media
Price Crumbs van der Rohe (European Union)
Price Stirling (the United Kingdom)
Outstanding commendation award of the IRAC (Canada)

Teaching

From a historical point of view, the most famous schools of architecture are:

at the 19th century: School of the Art schools, with Paris (until in 1968),
in first half of the 20th century Bauhaus, with Weimar, Dessau, and Berlin.

One also speaks about the school of Chicago but it was not about a place of teaching.

See also the List of the schools of architecture.

Appendices

Glossary

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