So you want to be an architect - Part 2

http://howtoarchitect.com/ Hi. My name is Doug Patt. And this is So You want to be an Architect? A seven part series exploring the architect. This is lesson two. What does an architect make? On the surface this sounds like a dumb question. An architect makes buildings. But if you look below the surface youll see that the answer is much more meaningful. Ralph Waldo Emerson (who lived from 1803 1882), was a well-known writer, philosopher and poet. He said of Greek architecture, it is the flowering of geometry. Translated, Emerson was referring to the Greek architects elaboration and mastery of shape and form. Anne Louise Germaine de Stael (who lived from 1766 1817) is a little known Swiss author who lived in Paris and abroad. She is quoted as saying architecture is frozen music. In simple terms her comment means that architects make a kind of static harmony of sound. Philip Schaff (who lived from 1819 1893) was a Swiss born, Protestant theologian. He said, architecture is a handmaid of devotion, a beautiful church is a sermon in stone. Elaborating a bit on Shaffs comment we can imply that architecture, like a sermon, is also a kind of message or story. And finally John Ruskin an author, poet and artist (who lived from 1819 1900) said of architecture that the mere sight of it, may contribute to (his) mental health, power and pleasure. In other words architecture is an Inspiration. So, lets move beyond the specifics of what each person what referring to and draw some general conclusions. In simple terms, these four individuals tell us then that an architect makes form, stories, music and inspiration. So lets take a look at a couple examples of each. When I think of architecture as shape or form I think of Frank Gehry, famous for pushing the limits of modern technology while creating monuments to modern engineering and form making. Some examples of this are his museum in Bilboa, the Stata Center or his Disney concert hall. When I think of architecture telling me a story I think of Frank Lloyd wrights Guggenheim museum that tells a story from the outside about how one moves through the spiraling galleries on the inside. Or the Pompidou center in Paris that tells a color-coded story from the outside about the mechanical inner workings that make this machine like building function on the inside. When I think of architecture as beautiful music I think of the buildings of Eero Saarinen whos work resembles naturally soaring forms as they strain to hit the high note or the way Frank Lloyd Wrights falling water harmoniously blends into nature and almost sings with the waterfall it sits above. When I think of architecture as an inspiration I think of the great cathedrals of Europe & the US or the great skyscrapers of our cities. So while some may think that architecture is just about making buildings you know that making architecture is about making much more than just a box with windows. Its about making form, story, music and Inspiration. And that concludes the second part of our video series so you want to be an architect. Im Doug Patt. See you next time on how to architect.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• dougpatt
• Doug
• Patt
• how
• to
• architect
• howtoarchitect
• how2architect
• Frank
• Gehry
• LLoyd
• Wright
• Eero
• Saarinin
• so
• you
• want
• be
• an
• part
• architecture
• architectural
• Educational

[TheAgeofShadows]

i love your vids! even if i'm studying engineering, i find a great amount of truth (and fun) in all of them..

btw, wasn't Goethe who said the frozen music thing?

[howtoarchitect]

@TheAgeofShadows I've seen that quote on a shirt attributed to Goethe and on other sites, but I've got a book that was published in the late 1890's that attributes it to De Stael. I do know however that Goethe and De Stael lived at about the same time...

[SensiblyCommon]

You should really put an annotation to link to the other parts of these videos. It's quite frustrating to go and look for part 3, etc. :)

Great video, you're really helping me in my choice to become an architect!

[howtoarchitect]

just go to my channel. they're all there. I'll create a playlist too. thanks for the suggestion.

[tacho0]

well i dont know a lot yet because im just beginning my career...i suppose you study a lot of math in architecture. However, i've had to investigate a lot about art, so its not just math and drafting like most people think . Architecture is also art and is projected in real buildings with people doing activities inside them. You'll definately learn a lot in this profession.

[edhiepitz]

@andorhalier its petromax building in malaysia

[mooie173]

AMAZING!

[andorhalier]

what's the building name at 3:07 ?

[everene1]

Woot time to go play Minecraft Like A Boss!!!!!

[doudy091]

I like your video <3 <3 thank you a lot :)

[LeemoSince1996]

hey im 15 and ive been planning for being an architect for like 5-6 years

ive got good skills in algebra and geaometry

and i have a good creativity but im not good in drawing , does that mean that i cant be an architect??

[Curiousonic]

Architecture is also a box that protects you from wet, hot and cold weather.

[08azzkicker]

You know what? architecture is not just a designing profession but also it includes planning,massing and analyzing. .that is what my present instructor told me about being an architect

[MrRJAT]

@tacho0 There are people who say the architecture is just math or geometry, forms and art!!! I think the architecture is the mix of the above. Surely, some architects focus their proyects just in fisical form, others just focus on funtionality not a form or beauty. So there are a variety of styles in buildings. Architecture is also art and form, math, etc,.

Investigate "Art and Kraft" on Architecture

[MrRJAT]

I really like these videos. I'm an architecture student in the college and this is helping me so much!!!

What a pitty the videos don't have subtitles (I'm a latin guy!) My English is not perfect but I understand the most the video's content.

Anyway thanks for these videos!!!

Anyway, great job and thanks