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Moises Reyes

Ms. Snyder

Capstone - Rough Draft

10 April 2019
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Moises Reyes

Ms. Snyder

Capstone - Rough Draft

10 April 2019

Can We Build It? Yes We Can!

Brainstorm, sketch, and build. Those are the three main steps an architect takes when

they are creating their work of art. The goal of an architect is to make environments more

modern and breathtaking by incorporating unique and luxurious buildings. Every and any

building that has ever been created has most likely been designed by an architect. Architects

have creativity built within them, they go from having an idea in their head to making the idea a

reality. Architects compose the world building by building, without architecture there would be

no buildings which would lead to fewer jobs. When viewing a downtown environment, it is

important to just look around and admire all the buildings, all the skyscrapers, hotels, and

hospitals that were once inside the head of an architect. ​Ultimately, architects shape our

environment by ​promoting sustainability​, ​boosting the economy​, and ​focusing on social

necessities​.

Sustainability consists of the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. Architects

promote sustainability in cities, neighborhoods and even in countries. When a new building is

being built in downtown one thinks to themselves “the city must be growing.” People often relate

buildings to how popular a place is. The more buildings there are in an area the more popular it is

and denser. Take for example Los Angeles, California, it is a well-known place for luxury hotels,
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expensive restaurants, and four million people live there. Architects also shape the way people

view neighborhoods by creating eye-catching houses. The more modern a house looks the more

it attracts the public. Creating modern neighborhoods promotes wealth, well being, growth, and

innovation that excites. Sustainability can also be found within a building. It can be found in the

amount of sunlight let in a location and even the temperature of the air within the building. John

Liddiard and Michael Michelides authors of “Sustainable Learning Environments” mention on

page 72, “Controlling temperature is one of the most energy intensive aspects of building

services. The energy required to maintain comfort is closely linked to strategies adopted for

ventilation and solar orientation – preventing heat entering or building up reduces the need for

artificial cooling.” The architect made it so the building did not let heat enter or build up within

the building. The design of the building promoted sustainable temperature to the public.

“In today’s reality, the dependency has been reversed: innovative urban planning has

become a source of economic growth for modern cities” (Petri, 345). New buildings mean new

jobs, and Architects do just that. Architecture design buildings that are going to be occupied by

future workers. They make the buildings habitable and a great experience. These buildings give

cities life and may even attract tourist to come to visit certain places. An example of this is the

Sydney Opera House, located in Australia. The Sydney Opera House has become a major tourist

destination for many people who are traveling to Australia. It is not just a building, as it

generates $775 million dollars a year, contributing to Australia's economy. Buildings such as the

Sydney Opera House can improve the quality and aspect of a city and even the country. Jobs

open up and businesses around iconic buildings experience success as well when they are built.
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Social necessities are something Architects tend to focus on and take very seriously. As

Maslow's Hierarchy scale shows, human needs consist of self-actualization, esteem,

love/belonging, safety and physiological (McLeod, p. 2). Architects focus on making people feel

safe, satisfying the need for safety. ​Elif Güneş gives a good example of this were he states

“Shoppers want to find comfort and safety in malls. They may feel lost and insecure due to not

understanding the language spoken of the sign used. Thus, signs should not be based on a

specific language; they should be based on universal pictographs” (​Güneş, p. 88).​ They do this

by making sure the structures are the best of the best and can sustain certain impacts. An

architect may have an obscure building in mind and may go to sketch it out on paper, but when

an engineer may look at it they might not pass the design due to it not being safe. One way they

make people feel safe is by implementing lots of emergency exits. If anything bad were to

happen like for example a fire was to burst out in the kitchen of the third floor, people would

look for the emergency staircases and emergency exits. Architects take everything into

consideration from natural disasters to the capacity of people. Natural disasters are something

architects can’t prevent but they can help cities and homes from getting destroyed. They come up

with new forms and use certain materials to make sure structures can withstand hurricanes,

tornados, and snow storms.

Architects help shape our environment by promoting sustainability, boosting our

economy, and focusing on social needs. Building new homes and new buildings contribute to the

promotion of sustainability within an city and environment. When building new buildings

architects help create new spaces for job openings, this helps the boost of economy for the city.

Creating a safe environment within a house or building helps people feel more safe and takes
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care of the necessity of safety. Making the world a better place to live in is the ultimate goal of

an architect. With new technology coming out every year architects have more tools to work

with to help create a environment friendly place.

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Works Cited

Güneş, Elif1, elif.gunes@atilim.edu. t. “Evaluating the Influence of Environmental Design

Elements on the Legibility of a Shopping Mall.” ​Online Journal of Art & Design​, vol. 6,

no. 5, Dec. 2018, pp. 71–93. ​EBSCOhost​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asu&AN=133593965&site=ehost-live.

Liddiard, John, and Michael Michelides. “Chapter 4: Sustainable Learning Environments.”

Public #2: Education Futures​, Aug. 2006, pp. 66–84. ​EBSCOhost​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asu&AN=51650219&site=ehost-live.

McLeod, S. A. (2007). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Petri, Jakub1. “Beyond a Narrative. Functionless Modernist Heritage Buildings and the Aesthetic

Autonomy of the Citizens.” ​Art Inquiry,​ vol. 19, Jan. 2017, pp. 339–348. ​EBSCOhost,​

doi:10.26485/AI/2017/19/24.
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