| Architecture Student Chronicles

7 Reasons Why You Should Study Architecture

March 20, 2016December 11, 2013 by Architect

Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures.

Architecture is about the making of places where people spend their lives. Architects are not just concerned with the exterior and interior design of a building, but the environment as a whole. Architecture is mostly about human beings living in a “better” way then before. Social sciences and psychology is as important as nanotechnology and sustainable materials…

There is an important questions that needs to be asked. Why study Architecture in the first place? What are the merits of choosing Architecture as a career over other professions? And what could be the compromises and trade-offs an Architecture student might have to make to achieve success?

Principles of Town planning

September 22, 2013 by Architect

Principles of Town Planning

Town planning cannot be studied in isolation. It involves the study of various subjects such as engineering, architecture, surveying, transportation planning etc. The intention of the town planning is to satisfy the needs of our future generations and prevent the haphazard growth of the town. Some of the guiding principles of town planning are as follows:

1. Zoning

The town should be divided into suitable zones such as commercial zone, industrial zone, residential zone, etc and suitable rules and regulations should be formed for the development of each zone.

2. Green belt

Green belt is non-development zone on the periphery of the town. It prevents the haphazard sprawl of the town restricting its size. In essence, a green belt is an invisible line designating a border around a certain area, preventing development of the area and allowing wildlife to return and be established. Greenways and green wedges have a linear character and may run across the town and not around the town.

3. Housing

Housing has to be carefully studied and designed to suit the local population. Care should be taken to see that there is no development of slums since it would be responsible for degrading the life of the citizens. There are various types of housing styles. When a landuse plan is made, zones for independent housing, midrise buildings, high rise buildings are allocated. Landuse maps are of two types. Type 1 helps us study the landuse on a broad range. All we can see are the residential, commercial and recreational zones.

Problems in the city of Brighton | Sustainable Development

March 23, 2013December 11, 2012 by Architect

Sustainable Urban Development in the United Kingdom

Movie Dialog:

Mr. Henry (the old man): Hello Benazir! How are you?
Architect Benazir: Hello Mr. Henry! I am good. Nice to meet you.
Mr. Henry (the old man): I am so glad that you are an Architect! There are some important issues to discuss. I was looking forward for a discussion with you regarding the so called eco towns.
Architect Benazir:Oh great! I would love that!
Mr. Henry (the old man): What are eco towns?
Towns which are ecologically sensitive are called eco towns.
Mr. Henry (the old man): Does that mean we have to compromise on our lifestyle?
Architect Benazir:Well, I do not know if you would call it compromising your way of living but its entire intention is to make human life more comfortable and save it from destruction.
Mr. Henry (the old man): Alright!That sounds good. So, how different are eco towns from our conventional towns and cities?
Architect Benazir:Ecotowns will fully support pedestrianization and cycling activity and focus on enhancing public transport.
Mr. Henry (the old man): Pedestrianization and cycling?? Hold on to that. Aren’t we having enough of it at Brighton right now?The streets have been narrowed down by drawing 2D cycle pictures on the road making it uncomfortable for cars and buses.
Architect Benazir:I don’t understand what you mean? Could you give an example?

Development of Architectural Styles and Construction Techniques

July 2, 2012July 2, 2012 by Architect

Evolution of Architectural Styles with changing Construction Technology

How did different Architectural styles develop? What was the concept behind the development of different architectural styles around the world? Or rather what gave a boost to the evolution and development of specific architectural styles in specific regions?

Now if we are to have a look at the globe, we would realize that every country has its own architectural style. Architecture shapes the character of town/city/country. Now the questions how did so many different styles came into existence….??

Well, here’s the answer.

Building materials availability in different regions of the world

The availability of building materials play a huge role in the evolution of architectural style. The technology back then wasn’t as developed as it is today. So, designers of those times took all the necessary efforts to devise construction techniques for the construction of various structures in different sizes and forms. The forms were mostly derived from the construction technique used.

Influence of lifestyle of the people across the world

We all know that lifestyle does influence our choice and quality of living. Religion in the earlier days was more pronounced than it is today. In a city where the majority were Christians, the kind of constructions that took place were different types of Churches.

In different eras, these structures were reused differently for different purposes.