Architecture is about delivering a happy and healthy lifestyle to the inhabitants of spaces. This includes the commonly understood perception of Architecture- which is visual aesthetics. However, there are equally or even more important aspects which are not respected enough.
Our Principal Architect Ar. Deepa Mathai is a strong advocate of this cause of Architecture. We intend to share few of her thoughts in this regard over few of our upcoming blogs.
“As John Keats expressed ‘A thing of beauty is a joy for ever’ and Joy ensures mental well being which translates to overall well being. If Architecture is beautiful it can impart joy. But the key factor is, how ‘Beauty’ is understood! Does beauty limit to visual impact of built spaces? Does a beautiful colour combination, form, shape or texture mean beauty?
As in the case of human beings, beauty in Architecture should not also be just skin deep. It is sad to note that the public often define Architects as the ones who bring in visual beauty to spaces and structures. Yes, Architects do bring in visual beauty – but it does not just end there.
A built structure is essentially one which gives living beings protection from undesirable nature’s forces. If not for certain forces of nature becoming ‘undesirable’ to modern lifestyle human kind would have lived freely in nature.
Let us look at one by one aspect that contributes to ‘healthy living’. The ‘Air we breathe’ which is the most basic for existence of life, would have been pure, if we lived ‘in Nature’. When built spaces protect against undesirable nature forces, does it also have the risk of depriving living beings the desirable elements of nature – like pure Air. Quality Architecture Design plays a major role in ensuring Pure Air within built spaces.’