The Various Ways Architecture has related to Technology since WWII - Essay Example

College: Discuss the various ways architecture has related to technology since WWII Introduction Agnes (2-3) once stated that “architecture as an activity is about 5000 years old, but the field of the history of architecture is only 250 years old”. While there are few or no accounts dating back to 5000 years ago, the history of the new architect can be traced back to the early 18th century with the French rationalist architects who are believed to develop the earliest forms of architectural design that were later adopted in other parts of the world. Architecture itself is a team-work process and is never ‘a lone activity’. It a mix of beauty, art, engineering science, beliefs and teamwork (Behne 18-20). It brings together varied personalities and different skills and expertise. Immediately after the Second World War, the human population in the countries of the West significantly increased following the improvement in life expectancy in both men and women as a result of the prevailing peace and improvement in medicine. Democratization of the social lives and the aspect of urbanization were continually creating needs and social functions. For what has come to be seen as ‘distinctive emblems of prestige’, a big industry turned to the modern architecture. New buildings were constructed; new homes were born which were more properly equipped with modern appliances and televisions. Towns evolved into major cities and in the rural areas, shopping centers emerged and retail business grew to serve the prevailing desire of the people to spend their newly-founded wealth. Architecturally, transformation of the traditional architecture to modern architecture is the main theme. The buildings designs became more straight-forward what Freedman (108-113) described as “designs with clean lines and no applied ornamentation”. The building became more dependent on the new technology and new building materials such as aluminum, concrete and glass were largely used. This essay seeks to establish the different ways in which architecture has related to technology since World War II. Architecture and architectural technology The better part of the 19th century is significantly is associated with urbanization and industrialization in America and Europe. It is in this period that a range of architectural designs evolved what brought about a visible break in the traditional fashions of building. Following the continued influence of technology, the different architects in the 20th and 21st centuries developed ‘the impossible’ designs what has transformed the view of the different cities and towns across the world. As the architectural technology continues to adequately grow in the different parts of the world today, more new building designs are being born day in day out. A more critical evaluation of the relationship between technology and architecture proves that architectural technology has had a stake in the evolution of the building styles witnessed in throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries; a journey that has been characterized by varied designs and application of science. Throughout these centuries, new building styles would be invented in the different parts and would get spread across the borders like a bush fire such that it would only take a maximum of three years to see a design move from America to Europe and to Asia (Cohem 80-136). Today, they have been recognized as international styles and become dominant in major corporate building and social institutions. Some of the major building designs that dominated part of 19th, 20th and 21st centuries include functionalism, futurist and expressionism, international and postmodern architecture (Cohem 78). Functionalism architecture stood for the fact that the design of a building is plainly based on the intended purpose of the building (Behne 24). A building such as Aarhus University in Denmark is a great example of functionalism architecture Above is the picture of Aarhus University in Denmark. Futurist architecture emerged in Italy in the 19th century but later spread to the larger part of the 20th century. It is seen to be characterized by very long horizontal lines and anti-historicism (Cohen 88). Ferrohouse in Zurich is a great example of the futurist architecture The expressionism design had its roots in the Northern Europe and is believed to have emerged in the early years of the 20th century. Its evolution is highly associated with painting and poetry and was used as a way of expressing emotional feelings. Materials such as glass and concrete were special in this particular type of architecture. A good example of such architecture is Geotheanum. Further, the international architecture style is believed to have been dominant in the 1920s and 1930s but later came back in late 20th century. Its basic design was believed to have constituted part or parts of the modernism architecture (Cohen 124). A good example of international architecture architect style is the Glass Palace of Netherlands. On the other hand, the postmodern architectural styles dates back to the 1950s and considered to have a significant influence on today’s architectural designs in the different parts of the world. Observed in the different parts of the world, it grew to become a significant symbol of international architectural designs (Cohen 236-238). A good example is the Kyoto station. After the postmodern architectural design there came the deconstructivist architecture, the high-tech architectural designs and green architecture presumed to be the most modern architectural designs. Architecture and computer-aided designs The most significant relationship between architecture and computers is only established in Computer-aided designs (CAD) which is particularly an application of computer systems in design. Having been born late 1980s, computer-aided design has adequately been used by the designers in creating designs, modifying designs and performing design analysis. Literally, a computer-aided design is a system that adequately knows physical materials and can adequately describe them and show how they interact in a number of ways. Computer-aided design has been seen to not only enhance designer’s productivity and work output but also ensure quality throughout the design process. The computer-aided design outputs are normally in the form of electronic formats. The CAD system is what is used by the designers across the world today in generation of the building’s blue prints. To the different architects, computer-aided designs provide a mechanism through which the different perspective views can be integrated in the draft of a design. It further allows the architects to be in a position to provide solutions to more complex problems hence giving them a competitive edge over their rivals. Computer aided design has cut across the design industry following its ability to save time and resources and further enhance quality and efficiency of the architects. It is today used as a supportive tool to building design in the different parts of the world. This follows its ability to be able to integrate the client’s ideas in the design process something that was impossible with the traditional design methods. The CAD packages further permits alterations on the design drawings made by the architects through use of the 3D viewing and modeling wire frame and the geometric primitives. By use of the 3D technique, it is possible for an architect to observe the entire structure in a 3D view hence he or she stands a position to assess the ‘buildability’ of certain structures. Different architects have therefore integrated the use of the CAD in developing the building’s skeletons. It has saved them the trouble of paper and pencil’. Above is an example of a building skeleton in a 3D view. Architecture and automobiles Discovery of steel and iron is believed to have steered industrialization and urbanization in America and Europe in the throughout the 20th and 21st century. Following the continued growth of industries and emergence of major towns in the late 19th century that provided market to the ready goods from the different industries, roads and railroads were further been expanded to aid in sufficient distribution of the ready goods to the market as well as supply of raw materials to the industries. As technology further advanced in the 20th century, need for better engines to convey the ready goods to the market in sufficient time continued to immensely grow. Further, there was need for better means of transport since trade had significantly become an economic activity. Following the invention of the petrol automobiles, roads and railroads had to adequately be expanded. Expansion of road and rail networks meant more construction of bridges and development of more roads and railroads to places where they never existed. Architects are involved in railroad designs and tarmac road designs and are responsible for the bridge designs. The three are generally pathways used by vehicles and trains in the different parts of the world. Throughout the 19th century, architects were challenged by the terrain of the land in the different regions of the world in the verge of opening up inaccessible areas to the rest of the world. Imagine situations where for example the railroads or the tarmac roads could not go round mountains. It had to go through it or situations where the roads or railroads could not go through a city; they had to move beneath the cities. Architects used their knowledge and expertise to design the underground tunnels used by the trains and cars today as in the above pictures. Architecture and telephones The analog cordless telephones normally have a base and a handset. Such phones are used as pay phones in the major cities as and mostly in the prison facilities. To have such pay phones, someone must have clearly though about that particular design and how it will work once in place. The pay phones were invented in the early years of the 19th century. They were manned by the respective telephone companies and were normally placed at public convenient places. These phones only functions through telephone architecture. On the other, the different cellular telephone devices in the market today also rely on network architecture to adequately function. Conclusion Architecture has largely related to the different technologies of the world eve since the 1950s. It is no doubt that the two; technology and architecture walk hand in hand. Advances in technology have had an effect on the design practice in the past years as well as the life of such designs in the market. In this regard, it is evident that architecture adversely responds to the changes in technological advancements. Therefore, the more the technology grows, the more architecture advances. Work Cited Agnes, Gyetvai-Balogh. Architecture of the 19th century and the Turn of the century. 2007. Web. 12 May, 2015. Behne, Adolf. The Modern Functional Building. Michael Robinson, trans. Santa Monica: Getty Research Institute. 1996. Print. Cohen, Jean-Louis. The Future of Architecture Since 1889, Phaidon, 2012 UlirchConrads. Programs and Manifestoes on 20th-Century Architecture, MIT Press. 1970. Print. Freedman, Sidney. “Architectural Precast Concrete” in Twentieth-Century Building Materials History and Conservation. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Pp. 108-113. Read More