What does our architecture say about us? What about our sense of community?

Or how we respond to our environment?

Please help me

Throughout history, architecture has stood as a representation of society, reflecting the values, successes, and eventual downfall of civilizations over time. From the monumental structures to the residences and buildings that make up the fabric of a city, we can learn a lot about who the people were who inhabited them long before our time. By studying the built environment of the past, combined with modern-day research on psychology and the environment, we’re coming to understand the effects of architecture on people in entirely new ways, which begs the question: Just how does architecture impact society?

The Importance of Architecture

At its roots, architecture exists to create the physical environment in which people live, but architecture is more than just the built environment, it’s also a part of our culture. It stands as a representation of how we see ourselves, as well as how we see the world.  

While the concept of shelter is a fairly simple thing, the style of buildings was originally shaped by the climate of a particular location, what materials were readily available, as well as the values of the society building them. As the world became more and more connected, the styles evolved, but even in modern construction, there is still an importance in honoring the cultural nuances in the built environment.