A Buildings Primary Purpose.
Lately I have noticed some new construction starting near my house. It seems like the natural unmanscaped land is being converted into building new homes. It seems like every time I drive by there is a new neighborhood going up. Now the land that is being converted seems to have been in disarray for a while and so the new construction is a bright welcome instead of the trash dump that it was becoming. Construction seems to be at an outpacing robotic race. Just as one project seems to be done another construction site starts before the tenants can even move in. Buildings go up all day every day around the world. It seems they grow faster and faster each year. It has become so common place to see new construction it seems like we are building over history. And many times we are so accustomed to seeing new things we almost don’t notice or are merely frustrated by the minor inconvenience or a construction crew (obviously when it is not road construction). We welcome the new but dislike the process. But despite it’s commonality I don’t think we really know why we build but for other than “it is new and therefore better.” So that begs to question what is a buildings real purpose?
Historically we can look at this through what has been constructed and how we used/reacted to it. We can also look at this through the five instincts we have as people; Fight, Flight, Freeze, Eat, and Procreate. In the earliest constructions, that we have found, can very much resemble these ideas. The earliest buildings are very primitive and probably much closer related to those instincts. But as time has progressed we have just covered up those base instincts for “higher” purposes. At the core of every building we still have those ever present.
Flight – Our Hiding Places
This can be readily apparent in early structures. The earliest places we have found evidence of people is in old caves with drawings. People most likely used these as a way to find shelter from weather/animals. In a very real sense it was a way to hide from things that made us want to seek shelter. Rain is not comfortable especially in high winds, and other stronger storms. But as early evidence demonstrates people were hunters and gathers. This would make the place of a permanent shelter less likely but a series of shelters that followed food. This would have made making things homely and comfortable hard if not impossible. The shelter would have to be minimal and purely functional in escaping uncontrollable weather situations. Even in today’s society this is still the primary purpose of every building “To shelter us from the natural elements.” Could you imagine a structure that didn’t? Would we even look at it in the same way? Or would we find that a structure that didn’t protect us would be good for nothing and bound to be on the next demolition list. As the scale has shifted these buildings now hold objects or have become spaces for work. The structure keeps the primary purpose however it provides shelter for our property. It protects us from the uncomfortable elements that inundate the natural world at large. Not only does it protect us from the natural elements it also becomes a means of hiding from things that we fear. In early times this could have been other warring tribes of people or even starving predators who may have sought humans out for food. It also is a place that we start to feel safe. It slowly becomes our own. This leads us into the next category, Fight.
Fight – All About Comfort.
As the scale shifts from a portable and traveling space to a controlled space that we take ownership of, this creates an emotional response. You can see this in early settlements. The more developed they are and the greater the threats, the more fortified and protected the inhabitants are from other forces. The more the food supply becomes fenced off. the greater the demand for fortifications and the stronger the will to stay develops. In creating this place we put things in it to make things more comfortable or easier. Some of this is through the acquisition of things. Some things to make it softer on our bodies, other things easier to obtain and store food. As this transitions the ownership of our space has been staked out. We have laid a claim to the land. The more comfortable we are the harder it will be to leave. The effort in establishing a space makes us fight for this space. The effort needed to establish a whole new space would be monumental. It has become ours. It has become our place and our stake that we have marked out for ourselves. It is because we have put effort in, we therefore claim it to be ours. We have created the space and conformed it to our identity. We have made it recognizable to ourselves and others as our territory. It contains meaning of emotional support and value to ourselves. In this very sense we have deemed it beautiful.
Reproduction and Social Fabrics
In the process of making it beautiful and claimed ownership to the space, it creates a sense of power and control. It also creates a space of safety. This space is what creates an attractive environment. This is what we call beauty. It is the rational order that we perceive through the space and uniformity of the thought that makes us say it is beautiful. If you think about the places that you like the most they have this feeling associated with them: Calming, worry free, at peace, relaxing, A place where little fear resides. It is this type of space that creates environments that Women (In The Traditional Sense – ITTS) have sought out for reproduction. The place where they are safe to have offspring is the place that they desire to reside. These spaces will have the needed resources for the growth and maturity of offspring. This is in part why Men (ITTS) have created these spaces. This establishes a place of attraction for companionship and offspring. This environment is what makes them attractive. Even in the modern world today. The most attractive people are centered around this premise. Men that have power and influence (space and security) attract women. It is also in part why women seek men who have a better position than them. This better position would give a better opportunity for offspring growth.
Up to this point all buildings have been built. To some variation this has been the end goal of construction. Whether that is the end goal of producing goods to sell (which establishes financial stability in our complex society) or through the safety and security of a home. But is this our final destination of design? Is this as far as design can go?
A Higher Calling – Meaning
This is the goal of modern day Architecture. To achieve a higher sense or aptitude for the design. As the base needs are met we start to see the emergence of a desire to pursue a higher meaning. Ironically this is eerily familiar to what happens to people. When our needs are met we start to pursue a higher meaning in life. It can be at times like a religious drive towards something. Maybe in part that is just our motivation for life. We feel we are destined for more. We no longer are seeking the norm. We want something to express our unique qualities. We are searching almost as if to find this meaning. But maybe we are looking in the wrong direction. Often times this is an outward gesture. Like exploring the unknown, creating something grand, etc. Maybe the most astonishing thing that we seek is probably closer to home than we often see through clouded eccentricities. Maybe the thing that we seek the most is not an outward procurement of Destiny but a cry from within begging, clawing and screaming out to be heard or maybe just even noticed. But because of the outward projection we confuse the two. Despite having ample evidence in front of us we are left wanting because our gaze is so far out we have been blind to the gorilla on the basketball court.
So what is this meaning? Where do we find it? And what is the evidence in front of us? The meaning that we seek is actually a continuation of the natural instincts. It shifts from creating life to preserving life. The difference here is how the natural instincts work. In the five basic instincts they are reactive and defensive in nature. This quest for meaning is active and offensive. If we look at all the major pushes in the world at large we can see a common trend. They all react to this idea of life. Interestingly the most egregious offenses a person can do impact the sanctity of life directly. Everything from Global Climate Change, Rights and Liberties, Religious Traditions and many other political and non-political pushes are in direct conflict because of this question. What will preserve the most Life and what does that mean? It is such a difficult question because of another question: What is the value of a soul? This is what it means to give meaning. Every design that successfully addresses this question has meaning. The ability to create a design that gives value to the preservation of life has merit. If a design is merely for aesthetic purposes, it has already failed no matter how pleasing it may be. The natural laws in order of things indicates that happiness and pleasure come from following and fulfilling meaning. The natural instincts can lead us to meaning but it is our task to take it from there. The future of architectural design has to be in direct conflict with that question. If the design doesn’t speak to the soul is it really worth building? If it doesn’t challenge to preserve or improve life to what end do we then design?
