eli5 why is architecture is considered to be creative(art), and is also considered to be very hard?

296 views

(BTW, from the beginning I want to say sorry, I’m just a teenager, and I don’t want to mock, or offend anyone with this post, I’m sorry if this post was a little bit aggresive, and i’m also sorry that I didn’t do research before posting this post, I respect architects, and I find architecture to be interesting)

So, first of all, architects study many years, and they study things like math, and science, and architecture is considered to be an art by many people, So, what kind of creativity, and knowledge of sciences does building a rectangle(cube) need?
Like, how, architecture can be related to creativity, and now i’m not talking about rectangles, and cubes, i’m talking about building that are usually considered to be an art, like creating a crappy sketch of a strange curvy thing, or round thing, or big thing, or maybe thing with a lot of cubes is considered to be creative, and architects aren’t engineering who will blow their minds out to comprehend how to build that thing, and as i know architects have nothing to do with things like colors, plumbing, air systems, electricity systems, ceiling design, furniture, materials, and etc of a building.
Like they don’t go there and say “this room will be blue, this room will be red, and that room will be yellow, electricity system will be like that, air system will be like that, sofas, and chair will be like that, doors, and stair will be like that, colors will be like that, chandeliers will be like that, toilets, and tiles will be like that, carpets, and curtains will be like that” and etc, they don’t do it(as i know, or is it the opposite, and architect is the one who does all of that?)
and so if everything thing is like that, then why do architects study so many years, and they study things like math, and science, and architecture is considered to be a creative thing(art) and is considered to be very hard? (thanks, for reading my post)

In: 0

15 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

From my understanding, architects actually have a bit of a range of what area they do or focus on.

On the more conceptual/artistic side, you are indeed looking at aesthetics and the like, but also minding practicalities and technical specifications of a *functional* building as well as just how everything is laid out. You are coming up with a concept and translating it into a 3D space, which potentially very strict requirements on the specifications and considerations that need to be abided by, *and* frequently need to reincorporate/revise/etc to fit with the many practical needs or functions.

On the more technical side, if they are not directly planning things like energy efficiency, strength, materials, building composition and stability, building codes (local and general), safety precautions, accessibility, and so on, they are communicating very closely with the people involved in this, and adjusting plans accordingly.

It’s like, engineering maybe more than an art, or an art that is *very* heavy on the technical aspect of how to actually bring something into being.

You are viewing 1 out of 15 answers, click here to view all answers.