Architectural History

[P.C.]

Not just "some" , in fact most . --- Why ; I guess thinking outside the box is easier when you realy are outside the box.

[djswan]

I wouldn't guess, at anything, I might label someone, 'til I actually label them. Use extreme caution when placing words into mouths.
Old Leonard built some stuff that lasted a long time. Daydreamer not, builder yes. One of the best ever.


Everything has a precedent. Where's my stick rule, hand over those knuckles.

[P.C.]

Listen I had to "invent" every day building boats, find new solutions as every problem is different, be able to write the programs when suddenly boatsbuilding became digital , learn to program to be able to do just that --- and it was in that situation the innovation came, but not while doing the hands on job no, only when that was over and the same problem made me angry every day as there shuld be better way's, --- so I was thinking and found a way to build a boat , a way newer tried before ; I replaced the front and aft end of the boat with metal ends that could be taken from a 3D drawing, so the planks shuld just be rivited onto a band welded to the aft or front end plate now ; that was innovation and it worked as I build 4 boats with just that detail , but no one buy wooden boats anymore and even my last boat was top crafts innovative in design and structure , then no one would buy.

Why -- becaurse nomatter I refined the proud old handicrafts methods and skills , then basicly it was the same old boat. Trust me if you can't make solutions on the fly, don't become a boatsbuilder, inventing is halve of it.

[P.C.]

" why waste input on history when it surrounds us everyday. there is no way to deny history, we live in it. rather than looking to the past we should be looking to the future.
_________________
Jon Bailey "

I agrea totaly , as when have we even tried look to the future --- when someone tried what came out of it, was a painting of what one would emagine future to be, only the picture of it and in an impossible brutal form language.

Beside with these painting of the future ,what is missing, is exactly that structural core, -- on the outside it is fancy metal alloy but what hold the metal sheets in the air, is trivial cheap oldfasion steel lattrice ; now what do we gain from such a things.

[P.C.]

Hopefully not the future .

[usarender]

Food for thought-->>

Architectural history is a discipline which records, studies and interprets architecture, its forms, purposes and evolution

One major difference in the purpose of the history of architecture to history in other disciplinary groups is that this history is often used in the practice of contemporary architecture and its study influences what is thought to be good in a given age; in addition, understanding architectural history as a history which deals with the formal remains of the past - buildings - as a way of understanding the society and culture they represent can prove a useful and enriching approach when working as a contemporary architect or looking at ancient, modern and contemporary buildings as a user or visitor. They allow an architect or a non-professional to begin to consider a building or city as more than a visual phenomenon, and therefore to have a more fundamental and culturally inclusive approach to architecture than an approach based purely on taste.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_history

"Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history."
— Sir George Bernard Shaw


The present is an extent to the past, that is why we could not understand the present without any prior knowledge of the past. The future is, again, an extent of the present. That is why, by studying History, men hope to gain insight by learning about hindsight, and to avoid making mistakes those before us has made.

On the other hand, History also requires distinctive study skills to master, it is more for the training of your mind than for lessons that we have to study History. History is not just about facts, it also tells the story of art, humanity, politics and etc.
After the three years of learning History, you would be amazed how much more you could understand about the society with knowledge of the past, for history repeats itself — we humans are wise enough to learn history but never learn the lessons contained in it.


http://www.yingwa.edu.hk/history/junior/


The greatest achievement of any historian is his or her ability to comprehend processes. All events, individuals, and institutions are a constantly evolving process. Nothing is eternal except change itself; thus, the ultimate challenge for any historian is the ability to comprehend the interconnectedness, both temporally and logically, between events, individuals, and institutions. All occurrences are a direct result of the clash between two opposing forces; by grasping this dialectic, historians can understand why events occur. Individuals play an important part in creating their own history, but as individuals, they are incapable of understanding their own role in the great "plan of Providence." Historical perspective allows us to understand the "larger" aspects of our existence. It's as if a cartographer, accustomed to making maps based on knowledge acquired from observing the ground at his feet, were suddenly taken up in an airplane; at a glance, he could comprehend the layout of the earth and the entire aim of his maps would become clear to him.

Thus, Hegel's history is all-encompassing. A history that is not deeply concerned with cultural, intellectual, religious, social, geographical, moral, and technological issues is an ineffective history.


http://gyral.blackshell.com/hegel/heghist.html

[ahmeds]

Architectural history is a discipline which records, studies and interprets architecture, its forms, purposes and evolution -usarender

A brief or rather short sentence that covers almost all points or that will bring all points on the importance of architectural history.
Architectural history (history's value) can be considered as a section af architectural profession itself. Since no matter what architecture will need hisotry.
How much has been told about the era's of architecture, the architects from past. And today too, if achivements are there then an era (-ism)of the present will be discussed in the future.

[P.C.]

Yes we can dig so deep into history that we forget what made history.

[ahmeds]

How is that possible, history has been there and a lot has been said and done in history and still it is persisting.
Architectural history covers a number of issues in architecture. and these all are essential subjects for the purpose of giving architecture the understanding it requires.

[P.C.]

Something seem not to have worked also , with this old architecture ; if it was so good, would we then try do it better all the time, and if we said yes to history as the measure, no new will come , only re-inventing is allowed then, but true ; the architecture today realy need an adjustment, laws against universal steel fittings to over splinter the so cheap pine, that it rather shuld be used for paper fabrication. "Genuine craftsmanship", shal be scrapped.
A different craftsmanship must go into these buildings, if they shal be build better, nicer and more swell ---- and first of all ; you scrap the foults, then you build new, but this time profesionell.

[ahmeds]

.....only re-inventing....-P.C.

History can not re-invent anything, but can explain everything. I don't understand how can history re-invent....and what will it re-invent? designs,concepts,context? all these were coming as per their eras, technology and other factors.

[P.C.]

Sorry to say, but I seen a lot of re-inventing in architecture the past 30 years. it has been reinventing allmost any style, trend or fasion . And the attitude has been that of re-inventing instead of going further into the matter, --- just look around, now many spetacular structures was seen allomst identical in the 1920 -30 , sorry to say , but I seen so much of it and also myself allmost been caught up in it --- you can call it inspiration, but if it is rather copying and even the materials is not challanced, then history add negative to progress.

[ahmeds]

you are right, that almost same designs have been used and or modified since the past, as you stated that is exactly true. But here two questions are coming again.

1) how do we blame history for that?

2) are architects out of ideas?

[P.C.]

I don't want to blame history for that, just want to point to that history is more than architecture, and if you filter out the architecture from history, then you proberly forget about the issues that in that particular time, shaped architecture --- that is allway's or allmost allway's methods and materials.

Has architects run out of idears yes.
Today architecture has to change , production has to change, our perception of the build works has to change and it can --- but not as long as metal tinhats is thought to mirror the progress and newthinking in architecture, not when cutting edge innovation and new thinking is nothing but a picture of what we expect future architecture to be. I keep pointing to 3dh becaurse it is everything that today's "cutting edge" architecture is not, and if you realy started using 3dh, then the results would not be those hysteric forms and sharp angles , not at all , it would be nice ,cheap and strong houses, it would be the leadway to future, where what we have seen not change in 20 years of Tinhat structures, is a dead end road.

[ahmeds]

so with the coming of new thinking architecture of the past should be forgotten. it's value and importance should be thrown and we follow 3dhs,right but unfortunatley, that concept will not be availabe in Africa for the next couple of decades,as some development also are supported by economical aspects.
In Africa where many countries are poor only conservation of the existing structures will help the people to get shelter. If we go back to history of architecture we will see how this continent (Africa) was slowly changed architecturally to it recent position. Thus the new thinking will also take time to cross down there, and for the moment only architectural history will help these poeple to conserve their houses. And keep them living.