"Architecture" can mean:
A general term to describe buildings and other physical structures.
The art and science of designing buildings and (some) non-building structures.
The style of design and method of construction of buildings and other physical structures.
The knowledge of art, science & technology and humanity.
The practice of the architect, where architecture means offering or rendering professional services in connection with the design and construction of buildings, or built environments.
The design activity of the architect, from the macro-level (urban design, landscape architecture) to the micro-level (construction details and furniture).
Architecture has to do with planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience to reflect functional, technical, social, environmental and aesthetic considerations. It requires the creative manipulation and coordination of materials and technology, and of light and shadow. Often, conflicting requirements must be resolved. The practice of Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realizing buildings and structures, including scheduling, cost estimation and construction administration. Documentation produced by architects, typically drawings, plans and technical specifications, defines the structure and/or behavior of a building or other kind of system that is to be or has been constructed.
The word "architecture" has also been adopted to describe other designed systems, especially in information technology.
AMAZING
FACTS ABOUT ARCHITECTURE
The word
skyscraper originally referred to a type of sail on a sailing ship.
A skyscraper
is held together by a steel skeleton of vertical columns, horizontal girder
beams and often diagonal beams for extra support. This structure distributes
the immense weight in a way that ensures the integrity and safety of the
building.
Restoration
work in 1990 and 2001 shifted the Leaning Tower of Pisa back to an angle of 4
degrees after it was previously leaning at an angle of 5.5 degrees.
The roofs of
the Sydney Opera House are covered in a total of 1056006 tiles.
The
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, is an elliptical amphitheatre that was completed in
80 AD. It held around 50000 spectators and was used for a variety of events
including gladiator contests, animal hunts and mythology based dramas.
Around 20000
workers helped build the Taj Mahal, a famous mausoleum and landmark in Agra,
India, that attracts millions of visitors every year.
The world’s
largest office building by floor size is the Pentagon in Virginia, USA, with
over half of its 6500000 square foot (604000 square metre) floor area used as
offices.
The Empire
State Building in New York was the first building to have over 100 floors and
was the tallest building in the world from 1931 until 1972.
The Chrysler
Building in New York was built at a time when there was a strong desire to
build the world’s tallest skyscraper, before being overtaken by the Empire
State Building, the Chrysler Building was the world’s tallest for around 11
months. During the construction, floors were being completed at a staggering
four per week. Despite the rush, no workers died during its construction.
The Petronas
Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are the world’s tallest twin buildings,
standing at a height of 452 metres (1483 feet).
The Burj
Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, is the tallest building in the world. It reaches an
amazing 828 metres (2717 feet) in height. Check out our top ten list of the
tallest buildings in the world.
Tall
buildings need fast elevators, recent developments have led to elevators that
can travel up to, and sometimes over, 1000 metres a minute (3280 feet a minute).
