Point: Theories.

It was not until this past unit on theories when it registered with me that designers have a strong power to effect society and the people within it. On the first day of class we discussed how architecture is known as the unavoidable art. People are forced to interact with buildings and the spaces within and surrounding them. If in a building there is only one path that leads through, people are forced to take that path. People's decisions on where they go, and how they go, are based upon the design of a building. That alone is a powerful thing. A disorganized, confusing layout of a building, can in turn, frustrate the people who are forced to interact with that space. In the book, "Architecture of Happiness," it touches on the fact that architecture effects people's emotions and behavior. As long as architecture must be included in our life's, it might as well be enjoyable. However, getting a positive reaction from every individual is hard to accomplish, as not all architecture effects all people, or people groups the same. There is however a framework to work around. If a structure wants a chance at being a well designed space, it must include commodity, firmness and delight.

When designing a structure, it is imperative to design it with care, with function in mind, with an element of delight, and especially with a strong focus on the firmness of a structure, because once this generation has passed, the buildings left behind are going to be what tells the story for the new generation to come. Stonehenge is a perfect example of how lasting structures can give present day insight into the past. While the function of stonehenge is not entirely known, the elements of firmness and delight are strongly apparent and still raise curiosity to this day of how such an amazing structure was created during that point in time.

Architecture tells a story long after the people of the time are gone. Without studying and learning about these spaces, one can't move forward or grow. If people chose not to study past history, they can very well go onto make the same mistakes. By learning from the past, we can excel in advancements in the future.

What I found most interesting in this section, was the difference in sensory worlds from culture to culture. In the reading, "The Hidden Dimension," it discussed the idea that the constant between cultures is experience, but the reading addressed that this is not always the case, because different cultures process experiences different ways. This past weekend when I went home, my mom was preparing her lesson plan for her sixth grade history class, and she began telling me examples she discovered of how designs or phrases when interpreted to other nations or cultures can mean something entirely different than what was intended. And in many cases, the misinterpretations reflect poorly on the products trying to be sold. It just goes to show how crucial it is to do research and understand other people's cultures in order to design a successful space that will have positive influence on the people who come in contact with it.

Upon googling "commodity, firmness, and delight," this image of the Giza Pyramids came up. This picture I feel communicates the idea of this section. The power of three is demonstrated by this structure and meets the guidelines of commodity, firmness and delight. In turn, these pyramids are also a tool that we are able to use today to see into the past, and are able to gain understanding of that period, because of the remaining structures.