I never realized
how much thought went into planning buildings. When walking into a
building I do not usually notice the steps, the trees on either side
of an entrance, the four pillars that frame where you stand before
you turn down a hallway. Each of these aspects of a building are
carefully planned and placed into the correct position in order to
give those who will experience the architecture a feeling of safety
and welcome. The architecture building is a great example of this,
but the feeling
of safety is not the only thing an architect must consider. There are
dangers inherent to any large building. Fire safety is an important
consideration. In Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, support columns are only
allowed to be out and in plain view because there are no flammable
objects nearby that could heat it to dangerous levels. Stairwells are
pressurized to keep smoke and fire out, the doors designed to close
automatically upon the triggering of the fire alarm. These are all
things that must be considered when planning a building.
The entrance is not
the only place in a building that needs to convey welcome. The
walkways in THB Hall welcome the students and staff from different
sections of the building to meet with each other, to converse as they
walk through the large open space and enter somewhere new. Even the
walkway that is near the brick wall at the far of THB Hall is
separated slightly from the wall itself, creating a walkway similar
to the rest and allowing light to filter down along the wall and onto
the lower levels.
A piece of
architecture, while it is a building that serves a purpose, is so
much more. While protecting us from the elements it must also protect
us from itself in the form of fire safety protocols. It must welcome
us with open arms, let us interact with each other in meaningful
ways, and let the light in so that we can see the beauty that the
building holds.
No comments:
Post a Comment