Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building structures, such as buildings, bridges, and monuments. It is a discipline that involves sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings or other structures. The term comes from the Greek word "arkhitéktōn," meaning "chief creator". Architectural works, in the form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and works of art. The practice of architecture has been used as a way of expressing culture by civilizations on all seven continents.
There are three characteristics that differentiate architecture from other built structures:
- The suitability of the work to use by human beings in general and the adaptability of it to particular human activities.
- The stability and permanence of the works construction.
- The expression of aesthetic elements, such as form, space, and materials.
Architecture is important because it serves both practical and expressive requirements, fulfilling utilitarian and aesthetic ends. Every society, settled or nomadic, has a spatial relationship to the natural world and to other societies, and the structures they produce reveal much about their environment, history, ceremonies, and artistic sensibility, as well as many aspects of daily life. Architecture is an art inseparable from everyday human life, serving domestic and various social needs, while also giving joy, creating mood, and influencing people's feelings.
