Understanding architecture

Architecture may be defined as the art of designing physical structures in order to satisfy human needs. By physical structures we refer to houses and buildings. But architecture knowledge goes further because nowadays there is a consciousness in relation to town planning, landscape and urban design. Architecture relates to the senses as for they give a wider experience in what is built. Theimage or perception that we get from a structure is really important as a first image, the sense of touch that relates to the materials used in the structure, even the sense of hearing since a structure may give good or bad acoustics. Architecture has had a great development through history, as all things have evolved through time. Like mankind passing through several stages of evolution until thehuman form. Also as an example civilizations evolve through time from early beginning until their decay. Architecture knowledge has evolved. Since early times when the man searched for the cave that satisfied the most his necessities of protection until nowadays when we try to find the best house that gives use that sense of protection and relation to the environment. And here comes one of the basicprinciples of this fascinating science: satisfy human needs.

Surrounded by Lake Michigan and Mississippi River, with 2.8 million habitants, is a city called Chicago. It has been the house of many great architects such as Louis Sullivan, Mies Van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Helmut Jhan between many other. It has been a city that has given architecture many contributions. Since Chicagostarted with Native Americans and British it has resolved several types of problems like constructing in a clay soil. Also has solved problems such as the drainage and has successfully risen from a fire. The railroad gave Chicago an importance as a city since it was the mid way for important routes. This gave Chicago an economical benefit and allowed Chicago to grow.
The outcome of this fire andthe city expansion was that Chicago started building in mass. Chicago was one of the first cities to experiment with wooden and metal frames. Wooden frames were very popular but very dangerous since they inflamed. Metal frames then become of daily use since they gave structural support and allow the structures to go higher.
Now a day Chicago is a multicultural city with a multicultural downtown.The city has some of the tallest skyscrapers, apartment buildings, townhouses, business buildings making it one of the most important cities in the United States. Chicago buildings have passed through several architectural theories. Going from the classicism and taking all theories that roman and Greek used. Also it has had modernist influence, giving spaces free of ornamentation, playing withvolumes and challenging symmetry.

Born in 1940 Helmut Jahn is a German American architect that graduated from Technische Hochschule in Munich, he also studied in Illinois Institute of Technology. After his studies he worked with Chicago architectural firm of C. F. Murphy. He has built numerable and important buildings through his life. His works are based on architectural history. He is known tobe an energy conscious architect. The cares that all things he designs are energy efficient.
He has had a very successfully career and has completed many projects. The most recent are Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, the Highlight Munich Business Towers in Munich, IIT Student Housing in Chicago between others.

Architecture knowledge comes from practice and theory, this theory comes fromtimes of Vitruvius until post modernist architects. Architectural outlines are defined by epochs. In ancient Greek and Roman times symmetry and proportion were the most important principles to satisfy. Italians started using second floors and started giving rooms a specific purpose. Also there is a concern for the knowledge of materials and their properties. Many streams came from those times. The...