Two assumptions are basic to understanding the role of architecture in our lives: first, domestic dwellings in their construction and design reflect the prevailing cultural notions of what a home should be; second, a house is not only a shelter, but it may be viewed also as a statement of the way personal and social life is organized.
Richard H. Thomas, From Porch to Patio
I am interested in architecture. It probably came from my father who was a carpenter contractor. When I was 3 or 4 years old, my parents decided to build a house. We lived on my grandparent’s farm in a house that my father had grown up in, that was down the lane from the main farmhouse. We were going to build another house closer to the main farmhouse. Almost every Sunday after church, we would get in the car, ride around, and look at houses. From all those visits, my mom made the plans for the house, my father built it and before I started first grade we moved into that house.
Since then I have incorporated architecture in my teaching. When teaching second grade we visited Sykesville, a small town that at that time did not have much going on but has since had a strategic plan to revitalize. We saw the older buildings that at one point had really been important to the southern part of Carroll County. On the hill, an interesting old house was being restored. We walked up there and the owner talked with us and allowed us to look at parts of it. The students were thrilled and one who had spent a year in England where he visited Cambridge, Oxford and London declared to his mother that Sykesville was the coolest city he had ever seen! The next year when we visited, we noticed they were working on the old train station. The mayor of the city came out of his law office, introduced himself to us, and then took us on a tour of the station. It was turned into a fine restaurant within a year. Later, I added Westminster, MD to our trip and they had a wonderful self-walking tour that showed Queen Anne’s style architecture.
When I started teaching third grade in SC, ancient Egypt was added to my curriculum and of course, we had to discuss the pyramids. At that time there wasn’t as much written for that age group but now there is a plethora of Egyptian books for children. I added David Macaulay’s fine books that show the details of architecture including how pyramids are made, or what went into the spectacular Gothic cathedrals.
Years later, I left South Carolina, came back to Maryland and started teaching 11th grade Omnibus, an integrated approach to teaching English and history. Our focus was a journey through philosophy from antiquity to present. Architecture reflects the thinking, the attitudes of the period. So now I could share the Doric columns and Pantheon of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the beautiful Gothic cathedrals of the middle ages, and on up to the modern architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. We have discussed city planning and architecture, function vs. aesthetics and the 21st century church building and what it conveys about our view of God.
On Drawing the Line Somewhere I will be writing about architecture and discussing some of these issues. I agree with Richard H. Thomas’ view of architecture that our homes reflect what we believe but I also think that is true for how our communities are organized and how our churches are built. Our architecture tells a lot about what we as individuals and as a society think is important and how we value beauty.
What kind of architecture resonates with you?
Pingback: Front Porches | Drawing the Line Somewhere