Point Essay

“In Architecture, as in all operative arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight”

~Sir Henry Wotton- The Elements of Architecture

According to Wotton’s opinion of well building, it must fulfill its function (commodity), it must be stable (firmness), and it must be enjoyable or aesthetically pleasing (delight). Accordingly, in Architecture and Interior Design through the 18^th century, Hall mentions that the way we are raised, our language, and culture influences commodity, firmness, and delight. There are social norms to what is acceptable in how we occupy our space. Hall goes on to mention that “people provide our travelogue through history and our understanding design. They shape and define our architecture, interiors, furniture, and decorative arts.” People and our world surrounding us is the basis of well building. Architecture must understand people’s needs and the culture surrounding them. Different cultures will have various building forms because styles evolve from “social, cultural, economic, and/or political factors of a given time” (Hall xii).

Looking back to the beginning of human life, we can discover much about architecture and its relation to nature. These early forms of architecture serve as precedents for later architecture. Survival and hunting dominates the human life which alters how space is defined. Building forms focus on function rather than detail.

Appreciating this history, much can be analyzed about the magnificent Stonehenge. This structure continues to marvel people today. Perhaps these cave dwellers were not unintelligent but were brilliant builders who understood how architecture must function. There are many theories to how Stonehenge was built. Many questions continue to puzzle people such as how was an approximately 30 foot structure made of stone built by average size humans. This required much strength, knowledge toward space, and tools to help form this structure. In my opinion, this accurate sundial best describes the unit. Because of its relation to nature people, material, and symbol, Stonehenge should be an example for all other building forms. With no use of any machinery, this structure is built perfectly. The use of circles emphasizes the mark towards heaven, relating to the people and their strong religious practices within their society. Circles mark a point where activity occurs. Stonehenge lies near the Avon River; from the village of Durrington which people inhabited, the river leads one to this monument. There is no need for any man-made path to take one to Stonehenge; it is ultimately nature that will show the way. The use of material relates to society because it is a stone found near Durrington. With all these elements in mind, Stonehenge is a monument that meets commodity, firmness, and delight because of its relation to the people and their culture.

Architecture must not be something we avoid for it is the “crystallization of ideas” (Roth 3). Architecture is like a chamber nautilus. As culture and people change, architecture will do the same. Roth states, “If we wish to understand ourselves, we must take care not to eliminate the “shell” of our past, for it is the physical record of our aspirations and achievements” (3). Until we understand the basic forms of architecture and the way culture and society has evolved, we cannot meet the end which is to build well.