The ways in which we see the world constitute our reality of it.  In this sense, the ways that we see architecture are not merely ways of understanding it; they are what architecture is.  

The ways that we see the world affect the ways that we exist within it. Our ways of seeing become our ways of being.

When we see the world in new ways, new possibilities are opened up and we find ourselves able to turn in new directions. The future is always first brought about by new ways of seeing.

The following ten ways of seeing architecture are organized in loose order of architecture’s evolution alongside humanity.  All inhabitants of buildings should strive to open their minds towards new ways of seeing architecture in hopes that they will find new ways to use buildings, new ways to live within them, and new ways to improve the spaces in which they exist. 

Architecture is:

Shelter
Buildings are our shelter from the forces of the world beyond.  They are the physical mediator between people and place.

Society
Buildings shape the societies that exist within them.  When we build a new building, we build a new community.

Power
Buildings express control over resources.  To see architecture as power is to see the force of will upon the creation of space.

Spirit
Buildings embody the spirt of humanity.  Architecture is a metaphor for human existence.

Art
Buildings are an inhabitable art form.  Architecture is the emergent sculpture of life.

Culture
Buildings are cultural works.  They shape the minds and behaviors of those who come in contact with them.

Science
Buildings are creations of science.  They are the sapient progression of our evolution.

Nature
Buildings are the natural environment of humans.  Like a bee hive or spider web, architecture is natural.

Time
Buildings react to and influence time.  Architecture is a duality of our past and future.

Mind
Buildings reflect our systems of thinking.  The space of architecture is a thought that we act within.

Architecture is all of these, and more.  By sheltering us from the elements, buildings allow new uses to happen within. The uses of architecture include the gathering of people, the development of ideas, and the nurturing of our future generations. Architecture allows humanity to progress further than if our endeavors occurred out in the wilderness.

At the same time, the softer influences of architecture are part of its reality. Buildings tell us who we are, they inform us of our place in the world, and they speak of what is important to us. Because buildings are situated in place and time, they express the realities of the human condition. It is through architecture that the meanings of human existence within the world are transmitted.

Buildings are human, and they are an extension of our being. The uses of space cannot be entirely planned for; unexpected uses emerge. Once we bring a building into the world, it takes on a life of its own. In this sense, buildings are beings in their own right. If we see architecture as a living, breathing extension of humanity, we may change the ways that we design, build, and live in our human-made spaces.

Our ways of seeing architecture are fundamental to our understanding of humanity. Architecture is our unique solution to many of our problems. At the same time, architecture brings about new problems of its own. Some of these problems are the necessary maintenance of buildings, the impacts on both our physical and mental health from spending time inside, and the economic, environmental, and sociological issues that result from the frequent exuberance of architecture.

Good architecture must encourage us to take care of it, it must relate to the natural world and push us out of doors whenever possible, and it must expound the virtues of a simple and affordable style.

Our ways of seeing architecture enlighten us to its opportunities and weaknesses, both of which demand action on our part. But above all, our ways of seeing the built environment constitute our reality of being in the world. Buildings express the truths of things as they are. When we make architecture we do not merely interpret reality, we create it. When we see architecture in new ways we do not merely change our perspectives, we change architecture itself. Our ways of seeing architecture become our new realities. It is imperative that we look deeply at the spaces we inhabit, and work to bring out the goodness inherent in us and our world, for architecture shapes our collective future.