British Way of Town Making - Essay Example

?Synopsis: This is a ten page Harvard citation styled essay on the process of British town making. The elements of mass and space, the interaction ofthese elements in time and space will be explored. The perspectives of a number of British residents will be explored with regards to the elements which are required in British town making. Abstract This is a ten page Harvard citation style essay on the process of British town making. The architectural elements of mass and space will be further investigated with regards to their influence on English architecture. The influence of the Graeco- Roman civilization of British town making will be discussed. The elements which have influenced Egyptian, Chinese and Islamic architecture will be explored. The influence. The elements which compose places will be explored with regards to urban design. The influence of philanthropic organizations on built constructions. The philanthropic organization which will be discussed is the Prince of Wales Foundation. Introduction To each individual, a town represents a variety of concepts. It may be the place of residence or occupational endeavors, a town may also represent a public policy structure. These concepts are implicit, especially today when many residents of the United Kingdom reside in a municipality of some classification. A town may be perceived as a collection of edifices surrounded by a park which form a silhouette with the sky. A town may also be perceived as a political structure which is composed of constables and a cul de sac. What are the characteristics of a village? If an area is established as a town, what are the factors that influence its development and how long may the locality be designated a town? This becomes a subject of deeper inquiry. The responses have been clarified by archaeologists who discuss the attributes. (De La Bedoyer 1992). The concept of town in the society which has been demonstrated from the legacies of the Graeco- Roman civilization continue to exist today. In Britain, there is a pronounced distinction from the oriental, central and southern regions of the landscape. There has been a geographical dividing line which is characterized as “Fosse Way”. The manner in which a town develops is equated with the environment in which it inhabits. Greece has been administered by the city- state government in where cities administered their suburbs. The city and the land which composed it became the elements of a constitution system. The same phenomenon occurred in the formation of Rome. Rome became the geographical capitol of Italy. The fact that the location of Rome enabled the formation of a military system. The location of Rome also enabled the sense of citizenship and community which was expressed in the Senatus Populus Romanus which is translated into the Senate and People of Rome. Rome was acknowledged as “the City” (De La Bedoyer 1992). Discussion The construction of municipalities is one of the most recognized accomplishments of modern society. Cities have always been demonstrative of the conditions of the society in which they partake. This demonstration is manifested by the number of decisions which must be made by its inhabitants on a daily basis. In some situations, these decisions have become integrated to synthesize the perspective of clarity and form which is worthy of what has been conceived. It is the premise of concept which enables the additional comprehension of the implications of these choices. These concepts may be applied to the formation of cities in the present day. This perspective will explore the motivations of these choices as they have transpired in the history. The external factors which have caused the formation of cities will also be examined. The changing nature with which cities have been conceived and their synthesis will be explored. The aspiration is to dissipate the concept which has been traditionally perceived, that the cities are a unique phenomenon which occur outside of the scope of consciousness of its members. The members of these cities must conform to one unchangeable law. It is debated that the human presence can be exhibited as efficiently as the present manifestations of their existence. In order to make them the most elevated expressions of human society, the public element within the architectural design must be exemplified. The introduction of information technology causes the potential effects of human influence to be minimized. The previous understanding of humanity is that the future can be affected by the present decisions (De La Bedoyere 1992). The occurrences in Philadelphia have demonstrated through scholarly research which has manifested a transparent plan of a “design idea”. The democratic process which has become a cultural heritage can be motivated to effect positive results on the physical and sociological manifestations of a city. The foundation of the concept of “design idea” is formulated from two of its elements which are mass and space. The most distinct characteristic is the interdependency between mass and space. The acknowledging of space exceeds the capacity of human perception. All sensory inputs and cognitive processes are exercised in formulating responses to the awareness of space (Bacon 1976). Human beings are advanced in their ability to combine the elements of mass and space into form. Where these two elements are not properly correlated, it causes the form of the architecture to be opaque and undefined. The objective of the architect is to illustrate the correlation of the human individual to their environment. Different civilizations have had different cultural influences on the correlation of space and mass. The Egyptian concept and implementation of the concept of mass and space motivated them to create the pyramids. The pyramids of Egypt are architectural expressions designed to portray the human individual and society of Ancient Egypt . The ancient Egyptians were able to demonstrate the concept of the effect that human being s have on the environment by constructing the legacies of the pyramid. The -pyramids are made imitate mountains which protrude from the landscape. The pyramids are designed to endure for thousands of years (Bacon 1976). Chinese architecture demonstrated the philosophy of harmony between the individual, the society and the environment. The correlation of mass and space are also integrated into the expression of Chinese architecture. This is shown in the balance of the architectural manifestations. The form of the roofing, the concavity of the roofing in Chinese architecture.. The roofing in Chinese architecture is an expression of the submission of man to his environment rather that the dominance of man in his environment as demonstrated by the Egyptians (Bacon 1976). In the Islamic architecture the architectural expression apply the integration of mass and space to acquire a different form. This form is an expression of domes and spires which are integral elements of an expression of inner spaces. These expressions extend themselves outwardly into the environment, demonstrating the influence that humankind is able to effect on their environments (Bacon 1976). The Constitutional monarchy represented by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales has demonstrated an interest in the human interaction between the individual, the environment and the society. Many of these concepts which have been proposed by the Prince of Wales has demonstrated a positive effect on the environment. The Prince of Wales social organization has been at the forefront of a number of initiatives which have had as an objective the helping of the youth of British society. The Prince of Wales has also enabled organic farming and effective use of soil resources in the environment. The elements of industry and leadership have been merged in efforts which incorporate social responsibility. The concepts which have been recommended by the Prince of Wales Foundation revolve around corporate social responsibility. The endeavors of the Prince of Wales Foundation have been directed at improving the individuals' ability to live harmoniously in the environment. One of the primary objectives is to enable the integrated health of members of the community. The Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health is at the forefront of these social endeavors. The trust fund which is administered by the Prince of Wales foundation has enabled the commercial investment in the environment of 110 million pounds. A portion of this investment has been directed to the modification of the constructed interactions between mass and space. For the past two decades, the Prince of Wales Foundation has been promoting increased quality of built environments. This was manifested in a book written by His Royal Highness titled: ' A View of Britain” . The Prince of Wales recommendation that more endeavors need to be engaged in combining the elements of space and mass in order to form constructed systems which reflect a sense of community and a sense of pride in the community constructed environment. These principles have been implemented in two distinct manners, in the inception of Poundsbury, the suburb of Dorchester in Dorset and by launching the Prince of Wales philanthropic organization, the Prince of Wales Foundation for the Built Environment. Poundsbury is world renowned in being recognized as a constructed model community. Three are ten building programs which have not as yet been implemented . The Poundsbury community demonstrates the implementation of the architectural combination of mass and space (Prince of Wales.gov.uk, n.d.). The endeavor which is to be completed is a daunting one. It has been traditionally debated by economists that planning is an essential part of any free market society. The challenges of the future generations is the eventual acknowledging of the philosophies embraced by the founders of the cities. These philosophies will come to be acknowledged when their recognition becomes necessary. That event mat be sooner or later. From a Marxist perspective, time and chance happen to each circumstance (Hall 1997). In the development of the beginning, civilizations and their manifestations have demonstrated three distinct phases which may be observed. Each of these developmental phases is involved in a series of changes in the economic areas . These three periods are there entire Paleolithic age, the Neolithic age, the proto- Neolithic age and finally the Bronze age, upon which many of the concepts of urban civilization are founded (Morris 1994). Places are more important than the element which compose the places. Place which are composed of edifices and parks which are their elements. The coordination of these elements may enable the understanding of the manner in which design interacts with the environment. There is no substitute for actual sensory experience. Urban design is the harmonic integration of the elements of mass, space and environment. The public domain is one of the most important elements in urban design, it coordinates the aspects of mass, space and the public environment. The majority of European residents live in the cities of Europe. Every resident would like an augmented quality of life. Urban design becomes more and more significant. Unwin believed in the simplicity of urban planning and design. Elements of urban design such as lines and color are integrated. All parts of a town should have their importance illustrated in their form. The slums and dreary suburban areas which surround a city were named equivalent evils by Unwin. Unwin was also a promoter of the urban design elements which are known as cul de sac. In 1909, the town of Hampstead gave Unwin an easement in order to be able to do away with the traditional street in urban design and implement the cul de sac. Urban design elements are an important theme in comprehending town planning (Unwin 1909). Morris concurs with the evaluation of the importance of urban design. Morris goes further into the depths and explores the concept of industrial slum and the model industrial. Morris' work is based upon the established principles. An overview of the industrial age is viewed (Morris 1997). Falk and Rudin explore the potential characteristics of the twenty first century home and its environment. It discusses the potential changes of the perception of municipalities and towns It is discusses that these environments must become attractive and beautiful places in which residents feel a sense of pride and community. The proposal of Falk and Rudin is the sustainable urban neighborhood. The process of urban planning is perceived from the perspective of Falk and Rudin. Design in the urban constructed environment is an important concept which is discussed and explored (Falk & Rudin 2009 ). Conclusion To each individual, a town represents different concepts. It may be a residence,occupational environment or a public policy structure. These concepts are implicit, especially today when many residents of the United kingdom reside in a community or a town. The endeavor of this essay is to answer the question: What is a town composed of? A town may be perceived as a collection of edifices and parks from which a silhouette upon the environment emerge. A town may also be perceived as a political structure which is composed of constables and a cul de sac. The present concept of municipality is inherited from the Graeco- Roman civilization (De La Bedoyere 1992). Rome was perceived as the capitol of Italy. This was due in part to its centralized locality. The construction of municipalities is one of the most recognized accomplishments of modern society (de la Bedoyere 1992). The foundation of a “design idea” is formulated from two of the elements of which it is composed. These elements are mass and space. The most distinct characteristics of the interdependency of mass and space is the acknowledgment of space. The acknowledgment of space exceeds the scope of perception of the human individual and society ( Bacon 1976). Different civilizations have had different cultural influences on the correlation o0f mass and space. The Egyptian concept and implementation of that concept led to the construction of the pyramids. The pyramids were implemented as expressions which demonstrated mankind's impact upon the environment. The Chinese have a different perspective. The Chinese perspective of architecture is to combine the individual element of self, the collective elements of the society and combine them into a harmonious flow which demonstrate the individual and societal submission to the environment. The is evident in the concavity of the Chinese domes. The Islamic culture incorporated domes and spires into their urban design. This demonstrated the influence which philosophy may have the individual and the society and the influence that the individual and the society have on the environment (Bacon, 1976). The Prince of Wales Foundation for the Built Environment is directed at improving the ability of the individual to fell a sense of community and pride in the built environment. This philanthropic organization has been at the forefront of the endeavors which have the intention of establishing corporate responsibility. The Prince of Wales Foundation has enabled the commercial investment in the environment of 110 million pounds (Prince of Wales.gov.uk, n.d. ) Planning a town is a daunting tasks. It has been traditionally debated by economists that planning is essential part of any free market economy. The challenges of the future generations is the eventual acknowledgment of these philosophies. These philosophies will become acknowledged when they become necessary, sooner or later . From a Marxist perspective, time and chance happen to each circumstance (Hall 1997). In the development of the beginning civilization and their manifestations being their central cities, there are three phases which must be observed. The first phase is the entire Paleolithic age, Neolithic age and proto Neolithic age. Finally the Bronze age came and exerted its influence on the planning of cities which are known as storage centers of resources. These resources being knowledge and food. Many of the urban civilizations are founded upon these principles (Morris 1994). Places are more important than the elements of which they are composed. These elements are mass, space, edifices in the environment which exert mass and consume space and the parks which surround them. The coordination of mass and space allow for the perception of lines and colors. This enables our understanding of urban design. Urban design is the integration of all of the elements of mass, space and the environment. The public domain is also one of the most important elements in urban design. This public element allows the coordination of the elements with the public in the environment (Tibbalds 1992). Unwin believed in the simplicity of urban planning. Unwin was also a promoter of the concept of cul de sac. In 1909, the town of Hampstead granted Unwin an easement in order to construct a cul de sac, instead of a normal street. This demonstrated that urban planning is an important element in urban planning (Unwin 2010). Morris concurs with Unwin in the importance of evaluation in urban design. Morris goes into further depth about the concept of industrial slum and model industrial. Morris is based upon the established principles of town planning and the outcome of following these established principles. The Roman Legacy upon our society must be considered (Morris 1997). Towns and cities are where the majority of residents in Europe, The United Kingdom and the United States reside. This essay has explored the elements of British Town making. In order to properly comprehend the process of British town making. The foundation of our society must be examined. The elements of mass, space and the environment in conjunction with the public domain are explored. The various external factors which are essential to British town making are explored in this essay Works Cited Aldous, Tony, Lunts, David, Greenleaf, Nicole, Reed, Richard (1997) Urban Villages: A concept for creating mixed use urban developments on a sustainable scale Second Edition, Urban Villagers Forum:U.K. Bacon, Edmund (1976) Design of The Cities Penguin Books: New York, 1976 De La Bedoyere, Guy (1992) The English Heritage Book of Roman Town Building BT Batsford: London, 1992. Hall, Peter (1997) Cities of tomorrow Blackwell Publishing: Maiden, MA, 1997 HRH The Prince of Wales Working for Charity.. Web, n.d. Morris, A EJ (1994) History of Urban Form before the Industrial Revolutions Towns and Cities Henry Ling Ltd., Dorset Press: Dorchester, 1994 Morris, Eleanor (1997) British Town Planning and Urban Design. Principles and Policy Rudin, David & Falk, Nicolas (2009) The Sustainable Urban Urban Environment Building the Twenty First Century Home Second Edn, Oxford Architectural Press Tibbalds, Francis (1992) Make People Friendly Towns. Improving the Public Environment in Towns and Cities Longman Group Ltd: U.K. Unwin, Raymond (1996)Town planning in practice and urban design- Principles and Policy Princeton Architectural Press: New York, 1996 Read More