The Aesthetic of Love

Indigenous architecture is a loving response to the natural conditions surrounding ones inhabitation of architecture. It is designed and built by those who will inhabit it and is necessarily designed in coordination with both environmental considerations and practical (or use-oriented) considerations. The product of such a building shows the love present in it both as an independent architectural entity and as an inhabited structure. The late 20th century has seen a revival with regard to appreciating this aesthetic. The 'green' movement had hoped to open people's eyes to a certain aesthetic of conservation but unfortunately has lost sight of the ideological foundations of its existence. My proposal is to look back to these roots of architecture. Not to revert architecture to mere building, but to find the aesthetic through the love put into the creation of a purposeful structure intended for a specific set of criteria and inhabitants for an intentional duration in a specific spot. We must look intently at the indigenous builders for how to find the balance of sustainability, response to environment and the physical aesthetic.