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Tuesday, August 1.

Architecture.

Firmitas, utilitas, venustas.

These are the central pillars of, well, #architecture, according to Roman architect Vitruvius in the early 1st century AD. These are the principles that should guide the mind, eye, and, ultimately, the hand of the architect. The original translation would convey this as firmness, commodity, and delight. Another translation into more contemporary English would be firstly, durability: that a building should stand up robustly and remain in good condition; secondly, utility: it should be suitable for the purposes for which it is used; and finally, beauty: that it should be aesthetically pleasing.

There are many definitions, understandings, and theories of what makes architecture, or what separates it from construction. What is easily understood is that architecture is a testament to our ability to create forms and landscapes as compelling as those provided by the natural world—and that you very rarely feel as present as when you walk the streets of a new city, and marvel at the shapes, forms, and styles that surround you.

But why not leave it to the experts? Le Corbusier, a renowned 20th-century architect, once wrote: "You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials you build houses and palaces: that is construction. Ingenuity is at work. But suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good. I am happy and I say: This is beautiful. That is Architecture".