g sits. The idea of a building makes its first move toward physical reality with the preparation of the site for construction. You've probably seen this phase often--the bulldozers and dump trucks uprooting, moving, hauling, smoothing until that piece of earth is as flat as a tabletop. That approach is typical and, from an architectural point of view, devoid of interest in utilizing the potential of the site. None or very few of the original features of the land are preserved and brought into the design for the building. Taking the local materials and site seriously should be important to the architect. One architect who exemplified this attitude was Frank Lloyd Wright. His idea was that the building should intrude as little as possible into the landscape, that it should look as if it springs out of the site andbelongs there. For this reason his approach gained the special name of "organic architecture," emphasizing the living, vital relationship between the earth and the building.Making the best use of the materials in the building is sometimes difficult to judge and will depend to some extent on the taste of the viewer. One approach to considering the way that the materials have been used is to determine the extent to which the wood and stone and brick and steel and glass and blocks have been allowed to express themselves with integrity, for just what they are in themselves.2) Functional Elements: How well does the building do its job?While this consideration relates to the aspect of sound construction, it is not identical with it. Functionability refers to the usefulness of the building. The functions for which a building is constructed should influence its design. A barn, for example, while spacious, usually does not serve well as an apartment for humans; the apartment, while good as a home, would not make a good gymnasium.In the past, architectural designs would contain many aspects which had nothing to do with the functi...
