Introduction

When an architect designs a town or a building, every line is determined by the application of a complex set of mechanical laws, with the addition of a whole collection of other sciences whose provinces are less well defined: the sciences that concern man in his environment and society. These sciences-sociology, economics, climatology, theory of architecture, aesthetics, and the study of culture in general-are no less important to the architect than are the mechanical sciences, for they are directly concerned with man, and it is for man that architecture exists.

A building is affected by its environment. The climate of the locality and the buildings around it mould the building, so that, even though social, cultural, and economic aspects are important, it owes much of its shape to these factors.

Effect of Climate on Architectural Form

Climate produces certain easily observed effects on architectural forms.

For example, the proportion of window area to wall area becomes less as one moves toward the equator.Today a great variety of devices such as sun-breakers or brise-soleil have been added to the vocabulary of architectural features in certain zones.

However, many a times, the temptation to create up-to-date designs which assails a modern architect prevents him from achieving the chief aim of architecture: to be functional. He forgets the environment into which he will implant his buildings because he is attracted by new and modern innovations and gadgetry. He fails to realize that form has meaning only within the context of its environment. This leads to human discomfort and making the neighboring buildings unresponsive to the needs of the people and their climate.