Architecture may be said to have been there from the beginning, in raw form, in the arragement of nature. For only if we conceive the earth as a vast and featureless plain stretching in all directions, we would have the total absence of Architecture. Once there are ridges and rivers to divide this expanse, hills to punctuate it, and caves to gouge it, the business of Architecture has already begun.That is what Architecture provides, regardless of its complexity. It marks off one area to distinguish it from others. It raises solid masses that blot out as much space as their bulk. And it rears about our heads barriers to contain sheltered space.
We are used to think that Architecture is all about Shelter: a home to live in, Offices and Shops to work in, cool places of worship. But Architecture is more than protective shells. It involves Boundary and Monument. It involves transforming shelter into purposeful use. It involves turning a spot on earth into a special place.