It involves people, processes, and products.
Architects use the design process to create an environment that enhances the quality of life.
The practice of architecture includes defining problems, evaluating alternatives and implementing solutions to better the environment. Because architecture and the environment so significantly affect the quality of life, it is important that as citizens we know how the environment affects us and how we can make a difference in determining the quality of our lives. The study of architecture is meant to complement and work with your traditional subjects in the classroom. For example, in science classes, the systems of a building might be compared to those of the human body. Plumbing and ventilation and the digestive and respiratory systems can be used to show the similarities between a building as a machine and a body as an organism.